Hello everyone.-- This post is quite old but extremely relevant.It started with a blog post I wrote years ago - it will give you a good idea on what I see in Minecraft and where I think it needs to change: Mojang is Killing MinecraftSo, I have some major ideas on how to make the EMC Community stronger, and make Minecraft itself a better game (at least when playing on EMC!).I for the most part didn't want to post too much to avoid people getting too hyped up over things that won't be here for a while, but I really want to be transparent with everyone, and get ideas to improve my ideas before I release the ideas So my core vision: Build a Minecraft Server that is focused on people playing the game of Minecraft together, and give longer term goals and a sense of accomplishment, a sense of challenge and a sense of fair competition.This means a server where people aren't sitting afk at farms all day. This means a server full of people asking to start a group so they can go do something together. People asking to work together to accomplish common goals. A server where everyone constantly communicates to each other.EMC use to have a lot of this, but changes in Minecraft has resulted in EMC and many other servers losing that appeal. It's not EMC's fault, It's Mojang's really, but we have to fight it!So here is a general roadmap on things I am planning for EMC - PLEASE: Do not ask for details - as I don't have them all yet! These are general ideas where the fine details will be figured out when we are close to working on it..Legend:Green: Task AccomplishedBlue: Reasons for TaskYellow: In ProgressPink: Near Term / Starting SoonWhite: TODOThe Vision - https://vision.emc.gsChallenge Tokens: A new currency that denotes you completed a more challenging TaskThese will then be redeemable for other rewards such as: Dragon Eggs, Sponge, High End armor/weapons, rupees, Empire Sr Staff Services, etc.These will have a leader-board on Tokens earned, giving a sense of competitionThese will not be purchasable, they must be earned.Can be used to purchase Survival related itemsNew Player Experience: Improve the New Player Experience to help guide them in learning EMCProvide a Tour Guide like experience (an improvement over the minimal one we have), using Action Bars or ScoreboardUtilize the Minecraft Achievement system to build an Achievement tree for EMC activitiesGuide new players down the achievement treeGroups: Encourage and provide benefits to playing togetherAllow players to form groups togetherGive additional XP bonus when groupedGive mining/attack/defense bonuses when groupedDesign a Looking For Group System Help players organize for events such as Games without having to spam advertise or go to games and see noone there.Allow players to choose events they are interested in doing, such as Mining, Boss Hunting, Minigames, PVPAlert Players that enough players are ready for the event and willing to goForm the players into a group when they arrive on the SMPDragon Tombs: The first step in mass group play and challenging eventsDesigned over multiple stages. (Relies on the custom mob survival system)Part 1: Dragon Stone Fragments dropped from mobsPart 2: Challenge Tokens System (see above)Part 3: Finding Dragon Shrines in the WildernessPart 4: The Fight vs ResikDesigned to need to put a good bit of effort just to be able to enter the event!Give players a need to work with others (minimum player count to enter)Give players incentive to form larger than necessary groups (by giving everyone loot)Mini Games: Giving players tiny little things to do when bored of other thingsProvide Multiple PVP game stylesFull automated support for games that do not require staff involvementImprove existing games like Mob Arena/Creature Capture/Fire Floor to be fully automatedImplement FAIR politics on the events so everyone has equal chances.Giving other competitions that players can bring their own gear intoGauntlet: Leaderboards included on who was able to survive the longestFrenzy: Onslaught of mobs at once - compete with leaderboards on who can clear it the fastestReward Challenge Tokens (small amount) for winning events.Empires: If you've played any MMORPG's, just think of the word "Guild". A permanent group system that persists across all Empire servers.Show off your Empire Tag in gameEmpire specific bank/currency collectionRole / Permission based system within the Empire (Officers etc)Empire Specific ChatIntent to have pages specific on the website for everyone's Empire giving the owner control on what is on the page, as well as letting leaders of the Empire post to it too.Achievements for Empires to do things togetherAbility to set Residence flags by Empire (So give everyone in your Empire access)Outposts - Empire Land Claiming: Ability for an Empire to claim land in the wildUse a combination of Challenge Tokens and Rupees to claim the landOwned by an Empire, not a single playerAbility to teleport to/from town to your Empire's landAbility to expand the size of claimed landQuests: Little Mini Tasks to give players something to do to earn rupees/items.Attempt to let players create their own tasks to essentially create "for hire" tasks of things they need done and let the system enforce the completion before payout.Have a Quest Hub where new players can find general tasks to do.Designed to be a little more fun than plain monster slaying/mining. Give a sense of goal when you go out into the Wastelands to earn a little bonus for completing it.More Dungeons like the Dragon Tombs:Want to add more criteria similar to Dragon Tombs to let people enter other advanced boss fights to earn tons of Challenge Tokens.Optional PVP Game-play: Add a /server pvp that has a "Red vs Blue" match style PVP match that is focused on fun and fair PVP competition, to give players who desire that blood thirst a chance to relieve themselves without going to a different server instead.Dystopia: For the ultimate hardcore - a World designed to slaughter you.Attempt to survive this nightmare to potentially earn epic rewards.New Town: Improve the concept of our town world - Add new BIGGER lots to townAdding more residences to the existing townWe've learned a lot about Minecraft since the start of EMC. There's some flaws in our town world design, so we would like to give players the OPTION to get say an 80x80 lot in town, and 160x160 in Utopia maybe. Details are not established!Existing 60x60 will remain available, as some would prefer the size to be closer to neighbors. You would have the option on size.Considering the name "Uptown", Would actually be in a new world "uptown1", "uptown2" etc, as will be performance benefits to split into multiple worlds instead of 1, but this numbering will be transparent to the users.So, here we are! Again, please do not ask for details or ETA's. This is an extremely long term roadmap, but just releasing to give you all a general idea on where EMC will hopefully be soon!
Nice!Aikar, I have to say that since you have taken the reigns, I like what I see!I am looking forward to dragon tombs for wild 'protection' with the dragon eggs."Optional PVP Game-play" <---- Yes!Can't wait to see what the future of EMC will bring!
I'd like to see these ideas come into fruition, since it really does seem that community activity has dropped overall in the past year or so.
Those are a lot of tasks Aikar! Lotsa things to do, I hope you'll do it But I really agree with the adventure map thing, it's not necessary and it's really just making minecraft a game where you do a map, and then getting bored, and that's not what it's about...
EMC use to have a lot of this, but changes in Minecraft has resulted in EMC and many other servers losing that appeal. It's not EMC's fault, It's Mojang's really, but we have to fight it!It used to have
Ability to teleport to/from town to your Empire's landThis is the only thing I don't really know about. Do you really think this will be good?
Aikar you're doing a great job trying to include all of the players into your plans! You're not just pleasing one group of the server that most servers tend to do, but focus on all of us! Some of these ideas I'm excited in.
I must to say, the future plans sounds really great. Not too sure about sort of forcing people to group, as some people would really prefer to go for extra challenging/rewarding tasks with only their best/trustable friend or couple of them or even all alone.
It's sad that Mojang is ignoring multiplayer and is improving maps. What is the point in adventure maps? I never understood them. Perhaps if Mojang made adventure maps of their own instead of the community?Looking through the ideas, I though they were excellent! The new AFK policy will balance the economy more. Automated events stop us from waiting for an event to take place and the token system will be a big success for EMC. There will be some resilience against some of the suggestions such as the "AFK Policy" but if they don't like it they should live with it.Will the mini-games be unique? Not stuff like "hide and seek" or "survival games".If they will be unique and EMC custom made I am really excited!Awesome ideas Aikar and I wish you and the mods in creating these.
Wouldnt this hurt the economy cause then people could just mine resources for days and then just sell/auction them. Making that item drop in value?
Well said, Aikar, having read your blog wrt Mojang, I experienced similar sorts of problems (ie continual changing of goalposts) with senior management back in the old days when I was Ops. Supervisor in a large computer bureau in Glasgow (those were the days ) and as a software engineer for a large construction company in London. Leaving us (the computer staff) to sort out all the problems