Installation

This guide covers the installation and initial configuration of zCookieClicker.

Requirements

Before installing, ensure your server meets these requirements:

Requirement	Version	Status
Java	17 or higher	Required
Minecraft	1.13 or higher	Required
zMenu	Latest version	Required
PlaceholderAPI	Latest version	Optional

Supported Platforms

Platform	Support
Paper	Recommended
Spigot	Supported
Purpur	Supported

Installation Steps

1. Download the Plugin

Download zCookieClicker from:

• groupez.dev

2. Install Dependencies

Install the required dependency:

1. zMenu - Download from Modrinth and place the .jar in your plugins/ folder. zCookieClicker uses zMenu for all GUI interfaces.

3. Install the Plugin

1. Stop your server
2. Place zCookieClicker.jar in your plugins/ folder
3. Start your server
4. The plugin will generate all default configuration files

4. Verify Installation

Run /cookie in-game. If the plugin is loaded correctly, it will open the Cookie Clicker GUI.

File Structure

After first startup, zCookieClicker creates the following structure:

plugins/zCookieClicker/
├── config.yml                    # Main configuration
├── messages.yml                  # Plugin messages
├── inventories/
│   ├── cookies.yml               # Main cookie GUI
│   └── cookies-upgrade.yml       # Upgrades GUI
└── patterns/
    └── cookie-upgrade.yml        # Upgrade button pattern

Database Configuration

zCookieClicker supports three storage backends.

SQLite (Default)

SQLite is the default storage method and requires no additional configuration:

sql:
  type: SQLITE

MySQL

For larger servers:

sql:
  type: MYSQL
  user: homestead
  password: secret
  port: 3306
  host: 192.168.10.10
  database: zcookieclicker
  prefix: "zcookieclicker_"
  retry: 5
  debug: false

MariaDB

sql:
  type: MARIADB
  user: homestead
  password: secret
  port: 3306
  host: 192.168.10.10
  database: zcookieclicker
  prefix: "zcookieclicker_"
  retry: 5
  debug: false

Option	Description
type	Storage type: SQLITE, MYSQL, or MARIADB
user	Database username
password	Database password
port	Database port
host	Database host address
database	Database name
prefix	Table prefix
retry	Connection retry attempts
debug	Enable SQL debug logging

warning

Make sure to change the default database credentials before deploying to production.

First Configuration

After installation, here are the recommended first steps:

1. Storage - Choose your storage backend in config.yml
2. Upgrades - Customize upgrade costs and CPS values
3. Number Format - Configure how large numbers are displayed
4. Messages - Customize plugin messages in messages.yml
5. GUIs - Customize the cookie and upgrade GUIs

See the Configuration section for detailed options.

Troubleshooting

Plugin does not start

• Check that Java 17+ is installed: java -version
• Verify that zMenu is installed and loads without errors
• Check the server console for error messages

GUI not opening

• Verify zMenu is installed and working properly
• Check that inventory files exist in plugins/zCookieClicker/inventories/
• Look for errors in the console

Database connection failed

• Verify your database credentials in config.yml
• Ensure the MySQL/MariaDB server is running
• Check firewall settings if using a remote database
• Confirm the database exists

Cookies not saving

• Check database connection is working
• Enable debug: true in the SQL configuration
• Verify the database tables were created

Next Steps

• Commands & Permissions
• Placeholders
• Configuration
• Upgrades