Direct answer
Distributing players across distant bases can allow regions to tick independently. Placing 100 players in the same arena does not create 100 parallel workloads; nearby chunks may belong to one ticking region.
How to check it
- Compare a busy event in a compact arena with equally many players spread between distant locations; keep the server, plugins and view distance fixed.
- Inspect which worlds or player locations generate mob AI, collisions, pathfinding and plugin callbacks.
- Record local stutter and CPU use, not only total online player count.
What to change
- For a genuine multi-location SMP or island server, design activities so gameplay can take place in separated areas; do not forcibly teleport people just to chase a benchmark.
- If one arena stays overloaded, optimize its actual hot tasks and profile plugins that may serialize work across regions.
Software and version notes
Compatibility and safety
Regions split and merge as chunk ownership changes. Folia does not promise one dedicated thread per player, island or world; a tightly packed minigame may perform no better than Paper.
Verify the result
Compare comparable activity in both layouts and check region tick health and actual player experience before choosing Folia as a scaling strategy.