Tracking Your Server’s Top Players with the Highscores Plugin
Every Minecraft server owner knows that a little friendly competition can turn a quiet world into a bustling hub of activity. Whether your community is obsessed with breaking blocks, slaying mobs, or traveling vast distances, having a way to showcase these achievements publicly adds a whole new layer of engagement. The Highscores plugin by Lolmewn does exactly that — it takes the raw statistics collected by the companion Stats plugin and transforms them into leaderboards that players can view, compete over, and even display on signs around your spawn area.
At its core, Highscores is a bridge between data and bragging rights. It pulls from the Stats plugin’s extensive tracking system and lets you define exactly which statistics matter on your server. You might want to highlight who has mined the most diamond ore, who has crafted the most enchanted gear, or even who has taken the most fall damage — the configuration is surprisingly flexible once you understand the layout.
How the Plugin Interprets Statistics
Unlike some leaderboard tools that only show a fixed set of values, Highscores lets you customize which stats become public leaderboards. The configuration revolves around a highscores.yml file, which follows the same structure as the Achievements plugin’s configuration. The key difference is that you don’t need to specify an amount threshold — instead of BLOCK_BREAK 10 TOTAL, you simply use BLOCK_BREAK TOTAL. This small change makes setup faster while still giving you control over whether the highscore tracks a total count or a specific sub-stat. The onComplete section from achievements is renamed to onGet here, triggering when a player’s position on the board changes.
For server admins who enjoy tinkering, this plugin offers a lot of depth. You can define multiple highscores, each with its own display name and criteria. Once configured, the plugin automatically updates rankings as players continue playing, so the leaderboard always reflects the current state of your world. This kind of dynamic feedback loop keeps players logging in day after day, eager to defend their top spot or climb the ranks.
Commands and Sign Integration
Interacting with the highscores is straightforward for players. The plugin keeps permissions simple — everyone can use all available commands, which lowers the barrier for new community members to get involved. The command list is clean and intuitive:
- /highscores (or /hs) — Displays your personal highscores.
- /highscores page <page> — Shows your highscores on a specific page, useful when you have many tracked stats.
- /highscores top <highscore> — Lists the top players for a given highscore. The
<highscore>argument can be the full ID or just the beginning of the name, making it forgiving to type.
What truly brings the plugin to life, however, is sign support. By placing a sign with [Highscore] on the first line and the stat name on the second, you create a live-updating leaderboard sign. The sign automatically scrolls through the top entries for that stat, so a single sign can showcase the top three or five players without needing a wall of text. This is perfect for spawn hubs, arena entrances, or anywhere you want to spotlight your server’s most dedicated players.
Managing the Plugin Behind the Scenes
Highscores includes a built-in auto-updater that checks BukkitDev for new versions, keeping your server secure without manual downloads. If you prefer to handle updates yourself, you can disable this by setting update: false in the plugin’s settings file. The plugin also uses Metrics to collect anonymous usage data, which helps the developer understand how the plugin is used across different server environments. You can opt out of this via the PluginMetrics config if privacy is a concern.
For those who like to stay on the cutting edge, development builds are available through Lolmewn’s continuous integration server, though these pre-alpha versions come with the usual caveats — they might break, lack testing, and aren’t officially supported. If you’re simply preparing your configuration file for a future update, they can be handy, but for a live server you’ll want to stick with stable releases. When managing multiple plugins like Stats and Highscores together, it’s helpful to have a centralized tool. Many server owners find that this plugin can be easily installed via the foxygame.net launcher, a convenient, flexible, and modern Minecraft launcher where you can download mods right from the menu, simplifying the process of keeping everything up to date.
Extending Functionality and Future Possibilities
One of the most requested features is a web-end that would display highscores on a website, potentially integrating with the Stats plugin’s own web interface. While not yet implemented, the developer has mentioned that if demand is high enough, this could become a reality. Such an addition would allow server communities to check rankings outside the game, share them on forums, or even embed live leaderboards on a server website.
For developers, the plugin’s source code and Javadocs are available, though there is no official API at the moment. If you need to hook into Highscores programmatically, you can request events or an API from the developer, who is active on IRC and open to suggestions. This collaborative approach has helped the plugin evolve based on real server needs.
Setting Up Your First Highscore Board
Getting started is a matter of installing both Stats and Highscores, then editing the highscores.yml to define which stats you want to track. A typical entry might look like this:
- BLOCK_BREAK TOTAL — Total blocks broken by a player.
- MOB_KILLS TOTAL — All mobs slain, from zombies to endermen.
- TRAVEL TOTAL — Distance traveled by foot, minecart, or elytra.
Once the file is saved and the server reloaded, the /highscores top command will immediately return results. Placing a sign with [Highscore] and BLOCK_BREAK on the second line will create a scrolling leaderboard that updates as players break blocks. It’s that simple to go from zero to a fully functional competitive tracking system.
Conclusion
The Highscores plugin fills a niche that many Minecraft servers desperately need: a lightweight, configurable way to turn backend statistics into front-facing community features. By leveraging the Stats plugin’s data, it creates a seamless experience where players can see their own progress and compare it with others without ever leaving the game. The sign integration alone is worth the installation, turning any wall into a dynamic billboard of achievement. Whether you run a survival, skyblock, or minigame server, adding public highscores can boost player retention and spark friendly rivalries. With ongoing development, potential web integration, and a responsive developer behind it, Highscores is a solid addition to any server toolkit.