Best Practices

Best Practices

This guide covers recommended practices for configuring, managing, and deploying Glamour particle effects on your server.

Configuration Design

Particle Naming Conventions

Use clear, descriptive IDs that indicate the particle’s purpose:

Good Examples:

"id": "shiny_sparkle"
"id": "legendary_aura"
"id": "fire_sendout_burst"
"id": "ghost_night_ambient"

Poor Examples:

"id": "particle1"
"id": "test"
"id": "p_01"
"id": "shiny"  // Too generic

Naming Pattern:

<trigger/type>_<element/theme>_<effect_type>

Examples:
- sendout_fire_explosion
- ambient_cosmic_trail
- legendary_rainbow_aura

File Organization

Organize configuration files logically:

config/glamour/
├── particles/
│   ├── sendout/
│   │   ├── common_confetti.json
│   │   ├── rare_dragon_breath.json
│   │   └── epic_cosmic_burst.json
│   └── ambient/
│       ├── common_sparkle.json
│       └── rare_flame_aura.json
├── persistent_particles/
│   ├── species/
│   │   ├── shiny_all.json
│   │   └── legendary_pokemon.json
│   ├── environmental/
│   │   ├── fire_in_nether.json
│   │   └── water_in_ocean.json
│   └── conditional/
│       ├── low_health.json
│       └── battle_intensity.json

Note: Glamour doesn’t read subdirectories - this is just for your organization. Use flat structure or keep documentation of groupings.

Category Strategy

Design categories that match your server’s theme:

General Server:

• common - Basic, widely available
• elemental - Type-based effects
• magical - Mystical/arcane
• cosmic - Space/star themed
• celebration - Festive/party

RPG Server:

• warrior - Combat/strength themed
• mage - Magical/spell themed
• ranger - Nature/hunting themed
• divine - Holy/blessed effects
• cursed - Dark/forbidden effects

Competitive Server:

• bronze - Basic tier
• silver - Mid tier
• gold - High tier
• platinum - Premium tier
• champion - Elite tier

Rarity Progression

Create a logical progression of effects:

COMMON → UNCOMMON → RARE → EPIC → LEGENDARY → MYTHICAL

Rarity Guidelines:

Rarity	Availability	Visual Intensity	Permission Strategy
COMMON	Everyone	Subtle	Free to all
UNCOMMON	Easy to get	Noticeable	Free or cheap
RARE	Moderately restricted	Eye-catching	VIP/Earned
EPIC	Limited	Impressive	Premium/Achievements
LEGENDARY	Very restricted	Spectacular	Top tier rewards
MYTHICAL	Extremely rare	Overwhelming	Special events only

Permission Management

Tiered Permission Structure

Free-to-Play:

# Basic access
lp group default permission set glamour.command.particles true
lp group default permission set glamour.command.particles.gui true
lp group default permission set glamour.particles.rarity.common.* true

VIP Tier 1 (Small donation):

lp group vip1 parent add default
lp group vip1 permission set glamour.particles.rarity.uncommon.* true

VIP Tier 2 (Medium donation):

lp group vip2 parent add vip1
lp group vip2 permission set glamour.particles.rarity.rare.* true

VIP Tier 3 (Large donation):

lp group vip3 parent add vip2
lp group vip3 permission set glamour.particles.rarity.epic.* true

Admin/Staff:

lp group admin permission set glamour.particles.* true
lp group admin permission set glamour.command.particles.reload true
lp group admin permission set glamour.command.persistentparticles true

Category-Based Permissions

For thematic servers:

# Fire-themed rank gets fire particles
lp group pyromancer permission set glamour.particles.category.fire.* true

# Water-themed rank gets water particles
lp group aquamancer permission set glamour.particles.category.water.* true

Event Rewards

Grant specific high-tier particles for events:

# Holiday event reward
lp user PlayerName permission set glamour.particles.winter_wonderland true

# Tournament winner
lp user ChampionPlayer permission set glamour.particles.champion_aura true

# Achievement unlock
lp user PlayerName permission set glamour.particles.legendary_sparkle true

Performance Optimization

Start Conservative

When creating new particles, start with high values and decrease gradually:

Initial Settings:

{
  "settings": {
    "intervalTicks": 100,    // Start high
    "particleCount": 1,      // Start low
    "radius": 0.5,           // Start small
    "maxDistance": 24        // Start short
  }
}

After Testing:

{
  "settings": {
    "intervalTicks": 40,     // Reduced after testing
    "particleCount": 3,      // Increased after testing
    "radius": 1.5,           // Increased after testing
    "maxDistance": 32        // Increased after testing
  }
}

Balance Visual Impact vs Performance

High Performance (Subtle Effect):

{
  "intervalTicks": 100,
  "particleCount": 1,
  "radius": 0.5,
  "maxDistance": 16
}

Balanced (Noticeable Effect):

{
  "intervalTicks": 40,
  "particleCount": 3,
  "radius": 1.0,
  "maxDistance": 32
}

High Impact (Spectacular Effect):

{
  "intervalTicks": 20,
  "particleCount": 5,
  "radius": 2.0,
  "maxDistance": 48,
  "onlyWhenVisible": true  // Important for performance!
}

Rule: High-impact effects must use visibility optimization.

Visibility Optimization Strategy

{
  "settings": {
    // Common particles: no visibility check
    "onlyWhenVisible": false,
    "requiresLOS": false
  }
}

{
  "settings": {
    // Rare particles: cheap visibility check
    "onlyWhenVisible": true,
    "requiresLOS": false
  }
}

{
  "settings": {
    // Epic+ particles: full LOS (use sparingly!)
    "onlyWhenVisible": true,
    "requiresLOS": true
  }
}

Persistent Particle Strategy

Priority Hierarchy

Design priorities to create logical override chains:

Generic (Low Priority 1-50)
    ↓
Type-Based (Medium Priority 51-100)
    ↓
Species-Specific (High Priority 101-150)
    ↓
Special Conditions (Very High Priority 151-200)
    ↓
Ultimate Overrides (Priority 201+)

Example Hierarchy:

// Priority 50: All shiny Pokemon
{
  "id": "shiny_basic",
  "priority": 50,
  "conditions": { "isShiny": true }
}

// Priority 100: Fire-type Pokemon
{
  "id": "fire_aura",
  "priority": 100,
  "conditions": { "types": ["fire"] }
}

// Priority 150: Charizard specifically
{
  "id": "charizard_special",
  "priority": 150,
  "conditions": { "species": ["charizard"] }
}

// Priority 200: Shiny Charizard
{
  "id": "shiny_charizard_ultimate",
  "priority": 200,
  "conditions": {
    "species": ["charizard"],
    "isShiny": true
  }
}

Condition Specificity

Too Broad (Will match too many Pokemon):

{
  "conditions": {
    "types": ["normal"]  // Most Pokemon have normal type
  }
}

Too Specific (Will rarely match):

{
  "conditions": {
    "species": ["charizard"],
    "isShiny": true,
    "level": { "exact": 100 },
    "weather": ["clear"],
    "timeOfDay": ["day"],
    "biomes": ["minecraft:plains"]
  }
}

Well Balanced:

{
  "conditions": {
    "species": ["mewtwo", "mew"],
    "isShiny": true
  }
}

Environmental Effects

Use environmental conditions for immersion:

Good Use Cases:

• Fire Pokemon in Nether
• Water Pokemon in oceans
• Ghost Pokemon at night
• Ice Pokemon in snow biomes

Example:

{
  "id": "ice_in_snow",
  "priority": 80,
  "conditions": {
    "types": ["ice"],
    "biomes": [
      "minecraft:snowy_plains",
      "minecraft:ice_spikes",
      "minecraft:frozen_peaks"
    ]
  }
}

Testing Workflow

Development Process

1. Create Config: Write JSON configuration
2. Validate JSON: Use online JSON validator
3. Load Config: Place in directory and /particles reload
4. Visual Test: Apply to Pokemon and observe
5. Performance Test: Check /persistentparticles stats
6. Iterate: Adjust values and reload
7. Document: Add to your server’s particle guide

Testing Checklist

For each new particle:

• JSON is valid
• Particle resource ID exists in Cobblemon
• Effect renders correctly
• Performance is acceptable (<5ms impact)
• Permissions work as intended
• Persistence works (survives restart)
• Looks good from multiple angles
• Doesn’t conflict with other particles
• Documented for players

Performance Testing

Monitor with /persistentparticles stats:

Good Performance:

Renders This Tick: 28/100
LOS Tests: 5/50

Concerning Performance:

Renders This Tick: 85/100  ⚠️ Getting high
LOS Tests: 45/50           ⚠️ Near limit

Poor Performance:

Renders This Tick: 100/100 ❌ At limit
LOS Tests: 50/50           ❌ At limit

If at limits, reduce particle frequency or counts.

Documentation for Players

Create Particle Guide

Document your particles for players:

# Server Particle Guide

## Available Particles

### Common (Free for All)
- **Confetti Burst** - Celebratory sendout
- **Sparkle Aura** - Gentle ambient effect

### Uncommon (VIP Tier 1)
- **Star Trail** - Cosmic sendout
- **Flame Aura** - Fire ambient

### Rare (VIP Tier 2)
...

## How to Apply
1. Use `/particles gui` to open menu
2. Browse by category or rarity
3. Select particle and Pokemon
4. Enjoy!

In-Game Help

Create helpful server messages:

/particles help - Shows available commands
/particles list - Shows YOUR available particles
/particles gui - Interactive particle browser

Backup and Version Control

Regular Backups

Backup particle configurations regularly:

# Backup script
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d)
tar -czf glamour_backup_$DATE.tar.gz config/glamour/

Version Control

Use Git for configuration management:

cd config/glamour/
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial particle configurations"

# After changes
git add .
git commit -m "Added legendary particle effects"

Change Documentation

Keep a changelog:

# Glamour Configuration Changelog

## 2025-10-01
- Added shiny legendary ultimate effect
- Adjusted fire_nether_boost priority from 70 to 80
- Reduced champion_aura particle count from 6 to 4

## 2025-09-25
- Initial particle configurations
- Created 15 base particles
- Set up permission structure

Maintenance Schedule

Weekly

• Review /persistentparticles stats for performance
• Check logs for errors
• Test new particle additions

Monthly

• Backup configurations
• Review player feedback
• Optimize underperforming particles
• Clean up unused configurations

Quarterly

• Full configuration audit
• Update documentation
• Plan new particle releases
• Review permission structure effectiveness

Community Engagement

Player Feedback

Collect feedback on particles:

• Polls on favorite effects
• Bug reports for visual issues
• Performance complaints
• Requests for new particles

Particle Events

Host particle-themed events:

• Particle Showcase - Players show off rare particles
• Design Contest - Players suggest new particle ideas
• Limited Editions - Seasonal or event-exclusive particles

Rewards Integration

Use particles as rewards for:

• Achievements
• Events
• Milestones (playtime, Pokemon caught, etc.)
• Community contributions

Next Steps

• Performance Tuning Guide
• Particle Examples
• Troubleshooting