Programming Languages

Comprehensive guide to programming languages for Hytale development based on community discussions and official information.

Overview

Hytale’s technology stack includes multiple languages for different purposes:

Server: Java
Client: C# (Unity engine)
Scripting: JavaScript/TypeScript (mentioned in 2018 trailer)

Java (Server-Side)

Official Status

Primary Language: Java for server-side plugins
Official Support: Yes
Minimum Version: Java 17+
Recommended: Eclipse Temurin 25

Why Java?

From Discord discussions:

“Java chosen for accessibility and Minecraft community familiarity” - Community insight

Benefits:

Large existing developer community (Minecraft)
Extensive libraries and frameworks
Strong tooling (IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, VS Code)
Cross-platform compatibility

Getting Started with Java


// Basic plugin structure
import com.hytale.api.plugin.JavaPlugin;
 
public class MyPlugin extends JavaPlugin {
    @Override
    protected void setup() {
        getLogger().atInfo().log("Setting up plugin...");
    }
 
    @Override
    protected void start() {
        getLogger().atInfo().log("Plugin started!");
    }
 
    @Override
    protected void shutdown() {
        getLogger().atInfo().log("Plugin shutting down...");
    }
}

Java Resources

Kotlin (Community Supported)

Status

Official Support: Not officially announced
Community Consensus: Will work from day one
Compatibility: Full (compiles to JVM bytecode)

Why Kotlin?

From Discord:

“Kotlin is fully compatible since it compiles to JVM bytecode” - Technical discussion

“Kotlin overtook a lot of the modding community in Minecraft” - Community observation

Benefits:

Modern language features
Null safety
Concise syntax
100% Java interop
Growing in modding community

Kotlin Example


import com.hytale.api.plugin.JavaPlugin
 
class MyPlugin : JavaPlugin() {
    override fun setup() {
        logger.atInfo().log("Setting up plugin...")
    }
 
    override fun start() {
        logger.atInfo().log("Plugin started!")
    }
 
    override fun shutdown() {
        logger.atInfo().log("Plugin shutting down...")
    }
}
 
// More concise than Java
data class PlayerData(
    val uuid: UUID,
    val kills: Int = 0,
    val deaths: Int = 0
) {
    val kdr: Double
        get() = if (deaths == 0) kills.toDouble() else kills.toDouble() / deaths
}

Important Note

You may need to shade the Kotlin standard library:


// build.gradle.kts
plugins {
    kotlin("jvm") version "1.9.22"
    id("com.github.johnrengelman.shadow") version "8.1.1"
}
 
tasks.shadowJar {
    relocate("kotlin", "com.myplugin.shaded.kotlin")
}

Kotlin Resources

C# (Client-Side)

Status

Usage: Client-side (Unity engine)
Plugin Support: No official C# plugin API announced
Modding: Assets and data-driven content only initially

Why Not C# for Plugins?

From Discord:

“C# is used for the client-side, but server plugins are Java-based” - Community clarification

“No official C# plugin support announced” - Current status

The client downloads assets from the server but doesn’t execute code initially.

Future Possibility

Client-side scripting may be added later:

Graph-based visual scripting mentioned
Not planned for launch
Would be for client modifications, not server logic

JavaScript/TypeScript (Scripting)

Status

Evidence: Shown in original 2018 trailer
Official Documentation: Not yet released
Purpose: Likely for scripting and custom content

Community Discussion

From Discord:

“JS for scripting was displayed in the original trailer” - Historical reference

“JS support sounds sick especially for mini add-ons” - Community enthusiasm

Expected Use Cases

Custom mini-games
Interactive content
Simpler modifications
Data-driven behavior

If/When JavaScript is Supported


// Hypothetical example
function onPlayerJoin(player) {
    player.sendMessage("Welcome!");
}
 
// Event registration
events.on('player_join', onPlayerJoin);

Other JVM Languages

Scala

Compatibility: Should work (compiles to JVM bytecode)

Community Interest: Minimal

Challenges:

Smaller community
Steeper learning curve
Need to shade standard library

Groovy

Compatibility: Should work (compiles to JVM bytecode)

Community Interest: Limited

Use Case: Dynamic scripting, DSL creation

Clojure

Compatibility: Should work (compiles to JVM bytecode)

Community Interest: Very limited

Use Case: Functional programming approach

Language Comparison

Language	Official Support	Compatibility	Community Size	Learning Curve
Java	✅ Yes	Native	Large	Medium
Kotlin	⚠️ Not official	Full	Growing	Medium
C#	❌ Client only	N/A	N/A	N/A
JavaScript	⚠️ Possible	Unknown	TBD	Easy
Scala	⚠️ Theoretical	Full	Tiny	Hard
Groovy	⚠️ Theoretical	Full	Tiny	Medium

Choosing a Language

For Beginners

Recommendation: Start with Java

Reasons:

Official support guaranteed
Largest community
Most tutorials and examples
Easier to get help

For Experienced Developers

Recommendation: Java or Kotlin

Choose Java if:

You want guaranteed compatibility
You prefer established patterns
You want maximum community support

Choose Kotlin if:

You want modern language features
You’re comfortable with build configuration
You don’t mind shading dependencies
You value concise code

For Minecraft Modders

Recommendation: Your current language

If you know:

Forge/Fabric (Java) → Use Java
Paper/Spigot (Java) → Use Java
Fabric + Kotlin → Use Kotlin

Transfer your existing knowledge!

Language Features Comparison

Null Safety

Java:


String name = player.getName();
if (name != null) {
    System.out.println(name);
}

Kotlin:


val name = player.getName()
println(name) // Compiler enforces null check if needed

Data Classes

Java:


public class PlayerData {
    private final UUID uuid;
    private final int kills;
    private final int deaths;
 
    // Constructor, getters, equals, hashCode, toString...
    // 50+ lines of boilerplate
}

Kotlin:


data class PlayerData(
    val uuid: UUID,
    val kills: Int,
    val deaths: Int
)
// That's it! Auto-generates everything

Lambdas

Java:


players.stream()
    .filter(p -> p.getKills() > 10)
    .forEach(p -> p.sendMessage("High kills!"));

Kotlin:


players
    .filter { it.kills > 10 }
    .forEach { it.sendMessage("High kills!") }

Build Tool Support

Gradle

Java:


plugins {
    id 'java'
}
 
dependencies {
    compileOnly files('libs/hytale-server.jar')
}

Kotlin:


plugins {
    kotlin("jvm") version "1.9.22"
    id("com.github.johnrengelman.shadow") version "8.1.1"
}
 
dependencies {
    compileOnly(files("libs/hytale-server.jar"))
    implementation(kotlin("stdlib"))
}

Maven

Both languages work well with Maven, but Kotlin requires additional configuration.

Community Wisdom

“If it supports Java, expect Kotlin/Scala support to pop up from the community” - Language discussion

“Kotlin overtook a lot of the modding community in Minecraft at least” - Community trend

“Don’t use C# for server plugins - it won’t work” - Common misconception

“Learn Java first, then switch to Kotlin if you want” - Learning advice

“JavaScript support would be amazing for quick scripts and mini-games” - Future hopes

“I’ve never met a developer who tried Kotlin from Java and wanted to go back” - Community sentiment

“Java and Kotlin both compile to the same JVM bytecode so if it supports Java it supports Kotlin” - Technical fact

“Simon said just days ago to learn Java/JSON” - Official recommendation (January 2026)

Migration Guides

From Minecraft (Java)

Your Java knowledge transfers well, but Hytale’s plugin architecture differs significantly from Spigot/Paper.

Key Differences:

ECS architecture instead of pure OOP
30 TPS instead of 20 TPS
Different event names and registration patterns
Lifecycle methods: setup(), start(), shutdown() instead of onEnable()/onDisable()
Modern Java features encouraged
Different API structure (not based on Bukkit)

From Minecraft (Kotlin)

Almost identical workflow:

Use Kotlin plugin for Gradle
Shade Kotlin stdlib
Write plugins as usual

From C# (Unity/Godot)

Server Development: Learn Java (similar to C#)

Key Similarities:

OOP concepts same
Syntax very similar
Many patterns translate directly

Future Language Support

Speculative

The community expects:

Kotlin: Day-one community support
JavaScript: Official support eventually
Visual Scripting: For non-programmers
Other JVM languages: Community-driven

Not Expected

C# for server plugins
Python (doesn’t run on JVM)
Lua (not mentioned anywhere)
C++ (wrong platform)

Next Steps

Getting Started - Set up your environment
Java Installation - Install Java
First Plugin - Create your first plugin
Plugin Development - Develop with your chosen language