Hyperion Minecraft Engine

Overview

Hyperion is a custom Minecraft game engine designed for building scalable, high-performance game modes and events. Unlike traditional Minecraft server implementations, Hyperion takes a ground-up approach to game mechanics through its plugin-first architecture.

Key Features

Plugin-First Architecture

Hyperion starts with minimal base features and implements game mechanics through a fundamental plugin system. This approach differs from traditional Minecraft servers that modify vanilla implementations:

• Core mechanics like combat are implemented as plugins
• Easily swap between different combat systems (e.g., 1.8 vs modern combat)
• Flexible customization without complex patching of vanilla code

Entity Component System (ECS)

Hyperion utilizes Flecs, an Entity Component System, as its core architecture:

• Entities are organized in a table-like structure
  • Rows represent individual entities
  • Columns represent components (e.g., health, position)
• Systems process entities through efficient iterations
• Components can be dynamically added (e.g., LastAttacked component for combat)
• For a more accurate representation of an ECS, see the ECS FAQ

Performance Optimization

Parallel Processing

The ECS architecture enables efficient parallel processing:

• Entities are automatically partitioned across available threads
• Systems can process multiple entities simultaneously
• Automatic handling of dependencies and thread safety
• Optimal resource utilization while maintaining data consistency

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Proxy Layer

Performance bottlenecks are addressed through a sophisticated proxy system:

• Horizontally scaled proxy layer
• Vertically scaled game server
• Efficient packet broadcasting:
  • Global broadcast capabilities
  • Regional broadcasting for proximity-based updates
  • Optimized movement packet distribution

Scalability

Hyperion is designed to handle large-scale events efficiently:

• Support for up > 10,000 concurrent players
• Performance constraints:
  • 20 ticks per second (50ms per tick)
  • Optimized processing within timing constraints
• Visibility optimization:
  • Configurable player render limits (400-700 players)
  • Customizable nametag visibility
  • Moderator-specific viewing options

Technical Considerations

Performance Management

• FPS optimization through selective rendering
• Nametag rendering management for performance
• Regional packet distribution to reduce network load
• Modular performance settings for different user roles

Resource Utilization

• 50ms processing window per tick
• Balanced distribution of computational resources
• Efficient handling of IO operations through proxy layer
• Optimized packet management for large player counts

Use Cases

Hyperion is ideal for creating custom Minecraft experiences similar to popular servers like Hypixel or Mineplex, where vanilla mechanics can be completely customized to create unique game modes and events.

Getting Started

Developers interested in using Hyperion should familiarize themselves with:

• Entity Component Systems (particularly Flecs)
• Minecraft networking protocols
• Parallel processing concepts
• Plugin development principles