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
- Create (or pick) a world template — for a blank slate:
/aerowars world create mymap. - Start the wizard:
/aerowars setup start mymap. - 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.
- Use
/aerowars setup undo [count]to remove the last spawn/chest,/aerowars setup skipfor optional steps, and/aerowars setup doneto advance. - 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 2Manage 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 onNow every sky1 match clones a random map from { mymap, desert, volcano }. Manage the pool with /aerowars maps list <arena>, remove, and random <on|off>.