Becoming a Town Mayor

Step-by-step guide to creating and managing a Town (and later a Nation) using Towny on Silverforge.

Before You Start

  • Find a location: Use chunk borders (F3+G) and /resident toggle plotborder to visualize plots.
  • Check prices: Verify costs/upkeep via /towny prices so your town can survive daily expenses.
  • Prepare funds: Have enough to found the town and claim a ring of plots around the home block.

Create Your Town

  1. Stand at your intended spawn point. Create: /town new <name> then confirm.
  2. Optional: Rename formatting tip — spaces become underscores in Towny names.
  3. Set spawn precisely where you want: /t set spawn.

Use markers to outline plot corners and design a safe, clear arrival area.

Town Money & Upkeep

Deposit funds so upkeep never ruins your town:

/t deposit <amount>

Check balances and status anytime: /t. Only mayors can withdraw: /t withdraw <amount>.

Expand With Claims

Claim adjacent plots around your home block to secure space:

/t claim • View claimed area: /towny map

Claim limits scale with residents. If enabled on the server, bonus plots can be purchased.

Video Guides

Two practical overviews of founding and running towns, covering claims, spawn, money, taxes, plot types, and plot groups.

Source: Part 1
Source: Part 2

Permissions & Plot Strategy

Town default perms: Adjust who can build/destroy/switch/item in town plots:

/t set perm resident build on
/t set perm resident destroy on
/plot set perm off — lock down important plots like the home block.
/plot perm hud — visualize perms per plot.

Locked-down model: /t set perm off globally, then sell or assign plots. Residents get perms on their own plots.

Taxes & Sustainability

Choose a fair tax model to keep the bank funded:

Flat per-resident: /t set taxes <amount>
Percentage tax: /t toggle taxpercent and keep rate modest (e.g. 1–2%).
Per-plot tax: /t set plottax <amount>
Review at any time: /t, plot summary: /t plots.

Avoid stacking multiple taxes too high; consider exemptions for ranks if supported.

Plot Types & Groups

Specialize plots to control behavior and access:

Farm plot: /plot set farm
Wilds plot: /plot set wilds
Create group: /plot group add <name>
Set group perms: /plot group set perm outsider build on

Use road groups to control switches at gates (e.g., residents-only via stone pressure plates).

Growing Into a Nation

Once your town matures, consider forming or joining a nation for additional claims, protections, and diplomacy tools. Review costs with /towny prices.