NetworkNick [1.21.x]

NetworkNick

NetworkNick is a lightweight, network-aware nickname plugin for Paper and Spigot that provides persistent, Redis-backed nicknames with full support for PlaceholderAPI, LuckPerms, and modern multi-server environments.

Designed for modern servers and proxy networks, NetworkNick focuses on correctness, timing, and compatibility — ensuring nicknames apply before join messages, sync instantly across servers, and respect offline permissions.

Overview

NetworkNick allows players to set nicknames that persist across restarts and reconnects, synchronize instantly across multiple backend servers, and appear correctly in join messages, chat, TAB, and scoreboards.

The plugin is built around Redis as a source of truth, with careful join-time handling to ensure %player_displayname% always reflects the correct nickname.

Changelog

1.0.1

• Network-wide nicknames via Redis
  
  
• Join-time correctness (%player_displayname% works in join messages)
  
  
• Offline-safe nickname exemption (LuckPerms integration)
  
  
• Hide / unhide system with prior nickname restoration
  
  
• Robust enforcement against late plugin overrides
  
  
• PlaceholderAPI support
  
  
• Clean reload support
  
  
• Paper & Spigot compatible (no NMS, no ProtocolLib)
  

Features

Nicknames

• Set custom nicknames with /nick
  
  
• Supports legacy color codes (&a) and hex colors (&#RRGGBB)
  
  
• Optional formatting permissions (&l, &o, &k, etc.)
  
  
• Safe visible-length enforcement (3–16 characters)
  

Hide / Unhide

• /hide obfuscates your name using &k
  
  
• /unhide restores your previous nickname or real name
  
  
• Prior nicknames are stored safely and restored correctly
  

Network-Wide Sync

• Redis-backed nickname storage
  
  
• Real-time updates across all servers
  
  
• Automatic re-application on join, reload, and reconnect
  

Join-Time Correctness

• Nicknames are fetched before login completes
  
  
• Applied at LOWEST join priority
  
  
• Ensures join messages using %player_displayname% show the nickname
  

Exempt Players (Offline-Safe)

• networknick.exempt prevents others from changing or unhiding your nickname
  
  
• Uses the LuckPerms API for offline permission checks
  
  
• Safe asynchronous handling (no main-thread blocking)
  

Enforcement System

• Optional short-term enforcement to beat late plugin overrides
  
  
• Protects against plugins that reset display names after join
  

Placeholder Support

• PlaceholderAPI integration
  
  
• Custom placeholders for network-aware name handling
  

Requirements

Java 21
Paper or Spigot 1.20+
Redis server (required)
(Optional) LuckPerms
(Optional) PlaceholderAPI

Installation

Single-Server Setup

1. Download NetworkNick-x.x.x.jar
   
   
2. Place it in your server’s plugins folder
   
   
3. Start the server
   
   
4. Configure permissions (LuckPerms recommended)
   
   
5. Restart or run /networknick reload
   

Multi-Server / Network Setup

Recommended for Velocity or BungeeCord environments.

Requirements

• Shared Redis instance
  
  
• Identical plugin configuration across all backend servers
  

Steps

1. Configure Redis connectivity
   
   
2. Install NetworkNick on all backend servers
   
   
3. Ensure all servers connect to the same Redis instance
   
   
4. Restart all servers
   

Redis acts as the source of truth
Local caches are ephemeral and safe

Commands

Permissions

Permission defaults are intentionally restrictive. Use a permissions plugin such as LuckPerms to grant access.

PlaceholderAPI

NetworkNick includes a built-in PlaceholderAPI expansion. No eCloud download is required.
Requires PlaceholderAPI 2.11.0 or newer.

Note: %player_displayname% will also reflect the nickname automatically.
If you use Essentials, ensure display-name handling is disabled in its configuration.

Planned Enhancements

There are no planned features at this time. Suggestions are welcome and will be evaluated with a focus on correctness, performance, and network safety.

License

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.

Credits

Developed by Chumbucket
Built for the Chumbucket Network
https://www.chumbucket.net

© 2025 Chumbucket — Apache-2.0 License