Minecraft

[smilodon]

I thought I'd post something in this forum as it looked empty and lonely, plus there's been some conversation about Minecraft recently and clearly a lot of people had no idea we had a server up at all. Oldie kindly put up a server and has spent last weekend tweaking settings etc to get it running smoothly  So we could make it a permanent part of our game offering should we choose.

For those not familiar with the game Minecraft (MC) is a sandbox world building game from Mojang AB, an independent developer. The basic concept is that players join a huge, persistent randomly generated world. The world consists of regions (biomes) of snow, jungle, forest, desert etc. Everything in these regions can be harvested. Wood, dirt, rock, sand etc can be collected as blocks and then laid back down to create homes, farms, building, machines.... the list is vast. The world is full of plants and animals that can be collected, grown or bred and then harvested for resources. (Come see Liberators underground cattle ranch or my rooftop pumpkin farm!) Most of the rare resources can be found deep underground in caverns and abandoned mines. Players can dig down and explore these subterranean worlds where they can mine gold, iron and other exotic materials.
However the world is a dangerous one. At night zombies, skeletons and a wide selection of nasty beasties come out and will attack and kill players who are out at night and or not properly armed with swords and bows etc. In fact monsters will spawn anywhere there is darkness and so are a permanent feature of any of the underground caves and mines.
Minecraft is all about game play  The graphics are very basic (think the Lego console games) but that actually adds to the enjoyment in an odd way. But what really makes the game shine is the vast amount of things that can be created. The developers have created a world where there are almost no limits to what can be imagined and built.

The game retails at about £17.00. We already have half a dozen people playing or out test server and so I'd like to put this forward to be added as an official game. There are a number of Toby's friends that may well come and join us if we do have an official server so we could get a few more members along the way. I don't imagine MC will become a big game like CS or WOW but might work more like Deadmen Racing where there are a core of players who regularly take part.

The only unique issue with MC is server access. Out of the box MC servers are not password protected. In theory anyone who can find the server can join it. Bearing in mind that everything in the MC world can be harvested it would be quite easy for some random person who is not part of the dMw community to run riot on the server and destroy the buildings we've created effectively wiping out days and weeks of work. Oldie is more familiar with the set up as he set the server up but currently we have a white list of players who can join. Anyone wishing to jump on the server would need to be added to the white list. We can't add a password and post it as we do with CS etc.

So there you go. Minecraft. I think it would be a nice little game to add, it's cheap, and easy to pick up while having huge potential depth. Liberator and Brother Tobias are both experienced players and have both run dMw games in the past. So either or both could (if willing) be the Minecraft game leader. The only downside it that it can be very, very addictive. Take care

[smilodon]

I've had several people ask about our Minecraft plans in TS chat last night and would like to get this game set up as an officially supported one with a GL and a forum section. Are there any issues with me posting up a new thread and finding a GL, although I don't think this game really needs the same leadership as something like CS, BF3, WOW etc. Personally I think it could be run as a more casual game in the same way as we play/played Battlestar Galactica.

[BrotherTobious]

I only think we will need a GL to sort out any issues like trolling etc, not that i forsee any.  Also to bring out any addons that might help us and making sure the server is updated etc.

[smilodon]

Well you and Lib seem to be the main Minecraft guru's at the moment. I'm not sure if we have any other experienced people in the community who would be up for it. As you have Arma 2 and i assume will be happy to pick up Arma 3 when it finally hits should I ask lib if he wants the honours?

[TeaLeaf]

How about some chap called Smilodon?

[BrotherTobious]

Well TL that is a great idea, hes a great upstanding member of the community.  I am will to help him out if he would like to do it .

[smilodon]

I thought that as I'm the  sixth most important member of the dMw Council I shouldn't also be a game leader as well? Plus I'm a bit lazy obviously, that goes without saying.

I think it would be good to spread the love and get as many people as possible involved in running stuff, hence asking Liberator. If he does take the job he will be able to read this thread and so I won't mention the fact that I know he's a bit of a nobber :norty:   However he's run a game for us before and gets my vote.

[smilodon]

I spoke to Liberator last night and he didn't seem to think we needed a formal GL for this game and certainly didn't express a strong desire to be one. I think he (and Toby in his post above) have a point. MC isn't a game like BF3 or CS:GO where a clear leadership and Admin structure is needed to make the game work. So unless there's a strong opinion to the contrary I think I'll open the game up and just have a group of Green Badge holders.
The only admin function would be to add player names to the server white list. Which is something all current members of the MC community (me, Liberator, Toby, Albert and Oldie can do).

[BrotherTobious]

The only admin function would be to add player names to the server white list. Which is something all current members of the MC community (me, Liberator, Toby, Albert and Oldie can do).

I can how?

[BrotherTobious]

Also like to say sorry for not being around but had rebuild my entire machine and RL keeps getting in the way

[smilodon]

I have no idea actually but according to Oldie is a simple console command. I'll try to find out from Lib or Oldie what it is. You absence has been noted. Get your PC sorted and get back on the server or we'll dismantle your house for spare parts.

[BrotherTobious]

Dont do it yet my insurance claim hasnt gone through yet, they are inviestagiting it, it seem like it might be arson

[BrotherTobious]

Right whitelist has been updated and them that havent replied removed fingers cross this works only time will tell!!!!

[Sn00ks]

Have the missing items been returned and/or has/have the culprit/culprits confessed?

[BrotherTobious]

No, but eveyone now knows the rules and what happens if caught. I think relisticly we will never find out who it was, but if this stops it I will be happy.

But we have plans to make it more sercure just waiting for server mods to be tested and written.