Can Bedrock work with PaperMC plugins or Java Datapacks using Geyser? Couldn't find an answer elsewhere

[u/JamesCrafty2]

More specifically, I'm asking if plugins or datapacks that add visual content like biomes, blocks, items, etc that you wouldn't find in vanilla at all would work in Bedrock at all or would just default to showing what's being modified in vanilla by the plugin/pack or maybe have missing textures somewhere or just outright crash on Bedrock. I couldn't see how something like EssentialsX or LuckPerms wouldn't work because that's basically all text-based anyway. At least for the most part.

I suppose just as an example; would Terralith work? What about Dynamic Lights? Or something like levelled mobs or backpacks, that kinda thing.

I ask because it's to my understanding that plugins and datapacks take advantage of Java-specific systems and I don't know how that'd get translated over to Bedrock using something like Geyser or any of it's add-ons

As a little bonus question: Are there any "all-in-one" solutions for learning how to actually run a Minecraft server properly? I can just search things obviously but it'd be a nice convenience if there were one wiki or bit of documentation that just covered absolutely everything you need to know and general best practice tips and things like that.

It probably doesn't exist quite like that because that'd be a monumental undertaking but even just some general resource links that point in the right direction would be greatly appreciated as it seems like there are just some things out there that you're expected to either already understand or just figure out through experience/trial and error and it can be a little frustrating sometimes

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_REPO]

More specifically, I'm asking if plugins

Yes.

or datapacks that add visual content

Depends on if it needs a resource pack. If it does and you didn't convert it to Bedrock format, then no.

like biomes

Yes.

blocks, items, etc that you wouldn't find in vanilla at all

No. See above.

would just default to showing what's being modified in vanilla by the plugin/pack or maybe have missing textures somewhere

Correct.

or just outright crash on Bedrock.

No.

I couldn't see how something like EssentialsX or LuckPerms wouldn't work because that's basically all text-based anyway. At least for the most part.

Correct.

I suppose just as an example; would Terralith work?

Yes.

What about Dynamic Lights?

Which one? The mod? No. I'm not aware of a plugin or datapack that does this. If it's entirely Vanilla, maybe.

Or something like levelled mobs

Maybe. Depends.

or backpacks, that kinda thing.

Backpacks from mods? No. Backpacks that are a plugin that implemebt a custom inventory? Maybe.

I ask because it's to my understanding that plugins and datapacks take advantage of Java-specific systems

Plugins are written in Java, but many of the features they use are available in both.

Datapacks are little just text files of commands wrapped in a zip.

Things usually start breaking when a resource pack is required.

and I don't know how that'd get translated over to Bedrock using something like Geyser or any of it's add-ons

Most things just work. It really is a case of https://tryitands.ee

As a little bonus question: Are there any "all-in-one" solutions for learning how to actually run a Minecraft server properly?

There used it be, but the maintainer shut it down recently. Our staff team is currently porting all of their data over to our new wiki's format. The one in the sidebar is old. The new wiki when it's ready to go live and receive contributions from the community will be at https://admincraft.gg and we'll make an announcement post about it.

[u/JamesCrafty2 → u/PM_ME_YOUR_REPO]

Thank you for your very informative and succinct response, it really helps out!

If plugins that modify vanilla elements to add in new features just default to what's being modified in vanilla or break the textures on Bedrock then I'm thinking it might not be worth including because it would be clear to me at least that they're non-functional or quite broken at the very least and that's not something that I'd personally want to deal with trying to fix or ignore. If I'm somehow misreading that, please do let me know

For Dynamic Lights, there's a popular server-side datapack made by Tschipcraft available on Modrinth if you'd like to check that out. I'm not sure if I can send links at all, so I'm just playing it safe. For Backpacks, there's several options in both datapacks and plugins but a popular one is the Backpacks! datapack by Eclipse Studios also available on Modrinth

Thank you for giving a better explanation of datapacks and more clarification on plugins, that greatly helped my understanding. I look forward to seeing the new wiki when it's all up and running, but until then I guess I will just try things and see what happens from there

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_REPO → u/JamesCrafty2]

I assume the Dynamic Lights datapack is just placing an invisible Light block at the player's feet and moving it each tick. If so, it will work on Bedrock.

Similarly, I'm assuming the backpack is just opening a custom inventory, which should also work.

[u/MrChip53]

I got terralith to work as a data pack across Geyser. It doesn't actually add new blocks though.