Create "bots" that afk as a player to save on energy consumption.

Plugin catagory: Admin Commands
Minecraft Version: 1.17.1
Suggested Name: BotPower

Description and necessities :
A plugin that allows people with the right permission to use a command to create a "bot" which in turn will chunkload a player sized area around it. Normal chunkloading doesn't seem to spawn mobs or do randomticks. So for this to work "like a player" it should be able to do that aswell.

This is meant for community servers where people want farms to be run, but don't want their PCs using up electricity for an entire day. For one person it isn't that bad of course, but times that by 30 and the costs are easily driven up. So if a plugin made it possible for the server to do that instead, you'd be able to save power.

- 1.17.1
- Bukkit, Spigot, Paper.
- Permissions.
- Config (Max bots, Area loaded, Max time alive, Max per person).
- Possible Dynmap integration.

Yes I know:
I believe Carpetmod on Fabric can already do this. But to remain a plugin based server that isn't really an option.

 

I tested a bit around to test what is possible and what limitations/side effects you might get from the bot approach.

To make the bots affect plant growth and mob spawning, they need to be added to the server's internal player list.
So they add to the player count of the server and are in the tab list.
Also, they are accessible to every command and plugin that iterates over all players or searches the players.
They can be removed from the tab list and from the server ping, which is some work but doable.

On the other hand, only enabling the growth in chunks were there is no player nearby is doable without any side effects.


Before I delve into the little more complex approach of the bots, I wanted to ask you If you really want the mob spawning even with the side effects in mind