Griefing can destroy your community and months of player builds. This guide covers comprehensive protection systems to prevent and recover from grief attacks.

Understanding Grief Protection

Learn the different types of griefing and protection methods:

Common Griefing Types:

Block destruction: Breaking player builds
Theft: Stealing from chests and storage
Landscape damage: TNT bombing, lava griefing
Spawn camping: Killing players repeatedly
Chat spam/toxicity: Disrupting communication
Duplication exploits: Creating unfair advantages

Protection Strategies:

Area protection: Claim-based or region-based
Block logging: Track all block changes
Rollback systems: Undo damage quickly
Permissions: Control who can modify what
Monitoring: Staff alerts for suspicious activity

Install WorldGuard

Set up the most popular region protection plugin:

Installation Steps:

Download WorldEdit (required dependency)
Download WorldGuard from BukkitDev
Place both .jar files in plugins folder
Restart server to generate configs
Give yourself permission: worldguard.*

Basic WorldGuard Commands:

# Select area with WorldEdit
//wand  # Get selection tool
//pos1  # Set first position
//pos2  # Set second position

# Create region
/rg define MyRegion

# Add region members
/rg addmember MyRegion PlayerName

# Add region owners
/rg addowner MyRegion PlayerName

# Set region flags
/rg flag MyRegion pvp deny
/rg flag MyRegion build allow

Configure GriefPrevention

Set up automatic claim protection system:

GriefPrevention Features:

Automatic protection of player builds
Claims system with claim blocks
Chest protection
Subdivision system for sharing
Admin claims for server areas

Player Claim Commands:

# Claim land (with golden shovel)
/claimtool  # Get claiming tool

# Basic claim commands
/claim  # View claim information
/trust PlayerName  # Give build permissions
/untrust PlayerName  # Remove permissions
/accesstrust PlayerName  # Allow using doors/buttons
/containertrust PlayerName  # Allow chest access

# Abandon claims
/abandonclaim  # Abandon current claim
/abandonallclaims  # Abandon all claims

Set Up CoreProtect

Install comprehensive block logging and rollback system:

CoreProtect Installation:

Download from SpigotMC
Install in plugins folder
Configure database settings (MySQL recommended)
Grant inspection permissions to staff

CoreProtect Commands:

# Inspector tool
/co inspect  # Enable block inspector

# Lookup commands
/co lookup u:PlayerName t:24h  # Player actions last 24h
/co lookup r:10 t:1w  # All actions within 10 blocks, last week
/co lookup a:break  # All block breaking

# Rollback/Restore
/co rollback u:PlayerName t:1h r:20  # Rollback player actions
/co restore u:PlayerName t:1h r:20  # Restore changes

# Confirm rollback
/co apply  # Confirm the rollback

Configure Protection Settings

Fine-tune protection plugins for your server:

GriefPrevention Config:

# Claims configuration
Claims:
  InitialBlocks: 100
  BlocksAccruedPerHour: 100
  MaxAccruedBlocks: 80000
  AbandonReturnRatio: 1.0
  
# Automatic claiming
ClaimsWorldModes:
  world: SurvivalRequiringClaims
  
# Protect wilderness
ProtectWilderness: true
ProtectFreshSpawns: true

WorldGuard Global Flags:

# Set global spawn protection
/rg flag __global__ spawn-protection true

# Prevent TNT damage globally
/rg flag __global__ tnt deny

# Control mob spawning
/rg flag __global__ mob-spawning allow
/rg flag __global__ creeper-explosion deny

Add Specialized Protection

Install additional plugins for specific protection needs:

Useful Protection Plugins:

LWC: Chest and door protection
AntiCheat: Prevent hacking and exploits
NoCheatPlus: Advanced anti-cheat system
ExploitFixer: Fix common griefing exploits
ViaVersion: Prevent version-based exploits
ProtocolLib: Advanced packet protection

LWC Protection Setup:

# Protect chests automatically
/lwc flag autoRegister on

# Manual protection
/cprivate  # Protect block you&apos;re looking at
/cpassword MyPassword  # Password protect
/cpublic  # Remove protection

# Share protection
/cmodify PlayerName  # Add player to protection
/cmodify g:GroupName  # Add group to protection

Create Staff Protocols

Establish procedures for handling grief incidents:

Grief Response Protocol:

Immediate response: Stop ongoing griefing
Document evidence: Screenshots, coordinates
Investigate with CoreProtect: Find all damage
Determine punishment: Ban length, severity
Restore damage: Use rollback tools
Contact affected players: Inform of resolution

Staff Permission Setup:

# Moderator permissions
coreprotect.inspect
coreprotect.lookup
worldguard.region.info.*
griefprevention.claims

# Admin permissions
coreprotect.rollback
coreprotect.restore
worldguard.region.*
griefprevention.admin

Monitor and Alert Systems

Set up automatic detection of griefing activities:

Monitoring Plugins:

LogBlock: Alternative to CoreProtect with alerts
HawkEye: Advanced logging with web interface
AlertSystem: Custom grief detection alerts
StaffChat: Quick communication during incidents

Alert Configuration Example:

# Alert on mass block breaking
alert:
  mass-block-break:
    threshold: 50  # blocks per minute
    action: notify-staff
    
# Alert on TNT usage
alert:
  tnt-usage:
    near-claims: true
    action: freeze-player

Education and Prevention

Prevent griefing through community building:

Clear rules: Document what constitutes griefing
Tutorial system: Teach new players about claims
Regular backups: Daily world saves for worst cases
Community events: Foster positive server culture
Quick response: Address reports promptly
Fair punishment: Consistent enforcement of rules
Appeal system: Allow players to contest bans

The best anti-grief system combines technical protection with good community management. Focus on creating a positive environment where griefing is not tolerated.

Anti-Grief Plugins Setup Guide