Why Paper?
Paper is the most popular Minecraft server software for good reason. It offers significant performance improvements over vanilla, adds useful developer APIs, and supports all Bukkit and Spigot plugins. At CraftNodes, all Minecraft plans come with Paper pre-installed.
Setting Up Your Server
Once you order a plan on CraftNodes, your Paper server is live within 60 seconds. Log into the Pterodactyl panel, navigate to your server, and you can immediately configure your settings.
Key Configuration Files
- server.properties — Set MOTD, max players, difficulty, and game mode
- paper-global.yml — Advanced Paper-specific settings
- bukkit.yml — Chunk loading and spawn settings
- spigot.yml — Mob spawn rates and view distance
Recommended First Plugins
EssentialsX, LuckPerms, Vault, and WorldEdit are a solid foundation for any server. Install them through the Pterodactyl file manager or via SFTP.
Performance Tips
Set view-distance to 8-10, enable async chunk loading, and use the Aikar JVM flags that CraftNodes applies by default. These changes alone can double your TPS on busy servers.