TribeCraft Wiki · Release 2026.09.8
Wiki Release: 2026.09.8 · UltimateRaids: 0.12.0 · Documentation branch: 1

Raid types and design patterns#

UltimateRaids does not force every raid into one hardcoded “type”. Instead, a raid is built from several independent modes. Understanding these combinations is the best way to design the right event before you start editing YAML.

The six decisions that define a raid#

1. Entry — NORMAL or MINIGAME#

NORMAL is command/API/scheduler-driven. Use it for content that opens when requested.

MINIGAME is an always-on matchmaking model with persistent/reopening lobbies, automatic Ready/start behavior and optional concurrent matches.

2. Participation — SOLO, PUBLIC, GROUP, COMPETITIVE#

  • SOLO — one player.
  • PUBLIC — unrelated players share the encounter.
  • GROUP — one party/clan/group participates as a unit.
  • COMPETITIVE — multiple groups may participate together.

3. Environment — OPEN_WORLD, DYNAMIC, REGION, ARENA, INSTANCE#

  • OPEN_WORLD — existing world, minimal isolation.
  • DYNAMIC — encounter coordinates are resolved around a runtime origin.
  • REGION — fixed bounded region in an existing world.
  • ARENA — fixed repeatable arena-style environment.
  • INSTANCE — isolated runtime world per match.

4. Instance source — WORLD, SCHEMATIC, VOID#

Only relevant to INSTANCE:

  • WORLD clones a full world/template.
  • SCHEMATIC creates a runtime world and pastes a .schem.
  • VOID creates an empty runtime world.

5. Progression — STANDARD or DISCOVERY#

  • STANDARD advances through stage completion rules.
  • DISCOVERY can unlock stages as players physically enter configured stage areas.

6. Loadout — PLAYER or KIT#

  • PLAYER keeps normal equipment.
  • KIT gives a temporary controlled loadout and restores the pre-raid state afterward.

These choices are independent. For example, INSTANCE does not require KIT, and DISCOVERY does not require MINIGAME.

Common raid archetypes#

The following are design patterns, not additional enum values.

Solo challenge#

Recommended combination:

entry: { mode: NORMAL }
participation:
  mode: SOLO
  group-provider: SOLO
  min-players: 1
  max-players: 1
loadout: { mode: PLAYER }
progression: { mode: STANDARD }
environment: { mode: OPEN_WORLD }

Good for tutorials, personal progression, boss challenges and testing.

Start with SURVIVE or one small KILL_ENTITIES stage. This is the easiest raid style to debug.

Open-world world boss#

Recommended combination:

NORMAL + PUBLIC + PLAYER + STANDARD + OPEN_WORLD

Use one or more waves and a final KILL_BOSS objective. Set bounds/border if you do not want the boss dragged away from the encounter area. Consider outsiders-damage-raid-entities: false if non-participants should not interfere.

Public dungeon#

Recommended combination:

NORMAL + PUBLIC + PLAYER/KIT + STANDARD + REGION/ARENA/INSTANCE

Good for a server-wide dungeon that opens on command or schedule. Add Ready Join if players need time to assemble before the instance begins.

Party or clan raid#

Recommended combination:

NORMAL + GROUP + PLAYER/KIT + STANDARD + INSTANCE

Typical settings:

participation:
  mode: GROUP
  group-provider: INTERNAL # or a registered integration
  leader-only-queue: true
  min-groups: 1
  max-groups: 1

This design works well for clan progression, private dungeons and cooperative bosses.

Competitive group event#

Recommended combination:

NORMAL/MINIGAME + COMPETITIVE + PLAYER/KIT + STANDARD + ARENA/INSTANCE

Use min-groups and max-groups in addition to player limits. If an external provider exposes relationships such as same/ally/rival, the provider can be used by integrations/logic built around group context.

Always-open minigame raid#

Recommended combination:

MINIGAME + PUBLIC/GROUP/COMPETITIVE + KIT + STANDARD + ARENA/INSTANCE

Enable a persistent lobby and reopen behavior:

entry:
  mode: MINIGAME
  minigame:
    persistent-lobby: true
    reopen-after-finish: true
    auto-start: true
    auto-ready: true
    concurrent-matches: 1

This is the best match for dynamic signs, join NPCs and a public queue. Normal /uraid start is not the primary start path; the lobby manager controls the match lifecycle.

Discovery dungeon#

Recommended combination:

NORMAL + SOLO/GROUP/PUBLIC + PLAYER/KIT + DISCOVERY + DYNAMIC/REGION/INSTANCE

Define area.pos1/area.pos2 per stage. Players discover the next room by entering its area. lock-future-stages and teleport-back prevent skipping ahead.

This pattern is ideal for crypts, caves, adventure maps and room-by-room dungeons.

Schematic instance dungeon#

Recommended combination:

NORMAL/MINIGAME + any participation + PLAYER/KIT + STANDARD/DISCOVERY + INSTANCE/SCHEMATIC

Use when you want a fresh copy for every match without maintaining a full world template. Requires WorldEdit or FAWE.

Place .schem files under instances/schematics/, configure paste coordinates, and use RELATIVE raid coordinates around the runtime origin.

Full-world instance dungeon#

Recommended combination:

NORMAL/MINIGAME + GROUP/PUBLIC + PLAYER/KIT + STANDARD/DISCOVERY + INSTANCE/WORLD

Use when your dungeon depends on a complete world: terrain, structures, multiple rooms, world-level data or large traversal distances.

The template must be a valid Minecraft world with level.dat. The runtime clone should use a unique world-prefix, and delete-on-finish: true is recommended for disposable matches.

Void instance#

Recommended combination:

INSTANCE + VOID

Useful when the arena is generated/pasted dynamically and you do not need terrain from a template world. Configure an explicit safe origin/spawn when possible; an empty world gives you no natural floor.

Wave survival#

Core idea:

completion: WAVES

or:

completion: BOTH
objective: SURVIVE / another goal

Create multiple waves with wait-for-clear: true. This design is suitable for arena defense, horde modes and endurance events.

Boss gauntlet#

Use multiple stages, each with a KILL_BOSS objective. Between bosses you can run stage actions, rewards, border transitions or short delays.

A boss group can add phases, enrage, minions and skills, making each stage a distinct encounter.

Defend event#

Use the DEFEND objective to protect a tracked raid entity/group/boss for a configured amount of time. By default, target death can fail the objective.

Pair it with waves attacking during the same stage:

completion: OBJECTIVE
objective: DEFEND
waves: enemy attackers

Capture event#

CAPTURE counts time while enough active participants remain inside the objective area. You can require a minimum number of players, reset on empty, or decay progress when control is lost.

This works well for room control, ritual circles and “hold the point” encounters.

Escort event#

ESCORT tracks raid entities reaching a configured destination. UltimateRaids tracks arrival/failure; movement itself remains the responsibility of native/provider AI. Use fail-on-target-death when losing the escort target should fail the objective.

Collection/scavenger raid#

COLLECT counts matching picked-up items. It can match a Bukkit material or an item resolved through a registered item provider.

Use it for gathering objectives, dungeon keys and resource hunts.

Destruction raid#

DESTROY counts matching blocks broken by active participants and can restrict the objective to a configured location/radius. This is useful for crystals, seals, generators or destructible structures.

If you allow destructive gameplay in a shared world, consider regeneration or use an INSTANCE.

How to choose between REGION, ARENA and INSTANCE#

Choose REGION/ARENA when:

  • you already have a fixed location in a persistent world;
  • resetting the environment is simple;
  • multiple matches do not need separate copies;
  • you want low world-loading overhead.

Choose INSTANCE when:

  • players may break/change the dungeon;
  • each group needs isolation;
  • concurrent matches should not interfere;
  • you want clean disposable worlds;
  • the raid depends on a full template or schematic.

How to choose between PLAYER and KIT#

Use PLAYER when server progression/equipment should matter.

Use KIT when fairness or role-based equipment matters more than normal inventory. KIT is common for minigames, competitive raids and curated dungeons.

How to choose between STANDARD and DISCOVERY#

Use STANDARD when stage advancement is driven by objective/wave completion.

Use DISCOVERY when physical movement through the map is part of progression. A discovery raid can still have objectives and waves inside each room.

For a first real raid, use:

NORMAL + SOLO/PUBLIC + PLAYER + STANDARD + OPEN_WORLD/ARENA

Then add complexity in this order:

  1. KIT
  2. GROUP/COMPETITIVE
  3. DISCOVERY
  4. INSTANCE
  5. boss phases/minions
  6. scheduler/minigame automation

This makes troubleshooting much easier because each new layer is tested separately.

Wiki Release 2026.09.8 · Canonical TribeCraft documentation.