No, we do not generate a consecutive build number. The problem is that this number has to be stored somewhere. In previous versions of this plugin this number was stored in the POM and then has to be given to the SCM. But changing the POM by each build seems somewhat odd. This information is relevant to the artifact created, but not to the source.

If you are looking for a unique number identifying the artifact, have a look at the revision number and/or the timestamp. The revision number ties the artifact to a state of your code base, while the timestamp uniquely identifies the time (in milliseconds) the artifact has been built.

If you still require this sequential number, please have a look at the Provider SPI. There you'll learn how to integrate your own implementation of a meta data provider.