feature: improve handling of null issues in plot analysis

- Addresses #3865 (does not fix the underlying issue though)

Core/src/main/java/com/plotsquared/core/command/Auto.java

@@ -142,14 +142,6 @@ public class Auto extends SubCommand {
                 }
             }
         }
-        int maxMerge = Permissions.hasPermissionRange(player, Permission.PERMISSION_MERGE, Settings.Limit.MAX_PLOTS);
-        if (sizeX * sizeZ > maxMerge) {
-            player.sendMessage(
-                    TranslatableCaption.of("permission.no_permission"),
-                    Template.of("node", Permission.PERMISSION_MERGE + "." + (sizeX * sizeZ))
-            );
-            return false;
-        }
         return true;
     }
 

Core/src/main/java/com/plotsquared/core/command/Merge.java

@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ public class Merge extends SubCommand {
             return false;
         }
         final int size = plot.getConnectedPlots().size();
-        int max = Permissions.hasPermissionRange(player, Permission.PERMISSION_MERGE, Settings.Limit.MAX_PLOTS);
+        int max = Permissions.hasPermissionRange(player, "plots.merge", Settings.Limit.MAX_PLOTS);
         PlotMergeEvent event =
                 this.eventDispatcher.callMerge(plot, direction, max, player);
         if (event.getEventResult() == Result.DENY) {

Core/src/main/java/com/plotsquared/core/generator/HybridUtils.java

@@ -234,44 +234,52 @@ public class HybridUtils {
                         Set<BlockType> types = new HashSet<>();
                         for (int yIndex = 0; yIndex < height; yIndex++) {
                             BlockState old = oldBlocks[yIndex][x][z]; // Nullable
-                            try {
-                                BlockState now = newBlocks[yIndex][x][z]; // Not null
-                                if (!now.equals(old) && !(old == null && now.getBlockType().equals(BlockTypes.AIR))) {
-                                    changes[i]++;
-                                }
-                                if (now.getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
-                                    air[i]++;
-                                } else {
-                                    // check vertices
-                                    // modifications_adjacent
-                                    if (x > 0 && z > 0 && yIndex > 0 && x < width - 1 && z < length - 1 && yIndex < (height - 1)) {
-                                        if (newBlocks[yIndex - 1][x][z].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
-                                            faces[i]++;
-                                        }
-                                        if (newBlocks[yIndex][x - 1][z].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
-                                            faces[i]++;
-                                        }
-                                        if (newBlocks[yIndex][x][z - 1].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
-                                            faces[i]++;
-                                        }
-                                        if (newBlocks[yIndex + 1][x][z].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
-                                            faces[i]++;
-                                        }
-                                        if (newBlocks[yIndex][x + 1][z].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
-                                            faces[i]++;
-                                        }
-                                        if (newBlocks[yIndex][x][z + 1].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
-                                            faces[i]++;
-                                        }
+                            BlockState now = newBlocks[yIndex][x][z]; // Not null
+                            if (now == null) {
+                                throw new NullPointerException(String.format(
+                                        "\"now\" block null attempting to perform plot analysis. Indexes: x=%d of %d, yIndex=%d" +
+                                                " of %d, z=%d of %d",
+                                        x,
+                                        width,
+                                        yIndex,
+                                        height,
+                                        z,
+                                        length
+                                ));
+                            }
+                            if (!now.equals(old) && !(old == null && now.getBlockType().equals(BlockTypes.AIR))) {
+                                changes[i]++;
+                            }
+                            if (now.getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
+                                air[i]++;
+                            } else {
+                                // check vertices
+                                // modifications_adjacent
+                                if (x > 0 && z > 0 && yIndex > 0 && x < width - 1 && z < length - 1 && yIndex < (height - 1)) {
+                                    if (newBlocks[yIndex - 1][x][z].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
+                                        faces[i]++;
                                     }
+                                    if (newBlocks[yIndex][x - 1][z].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
+                                        faces[i]++;
+                                    }
+                                    if (newBlocks[yIndex][x][z - 1].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
+                                        faces[i]++;
+                                    }
+                                    if (newBlocks[yIndex + 1][x][z].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
+                                        faces[i]++;
+                                    }
+                                    if (newBlocks[yIndex][x + 1][z].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
+                                        faces[i]++;
+                                    }
+                                    if (newBlocks[yIndex][x][z + 1].getBlockType().getMaterial().isAir()) {
+                                        faces[i]++;
+                                    }
+                                }
 
-                                    if (!now.equals(now.getBlockType().getDefaultState())) {
-                                        data[i]++;
-                                    }
-                                    types.add(now.getBlockType());
+                                if (!now.equals(now.getBlockType().getDefaultState())) {
+                                    data[i]++;
                                 }
-                            } catch (NullPointerException e) {
-                                e.printStackTrace();
+                                types.add(now.getBlockType());
                             }
                         }
                         variety[i] = types.size();