Map system

Decisions of record

• Maps and builds

  A map is a build, not a world – a schematic-like artifact, not region files.

• Maps and builds

  Format settled: uncompressed Sponge Schematic v3 plus a sidecar JSON for the dynamic metadata. Git's own delta compression handles versioning. In-game visual diff is load-then-compare, not a new format: load both versions, diff the block arrays, render the changed-block set in-game as ghost blocks. E3 still gets its own full requirements document like every other workstream.

• Maps and builds

  One repo for all maps/builds, with the same three environment branches. Not a repo per map.

• Maps and builds

  Plain git, no LFS, because whole worlds are not being stored.

• Maps and builds

  Map metadata is dynamic. Required defaults: name, region, at least one spawn point. Beyond that it is free-form, and the consuming plugin interprets it. Builders must be able to edit this metadata easily.

• Maps and builds

  Selection: spawn and the FFA arena are singular per environment, taken from that branch's Release. Duel and minigame maps are pools, random by default, with a player map preference honoured when both players agree, and an explicit choice available on /duel.

• Maps and builds

  Hot-swap the duel and minigame pools live. Not spawn or the FFA arena, where a live change could trap players in blocks.

• Maps and builds

  Existing seasonal worlds are ported as schematics only – the world files are not kept.

• Maps and builds

  Map promotion follows the same flow as code.