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1.8 – no new map – we regenerate the lots

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Please note that since 1.9 will be another update on the mapping system, there will be no new map when 1.8 comes out. Instead you will have the chance to regenerate your lot or to move to another lot that is regenerated with the new mapping system – on the same world. If you will be able to switch to a new lot or regenerate the current lot will have to be evaluated. Either way, you can keep your current lot as it is if you want. And, please note that if your lot is regenerated or if you move to a different lot, the current lot in question that you own will have to be cleared by you of everything that you want to keep. Either you move the stuff temporarily into a shop (only for a day or so), or you find an alternative space for it, be it in a different lot you own or on a friends lot.

So what about 1.9? Ideally, we do not start a new map either. However if it’s heavy biome AND landscape changes (height & location of oceans etc), we will start a new map then to have a clean start. It will NOT be a forced update for anybody, people can choose if they want to move to the new map or not. If it is ONLY biome but no height/water changes, we will not start a new map. So as you can see, it really depends what they are doing with it. It is be hard to tell.

Upgrade procedure

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I wanted to give some info how the upgrade will most likely happen.

  1. I will be on a business trip from Sunday night to Thursday night. That means that I will not have too much time doing things.
  2. On Monday, 1.8 comes out hopefully. The plugins for protection will most likely not work yet. I will therefore install only a vanilla server (like the current pre-release one) with a temporary map which will later be deleted.
  3. I will try to find a map seed that does not have 80% ocean in the area where we want to build. I might be giving creative mode to some people so they can fly and explore the map faster.
  4. Once the protection plugins work. I will move the old maps over to a running 1.8 server. If you want to play on the old maps, you should not upgrade your client before that happens. At that moment I will also remove the temporary map & server.
  5. I will then prepare the new maps that will replace the normal world and the kingdom, the lots on them etc. and make sure all is working properly. Then you will be able to reserve a lot in the new world. To transfer your stuff you can move it either to another lot that you own or also use the shop to do so. Put your stuff for sale at a very high price and take it back out afterwards again. Please note that this is only a temporary permission to do so.
  6. The other plugins that we are currently using will be installed as they are updated. There is a certain risk that stuff like minecarts will not work immediately.
  7. The current ‘world’ will be kept as a showcase and a home for the city, as spawn etc. The new world will be where the lots are. If I ever get super-bored I might start a new world for the city and move it over. Skylands will remain as it is. The kingdom will be regenerated and I will be moving stuff over to the new map.

I have no idea how long it will take to accomplish all of this. I hope it will take only 1-2 days. Depending how long the plugins will take to update and how much time I actually have to work on this, it might take a bit longer though. Please be patient.

1.8 map restarted

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I had to restart a new map in 1.8 since the current one started to create excessive CPU loads that would not stop. Be prepared to have more of this, when the final 1.8 comes out for example.

1.8 Prerelease server live!

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Mojang released a 1.8 Pre-release! Get it here! I have setup a server at port 25565.

The world of that server will be deleted once the final version is out.

we built basic shelter @ -36 / -23

I also created a map here: http://minecraft.uncovery.net/map/temp.png

If you are a new user there is a high chance that you cannot connect to the 1.8 server. The whiltelist does not update automatically but only on restarting the server.

New Contest: Tree House!

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Here is the next contest: Tree house! The overall goal is to make a small jungle city. What are you supposed to build?

Build at least 3, max 6 man-made trees that are of similar type & height. One of them has to have a house on/in it. The house can have connections to the other trees via ladders, gangways, balconies etc but does not have to. The trees should be at least 20 blocks high and max 50 blocks high (with house). They can be as tall and thick as you think looks good and out of any log color. The reason for 3 trees is that I do not want to have simply 10 trees with houses in them. There should be rather 30 trees of which 10 have houses.The base can be as big as you think it should be for 3 trees. There should be an access to the house of course, be it a ladder, a staircase or a hole in the tree.

IMPORTANT: Please make a square box out of any material on the floor that is at least as wide as the tree. There should be no blocks sticking out over the square on the floor. This will help me to copy/paste it. Also, there should be nothing else above the box than your contest entry.

There will be a new contest submission form live until soon, so no need to post the entries here. The preliminary deadline will be the 1st of October. Since there will be some time where we have 1.8 and 1.7.3 running, I will most likely extend the contest to 15th or 1st of November though.

Boat Contest winners!

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This time we had 10 submissions for the contest, and some really amazing stuff as usual! The main split was between warships & sailing boats, from Settlers, Architects, Citizens and Elders. Strange enough no masters submitted entries. Since there is only one Architect, I grouped it together with the Citizens.

So here are the winners (and the prices):

  • Elders:
    • 1st place: Riedi73 (2 stack o’ diamonds)
    • 2nd place: Sockso (stack o’ diamonds)
  • Settlers:
    • 1st place: LukLukk (level up!)
    • 2nd place: Duckyboy3210 (stack o’ diamonds)
  • Architects & Citizens
    • 1st place: Knowlesadam (level up!) AND
    • 1st place Yorllik (level up!)
    • 2nd place: Echo1608 (stack o’ diamonds)
    • 2nd place: Dullahb (stack o’ diamonds)

Congratz to the winners and thanks for everyone who participated! You help making Uncovery Minecraft a better server! All contest entries have been transferred to the waters in front of the city. There might be some issues with the copy-paste such as turned dispensers and broken doors/beds/pictures. Please ask an elder or master to fix it for you.

Boat contest Update

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I started working in the boat contest. Since the boats are for the city, I want to copy-paste them over, then judge them.

Since some people either did not follow the rules and some people misunderstood them, this will take a while. For example:

  • Boats don’t have a frame around them. I need then to find the corners myself to make a box around it so I can copy it. That takes time.
  • Whe I asked people to not put more than one block under water, I did not mean that people should lift the boat artificially out of the water. I now have to move it back down, and fill the empty space with water. That takes even more time.

So I hope I can finish it before 1.8 comes around. If you want to help, make sure that your boar has a frame at water level (not above water, not submerged) around it at the base and nothing else but the boat within that frame since I otherwise have to remove that later….

1.8 Plans!

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Here are some updates on 1.8 plans:

  • Sounds like 1.8.1 will be out on 8th September. At that moment, I will put up a temporary vanilla server on a different port with a temporary map (which will later be deleted) to run parallel to the current server. People will be able to try 1.8 until the most important plugins are working with 1.8 (Whitelist, protection etc)
  • It also seems the map changes will be dramatic. If that is really the case I will create a new map with 100×100 lots. New lots will all be registered on this new map.
  • The old map will continue to exist. People who have a lot can keep it there. If you want a lot on the new map, you have to give up a lot on the old map.
  • I will write some code that will allow people to abandon their current lot and register on a new one in the new world. This allows for a fast automated process. However there will be no transition time where you can have both lots. If you can find a place where you can deposit resources such as a friends lot, kingdom plot or if you already are allowed to have several lots, you can use that to take along goods by depositing them there before moving to the new lot. I will not compensate anyone because you forgot to take stuff, if your friend took it or whatever.
  • The old world will stay as it is. We will use it to grow the city. Very nice builds will remain and be integrated into the city as it grows.
  • Skylands will stay as it is.
  • There will be a new kingdom world. I will try to move all kingdom builds to a new world over the coming weeks. Please continue building in the current world until your structure is moved.
  • Nether will be reset.

Please note that I am on another business trip from 12th to 16th September and will have very little time to do anything during that period.

Poll for next contest

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Please see the side bar for the latest poll regarding the next contest. Given the 1.8 update happening this week, I will wait starting a new contest for some days, but I would love to hear what contest you want to have next!

Please note you can pick 2 options in the poll this time.

Monthly Voting Drive!

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During the beginning of the month it is very important that we all vote as much as possible for the server on minestatus.net!
So please click on this link, fill out the captcha and have your vote registered!

You can also enter your username in the field above to get 100 Uncs and a cookie!

This is the easiest way to keep new users coming in and keep the server alive!

thanks!

Uncovery

IMPORTANT: 1.8 & World generation

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ATTENTION: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read this whole thing properly and think beforeĀ  you comment. No off-topic “when will 1.8 be out” or “Option X sucks” please. Tell me what you prefer and WHY. If you want to know more about 1.8 please read Notch’s blog. Don’t ask me. Also: When I mention below that something is a lot of work, this means that it will take time to do so. If I am in a busy month or on a trip, it can take weeks to finish stuff. Please keep that in mind when choosing an option. Thanks. So here it is:

There is an issue coming up with 1.8 and the worlds we are running in. The issue is that 1.8 will have a new algorithm to generate the world.

How does this matter?

All the current worlds are generated with the old method. When a player leaves, I reset the area and it gets regenerated with the new method. Same when we expand a currently used world (Kingdom / Nether), it will be generated with the new method.

Why is this a problem?

Since the new method does not align with/care about the old method, there will be 2 different worlds merged into each other as the complete terrain infrastructure will change. Neighboring lots will not have the same height, and strange terrain breaks will happen between biomes and land/see formations. Next to the fact that the map will look unreal, it will also become unpassable in places due to high cliffs appearing the in middle of your path. It will also be less natural and beautiful where the old areas border with the new areas. On top of it there will be new materials/ores/trees/features that only are available in newly generated worlds.

What can we do?

There are several options we have depending on what world we talk about

The World:

  1. Keep the world. Reset all unoccupied lots. Over time the occupied lots will be reset when they expire or the owner can ask for a reset. It will take some time but we can simply piece by piece regenerate lots and transform the map into a new world.
    Advantage    : Least disruption to normal gameplay. People get the opportunity to keep their lots or move to a new one.
    Disadvantage: Resetting 900 lots is a lot of work. I will need help with that. The map will be really strange for some time.
  2. Leave all as it is, create a new world in addition. New lots will be on the new world. People on the old world can choose to abandon their lot and move to a new lot in the new world. The city will be copied over to the new world. Once the old world is empty, we delete it. Copying over other buildings will be most likely not possible or only slowly over time.
    Advantage: Least work. Beautiful new world, beautiful old world.
    Disadvantage: Possible confusions between worlds, further spread of users over multiple worlds. Workload of copying the city, portals, recreating the railway etc which I probably have to do by myself.

The Kingdom:

  1. Delete everything that has not been build on so far. Regenerate it and live with a strange break in the landscape. Maybe try to smooth it out a bit afterwards.
    Advantage    : least work. Digging on your plot does not give new materials
    Disadvantage: Can be ugly.
  2. Create a new world. Let people reclaim the lots/nations/towns they had for free and try to copy/paste overland structures over to the new world.
    Advantage: Beautiful world.
    Disadvantage: Copy/pasting the current huge structures is quite complicated. Some stuff might be impossible (underground structures).

The Skylands:
Do nothing. Since there are no real borders between lots, we can simply regenerate when a lot expires and live with some few small visual breaks.
Advantage: No work. Small issues with visual effects.
Disadvantage: No new materials in the old lots.

I do not see another solution that would make any sense. For one, I refuse to build another railway system. 2nd: copy-pasting stuff of 200×200 size over a void is tricky to impossible

The Nether:
I would simply regenerate a completely new nether.

What should you do now?
Think what the individual options would mean for you. Remember that you would have to start from scratch to take advantage of new ores etc anyhow. Would you rather mine in a mint new world or in a mixed environment world? Tell me what you think is better, if you see additional possibilities and why you think the one or other option is good or bad.
NOTE: If we create a new world/skyland, I will not allow people to have a higher number of lots than before. So if you are for example a settler, you will not be able to have a lot in the old world and the new world.