WorldGuard support for WDLCompanion: Save Only Your Regions

Understanding WorldGuard Support for WDLCompanion

Minecraft servers that rely on WorldGuard for region protection often face a tricky dilemma when players use the World Downloader mod. By default, WDLCompanion offers chunk override options that can grant download permissions globally, but what if you want to limit that access strictly to regions a player already owns? That is exactly where the WorldGuard support plugin steps in, bridging two powerful tools to create a seamless, permission-aware downloading experience.

This plugin introduces a new chunk override type called Owned WorldGuard regions. Instead of allowing world downloads everywhere or only in manually defined chunks, server owners can now let players save blocks and entities exclusively within the WorldGuard regions they control. It respects ownership hierarchies—whether a player is the region owner, a member, or both—and even handles polygonal region shapes with an optional precision mode.

How the Plugin Works

WDLCompanion already manages chunk overrides by reading a configuration file where you define rules for what parts of the world can be downloaded. The WorldGuard support plugin simply extends that system. After installation, you can add a new entry under chunkOverrides with the type Owned WorldGuard regions. The plugin then checks every chunk request against the player’s WorldGuard memberships, allowing the download only if the chunk falls inside a region where the player has the required ownership level.

For players who juggle multiple mods and plugins, managing installations can become cumbersome. A modern launcher like the one available at foxygame.net simplifies this by letting you download mods directly from the menu, so adding WDLCompanion and WorldGuard alongside this plugin becomes a quick, hassle-free process without digging through file folders.

Installation Steps

Setting up the plugin is straightforward and requires only a few steps:

• Make sure your server already runs WDLCompanion and WorldGuard. Both must be fully functional.
• Download the WorldGuard support plugin JAR file and place it into your server’s plugins folder.
• Restart the server or use a plugin manager to load the new extension. No additional permissions or separate configuration file are needed.

Once loaded, the plugin automatically registers the new chunk override type with WDLCompanion, and you can begin configuring it right away.

Configuration in Detail

All customization happens inside WDLCompanion’s own configuration file. Locate the chunkOverrides section and add a new entry. The key fields are:

• type – set to Owned WorldGuard regions exactly as shown.
• ownershipType – determines how a player must relate to the region. Acceptable values are ownerOrMember, owner, or member. The recommended choice is ownerOrMember because it grants download access to anyone who either created the region or was added as a member, covering most practical scenarios.
• preservePolygons (optional) – a boolean that defaults to false. When enabled, the plugin respects the exact polygonal shape of a region instead of expanding it to a square bounding box. This is more precise but also more resource intensive, so use it only if your server has many irregular regions and performance allows it.

A complete example entry in YAML would look like this:

chunkOverrides:
  worldGuard:
    type: Owned WorldGuard regions
    ownershipType: ownerOrMember
    preservePolygons: false

After saving the configuration, reload WDLCompanion or restart the server. Players will immediately notice that their World Downloader mod only functions inside regions they personally own or are a member of, depending on your chosen ownership type. This granular control prevents accidental exposure of restricted areas while still allowing builders to back up their own creations.

Performance and Precision Considerations

The preservePolygons option deserves a closer look. By default, the plugin treats every region as its rectangular bounding box, which is fast and covers most square or near-square claims. However, if your server uses complex polygonal selections—say, a winding river or an irregularly shaped castle—enabling polygon preservation ensures that the exact shape is honored. Keep in mind that this mode performs additional geometric calculations per chunk request, so on servers with hundreds of active downloaders, it might introduce a slight overhead. Test with your typical player load before making it a permanent setting.

Open Source and Statistics

The plugin is open source, meaning you can inspect the code, suggest improvements, or fork it for your own needs. The source repository is available for anyone interested in contributing. Additionally, the plugin uses MCStats (PluginMetrics) to collect anonymous usage data, helping the developer understand how many servers rely on the feature. If you prefer to opt out, you can set opt-out: true in the PluginMetrics configuration file, which disables statistics for all plugins that support it. The aggregated statistics are publicly viewable on the metrics platform, providing transparency without compromising server privacy.

Why This Matters for Server Owners

World Downloader has always been a double-edged tool—incredibly useful for preserving memories and sharing builds, but potentially dangerous when used to copy protected areas. By integrating WorldGuard ownership into the download permission system, you give players the freedom to save their own work while automatically blocking access to regions they do not control. It reduces administrative overhead because you no longer need to manually define chunk coordinates for each player; the region system you already maintain does the heavy lifting.

For communities that encourage large collaborative projects, the ownerOrMember setting shines. Builders added as members to a region can download the entire shared area without needing extra configuration. Meanwhile, strict survival servers might prefer owner to ensure only the original claimant can extract data. The flexibility is entirely in your hands.

Conclusion

The WorldGuard support plugin for WDLCompanion fills a crucial gap for Minecraft servers that value both player autonomy and region security. It leverages existing WorldGuard setups to create a dynamic, permission-based download system that is easy to configure and light on resources. By choosing the appropriate ownership type and deciding whether to preserve polygon accuracy, server administrators can strike the perfect balance between convenience and control. Whether you run a creative plot world, a faction server, or a tight-knit survival community, this plugin ensures that world downloading aligns with your protection rules, making it a smart addition to any well-managed server.