Skip to content

Maps & Arenas

AeroWars separates maps from arenas — one of the biggest changes in v1.1.0.

  • A map is a layout: player spawns, chests, spawn cages, and the spectator spawn. It's stored per template in maps/<template>.json.
  • An arena is something players join. It references a map and defines the mode (Solo or Teams) and team size.

Because arenas only reference maps, several arenas can share one map — and an arena can even draw from a random pool of maps.

Upgrading from 1.0.0

Arenas created before v1.1.0 had their layout stored inline. They are migrated automatically on load: the layout is lifted into a map file, and nothing needs to be redone.

Building a map

  1. Create (or pick) a world template — for a blank slate: /aerowars world create mymap.
  2. Start the wizard: /aerowars setup start mymap.
  3. Work through the steps. For each spawn or chest, either left-click a block with the setup wand or stand in place and run /aerowars setup set:
    • Player spawns — one per island.
    • Chests — island and middle chests (tier is set by the step).
    • Spectator spawn — where dead players watch from.
  4. Use /aerowars setup undo [count] to remove the last spawn/chest, /aerowars setup skip for optional steps, and /aerowars setup done to advance.
  5. Save with /aerowars setup save.

Edit a saved map later with /aerowars setup edit mymap.

The setup wand

Setup worlds are creative, so you can freely edit the terrain. The wand (/aerowars wand to get it back) is a breaking tool — left-clicking a block marks a position instead of breaking it.

Creating arenas

Turn a map into a joinable arena, choosing the mode here:

/aerowars arena create sky1 mymap solo
/aerowars arena create duos1 mymap teams 2

Manage arenas with:

  • /aerowars arena list — list every arena.
  • /aerowars arena info <arena> — see its map, mode, and status.
  • /aerowars arena enable <arena> / disable <arena> — control rotation.

An arena needs a fully configured map (enough spawns for its mode) to be playable. Incomplete or chest-less maps are treated as drafts and hidden from matchmaking.

Random map pool

By default an arena always uses its base map. You can instead give it a pool of maps and have each match pick one at random — and the pooled maps can have completely different layouts.

/aerowars maps add sky1 desert
/aerowars maps add sky1 volcano
/aerowars maps random sky1 on

Now every sky1 match clones a random map from { mymap, desert, volcano }. Manage the pool with /aerowars maps list <arena>, remove, and random <on|off>.

Released under the MIT License.