Opinion: Minecraft server?

[Jason]

Oh hi, I didn't see you there! Do come in and have a seat...

Right, now I've got the awkward 'how the hell do I start this thread' bit out of the way, I'd like to canvas some opinions.

One of the biggest and most popular questions I get asked is about servers. Do we have them, are we going to have them, and what games are we going to have them for?

The answer to this one so far has been that due to the geographic spread of MG's inhabitants, anything that requires all parties to have a sub-300 ping is out at the moment, which sadly rules out a large proportion of the more popular games. However, there are options.

Recently, Minecraft has been gathering a lot of steam as a multiplayer experience. Servers are starting to pop up left right and centre, and co-operative play between communities and friends is leading to some awesome creations.
As ping isn't so much of an issue in something like Minecraft, it's a potential option for a MG community server, and to that end, I'd like to find out what you guys think about it. On one hand, it's a game that is very divisive - people tend to either love it (Konrad) or not be quite sure what all the fuss is about (me to a certain extent, although I've admittedly not spent much time with it). On the other hand, as access to the server would be controlled through these forums, it would be a good potential source of new members.

One aspect to consider would be cost however, and at the moment we're looking at somewhere between $15-$22 USD per month, and it would be something I'd be looking to recoup, as I already make fairly considerable outlays on MG as it is.
One option discussed was a nominal monthly charge ($1 USD) to access the server. That way, the costs to players are next to nothing, they get an awesome, troll-free (griefing by wrecking others' creations is a common problem in Minecraft servers apparently) server that they get to have a say in running, and I don't end up out of pocket.
Of course, for that to be viable, we need to actually have people use the server.

So, I throw the question out there to you all - do you play Minecraft? Would you like to play it with MGers? Does the thought of flooding MNDF's painstakingly built mansion with all his worldly possessions in it with lava make you giggle? Would you buy that for a dollar (rep for the first person to catch the reference)?

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated. For those unfamiliar with Minecraft, Konnie will be along shortly to gush about how awesome it is. :)

[Betty]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85cL1HisrNc&feature=related
Your move, creep[er]

http://www.gamesprays.com/files/resource_media/preview/minecraft-creeper-4381_preview.png


...can we get a killing floor server while youre at it?

[Jason]

I did think about Killing Floor, as for some reason 300+ ping doesn't seem to affect the gameplay overly. The main issue with that is that system requirements are likely to play a bigger part in who's able to play it and who isn't, plus Killing Floor doesn't exactly have a shortage of servers as it is.

[Kozahk]

Hell yeah, if it is only $1 per month :)

[Konrad]

I'm a bit busy now so I won't be gushing all over you quite yet.

However: Another huge benefit of having our own server in a game like Minecraft as opposed to something like Killing Floor is the community aspect of it.

The Minecraft server would for all intents and purposes be an infinitely large persistent world we can all contribute to at our leisure. We don't all have to battle timezones and poor organisation skills to get a match going from time to time. We can of course, but most of the time anyone can just jump in whenever they want, do something neat for X amount of time and leave. Other times, we can get together and go creeper hunting or push each other into lava pits.

The prospect of creating an MG world is pretty damn exciting to me. I'd love to see what you all have in store, and as Yahtzee said - there is nothing more rewarding than having your creation appreciated by a friend or two. It would be like our own little MMO - with nothing but the screw-around factor.

[Jason]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-3Niy2L7M4

Like him or not (love him personally), Yahtzee's review of Minecraft is actually a very accurate description of the game, and if you're not familiar with it, will give you a pretty good headstart on what to expect from a game that pretty much doesn't have any objectives.

[Kozahk]

So someone else actually does go on the Escapist, huh? :)

anyway, Yahtzee does do a very good job of describing the game, althhough I usually go in with no real plan in mind and just come up with stuff depending on the environment. I recently built a tunnel straight diagonal to the bedrock just so I could get all the rare materials easier, than branch off and create a massive underground system. When I'm bored, or mobs take over the underground, I just flood it from the surface, lava optional :)

[Lance]

I'm in :D

[Daggers]

I'm definitely up for this, I haven't been on minecraft for a while purely because I got bored playing it on my own. I'd love to join in a server with you guys and we can work together/bounce ideas off each other!

[MyNameDidntFit]

Does the thought of flooding MNDF's painstakingly built mansion with all his worldly possessions in it with lava make you giggle?
I thought you said it would be troll-free!

[Kozahk]

I thought you said it would be troll-free!

Fine! We'll keep it at water then :p

[Konrad]

I thought you said it would be troll-free!

And here I thought you were an Aussie.

[Lance]

I know, I'm disappointed in MNDF too :( If your place gets flooded in lava, you just convert it to a sauna, then go use that person's head mine some more rock for your new place :D

[Kozahk]

which reminds me I need to get a legit minecraft account. A friend played it on my computer and ticked the remember user box, so I've been getting free minecraft :)

[MyNameDidntFit]

And here I thought you were an Aussie.

I'm referring to the way that Jason has somehow managed to troll me so hard that I built a mansion instead of wrestling some pixel-y wildlife with my BARE HANDS.

[sniped02]

Griefer free? Does this mean I don't have to travel a couple thousand blocks away from spawn and Hide my house on the other side of the mountain so people won't steal my stuff and rage when i die and traveling that few thousand blocks again only to find out I'm going in the wrong direction? :P

[Jason]

It does. Well, kind of - I can't completely guarantee your house won't get wiped out, as judging by my attempts to play Dwarf Fortress, me and any type of attempt at building usually ends up with lots of people on fire, but I can assure you it won't be done deliberately. :p

[Kozahk]

Don't worry we will just fence Jason in a paddock away from the lava, where he can roam around dancing with the butterflies. :)

[Lance]

Gotta leave a sheep in there for company too :p

Damnit, getting off track again

So how are we looking Jase?

[Konrad]

Griefer free? Does this mean I don't have to travel a couple thousand blocks away from spawn and Hide my house on the other side of the mountain so people won't steal my stuff and rage when i die and traveling that few thousand blocks again only to find out I'm going in the wrong direction? :P

Well, in a way. Ideally everyone who will be playing this game with us will be doing it solely for the sake playing the game with us. And that's a package deal. It comes with getting your Minecraft on with some really nice and fun-loving friends, but chances are it will occasionally come with the darker side of fun-loving. A large portion of what constitutes a griefer-free environment are the people who define griefing. It's just a matter of good-will on both sides. We don't break our stuff on purpose, but we also don't get our panties in a bunch over accidents and pranks or what have you.

There is little point in paying even $1 a month for the server if you'll be going in with the intention of being left alone to do your own thing. That's what single-player is for.

I frankly never did understand the logic behind going on a public server, making something epic and then complaining when others want to play with it too.

Last time I was in a Minecraft server for example, I ended up on a street of houses - some really amazing, but all of them with huge DO NOT ENTER, DO NOT LOOK, STAY AWAY signs on them. My only thought was... well... what's the point of all this then?

[Kozahk]

So, um, where are we at with all this?

[Konrad]

The "wait patiently while discussion ends and details are decided upon" stage. ;)
It's still probably going to be some time before we go through with this.

Especially since we so far only have four people who specifically said they're interested. Not including Jassiecakes who seems to be more interested in providing the service, not so much using it himself.

[sniped02]

Well, in a way. Ideally everyone who will be playing this game with us will be doing it solely for the sake playing the game with us. And that's a package deal. It comes with getting your Minecraft on with some really nice and fun-loving friends, but chances are it will occasionally come with the darker side of fun-loving. A large portion of what constitutes a griefer-free environment are the people who define griefing. It's just a matter of good-will on both sides. We don't break our stuff on purpose, but we also don't get our panties in a bunch over accidents and pranks or what have you.

There is little point in paying even $1 a month for the server if you'll be going in with the intention of being left alone to do your own thing. That's what single-player is for.

I frankly never did understand the logic behind going on a public server, making something epic and then complaining when others want to play with it too.

Last time I was in a Minecraft server for example, I ended up on a street of houses - some really amazing, but all of them with huge DO NOT ENTER, DO NOT LOOK, STAY AWAY signs on them. My only thought was... well... what's the point of all this then?

I don't mind people coming in to what i built but I hate it when they break it down or steal stuff from it. A creeper explosion i can understand but when they purposely take stuff or steal tracks from a railroad I built it gets very annoying.

[Jason]

Sorry this has gone a bit quiet, had a busy few days.

Regards griefer-free, I think the best way of surmising it would be to say that even in an environment where no-one will be maliciously destroying your work, if you're planning on spending hours upon hours of your life lovingly building an ice palace with working elevators and all sorts, it's probably best if you do that in single player, because there's no guarantee that when me and Konrad decide to build a 50-foot kangaroo with flaming eyes on Corey's front lawn down the road that we won't accidentally end up accidentally mis-routing the lava and setting fire to the entire neighbourhood.

[Lance]

Oh god I was rolling on the floor with that one

I can see practical jokes far and wide here :D This is gonna be fun