Loot Table & Stacksize GUI 2.0.1

1 hour ago, The_Kiiiing said:

In version 2 you can refresh the loot with the command

loottable refresh

There will be no more support for v1 in the future, I just updated it to ensure everyone can make a smooth transition to v2 with the option to roll back in case of problems.

I am currently working on several bugfixes in v2

It's unfortunate to hear that support for V1 will be discontinued. While I appreciate the effort to modernize with V2, I feel the "upgrade" has resulted in the loss of too many crucial features, which makes it difficult for me and likely many other server owners to continue using this plugin. Here are my main concerns:

1. The removal of search functionality for loot tables.
2. The loss of valuable configuration options, such as furnace speed, airdrop settings, and shredder/kiln tweaks.
3. Stack size configurations not properly porting from V1.
4. The need to manually enable loot tables after migration, which adds unnecessary complexity.
5. The sudden, unannounced changes have drastically increased the time required for routine wipes.
6. While the new UI looks visually appealing, it doesn't seem to offer significant organizational improvements and instead highlights additional paid plugins.
7. Many users, including myself, have experienced issues with loot dispensing properly among other problems after migrating to V2.
8. Switching from JSON to protobuf complicates things for the average user, as JSON was far easier to edit and back up.
9. There seems to be little regard for user feedback in this transition.
10. The decision to discontinue V1, despite the feedback, raises concerns about the future direction of the plugin.

Additionally, the current documentation is out of date, and no new documentation has been provided for users to understand what commands are now available or when they should be used. This further complicates the transition to V2 and leaves users without proper guidance.

Overall, these changes have made me consider more stable alternatives. The removal of key features, increased wipe time, and lack of up-to-date documentation have become too much of a burden. I don't recall seeing any demand for a UI overhaul or the removal of these features, which makes me wonder if there are more unannounced changes on the horizon. Unfortunately, I no longer have the time or patience to relearn the system and reconfigure 100+ loot tables with this wipe and potentially others in the future.

If any of my concerns are misplaced I would be glad to know. I have been using this plugin for years and would like to continue doing so, but only if these issues are going to be addressed.

I know that critical feedback is tough to hear, and you have obviously worked very hard on these changes. I don't mean to discount your efforts, I am simply providing an honest feedback based on my experiences with the new version. I appreciate the inclusion of V1 so that way users like me have some time to make the transition to V2 or other plugins and continue to have our loot tables functioning as before while they do so.

Lastly, are refunds going to be available for users who are dissatisfied with the changes, or should we instead prepare to issue chargebacks? @The_Kiiiing

@The_Kiiiing can you explain why from one plugin you made 2 ? and that latest one, not work properly, gather rates messed up, stacks also... Can we stay on original version plugin please? 

it is not populating the stack sizes folder, or the items folder. i have custom items set up and stack sizes too, but v2 doesnt convert these...

1 hour ago, TheRustingDead said:

It's unfortunate to hear that support for V1 will be discontinued. While I appreciate the effort to modernize with V2, I feel the "upgrade" has resulted in the loss of too many crucial features, which makes it difficult for me and likely many other server owners to continue using this plugin. Here are my main concerns:

1. The removal of search functionality for loot tables.
2. The loss of valuable configuration options, such as furnace speed, airdrop settings, and shredder/kiln tweaks.
3. Stack size configurations not properly porting from V1.
4. The need to manually enable loot tables after migration, which adds unnecessary complexity.
5. The sudden, unannounced changes have drastically increased the time required for routine wipes.
6. While the new UI looks visually appealing, it doesn't seem to offer significant organizational improvements and instead highlights additional paid plugins.
7. Many users, including myself, have experienced issues with loot dispensing properly among other problems after migrating to V2.
8. Switching from JSON to protobuf complicates things for the average user, as JSON was far easier to edit and back up.
9. There seems to be little regard for user feedback in this transition.
10. The decision to discontinue V1, despite the feedback, raises concerns about the future direction of the plugin.

Additionally, the current documentation is out of date, and no new documentation has been provided for users to understand what commands are now available or when they should be used. This further complicates the transition to V2 and leaves users without proper guidance.

Overall, these changes have made me consider more stable alternatives. The removal of key features, increased wipe time, and lack of up-to-date documentation have become too much of a burden. I don't recall seeing any demand for a UI overhaul or the removal of these features, which makes me wonder if there are more unannounced changes on the horizon. Unfortunately, I no longer have the time or patience to relearn the system and reconfigure 100+ loot tables with this wipe and potentially others in the future.

If any of my concerns are misplaced I would be glad to know. I have been using this plugin for years and would like to continue doing so, but only if these issues are going to be addressed.

I know that critical feedback is tough to hear, and you have obviously worked very hard on these changes. I don't mean to discount your efforts, I am simply providing an honest feedback based on my experiences with the new version. I appreciate the inclusion of V1 so that way users like me have some time to make the transition to V2 or other plugins and continue to have our loot tables functioning as before while they do so.

Lastly, are refunds going to be available for users who are dissatisfied with the changes, or should we instead prepare to issue chargebacks? @The_Kiiiing

I totally agree, the best features from V1 are being removed and that makes the plugin less interesting or usable for most server owners. V2 is not an upgrade or improvement, but a serious downgrade.

1 hour ago, TheRustingDead said:

It's unfortunate to hear that support for V1 will be discontinued. While I appreciate the effort to modernize with V2, I feel the "upgrade" has resulted in the loss of too many crucial features, which makes it difficult for me and likely many other server owners to continue using this plugin. Here are my main concerns:

1. The removal of search functionality for loot tables.
2. The loss of valuable configuration options, such as furnace speed, airdrop settings, and shredder/kiln tweaks.
3. Stack size configurations not properly porting from V1.
4. The need to manually enable loot tables after migration, which adds unnecessary complexity.
5. The sudden, unannounced changes have drastically increased the time required for routine wipes.
6. While the new UI looks visually appealing, it doesn't seem to offer significant organizational improvements and instead highlights additional paid plugins.
7. Many users, including myself, have experienced issues with loot dispensing properly among other problems after migrating to V2.
8. Switching from JSON to protobuf complicates things for the average user, as JSON was far easier to edit and back up.
9. There seems to be little regard for user feedback in this transition.
10. The decision to discontinue V1, despite the feedback, raises concerns about the future direction of the plugin.

Additionally, the current documentation is out of date, and no new documentation has been provided for users to understand what commands are now available or when they should be used. This further complicates the transition to V2 and leaves users without proper guidance.

Overall, these changes have made me consider more stable alternatives. The removal of key features, increased wipe time, and lack of up-to-date documentation have become too much of a burden. I don't recall seeing any demand for a UI overhaul or the removal of these features, which makes me wonder if there are more unannounced changes on the horizon. Unfortunately, I no longer have the time or patience to relearn the system and reconfigure 100+ loot tables with this wipe and potentially others in the future.

If any of my concerns are misplaced I would be glad to know. I have been using this plugin for years and would like to continue doing so, but only if these issues are going to be addressed.

I know that critical feedback is tough to hear, and you have obviously worked very hard on these changes. I don't mean to discount your efforts, I am simply providing an honest feedback based on my experiences with the new version. I appreciate the inclusion of V1 so that way users like me have some time to make the transition to V2 or other plugins and continue to have our loot tables functioning as before while they do so.

Lastly, are refunds going to be available for users who are dissatisfied with the changes, or should we instead prepare to issue chargebacks? @The_Kiiiing

I really appreciate your honest and constructive feedback. I can totally understand your concerns, but I also want you to understand my point of view:
The main reason why I wrote the plugin from scratch again is that it became almost impossible to maintain. This plugin was originally created for my own server in 2021 when I had just started developing rust plugins. It has since evolved a lot, features have been added, tons of fixes have been made, the code has become more and more messed up. At one point it was very hard and time consuming to maintain so I decided to create a new plugin that would be more advanced and easier to maintain.

I originally intended to upload v2 as a separate plugin, but it got rejected by the admins, so I had to upload it as an update instead.

1. There has never been a search functionality for loot tables. I think what you mean is the item search functionality, which is already on my road map and will be added back with one of the next updates.
2. The reason for removing furnace, recycler and airdrop configurations is to improve maintainability. I don't have as much time as I used to have for developing and maintaining plugins, and these configurations caused a lot of problems in the past so I made the decision to remove them.
3. There is an import functionality for stack sizes as well. There have been no issues during beta testing with this.
4. I agree with you on this one, I could have solved this better, but it is a one-time action and therefore not a big deal in my opinion.
5. Version 2 was neither unannounced, nor sudden. It was first announced some time in May and there has also been a public beta testing phase during the last 3 weeks. Moreover I updated v1 as well so anyone that does not want to switch or is having problems with v2 can switch back.
6. I don't see why the new UI would highlight additional paid plugins. There is just an option for other plugins to register their own loot profiles via the Loot Api allowing users to edit loot configurations for other plugins directly in the Loottable UI instead of a config file. The Loot Api is open source just like the Custom Item Api and can be implemented by any plugin developer. 
7. I've been trying my best to make the transition as smooth as possible, however it is impossible for me to test every use case scenario upfront. These issues will be fixed eventually and in the mean time you still have the option to use v1.
8. The data files were never intended to be edited by a user. This has caused several problems in the past. Protobuf is also more efficient than JSON as it only takes a fraction of the disk space of a json file.
9. I've received a lot of feedback during the beta testing phase and also in the last few days most of which was positive or just users that didn't properly read the description. I am always open to feedback, especially constructive feedback like yours which is pretty rare unfortunately. I have implemented most ideas and suggestions in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
10. While the documentation also contains older parts that clearly marked as such, it has been updated with additional information about v2.

Regarding refunds, if you want to request one, you have reach out to the admins since there is no option for me as a creator to issue a refund. Furthermore I don't see a reason that would justify a refund after you've been using this plugin for years.

Lastly I want to thank you again for your constructive and objective feedback. Something like this is really rare in the landscape of rust. 

27 minutes ago, The_Kiiiing said:

I really appreciate your honest and constructive feedback. I can totally understand your concerns, but I also want you to understand my point of view:
The main reason why I wrote the plugin from scratch again is that it became almost impossible to maintain. This plugin was originally created for my own server in 2021 when I had just started developing rust plugins. It has since evolved a lot, features have been added, tons of fixes have been made, the code has become more and more messed up. At one point it was very hard and time consuming to maintain so I decided to create a new plugin that would be more advanced and easier to maintain.

I originally intended to upload v2 as a separate plugin, but it got rejected by the admins, so I had to upload it as an update instead.

1. There has never been a search functionality for loot tables. I think what you mean is the item search functionality, which is already on my road map and will be added back with one of the next updates.
2. The reason for removing furnace, recycler and airdrop configurations is to improve maintainability. I don't have as much time as I used to have for developing and maintaining plugins, and these configurations caused a lot of problems in the past so I made the decision to remove them.
3. There is an import functionality for stack sizes as well. There have been no issues during beta testing with this.
4. I agree with you on this one, I could have solved this better, but it is a one-time action and therefore not a big deal in my opinion.
5. Version 2 was neither unannounced, nor sudden. It was first announced some time in May and there has also been a public beta testing phase during the last 3 weeks. Moreover I updated v1 as well so anyone that does not want to switch or is having problems with v2 can switch back.
6. I don't see why the new UI would highlight additional paid plugins. There is just an option for other plugins to register their own loot profiles via the Loot Api allowing users to edit loot configurations for other plugins directly in the Loottable UI instead of a config file. The Loot Api is open source just like the Custom Item Api and can be implemented by any plugin developer. 
7. I've been trying my best to make the transition as smooth as possible, however it is impossible for me to test every use case scenario upfront. These issues will be fixed eventually and in the mean time you still have the option to use v1.
8. The data files were never intended to be edited by a user. This has caused several problems in the past. Protobuf is also more efficient than JSON as it only takes a fraction of the disk space of a json file.
9. I've received a lot of feedback during the beta testing phase and also in the last few days most of which was positive or just users that didn't properly read the description. I am always open to feedback, especially constructive feedback like yours which is pretty rare unfortunately. I have implemented most ideas and suggestions in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
10. While the documentation also contains older parts that clearly marked as such, it has been updated with additional information about v2.

Regarding refunds, if you want to request one, you have reach out to the admins since there is no option for me as a creator to issue a refund. Furthermore I don't see a reason that would justify a refund after you've been using this plugin for years.

Lastly I want to thank you again for your constructive and objective feedback. Something like this is really rare in the landscape of rust. 

Well written response @The_Kiiiing and handled really well. I must admit I'm a little sad about losing furnace, recycler, airdrop handling in this plugin as its better IMO to have 1 plugin vs 4 - 5 to do the same but its not the end of the world... switching back to the existing free plugins that handle this is just a minor set back that requires 10 - 15 minutes of setup but definitely not a reason to be crying over. lol 
As for refunds... you nailed it. There is zero reason anyone should be asking for a refund and or imply they're going to do a charge back and I can only hope the owner / admin of this site takes appropriate action if this clown invokes a childish charge back.

Don't get discouraged with the negativity, you sir by far IMO have one of the best loot management plugins available to date. The in-game ability to update loot on the fly with an easy to navigate GUI... all without having to bounce out of game... the best. 

1 hour ago, Robis said:

@The_Kiiiing can you explain why from one plugin you made 2 ? and that latest one, not work properly, gather rates messed up, stacks also... Can we stay on original version plugin please? 

I also prefer to stay with the v1 version, it took me so long to configure everything the first time, a lot of things are not carried over to v2, like the stacks.

I continue to have problems with gathering... it seems that only how much stone or iron or wood is managed in total from a node but not for example how much wood each stone blow gives me... I set x2 two but it remains vanilla

Hint, run v2 on your test servers, Continue to Run v1 on your live server until you get used to V2, switch over.
Nobody was forced to update to v2  

Less stress more success  

37 minutes ago, Ghosthunter said:

I continue to have problems with gathering... it seems that only how much stone or iron or wood is managed in total from a node but not for example how much wood each stone blow gives me... I set x2 two but it remains vanilla

I believe the server requires a restart.

Bythe way, I have a question regarding V2,

we have both Loottable and Ganja, however the Ganja items don't show in the Custom Items section of the Loottable Gui.  Should I simply "re-create" the custom items with their Skins, IDs etc.  in LoottableGUI so that I can add them to our custom loot  ?  Or should they automatically be visible like in the updated screenshot on the plugin page ?

Thanks for any advice.

@The_Kiiiing Nothing will be better than v1, most of us already fall in love with this plugin, and its one of the best plugins ever i have... Also very rare it break on forced wipes... Just please keep maintaining it. I run server like 3+ years and this wipe i even wanted to stop run server, got paranoid... Imagine on thursday 10 minutes before wipe, i realised that TODAY IS NOT WED today IS THURSDAY.... And after wipe i see 10 plugins dead... So please take time as long as you need, but keep run v1. If i dont have it then for sure i consider about stop run my server... already7 got like 141 active plugins, and not planning to get 5+ new plugins to replace this one....

1 hour ago, The_Kiiiing said:

I really appreciate your honest and constructive feedback. I can totally understand your concerns, but I also want you to understand my point of view:
The main reason why I wrote the plugin from scratch again is that it became almost impossible to maintain. This plugin was originally created for my own server in 2021 when I had just started developing rust plugins. It has since evolved a lot, features have been added, tons of fixes have been made, the code has become more and more messed up. At one point it was very hard and time consuming to maintain so I decided to create a new plugin that would be more advanced and easier to maintain.

I originally intended to upload v2 as a separate plugin, but it got rejected by the admins, so I had to upload it as an update instead.

1. There has never been a search functionality for loot tables. I think what you mean is the item search functionality, which is already on my road map and will be added back with one of the next updates.
2. The reason for removing furnace, recycler and airdrop configurations is to improve maintainability. I don't have as much time as I used to have for developing and maintaining plugins, and these configurations caused a lot of problems in the past so I made the decision to remove them.
3. There is an import functionality for stack sizes as well. There have been no issues during beta testing with this.
4. I agree with you on this one, I could have solved this better, but it is a one-time action and therefore not a big deal in my opinion.
5. Version 2 was neither unannounced, nor sudden. It was first announced some time in May and there has also been a public beta testing phase during the last 3 weeks. Moreover I updated v1 as well so anyone that does not want to switch or is having problems with v2 can switch back.
6. I don't see why the new UI would highlight additional paid plugins. There is just an option for other plugins to register their own loot profiles via the Loot Api allowing users to edit loot configurations for other plugins directly in the Loottable UI instead of a config file. The Loot Api is open source just like the Custom Item Api and can be implemented by any plugin developer. 
7. I've been trying my best to make the transition as smooth as possible, however it is impossible for me to test every use case scenario upfront. These issues will be fixed eventually and in the mean time you still have the option to use v1.
8. The data files were never intended to be edited by a user. This has caused several problems in the past. Protobuf is also more efficient than JSON as it only takes a fraction of the disk space of a json file.
9. I've received a lot of feedback during the beta testing phase and also in the last few days most of which was positive or just users that didn't properly read the description. I am always open to feedback, especially constructive feedback like yours which is pretty rare unfortunately. I have implemented most ideas and suggestions in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
10. While the documentation also contains older parts that clearly marked as such, it has been updated with additional information about v2.

Regarding refunds, if you want to request one, you have reach out to the admins since there is no option for me as a creator to issue a refund. Furthermore I don't see a reason that would justify a refund after you've been using this plugin for years.

Lastly I want to thank you again for your constructive and objective feedback. Something like this is really rare in the landscape of rust. 

@The_Kiiiing
Thank you for your prompt, thoughtful and detailed response, I appreciate the transparency regarding the challenges of maintaining the original plugin. I understand that maintaining a plugin that has evolved over time can be incredibly difficult, and I respect your decision to rewrite it from scratch for long-term sustainability. I love this plugin and it has become very important to my server, and many others based on it's popularity.

If at any point it continues to become too burdensome to maintain, I wonder if you would consider making it open source on a platform like Github. This could help mitigate some of the challenges you face and allow the community to actively improve upon various aspects of the plugin.

To address your points:

1. **Item Search Functionality**: It’s good to hear that this feature is on your roadmap. Having this back will definitely help streamline loot table management. 
2. **Removal of Configurations**: While I understand the need to improve maintainability, these configurations were key for server owners like myself. Removing them limits the control we had, which was one of the plugin’s strengths.
3. **Stack Size Import**: If this is functioning as intended, I’ll need to recheck my setup. However, several users, myself included, seem to have encountered issues with the stack size import during the transition.
4. **Manually Enabling Loot Tables**: While I understand it's a one-time action, it did add an unexpected layer of manual work, particularly during an already busy wipe schedule. But I agree that it’s not a huge deal in the grand scheme.
5. **Announcement of V2**: I may have missed the early announcements and beta phase, but I think clearer in-plugin messaging might have mitigated some of the surprise for users like myself who weren’t following the forums closely.
6. **UI and Paid Plugins**: I understand that the Loot API is open source, but I initially interpreted its integration incorrectly. Clarifying its open nature helps, and I appreciate the added flexibility for developers to use it.
7. **Transition Issues**: I realize it’s challenging to anticipate every use case, and I appreciate the effort to smooth things over. However, the rollback to V1 isn’t a long-term solution if support will eventually be discontinued, which is concerning for those of us who have become accustomed to it and rely on stable, functioning systems.
8. **Protobuf vs. JSON**: While Protobuf may offer technical benefits, I don't think most server owners would notice the slight disk space savings. The disk space JSON used was negligible, and unless Protobuf brings clear performance improvements, the flexibility and ease of use of JSON outweighed the supposed benefits for many users, including myself - even if we weren't supposed to be editing it that way. I had no issues in the past making changes this way. I understand that not all users are diligent enough to make changes without corrupting the plugin, again this is not a big deal, just my personal opinion.
9. **Feedback**: I’m glad to hear that you're considering constructive feedback like mine and that many users have had a positive experience with the update. I hope that this approach continues as further adjustments are made.
10. **Documentation**: I’ll take another look at the updated documentation, but clearer guidance from the start might have saved users a lot of confusion.

Regarding refunds, I'm simply stating that the product was functioning as advertised and has since stopped functioning in the same way. Per Codefling's refund policy you actually are the only one that could approve a refund, which is why I asked you initially - https://codefling.com/refunds/ 
However, since you are addressing most of my concerns, I won’t be pursuing a refund.

Once again, I appreciate your openness and responsiveness. While I may not agree with every design choice, I respect the challenges you’ve faced and hope that future versions of the plugin continue to evolve with feedback from the community in mind.

Best Regards,
TheRustingDeadAdmin

Stack sizes and gather rates broken after update to v2

They are set up in the config, but even after reloading the plugin, it is not updating.

1 hour ago, slay3r_9903 said:

Stack sizes and gather rates broken after update to v2

They are set up in the config, but even after reloading the plugin, it is not updating.

Try restarting your server.

I have set the stacking quantity, but it does not take effect in the game

can you explain to me how the gathering modification works in v2? In v1 you set the rate that modified the collected quantities compared to vanilla but in v2 I don't understand. Also do you have any advice on which compatible plugins to use to manage smelting, recycler and airdrop speed?

I was about to purchase this plugin until I read here that there are some issues and a new version. Is this the recommended plug-in for administrating loottables? Can any current users vouch for the quality of the currently released version of the product? Will I be more pleased with this plug-in as opposed to AlphaLoot?

I'm currently using BetterLoot but I'd like more control over the items and I'm concerned not all of the prefabs are accounted for in the watchlist. I also want better control over item rarity and condition.