Overview
Towny claims are only part of the picture. Each town has an outer influence ring — unclaimed wilderness where your town or nation still watches for outsiders. When a town joins a nation, its solo ring disappears and it becomes part of the nation area.
- Independent towns — blue influence and blue border particles.
- Nations — red influence around the combined nation area; capital gets the largest buffer.
- Wilderness band — inside influence but outside claimed plots; residents get alerts when outsiders build or break there.
Influence does not let you build in unclaimed land. It only affects border UX, wilderness alerts, and rules for founding towns and joining nations.
Influence ranges
All distances are measured from the outer edge of claimed town plots, not from town spawn or town hall.
| Territory type | Buffer past plot edges |
|---|
| Independent town (no nation) | 250 blocks |
| Nation capital town | 500 blocks |
| Nation member town | 250 blocks (extends the nation area) |
When a town joins a nation, its independent ring is removed. The town’s plots become part of the nation’s combined influence shape.
Border particles
Walk the outer edge of an influence zone to see dust particles on the surface (similar to the spawn safe-zone ring):
- Red dust — nation territory border
- Blue dust — independent town territory border
Particles follow the exact influence outline, not a simple circle around spawn. You need to be within about 96 blocks of the border line to see them clearly.
Enter / exit messages
Crossing an influence border shows a short chat line:
- Entering / leaving a nation
- Entering / leaving an independent town (towns in a nation use the nation message instead)
Messages have an 8-second cooldown per player so walking along a border does not spam chat.
Mute border messages for yourself:
/territories notifications off
/territories notifications on
/territories notifications status
Aliases: /territory, /border
Wilderness band alerts
Inside your influence but outside claimed plots is the wilderness band — unclaimed land your town or nation still monitors.
If an outsider places or breaks blocks there above sea level, online residents see:
Satellite imagery shows <player> is stealing resources in your territory.
- 3-minute cooldown per outsider, per town or nation
- Town residents get town alerts; nation members get nation wilderness alerts
- Your own members do not trigger alerts on your territory
- Alerts apply in wilderness between plots, not inside claimed town blocks
Founding & nation rules
Root-Territories enforces geographic rules at town creation and nation join time:
| Rule | What happens |
|---|
| Found a town | Blocked if spawn would be inside another town’s or nation’s influence |
| Join a nation | Blocked unless your town’s influence touches or overlaps the nation’s territory |
| Found a new nation | 2+ towns must agree via /nationfounding; 2,000 G splits across town banks when the capital runs /nation new (first nation grandfathered) |
| Any member logged in within 30 real days | Keeps a town or nation bank protected from inactivity tax (see Constitution) |
Nation founding workflow
- Capital mayor:
/nationfounding propose <NationName> <PartnerTown> [more…]
- Each partner mayor:
/nationfounding agree <proposal-id>
- When fully signed: capital runs
/nation new <NationName>
- Partner towns join via normal Towny invite after the nation exists
Status: /nationfounding status · Cancel (capital only): /nationfounding cancel <id>
Nation expansion is geographic — remote member towns across the map cannot join without connecting influence rings.
BlueMap
Territory outlines appear on the web map at map.rootmc.net:
- Nation territories — gold overlay
- Independent town territories — blue overlay
In-game: /map or /cmds for the map link. Map outlines are slightly inset for readability; in-game borders and particles use the exact edge.
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
/territories | Info about where you stand — zones, allegiance, wilderness alert status |
/territories notifications [on|off|status] | Toggle border enter/exit messages |
/territory · /border | Aliases for /territories |
Staff: /rootterritories reload rebuilds zones and BlueMap markers.
FAQ
Can I build in the influence ring?
Only on land you can normally build on (wilderness or your claims). Influence alone does not grant build rights outside your plots.
Why don’t I see particles?
Particles draw on the border line, not through the whole zone. Walk the outer edge within ~96 blocks. Nation borders can be large — follow the ring on the map if needed.
Does influence replace Towny claims?
No. Towny plots are unchanged. Influence is an extra layer for borders, alerts, and founding/join rules.
What if my town joins a nation?
Your independent blue ring goes away. You become part of the nation’s red influence area. You must already touch or overlap the nation before joining.