The client crashes on versions 1.8 - 1.12.2 after setting the prefix via the command /nte player nik prefix &c&l

[GWServer]

Bug Report

Type /ver NametagEdit and post the output.
NametagEdit version 4.5.23
Authors: sgtcaze, Cory, Lorenzo0111 and Aurelien30000

What version of Bukkit/Spigot/PaperSpigot are you using? Type /ver
This server is running Paper version git-Paper-379 (MC: 1.18.2) (Implementing API version 1.18.2-R0.1-SNAPSHOT) (Git: 276d830)
You are 9 version(s) behind
Download the new version at: https://papermc.io/downloads

What plugins are you using? Type /plugins
NametagEdit
ViaBackwards
ViaRewind
ViaVersion
Also I checked on ProtocolSupport

Please explain your issue. How do you trigger it?
The problem can be seen on client versions 1.8 - 1.12.2 From version 1.13 and higher, there is no such problem
Start a server on bungeecord. Use the paper spigot kernel 1.18.2
Log in from client 1.12.2 and enter the command:
/nte player nik prefix &c&l
And your client disconnects.
You will see an error in the 1.8.8 client log:
Error in his client:
[00:41:33] [Client thread/FATAL]: Unreported exception thrown!
java.lang.NullPointerException
at avo.a(SourceFile:276) ~[1.8.8.jar:?]
at bfk.a(SourceFile:1021) ~[1.8.8.jar:?]
at ave.av(SourceFile:915) ~[1.8.8.jar:?]
at ave.a(SourceFile:325) [1.8.8.jar:?]
at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(SourceFile:124) [1.8.8.jar:?]

Are there any errors in the console? Please use: https://pastebin.com
On bungeecord in the console you will see:
[Stive] disconnected with: SocketException : Connection reset @ sun.nio.ch.SocketChannelImpl:394

[Aurelien30000]

Thanks for your detailed report.

We cannot confirm support of ViaBackwards & ViaRewind plugins. NametagEdit is designed to send packets in the 1.18.2 (your server version) form. We cannot ensure that these 2 plugins are working properly and can perfectly adapt/convert what NametagEdit wants to do for versions 1.12-.
Also, please not that there are heavy technical differences between 1.8/1.12/1.13 and even more with 1.18. For example, packet format has been updated over time and do not support the same prefix/suffix lengths.

There are a multitude of reasons that could cause this problem, and it would be very difficult to identify the source. Your setup is particular, and you have chosen to support obsolete versions. As you have experience, I can recommand that you opt for alternative plugins, change your version support policy or modify the involved plugins yourself to make the necessary adaptations for older versions (ProtocolLib, NMS, etc.).

That's probably all I can say about your issue, sorry.

[GWServer]

I will write here additional information about this problem. The problem has existed since the release of the first version of NametagEdit for kernel 1.13 spigot (and higher) and from the first version of ViaBackwards & ViaRewind to the latest since spigot 1.13. I have tested this on all existing releases.

[GWServer]

Thanks for your detailed report.

We cannot confirm support of ViaBackwards & ViaRewind plugins. NametagEdit is designed to send packets in the 1.18.2 (your server version) form. We cannot ensure that these 2 plugins are working properly and can perfectly adapt/convert what NametagEdit wants to do for versions 1.12-. Also, please not that there are heavy technical differences between 1.8/1.12/1.13 and even more with 1.18. For example, packet format has been updated over time and do not support the same prefix/suffix lengths.

There are a multitude of reasons that could cause this problem, and it would be very difficult to identify the source. Your setup is particular, and you have chosen to support obsolete versions. As you have experience, I can recommand that you opt for alternative plugins, change your version support policy or modify the involved plugins yourself to make the necessary adaptations for older versions (ProtocolLib, NMS, etc.).

That's probably all I can say about your issue, sorry.

Can you solve this problem? Not for free. And I won’t mind if this decision is public

[GWServer]

I tested this issue on ProtocolSupport and I was able to see the error. The player is kicked out with this error