> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://esmp-fun.gitbook.io/plugins/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://esmp-fun.gitbook.io/plugins/better-ancient-cities/getting-started/readme.md).

# Welcome

Better Ancient Cities makes Minecraft's Ancient Cities reusable on a multiplayer server: every player gets their own chest loot, the loot comes back on a timer, and the city is protected from griefing. It finds every Ancient City in your world by itself, with no setup per city.

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## Features

* **Automatic discovery.** Cities are found as players explore near them, using Minecraft's own structure data. No WorldEdit, no commands per city.
* **Per-player chests.** Every player gets their own copy of each city chest, so the second player to arrive still finds full chests.
* **Loot refresh.** Each city refills on its own timer, starting when someone first loots it, so cities never all refresh at once.
* **Protection.** The city's buildings can't be broken, built on, flooded, burned, pushed by pistons or blown up. The rock between the buildings can still be mined.
* **Snapshots.** Save a city's blocks and put them back later, undoing griefing and sculk spread.
* **Player data.** Chests looted, time spent, deaths and blocked griefing, per player and per city. See exactly what a player took from each chest.
* **Loot bans.** Stop one player looting one city. They can still walk through it.
* **Staff menu.** `/ancient menu` covers everything.

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## Requirements

* **Minecraft 1.21.1+.** Use the `-mc26` build for Minecraft 26.0 to 26.2, or the `-mc263` build for 26.3.
* **Paper, Folia, or Purpur.**
* **Java 21+** (Minecraft 26.x servers run on Java 25).

Better Ancient Cities works on its own. It does not need any other plugin.

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## Where to go next

[installation.md](/plugins/better-ancient-cities/getting-started/installation.md) - Install the jar and start the server.

[quick-start.md](/plugins/better-ancient-cities/getting-started/quick-start.md) - Find your first city and switch it on.

[how-it-works.md](/plugins/better-ancient-cities/getting-started/how-it-works.md) - What the plugin does behind the scenes.

[config.yml.md](/plugins/better-ancient-cities/configuration/config.yml.md) - Every setting explained.

[troubleshooting.md](/plugins/better-ancient-cities/troubleshooting/troubleshooting.md) - Known issues and their fixes.

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## Support

* [**GitHub Issues**](https://github.com/ESMP-FUN/BetterAncientCities/issues) - bug reports, feature requests
* [**Discord**](https://discord.gg/qwYcTpHsNC) - community support, announcements

Source-available, free to use, no redistribution (see [LICENSE](https://github.com/ESMP-FUN/BetterAncientCities/blob/master/LICENSE)).

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[![Servers](https://img.shields.io/endpoint?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffaststats.dev%2Fapi%2Fshields%2Fbetter-ancient-cities%3Fmetric%3Dservers%26color%3Dblue%26icon%3D1\&style=flat)](https://faststats.dev/project/better-ancient-cities)