Controversial suggestion!

[ríomhaire]

I expect the vast majority of people not to want to do this, but I'll put it forward anyway. I suggest after the Halloween update is out we generate a new map for the server from scratch, and explore these new biomes, and hell, from the beginning again.

I know it's easy for me to say this when I have no massive projects completed, unlike many people who are on the server more often than me but still, I'd like to know does anyone else think this is a good idea? People who have built more/bigger/harder stuff should probably get more say in this than people like me who just have a house.

 

[JesusToast]

I'm currently indifferent. We can get new stuff with the current map, we just have to explore out further when the update gets here. On the other hand, that's a lot of walking, unless we can build hellgates in our current area and use that to expand our bounds. Of course, I may just be tired from fixing beaches.

 

[Drackard]

I went ahead and voted! I know I haven't actually played with you guys yet, but I was planning on joining you as soon as I get the time! Assuming that's okay!

*edit*

I'm indifferent D:

 

[Quixoticism]

I'd rather not have it reset just now. With the update the biomes will appear when expanding from our current map right?
If not then it might be okay to reset, but there will be much lost because of it.

 

[MJ12]

I thought it was going to be included into our server map?

 

[Vegeta897]

ZT, once terrain has been generated, there is no changing it.

In order to see the new biomes in our map, we'd have to explore into new areas.

There's so much area around our spawn point that is already explored, the biomes would be so far out that it wouldn't really be that cool.

To answer the thread, I'm sort of undecided.

I spent tons of time and work on my bookshelf thing, and I planned to build my house inside of it. While I'd hate to see it go, Minecraft is a game where it's always fun to have a fresh start in, and these biomes could be really cool.

 

[Bad^Hat]

I'm kind of indifferent. I have some decently large projects (currently in the midst of making a massive underground fortress, which is something I'd rather not dig out again), but I wouldn't mind a fresh start either, just to see how biomes affect what and where people build. I mean yeah, you can generate new land for that, but how many people are actually going to migrate out there? The currently explored area is so large that we'd all be massively spread out unless we decided to congregate on one spot, which wouldn't be ideal since half the point is exploring and finding neat places to build. That, and it seems like the existing projects that are even a moderate distance from spawn get barely any traffic as it is...

Anyway, I know there are a bunch of people who'd rather stay with the current map, and I guess I wouldn't mind that either. In any case I'm kind of reluctant about voting without actually seeing the effect of biomes, and how it factors into multiplayer. The other concern would be if they were kind of wonky initially, then we'd have to put it on hold until notch fixed them.

Man, idunno. I'll abstain until we get the server sorted, in any case...

 

[lord_raken]

I'll have to think it over. A fresh start is always fun, but there are some cool plans I have for some really neat areas I've found.

I'm goo either way. But I'll vote once I make a choice.

 

[Eejit]

If not server reset then explore out a good distance and move spawn somewhere new.

 

[knut]

i don't really see the point. aren't the biomes just different textures i.e. snow, desert and the ilk? if we can actually establish that if people want to start afresh that they will use these climates to an actual productive, creative use then sure, but looking over the city... it's mostly a mass of stone and wooden castles with grey walkways, trees and a undying love for lava surrounded by glass. if it's just going to be more of the same except... surrounded by white blocks instead of green, why bother?

unless folk want to actually build arctic architecture and structures and so forth, but then this is minecraft and there isn't really any strict methods or guidelines to building within an environment, which is why i think the biomes look a bit pointless, really.

forgive me if i'm wrong or being ignorant about the update, i haven't been keeping track of minecraft since the server went down, really. too involved with uni work/new vegas to get back to it right now, but i'm in the middle of digging a really big hole at the moment which i had big plans for and seeing all that work go out the window would be a bit of a shitter to me. still, i'll go with the crowd.

 

[StarBob]

I'm voting yes mainly because I don't have a single thing on the server, but when I finally got in I was so overwhelmed by everything around me I didn't feel compelled to stay and build. I also didn't want to have to travel three lightyears from spawn to build anything more than a hut. Nothing against anyone or anything, it's just how I felt when I joined in. Plus with new stuff being added it only seemed fair. I mean the fun is in building right? Once everyone sees it it's kind of like "ok now what?"

 

[MJ12]

ZT, once terrain has been generated, there is no changing it.

I see, well, I have spent a lot of time on a few projects, but I'd be willing to let that go for a much more unique map. Hell, maybe before we switch over, the community can get together and burn everything we made down to the ground as a spectacular farewell.

i don't really see the point. aren't the biomes just different textures i.e. snow, desert and the ilk? if we can actually establish that if people want to start afresh that they will use these climates to an actual productive, creative use then sure, but looking over the city...

I think it makes a huge difference, Minecraft has a lot of feeling in terms of it's landscape. I mean, look at people who get pissed when they see random ugly markers or formless structures placed out in the country, it really ruins the aesthetic. So I think a new visual setting can make a hell of a difference.

 

[Ennui]

I would say no. We can always set a warp out to a new "spawn" far out in freshly-generated biome land that people can use.

IMO we should restart the server/map once mobs work in SMP properly, because that will greatly affect construction styles etc (since we'll have to make safe routes everywhere). Until then I think we should stick with what we've got.

 

[knut]

I think it makes a huge difference, Minecraft has a lot of feeling in terms of it's landscape. I mean, look at people who get pissed when they see random ugly markers or formless structures placed out in the country, it really ruins the aesthetic. So I think a new visual setting can make a hell of a difference.

i'm not saying it doesn't have a feeling, but random structures out in the middle of nowhere aren't the same as such a simple thing as the colour of the ground or the texture of a tree. you have to ask yourself, if you spawned into the map for the first time and the land was white instead of green, would if affect what you built, aesthetically? be honest. myself? not at all, the land is but a grid, a black canvas to build upon a proper creative construction site and once finished, it is the structure or creation that becomes the aesthetic there. i can look over the city at spawn now and it isn't whether the land is desert or grassland that shouts out to me, it's the creations.

what i'm trying to say is, we all revert to new and build a city from scratch but apart from the first few days of open land, it's soon going to become a mass of walkways and concrete buildings dotted and connected around to each other, so i don't really see the point in what colour the landscape is.

unless i'm missing something that the biomes do aside from a visual identity, do tell. personally, the visual identity of minecraft, to me, is what you build, not what is already there.

 

[Eejit]

Well snowy biomes will have ice, different plant growth etc.

 

[knut]

interesting. is farming something many folk do on this? i haven't really seen anything of the sort around here.

like i say, if there are more benefits to the biomes then just a mish-mash of textures, go for it, lets move. if not, i don't see any hurry to, esp. not if they can be incorporated into the server anyway but with a bit of exploring. moving spawn sounds alright.

 

[kineaesth]

I would say no. We can always set a warp out to a new "spawn" far out in freshly-generated biome land that people can use.

This is a good idea, we get the new environment and keep all our old stuff that we destroyed our lives making. Also it might be amusing to try to plan a central city; allocate city-block sized spaces to everyone on the white list.

 

[L3N!N]

Indifferent, seeing as either way people are going to end up exploring anyways. I know I will.

Edit:

Argh, a fresh start would be nice, though. Decisions, decisions...

 

[lord_raken]

I'd be ok with moving the spawn after the halloween update, but I'd be ok with starting over as well.

A planned city sounds cool!

 

[AtomicSpark]

So every time there is a new update you guys are going to want to start over?

Sounds silly. Minecraft is about building cool things, not different colored grass. There is always Single Player.

 

[Quixoticism]

I'd be more okay with a fresh start if the final map was uploaded so it could be saved and explored in single player, and to still have the cartographer for it up to.

 

[AtomicSpark]

Meh, I don't know. I chose the option to keep our current map. Who's to say he wont make biomes better on the next update? Should we start over then too?

Keep in mind that most of the update still will work with our current map. I suggest we wait until the update to even decide (discuss?) anything. Knowing there is a chance that you guys want to start over, really discourages me from playing on our server. Don't worry, people will get bored of Fallout 3: New Vegas and hopefully play more and make more pretty things for us to look at.

 

[Viperidae]

No.

 

[Raziaar]

I'm personally leaning towards the warp option myself... nobody exploring until the release, and then setting a warp point(which can be accessed by all) for the old spawn and where we want the new area to be.

Something like that anyway. That's just what I'm leaning towards. I know people have spent a tremendous amount of time making some of their structures and would hate to see it go.

 

[Bad^Hat]

I would say no. We can always set a warp out to a new "spawn" far out in freshly-generated biome land that people can use.

IMO we should restart the server/map once mobs work in SMP properly, because that will greatly affect construction styles etc (since we'll have to make safe routes everywhere). Until then I think we should stick with what we've got.

Yeah, actually I'm with this suggestion (which was originally mine ). I think it's possible to set other warp points and keep the original spawn intact, so there could be two easily accessible building sites in two different environments.

Also it might be amusing to try to plan a central city; allocate city-block sized spaces to everyone on the white list.

Also agreeing with this, it's actually something I'd love to help plan. It doesn't have to be the new city center, but I think it'd be awesome to plot out a proper town somewhere, allocate building spaces to everyone who wants in on it, then connect it with proper streets, build monuments and parks and whatever, etc etc. The current spawn area is impressive on a building-to-building level, but as a whole it's kind of a mishmash, even with the roads and stuff. I mean, I'm fine with that remaining as our 'primary' building method, since freedom to build whatever, wherever you want is what's resulted in some of our coolest buildings, but it'd be nice to have another place that had a more unified aesthetic to it.

 

[Higlac]

I think we should keep the current map, just offline it for a day or so while an admin makes a path out of bedrock and glass to the new "spawn" area, along with setting different warp points around the map.

 

[AtomicSpark]

No admin shall be placing of the bedrocks.

 

[The Monkey]

Wat, new poll layout?

 

[Krynn72]

I would say no. We can always set a warp out to a new "spawn" far out in freshly-generated biome land that people can use.

IMO we should restart the server/map once mobs work in SMP properly, because that will greatly affect construction styles etc (since we'll have to make safe routes everywhere). Until then I think we should stick with what we've got.

I agree with this. I don't really see the point in changing maps until there is a really significant change (likes enemies working). Just exploring new territory with a new spawn or whatever seems like the best compromise for this sort of update.

That said, I havent played in a long time, so don't mind me. I probably won't get interested again until the enemies start working.

 

[Robbo]

I wouldn't bother resetting the map solely for the purpose of getting new terrain, I dont really see the result justifying the destruction of everyones cool stuff.
However I would like the chance to reorganise the map so that there are clear paths to different areas and maybe some kind of zoning as to what can be built where so that we dont have HUGE buildings around spawn and small houses further out. Everyone should have a small bit of land near spawn and a larger area further out along a highway or something.

 

[AtomicSpark]

Wat, new poll layout?

Please ignore our mess as we bother Munro to rewrite the default theme for vBulletin 4.

 

[Eejit]

If we move spawn to a distant location we can still have a hellgate route back to the old homeland.

 

[Ravioli]

I dont think we should redo the map everytime a big update is released, that will kind of go against the point of the server. Its made to evolve and grow and have a rich history. I really hope notch will have a way of intergrating biomes into current maps, but i doubt it.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

Moving spawn sounds like a reasonable thing to try.

 

[phantomdesign]

So every time there is a new update you guys are going to want to start over?

Sounds silly. Minecraft is about building cool things, not different colored grass. There is always Single Player.

My thoughts exactly. A few people have invested serious time into some seriously awesome projects, and restarting the server every time there is an update seems silly. If we start over, I'm quitting this server. That's not really a "threat" but rather "why am I wasting my time here."

I also think, rather than moving the spawn, we add another warp-point, or a fast travel system from the spawn towards uncharted land.

 

[AtomicSpark]

Yeah, moving the spawn could divide by zero.

 

[lord_raken]

I think moving the spawn would be best. We can leave a slip-gate (Hell-gate) at the old spawn. problem solved.

 

[Raziaar]

I just got home from work, I didn't read to see if anybody has already suggested this.




If we do the new spawn area(or even just a warp)... this is how I propose we do it.

Nobody picks any particular area... instead, we'll build a warp gate somewhere near spawn in a safe area(not just out in the open)... travel in the underworld like 500 blocks in a linear direction, build another warp gate and then have that new area be our starting area.

This way we'll have a large distance between our already generated world and the new world area... without any old non biome path leading out to the new area.

 

[AtomicSpark]

Bad things happen.

 

[Raziaar]

Bad things happen.

What? We don't have to physically move the spawn, we can simply create a warp point.

Also I request that no admins move the spawn unless the server agrees on something regarding this.



Side question... can somebody tell me what program I need to parse the player dat files on the server? I want to look at the files we had right after hokey shut down the server so I can make a list of what everybody had and give them their inventory back exactly as it was.