Tutorials/Endless circling pool

Endless circling pools, also known as AFK pools, will let the player or any player-sized mob that gets in the water circle endlessly around the center. These are commonly used for AFK players in multiplayer so that they won't get kicked off the server.

Usage
Endless circling pools, or AFK pools, are primarily used on multiplayer servers. Most servers prevent players from being idle for too long by kicking them off the server after 15 minutes or more. Even if you use the AFK command (if the plugin is installed), you will still be kicked off, so some players make "AFK Pools" to prevent being kicked.

This is why many players build an endless circling pool when they have to be away from the computer. An endless circling pool will automatically move the player continuously. However, it will malfunction once in a while, and the player will stop moving. Because of this, make sure to check your computer every 15 minutes (or however long the player is allowed to be idle before he/she gets kicked off on that specific server). Also, note that some servers ban the usage of endless circling pools.

Usage notes
Here are some important things to think about when using an endless circling pool.


 * The sound that the water makes may disturb the player, so if you mind the noise, turn the computer's volume off.
 * Sometimes you may stop moving when in an AFK pool, and will need to manually move the player to start again.
 * Using an endless circling pool may be against the rules of your server, particularly if it has an auto rank system to give benefits for playing longer, or is often near the player cap. So, make sure to check the rules before constructing one.
 * Using this pool will cause your hunger bar to go down, and if it depletes completely, you will start to lose health, so keep some food in your inventory and check often to see if you're hungry or not, especially if you are in hard mode.

Materials
When you are ready to build an endless circling pool, first make sure you have all of the materials. Here is list of materials you'll need to build an endless circling pool. All of these are fairly easy to acquire.


 * At least 15 building blocks (such as stone bricks)
 * A sign
 * A water bucket
 * A stair or slab (slab requires less materials to craft, so it is recommended)

Building
Once you've gathered all the materials to make an endless circling pool, it is time to start building. The following grids show you how to construct an endless circling pool:

Note: Darker blocks are 2 blocks high.
 * Schematic


 * Layered blueprint

Construction notes

 * You can replace the stone bricks shown in the grids above with any solid block, such as cobblestone or wood planks.
 * The slab can be of any type. It can be any block one automatically step up onto, that water will not wash away, meaning that stairs are another option. Place the slab or stair under the water source that is 2 blocks high.
 * The water source block (marked with an S) will flow down, and around to under the sign.
 * After the water is flowing correctly, the sign can usually be removed once everything is in place.

Video
See this video for a demonstration on how to make an endless circling AFK pool.

This tutorial was made by by JL G4M1NG.