Setting Up ExcellentCrates on Your Minecraft Server

Why Reward Crates Matter

Loot is the engine that keeps most Minecraft servers running. Whether players are farming for survival, decorating builds, or hoarding rare drops, giving them a structured way to earn items tends to keep them logged in. Reward crates are one of the cleanest solutions for that, and ExcellentCrates is among the most flexible plugins for the job.

It supports Minecraft 1.17 and newer, lets you turn almost any block into a crate, and exposes nearly every aspect through an in game editor. This guide walks through the full setup on a HolyHosting Minecraft server, from downloading the jar files to placing your first crate in the world.

What ExcellentCrates Can Do

Before touching any files, it helps to know what you are signing up for. The plugin covers:

• Any block or inventory item can act as a crate.
• Unlimited rewards per crate, including custom items.
• Per reward limits and cooldowns.
• Configurable particle effects around each crate.
• Crates that consume keys, virtual currency, or experience.
• Optional integration with Holographic Displays and Citizens.

That last point is worth flagging early. The fancy floating text and NPC interactions need extra plugins, so plan ahead if you want them.

Downloading the Plugin and Its Dependency

ExcellentCrates relies on NexEngine, a small library plugin from the same author. Both files need to live in your `plugins` folder for the crate plugin to load at all.

1. Open the ExcellentCrates page on Spigot.
2. Click the blue Download Now button in the top right corner.

1. Save the `.jar` file somewhere you will not lose it.
2. Head to the NexEngine GitHub repository.
3. Download the latest `NexEngine.jar` release.

If you need a specific release of ExcellentCrates for compatibility reasons, open the Version History tab on the Spigot page and grab the version you want from there instead.

Installing the Files on the Server

With both jars on your computer, you can push them to your server.

1. Open your HolyHosting control panel and stop the server. Trying to install plugins on a running server is a quick way to end up with corrupted configs.
2. Look at the Game File section and confirm which jar your server is running.

1. Confirm it is a plugin compatible jar such as Spigot or Paper. Vanilla and most Forge jars will not load Bukkit plugins.
2. Open the file manager from the side menu.
3. Find the `plugins` folder, or create it if it does not exist yet.
4. Click Upload and drop both `.jar` files inside.
5. Wait until both files report 100 percent.

1. Start the server back up so ExcellentCrates and NexEngine register.

Creating Your First Crate

With both plugins loaded, the rest of the work happens in game.

Opening the Editor

Run `/crate editor` while logged in. A GUI menu opens with a chest icon at the center. Clicking the chest takes you to the crate manager, where every crate you create lives.

Press the anvil to create a new crate. You will be asked for a unique ID in chat. Pick something short and descriptive, like `vote` or `daily`, since you will type it later in commands.

Once confirmed, the new crate shows up in the manager and is ready to be edited.

Editing the Crate

Click the crate to open its settings. The editor exposes a wide list of options covering animations, particle effects, key requirements, rewards, and the visual block. Some entries stay greyed out unless you have Holographic Displays or Citizens installed, so do not worry if a few options look inactive at first.

Adding Rewards

A crate with no rewards is just a fancy chest. Inside the crate options, press the emerald icon and then New Reward. Give it an ID, the same way you named the crate.

Once created, you can open the reward editor and configure the item that drops, the chance to receive it, broadcasts, commands run on win, and any cooldowns. Multiple rewards with different rarities tend to feel better than a single common drop.

Configuring Keys

Keys gate access to a crate so players cannot just spam open them. They pair well with vote rewards, in game currency, or staff distribution.

From `/crate editor`, open the Key Manager instead of the crate list. Create a new key, give it an ID, and adjust its display name, item form, and whether it is digital (stored as data instead of a physical item).

Linking a Key to a Crate

Back in the crate options, open the Keys entry, then type the key ID or click one of the suggested values in chat. From now on, the crate will only open for players who own that key.

Placing the Crate in the World

This is the satisfying part. Pick any block you like, a chest, a lectern, a beacon if you are feeling generous, and place it where you want the crate to live. Open that crate in the editor again, click the chest icon, then right click the block in the world.

That block is now a working crate. Anyone with the correct key can right click it and roll for whatever you configured. Mix and match crate tiers, daily rewards, vote crates, donor crates, event crates, and you have a long term progression system without writing a single line of code.

Common Issues

Commands do nothing in game. Type `/plugins` and check the list. If ExcellentCrates or NexEngine is missing, the jars either did not upload to the right folder or one of them failed to load. Confirm both files sit directly inside `plugins`, not inside a subfolder, then restart.

You get a permission error. By default the editor commands are restricted. Opping yourself is the quickest fix during setup. For a real server, use a permissions plugin like LuckPerms to grant the relevant nodes to staff only.

Useful Links

• ExcellentCrates Spigot page.
• NexEngine dependency download on GitHub.

With both installed and a couple of crates configured, you have a flexible reward system that scales from a small SMP to a large network. Start with one crate to make sure the loop feels good, then expand from there.