Why I handle the Minecraft server as I do.

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Foxtrot200
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Why I handle the Minecraft server as I do.

Post by Foxtrot200 » Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:11 pm

Sometimes I get asked questions about why I have to control the Minecraft server the way I do and why I have to limit certain things. I've come to realize that the way it must be run, unfortunately, makes me look somewhat like a tyrant. So, I'm writing this to outline what must be done to keep an orderly Minecraft server and why it must be handled so.

1. Item/Block Restrictions
I get questioned on why I restrict certain blocks and items quite a bit, so I'll start out with this. The unfortunate reason for why I have to restrict things like TNT, obsidian, lava, water, and fire is griefers; It's sad, but true, that there are people out there that are only out there to ruin your fun and enjoyment. Believe me when I say that I'd love to enable these things to see all of the creative contraptions and works of art that would be created in our lovely community, but the sad truth is that these things can be griefed. Here's my reason for blocking these blocks:
  • TNT: TNT is explosive and is made to cause mass destruction and damage. Though it can be used effectively for excavation, it can also be used effectively for blasting away someone's house.
  • Obsidian: Obsidian is hard. It's the toughest material in Minecraft. It takes 15 seconds to mine with a diamond pickaxe and about a minute with anything else. In griefing, obsidian is generally used to barricade a structure while a griefer wreaks havoc inside. It's also used for trapping players in an attempt to majorly inconvenience them.
  • Lava: Though lava fire spread is turned off on our server and lava can only spread onto certain blocks, it is also dangerous and difficult to cleanup (even with WorldEdit). Even in the limited state it's in, lava can be used to trap a player in a structure or, if they /spawn out for instance, keep them out. Griefers can also place lava right underneath players and cause them to lose their valuable findings.
  • Water: Less dangerous than lava, water is still a tool commonly used by griefers. Water spreads faster than lava and is, therefore, harder to beat. It's hard to outrun water. Because of the way the game works, water destroys things in it's path. This includes paintings, torches, redstone, and redstone torches. It also puts out lava and drowns mobs, including your precious wolves.
  • Fire: As you may already know, fire spread is disabled on our server, but that's not to say it isn't dangerous. Like lava, fire can be placed under players to cause damage and because of the burning effect, fire causes continual damage until either the player dies, the player jumps in water, or the fire dies out. Though fire spread is off, blocks can still burn away. Lighting a log on fire will still cause it to disappear soon after it was ignited. This means an entire wall can be lit on fire and it can be torn down and because of server lag, you may be unable to extinguish the flames in time. There were some cases where I had to use WorldEdit to put fires out. As far as I see it, the only use for fire is light and destroying unwanted materials. Thanks to craftbook, by applying a redstone current to netherrack, you can ignite it, so there's no real reason for anyone to have flint & steel anyway.
2. Free stuff
I'm sorry to say it, but I don't see free materials for all anytime in the near future of our Minecraft server. My reasoning for it is simple: Some people are not responsible with what they have. If everyone had an unlimited supply of materials and items, the world would be a complete and chaotic mess. We'd have useless structures everywhere and people would just build on top of things. I've seen servers that allow /i for everyone and I didn't like what I saw. On top of that, if everyone could just give themselves any tool they wanted, they'd be able to come in, /i diamondpickaxe, and have at the first structure they saw. Yes, I can probably get a plugin to restrict what players can give to themselves, but that's more work than necessary. It's easier and all around better to just not allow everyone to give themselves whatever they please.

3. Fly mods and speed hacks
Alright, I honestly can't say I want to allow this because I REALLY don't. The point of Minecraft is exploration and adventure. You're supposed to explore the world as if you were there yourself. Yes, I know, we have warps and homes, but I like to see that as a form of fast travel since we don't have any other practical way of achieving it. Aside from that, Notch is against such mods and so are many other players. It just ruins the game experience for others. So, really, please don't use such mods. I'm not going to chastise you for your minimap, but if I see you flying or using speedhacks, I'm going to have to remove you from the game for others' sake. Also, I have noticed that I use the WorldEdit commands to get around a bit too much lately and I have been trying to cut down on it. If you don't want me to do that around you, just tell me and I won't unless it's necessary.

4. X-Ray mods and transparent texture packs.
There's no real way I can enforce this short of installing a plugin that could potentially destroy the Minecraft world by ridding it of all ores in some conflict with the auto-save plugin, but if I must, I will. All I can say is PLEASE DO NOT use X-Ray mods or transparent texture packs. Like I said before, Minecraft is about exploring and adventure. It's not fun for others when you're able to see everything before anyone else and if you're argument is "Everyone can use them", all I can say is you have no sense of fair play. First of all, it IS cheating and second, yes it is, because the original developers (Mojang Specifications) don't support it nor like it. If you are using X-Ray mods or transparent texture packs all I can say is shame on you and I hope everyone finds out.

5. "You're a hypocrite!"
Let me start off with this ( http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocrite ) :
Hypocrite
1: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
I'm not putting on a false appearance of virtue or religion and I am not acting in contradiction to my stated beliefs or feelings.

I stated that not everyone should be able to use certain blocks or items.
I stated that not everyone should be able to freely give themselves things.
I stated that fly mods and speed hacks should not be used.
I stated that X-Ray mods and transparent texture packs shouldn't be used.

In the case of restricted commands and items, I qualify as "not everyone" because I am trusted and I can use them properly. So are the moderators and builders and so is Tom. In the case of fly mods, speed hacks, x-ray mods, and transparent texture packs, I don't use them and I will never use them where not allowed.

Next time you call someone a hypocrite, think more on what they are saying and think twice about what YOU are saying.


I hope this has cleared up any questions about why I do what I do. I don't do it to be mean or controlling, I do it because I must. If you can think of a better way to handle these things, I'm open to suggestions, but for now, this is the way it has to be.
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Gdub67
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Re: Why I handle the Minecraft server as I do.

Post by Gdub67 » Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:26 pm

Thanks for working as hard as you do on the server foxy, Most of us appreciate all your hard work on keeping the server up and running at it's best.
"An escalator can never break--it can only become stairs. You would never see an "Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order" sign, just "Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience. We apologize for the fact that you can still get up there."

-Mitch Hedberg
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KreamCheese
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Re: Why I handle the Minecraft server as I do.

Post by KreamCheese » Sat Apr 16, 2011 11:28 pm

Yeah, I would like to thank you for everything you've done to keep this server going as well as it has been. I've been on servers in which my hours of creations got griefed and there was nothing to be done about it... Thanks to keeping this one safe.
~Dance Kirby Dance~
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