Trade Companion Server
Player-to-player trading in Minecraft has always carried a certain level of risk. You put your diamond gear on the table, the other player puts in their promised items, and then... they close the window. It is a tale as old as the game itself. Trade Companion Server is a plugin designed to eliminate that entire category of problems by introducing a real escrow system. It does not just swap items; it holds both sides of the deal and executes the exchange in a single, atomic operation. Either both players get what they agreed to, or the trade does not happen at all.
How the Escrow System Works
The core principle is simple: two players open a trade window, place their items and money, and negotiate. When both parties click accept, the server moves everything at once. There is no window where one player has the other's goods and can run off. The plugin binds each "accept" to the exact trade table that each player signed. If the offer changes after a player has accepted, the signatures no longer match, and the trade is voided. This makes it impossible for a player to swap out a diamond sword for a wooden one after you have already agreed.
Protection Against Modified Clients
One of the most impressive technical aspects of Trade Companion Server is its resilience. A modified client can attempt to send whatever data it wants, but the worst it can achieve is its own signature failing to match what the server has stored. The server is the source of truth, and it will not be tricked into executing a fraudulent trade. This server-side authority is the backbone of the plugin's security model.
Items Are Moved, Not Recreated
Many trading plugins simply delete items from one inventory and spawn new ones in another. This often leads to lost enchantments, broken durability, or stripped NBT data. Trade Companion Server moves the actual item stacks. This means durability, enchantments, and all custom NBT data arrive at the destination perfectly intact. For servers with custom items or complex enchantment plugins, this is a critical feature that preserves the value of the items being traded.
Integrated Economy and Receipts
Money is handled through the Vault API, which means it works with almost any economy plugin you are already using. The monetary transfer is part of the same atomic operation as the item swap, so there is no risk of paying for items you never receive. Every completed trade is stored as a receipt on both sides, detailing what was exchanged, with whom, and at what time. If a player claims they were scammed, staff can simply look at the receipts to see exactly what happened, making dispute resolution quick and fair.
Installation and Commands
Installing the plugin is straightforward. To download Trade Companion Server, simply place the jar file into your server's plugins/ folder and restart. For money support, you will need Vault and an economy plugin like EssentialsX. The plugin has been tested on Paper 1.21.8 with Vault 1.7.3 and EssentialsX 2.21.2, and it is designed to work with modern server setups.
Once installed, players can start a trade by shift-right-clicking on another player. The main commands are easy to learn:
/trade <player>- Invite someone to trade./trade recibos- View your last 10 trade receipts./trade recibos <player>- View another player's receipts (staff only)./trade ignorar <player>- Block trade invites from a specific player./trade reload- Reload the config and language files without a restart (staff only).
Configuration and Customization
The config file gives server admins control over the trading environment. You can set a maximum distance between players for a trade to occur, which prevents the system from being used as an item teleportation service. The default is 12 blocks, but you can set it to 0 to remove the limit entirely. There are also cooldowns for invites and expiration times to prevent spam. The language file is fully customizable, allowing you to change every message the plugin sends to players, and the plugin will never overwrite your custom texts.
Getting Started with Trade Companion Server
Trade Companion Server for Minecraft is currently in a 0.9.0-beta state. The core trading mechanics, including the atomic rollback and Vault integration, are fully tested. What it lacks is real-world mileage with high latency and many concurrent users. The developer encourages server admins to install it and report any issues, as the plugin logs every rejected offer with detailed descriptors to help debug any problems.
To get started, you will need to download Trade Companion Server from its official page. Remember that this is the server half of the system; players will also need the client mod to see the trade interface. Players without the mod will not break the server; they will simply see an explanatory message instead of an error and can continue playing normally. If you are looking for a way to bring secure, atomic trading to your server, this plugin is a solid choice. For a seamless setup experience, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install for Trade Companion Server, automatically handling the version compatibility and placing it in the correct folder for you. This launcher also provides auto-updates, ensuring your server always runs the latest build of Trade Companion Server without manual intervention.
Trade Companion Server represents a significant step forward in player-driven economies. By removing the risk of scams and ensuring item integrity, it allows players to focus on the fun of trading rather than the fear of being cheated. It is a robust, well-designed plugin that addresses a long-standing problem in the multiplayer experience.