Monthly game sessions

chessandgo

Member
Contributor
Hunter
This is a thread for queing up games to draw inspiration from, take notes on, and other random data.
(as requested by Cervator)


Tekkit Classic Server currently running on 159.203.169.143 , come join us!

Cervators Pick:

Space Engineers
http://www.spaceengineersgame.com/

Dwarf Fortress
http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/
classic game. One of the games minecraft was inspired by. Indepth NPCs and world generation. Minecraft could still learn a lot from this.

------ Minecraft Based Picks -----


Minecraft Beta 1.7.3

https://minecraft.net/en/
(older versions can be played from launcher)

This specific version of minecraft is choosen due to its significance in the minecraft community, and
the history of the game. This is the version of Minecraft that TrueCraft https://truecraft.io/ attempts to recreate. It is often regarded as the "Last true" or pinnacle of minecraft, for a number of reasons.
For mostly, from indev, to infdev, to alpha, to Beta, the game indentity and asmosphere has remained pretty similar. Minecraft beta 1.8 (and the next version, full release) changed a number of core charms of the game.
Namely:
  • Terrain generation. Biome, sampeling, heatmap, and noise. beta 1.8 and farther, the generation was tamed down, and more realistic. Pre b1.8, b1.7.3 and earlier, terrain was less tied to terrain, the biomes were different and more suddle, and in general, more unique and crazy (and less hard coded/fixed generation). some famous beta 1.7.3 seeds include 404, gilgamesh, and -9028489474908844496 . In a voxel procudurally generated game, terrain is the most important aspect. Many feel the terrain has become much more boring and dull. This includes: worst beaches, no gravel beaches, calmer mountains, less biome to terrain veration. A good example of this is the last seed (-9028....), which generates a floating mountain range due to overhand and caves. This is no longer possible in recent version. The terrain is all the same and boring, many minecrafters feel.
http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/minecraft-discussion/suggestions/53985-bring-back-beaches
http://www.planetminecraft.com/blog/when-did-the-terrain-become-boring/
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/606524-minecraft/61730804
https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/1jju5q/beta173_how_ive_missed_you/
http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/minecraft-discussion/discussion/153131-did-the-terrain-become-boring-update-6-5-13-1-7-is
Here are some starting resource to grok why terrain is so important, and how it changed for the worst (in general. Ocean biomes, rivers, and other were good additions)

  • The color and texture change made the game more dull, lacking its original vibrant luster that drew people in at a time why pretty much all popular games were muddy brown and dark tones.
  • RPG elements. Hunger, potions, magic, experiance, boss monsters, and ending, monsters that could move(not destroy) your blocks, and others were added. Many feel this was "ok", but it invested so heavily in the RPG aspect, and less on building, combined with the dark colors, minecraft was now RPG feeling. The magical side had very powerful tools, that took lots of knowledge and work (grinding) to obtain. In other words, the RPG aspect was unbalanced compared to the core of the game. It didn't feel innocent and simple and more.
  • Many feel items after this point are bloat/useless (like pots), not contirbuting to the core of the game like boats, fishing, beds, and the nether did. Many feel new additions are more heavily favoring RPG aspect or even breaking parts of the core game. There is now flight in survival, invisibility, a new combate engine. Modders are now less inclined to update as there is nothing useful or good in the newer versions of minecrafts. (check out the feed the beast subbreddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/feedthebeast/ , the game they play is much richer, and based off an older version of minecraft)

With the most controversal part out of the way, modded is a good place to start.


Tekkit Classic
http://www.technicpack.net/modpack/tekkit.552560
(The technic launcher from the same site can play it)

The original technological revolution modpack
(or, before it: Industrial Craft (the original great technological revolution mod) + BuildCraft + RedPower)

The modpack was the first modpack to extend the base so far into the industrial era that it became its own game, in a way. The base was expanded on in every way, with deep, branching, and far technology trees, that people didn't have a reason to update. Minecraft updates were pointless to them as it was always a downgrade. This was the first modpack that people "camped out on", due to complexity and detail put into it. This mod pack set a standard for others. It is now refered to as classic, because all atempts at updating it has resulted in lesser version (like Tekkit Lite), due to not all mods having updated and compatible versions.


Most time should be spend on it, as it is closest to game the people on /r/feedthebeast and others are playing. (Partcipating members of the community, those more likely to have stronger opinions then passive people that play the game regardless of vision and atmospheric change). These people are were a large chunk of our potentional community could come from: people that only play these indepth modpacks, and are antsy due to the future of the community as mod developers dwindle as modding becomes harder and more work, and mods stop getting updates. These people want a game offically like FeedTheBeast (and with a modAPI!), not a game that has no support for what they do.

Time should be spend looking at and developing frameworks for what this modpack (mods) do, as this modpack seeded most other massive modpacks, especially tech ones. Developing frameworks for this would unify much of mod and modpacks, and reduce work for mod developers. Making terasology very attractive if it is much less work to move their mods/modpack over than keep updating for every minecraft version.






Attack Of the B-Team
http://www.technicpack.net/modpack/attack-of-the-bteam.552556

Following in the tekkit pack's foot prints, the modpack is jammed pack full of new things and tech trees at every turn. Again, libraries and frameworks for what the mods do in this modpack would help capture a potential community of players and module developers.





Volts/Tekkit (Space)


http://www.technicpack.net/modpack/voltz.552677

http://www.technicpack.net/modpack/tekkitmain.552547


Uniting many mods electic system, these modpacks focus on electic/machinery (and getting to space!)

Volts/Tekkit Space are unlike the others in this regard, and although its not an exact replacement for Tekkit Classic, due to lacking mods, or replacing mods with other mods, it is recommended and a more modern supplement for tekkit classic. (and still enjoyable as its own thing)



Hexxit
http://www.technicpack.net/modpack/hexxit.552552

A hack and slash RPG (but done right!) in minecraft. With all types of armor weather, loot, monsters, and structures, there is plenty of reason to keep traveling the world. It should be noted how well bosses and structures and implemented in this. For example, a tower dungeon that collapses once you've defeated the Boss at the top!




Big Dig
http://www.technicpack.net/modpack/bigdig.552679

With many ore and mining type mods (and an increase of vein size and ore frequency), its just too much fun to keep digging, and digging and digging.

This modpack however is not as important as the others as it focuses on one aspect. However this aspect should still be studied game/mechanic wise.

A more fair/balanced version of big dig could be implemented in terasology by using our infinite depth. Harder to get to the larger and more valuable veins, but also harder to get back with them. (imagine massive caves, plate faults, lava flows, and just plain old digging deep into the earth)




Feed The Beast (any of them)
https://www.feed-the-beast.com/

like Tekkit, but with even more care, and more mods included! However these packs strive even more on technology trees and advancement, while also including many non tech mods.

Hence where the /r/feedthebeast 's name comes from, which is more of an all things modded minecraft. (/r/tekkit is dead comparitively)

Direwolf and Feed The Beast Infinity are recommended packs to check out.


Terrafirmacraft

http://wiki.terrafirmacraft.com/

Minecraft survival, but re invented. Much more detailed and survivial-ly aspect of the game. Minecraft too easy and dull, but you don't want to make it more detailed or hard for the sake of it, try out Terrafirmacraft.


Better Than Wolves
http://sargunster.com/btw/index.php?title=Main_Page
Like Terrafirmacraft, but survial reinvented to be harder, AND with technological age progression. A completly redesign of the survivial aspect of minecraft that the author felt was "better than wolves" (which were added around the time this mod was started)

Throught The Ages most resembles this mod, but it could also learn from Terafirmacraft.




Twilight Forest
http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/mapping-and-modding/minecraft-mods/1276258-the-twilight-forest-v2-3-5-wrecking-block

An indepth dimension mod. This mod contains a very astmospheric dimension, with monsters, generated structures, lore, and biomes. This mod lowered the ground hight just so it could have its extra tall/massive trees. We can do the same thing but without the comprise!

Its intresting from a mechanic and feel point of view (with dungeon/block mechanics not in other mods)

This mod is probably included in an above listed modpack (likely FeedTheBeast or tekkit) so it will not be required to be played on its own.


Aether II (2)
http://www.aetherii.com/
The original indepth dimension mod!
This mod ads a sky dimension with such detail that its often hailed as the inverse of the nether (an offical part of the game). The dimension contains intresting and unique terrain, loot, lore, monsters, dungeons and dungeon mechanics. The mod fits with the theme of the game that it feels like it could be offical, while still introducing new things that makes it feel like the first time you played minecraft. This and the original (Aether 1) are strongly recommended.
It is a genre defining mod in minecrafts mod history/community.


Millenaire

http://millenaire.org/index.php?l=en

Minecraft, but with settlments (this is a very old and classic mod, before villagers were added) that you can direct as their leader, to grow and develope. This has stuff applicable for Dynamic citys, or reimplemented in terasology as this classic mod has long stopped being updated, and is more or less forgotten.



Dwarves Vs Zombies

http://buffalowizards.com/dvz

Not a mod, but a plugin. This is an indepth game about Dwaves vs Zombies. It has game and design lessons that can be learned. (especially with how much they can add with out actually have a mod API). This is another potential community we could gain, as our offical mod API would very much help them.




Minecraft (current)

https://minecraft.net/en/
This is useful to combare against beta 1.7.3, and the modpacks. See where minecraft went wrong (look at the beta 1.7.3) and what it did well (rivers, avils, log and stair positions, various other stuff).




Other


Survival island (
). Although the video is dated, and the language is crude, the feel of "survivial Island" would very much suit the island terrain generator. Its also an insight into the golden years of the minecraft community.(better, and on average, older player age, community)

Its recommended you continue into shadow of israphel (
) , as you can see minecraft progress, as well as their wishes/needs/complains about minecraft. (In regards to what they say, pretend to have -purely Roleplay enforced, or include as mods.)

Pay attention to the roleplay/story part specifically, as this is one of the most famous minecraft series to date (and with lack of updates, the halflife 3 of the community).

Roleplay, or preferably actual mechanics (no pretend needed!) can help a community/multiplayer grow!




Avatar Plugin
https://dev.bukkit.org/bukkit-plugins/minecraft-last-airbender/#w-features
Avatar the last airbender plugin. This is a misc. This is here as it the best implementation of multiblock/world terrain player abilities i've seen. Very cool and would be amazing as a terasology module/plugin (especially with all our block shapes!)
 
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manu3d

Active Member
Contributor
Architecture
I am confused by the title of this thread. Why "monthly game sessions" exactly?
 

chessandgo

Member
Contributor
Hunter
I am confused by the title of this thread. Why "monthly game sessions" exactly?
I was talking game feel/atmosphere/etc, Cervator wanted the community to get a line up of games to play monthy. Media to study to understand why its good, feel, mechanics, and so forth. To more closely understand succesful games (or in this case, successful voxel communities)
 

Cervator

Org Co-Founder & Project Lead
Contributor
Design
Logistics
SpecOps
Thanks for the thread and detailed list of options @chessandgo :)

@manu3d my thought was to maybe do something like this on the third Saturday or Sunday each month, if there's interest. Focus would be on having fun and learning from existing game systems to see what has worked well and what hasn't worked quite as well. Probably we could produce some sort of deliverable from the session like related design notes for ideas to do some stuff in Terasology modules. Depends on interest though!

To expand on my thought on how to play Dwarf Fortress, which is not actually multiplayer: some players do it via what's called a "Bloodline game", where a save game is passed around between the players and they each play an in-game year or so when finding time, likely doing horrible things to the fortress and the poor dwarves in the process, then pass the save onward to the next player. Instead I thought we could share a save game then play over a few hours together while relaying events in our games, especially when somebody dies horribly (happens a lot in DF). The most interesting surviving version of the fortress at the end of the event becomes the save game we play next time! Potential added difficulty for more "fun" - no pausing! That would also keep players more in sync (traders arrive for everybody around the same time) and keep the game pace flowing.

There are other newer (and kinder) DF-likes floating around, like Rimworld, but that one is $30 in early access on Steam while DF is free. Seems like a huge success so far and fairly close to the DF spirit.

Each game session could try to focus on something, like the health system in Dwarf Fortress (use a save where goblins are just about to attack, or just did). We could do DF one month, then some MC modpack, then a third option, then DF again, MC, and so on.
 

manu3d

Active Member
Contributor
Architecture
I'm already having difficulties scheduling one event a month, a second might be a bit of a stretch. If want to do it for research purposes though, it did occur to me that it would be good to have some community sessions on some long-running minecraft servers. The idea being we could get in touch with their admins and have the chance to hear from them in what way, from a software perspective, we can improve Terasology to foster thriving communities. Just a thought.
 
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