⚡ Core Engine
Custom-built engine powering Bee Hive SMP with high performance, seamless integration, and mobile-first design
What is Core Engine?
The Core Engine is a custom-built, high-performance framework developed exclusively for Bee Hive SMP. It serves as the foundation that powers all custom plugins, providing shared services, unified design patterns, and seamless cross-platform compatibility.
Built for Bee Hive SMP
Unlike generic plugin frameworks, the Core Engine was designed from the ground up specifically for our server's unique needs. Every feature, every optimization, every design decision was made with our community in mind.
- • Exclusive: Purpose-built for Bee Hive SMP infrastructure
- • Unified: Powers Dungeons, PvP, Ranks, Identity Bridge, and more
- • Optimized: Zero unnecessary overhead - only what we need
- • Modern: Built with Java 21 and latest Paper API
Core Services
Database pooling, event bus, player data management
Design System
Consistent UI/UX across all plugins
Mobile First
Touch-friendly interfaces for all players
Key Features
Mobile-First GUI System
Interfaces designed for touchscreens first, ensuring every player - whether on PC, console, or mobile - has an excellent experience.
Large clickable areas, no tiny buttons
Optimized for thumb navigation
Close buttons at slot 40 (bottom-right)
High Performance
Every millisecond counts. The Core Engine is optimized for minimal latency and maximum throughput.
Industry-standard connection pooling
Non-blocking database queries
~50x faster config access
Unified Design Language
Consistent visual identity across all plugins. Players instantly recognize our interfaces and know how to interact with them.
Tokens for actions, states, tiers
Reusable buttons, panels, icons
Clean design without glass panes
Cross-Platform Native
Seamless Bedrock support through Floodgate integration. Java and Bedrock players share the same experience.
Native Bedrock player support
Link Java & Bedrock accounts
Works perfectly on all devices
Event System
Inter-plugin communication allows components to work together seamlessly. Dungeons can trigger rank progression, PvP stats update in real-time.
Publish-subscribe pattern for loose coupling
Cross-plugin data sharing & triggers
Design System
A comprehensive design system ensures consistency across all interfaces. From color palettes to interaction patterns, every detail is intentional.
Semantic Color Tokens
Confirmations, completions
Errors, warnings, PvP
Caution, transitions
Tips, neutral actions
Touch Targets & Spacing
WCAG-compliant for accessibility
Consistent padding and margins
Glow effects, color shifts
Component Tokens
navigation.primary Slot 40 (bottom-right, thumb zone) navigation.back Slot 0 (top-left) navigation.close Slot 40 (bottom-right) interaction.confirm Green dye, right side interaction.cancel Red dye, left side 🎨 Clean Design: No glass pane fillers - every item serves a purpose. Decorative elements are functional buttons or informational displays.
Performance Engineering
Server performance directly impacts player experience. The Core Engine implements multiple layers of optimization to ensure smooth gameplay.
HikariCP Connection Pooling
Database connections are expensive to create. HikariCP maintains a pool of ready connections, dramatically reducing query latency.
Average query time
Pool size (optimal)
Cache hit rate
Async Database Operations
All database queries run asynchronously, preventing lag spikes on the main server thread. Player actions feel instant even during heavy data operations.
Config Caching (~50x faster)
Configuration values are cached in memory after first load. No more repeated file I/O for frequently accessed settings.
Read from disk → Parse YAML → Cache
Return cached value instantly
Debounced Saves
Player data changes are batched and saved periodically rather than on every change. Reduces database write pressure by up to 90%.
Debounce window
Write reduction
Mobile-First Design Showcase
Every GUI is designed with mobile players in mind. Touch-friendly layouts, intuitive navigation, and accessible controls ensure a great experience on any device.
📐 6-Row GUI Standard
Most interfaces use a 6-row inventory (54 slots) to maximize information density while maintaining readability. This is the sweet spot for mobile screens.
Slot 40 = Close Button (Thumb Zone)
On mobile devices, the bottom-right corner is the natural thumb zone. Slot 40 is reserved for the close/exit action across all interfaces, making navigation intuitive.
Slot 40 - Always bottom-right
Slot 0 - Top-left
Swipe Navigation
Large touch targets with clear visual feedback. No accidental misclicks.
Touch-Friendly Buttons
2x2 grid layouts maximize clickable area for each option.
Technical Excellence
The Core Engine leverages modern Java features and industry best practices to deliver a robust, maintainable, and future-proof foundation.
Java 21
Latest LTS release with pattern matching, records, virtual threads preview
Paper API 1.21+
High-performance fork of Spigot with async chunk loading and modern APIs
Gradle (Kotlin DSL)
Modern build system with type-safe configuration and fast incremental builds
Comprehensive Testing
JUnit 5, Mockito, integration tests with Testcontainers for reliability
Code Quality Standards
Extensive use of generics, Optional, and null-safety annotations
All I/O operations are non-blocking by default
Comprehensive JavaDoc and inline comments
Loosely coupled components with clear interfaces
Architecture Highlights
Dependency injection for testability
Abstracted data access layer
Loose coupling via event bus
Experience the difference
Custom-built for Bee Hive SMP