New Users FAQ

Some frequently asked questions from new users, before they follow this guide.

Can't You Just Give Me The Script I Want?

The old saying goes: "Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."

While we could just give you a particular script you need... well we've just given you a single script, and you'll come back to ask for the next one tomorrow.

By teaching you how to script on your own, you will be forever capable of customizing your server however you wish on your own, without needing to rely on anyone but yourself!

Denizen Sounds Hard

If you think Denizen sounds hard... well, running a server does too. One of the goals of Denizen is that basic operation should not be much more difficult than editing the config file for plugins (and knowing how to do that is a basic requirement for owning a server).

The majority of this guide is written with the assumption that the reader is new and inexperienced, and will help you learn the new skills required for the first time. There's no prerequisite knowledge or skills.

"But I'm Not Smart Enough"

We've heard quite a few users say this in our support channels over the years.

Here's the simple truth of the matter: Some people that say this, decide to believe it and so never try... and of course, when they don't try, they don't succeed. Those that decide to give it a go anyway, always achieve far more than they thought they could.

The only thing you need to succeed with Denizen is a will to learn and a bit of effort and time to expend trying.

What If I Don't Have Time?

First: If you can spare a couple hours per week, you probably have enough time to learn and make use of the basics of Denizen.

If you can't... well why are you trying to run a Minecraft server? Running a server takes a lot of time and effort.

If the reason you're low on time is you need something made now and next week is too late, consider hiring a scripter on our Discord.

If the reason you're low on time is just that your server takes too much time already and you just don't want to spend even more time on it, consider delegating the task of learning to script to a friend/admin/co-owner. Anyone can learn Denizen, you just need to find the friend who's willing to spend some time and effort to learn scripting and help your server.

Following The Guide

Can I Just Skim The Guide?

You cannot just skim this guide. This is a beginner's guide, not documentation. It's designed to teach you the basics step-by-step, and won't make sense if you skip ahead. After you've completed the "First Steps" and "Basics" sections, you'll understand enough to be able to open the documentation pages (NOT this guide) and skim that for specifics you need.

So Should I Read Everything?

No, don't just read. This is a guide, not a book. It's not telling you a story, it's telling you things to do. If you try to just read it, all the information will go in your eyeballs and out your ears... that's not really learning anything.

What Do I Do Then?

What you should do is follow the guide. This means that each step of the way, when the guide describes something to do (a script idea to write, an example tag, etc)... actually do it! Open up your script editor and actually write the script, try it, and see how it works for you. Also, using the tools you've learned each stage of the way... try MORE things other than just what's on the page. When you learn about a new tool, try to see what other things you can do with that tool. Try to see how you can combine this new tool with things you've previously learned. When you're actually making active use of the things you've been guided through, you'll truly learn them, and be able to use them in the future when you're writing real scripts.