The Server

Hello ImDeity Kingdoms, its me again, and you all probably don't realize or care about the fact that I haven't been on as much as I used to, and I'm referring to my MinerCrafter128 account. My last account this happened too. I know that this server seems a little boring to people now, I haven't seen the tab list hit 20 players yet, and I know that if we had a map reset, then probably like 50-100 players would be online hard at work building there towns and having a blast. Now my question is, why aren't people getting on and having a blast anymore? Well this is how I see it. The people that play on this server are bored, they've been playing a lot, they've built everything that they've wanted to build. And I understand that, the spark of the server has passed. This update had its peak in greatness, and now it has sunk down, and now I rarely see tab go above 10 players. But of course this may be false, I wouldn't know, like I said, I haven't gotten on much. but I see it a lot from the multiplayer menu on my minecraft menu screen. And I haven't seen it hit 20 yet. But anyway, I have heard and read, I've done my own research, and this is the information I know, now I don't know if this information is true. I've found one reason out of possibly many: the fact that Craftbukkit may not have all the plugins that this server has updated. Or the fact that they are all updated, its just taking a lot of time to code and organize everything so that it all goes and runs smoothly. And I understand that this takes a while, I've looked into this coding stuff myself, I plan on making my own server soon, but I still have a lot to learn regarding just getting a server and actually starting it, lol. But anyway, I know that ImDeity puts a lot of time and work into this server, and I know he's often AFK, or is working on the server. I talked to him and few times in chat a year ago with my old account. I said I'd never leave this awesome server, and I didn't. I might have left for a while, but I think a lot of people do that when they are bored. The same happened to me, I build my house in HoneyValle, and thats all I really wanted to do, and after that. I just got bored. and I eventually, just stop coming on, it was boring. yes I really wanted the server to reset or do something to be a little more interesting. I have so many memories of ImDeity Kingdoms, and this is one of the oldest servers in Minecraft, and if I'm not mistaken this server is at least 3 or 4 years old.

I know this server seems boring right now, and it does (no offense), but there is a way we can make it better. We can encourage each other to build even bigger and better structures, why do you think we have so many updates?! to add more blocks for more variety and more interesting builds! Duh lol. What I'm saying is, the main map may be limited a little bit, but I've seen the LIVE map, you guys have built a lot believe me, but I still see A LOT of land that hasn't even been touch! Come on people, where is your building spirit? yes your bored, you don't really care, you just do stuff to keep your Dei up a bit to pay for taxes and stuff. Am I right? There's numerous people that don't even get on anymore, I bet there ares tens of people who's bank accounts are broke from not getting on and getting more money. Or they just vote, I don't know, I'm not them. Anyway, this server has even more potential than you guys think. next time your ingame, players go to /main world spawn. Look at that huge castle that ImDeity lives in, hello? I don't see anything nearly that big guys. We have a whole map to work with, why don't we use it? Use that imagination of your to think up a great build. Get the resources, and build it. Yes it may take weeks or months, but building it is have the freakin fun!! Just wait until your done with that huge magnificent build you just completed. Through weeks and/or months oh hard ward through gathering, building, and whatever else you did, you'll think, I just built that. And you might also wonder: "hmm, I wonder what else I can build.". Get that thinking cap on. Make some huge cities, blow this map out of the world. Lets see what you players can really do!

Guys, there really is a lot more you can do, and the fact that /mine resets regularly, mean unlimited resources forever. This server isn't done yet, it will never be done. There is still a lot to do guys. You may not think there's much left to do, but believe me, if you opens your eyes and your imagination, and let your creativeness flow, that you'd be surprised at what your capable of. I know you players are more capable than what's already out there, you just gotta do it. Take the challenge of building the biggest you can. There is still a lot of room out there guys, I see it right now. Just go out there and do it. Build until your fingers fall off xD. So... What are you waiting for? There's a whole lot of map waiting to be touched by the best builds our minds can think up. We've made it this far, why stop now? Let's go farther, I don't see any reason why we can't. Lets do this!!!!

I plan on being a donator soon, but right now I don't have anyway to pay. But when I do, I won't just become a donor to get a sweet little package so I can fly or have unlimited /home. I will donate for that, because I've always wanted to. But no, I'm going to be a monthly donor, how much I'll donate per month, I have no idea. But its going to be soon, like, withing the next year soon. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this huge posts, I had a question, and that was why isn't this server more active. I answered it for you and, I gave you a solution. Now people are probably going to say oh sorry that's not the reason why blah blah blah. No, I don't care about that, I care about making this server even better, more active. And it might take a while, but I'll figure out some way to do it. I'm slowly learning about server coding and server setup, its complicated to me, but I'm learning, so maybe one day in the future, I can help support this server, that would definitely be a honor. I am happy with this server, I will never leave it. I just can't even if I tried to leave, I wouldn't be gone long. I can't stand not being apart of this Awesome server, I just can't.

Well, for the people who are reading this posts, congrats on reading and making it through the whole posts lol. I really hope you enjoyed it and think about it. We really aren't done yet. I'll see yah soon, bye ImDeity Kingdoms!

 

I like your spirit. I'd leave it at that, but if you want to run a server, or to have an impact on this one, I think we should go a bit deeper into what makes people build.



I believe that alone already makes it clear that, to build, we need more than the basics: Materials and space.

In fact, if they played on single player they'd have a literally infinite amount of space and materials and yet, people would rather come online to build on limited plots, sometimes under towns' regulations and even risking to have their buildings griefed, materials stolen and so on.

Why do people come online to play then? What is the trade off?

 

You have nobody to play with in singleplayer - nobody to see your builds, nobody to help you to build and no griefers. Secure and sterile environment with no interaction with outside world except for few screenshots. Would you enjoy such game? Probably about as much as you can enjoy building plastic model kits or collecting various stuff - and then putting it into glass cases so others can see your work, if you want to.
If you aren't this type of solitary person, you have to join servers to play with others, with all benefits and faults that such places can have. No more sterile environment, but lots of rules and restrictions needed to keep diseases away. Welcome to ImDeity

Several years teached people that if they build in wilderness, they get griefed, if they build in towns, they have to pay taxes, and in the end, if they build whatever and whereever, it will always be wiped with a map reset.

 

"Oh great builder! What would your happiness be if you did not have us to build for?" - Thus spoke Stevethustra

This is an important part of the server's inactivity: People will hardly build just for the sake of it, at least not for long. There's got to be a bigger, most of the times social, goal behind it to keep players entertained, especially after 5 years of Minecraft building: Build it with someone, show it to someone, know that someone will use or see what you've built, and so on.

That is a shame. You look enthusiastic about the server, but ignoring people who disagree with you is the wrong attitude. What is going to happen is that you will spénd your energy trying to motivate people in the wrong way and get no results in the end. So, maybe you could direct that energy to a different aspect of Minecraft?

Minecraft is a game with a big social aspect and, as such, the simple fact that players are leaving encourages others to follow, further slowing down the economy and building. What parts of the server are hurting the game's social traits and in what ways we could reinforce those traits, are, from my point of view, the big questions of the day.

 

You are right Driver_X, I know it seems a little single sided, because I choose only one aspect of Minecraft to talk about, building. I was missing some key elements in trying to encourage other players to be more active. I respect this server a lot, I've seen a lot go on in this server in the last few years, even though I had about a 6 month break. But nothing really changed that much while I was gone. But since then, I've gotten older and more mature, my mind is more developed. I want to be enthusiastic, but once I read what Driver_X said, I realize something. I can't encourage an entire server like this on my own. I can plant my seed, but I need help to make it grow. I can't do it on my own.

There is so much more than building to MC, there's exploring, mining, crafting, fishing, and everything else I can't think of at the moment. There is so much more, you are right Driver_X. And I actually forgot about this, but apparently ImDeity Kingdoms has a Faction server, I forgot we had that to be honest. And I saw, one when I got online to do some mining for some ores, I did /list, and I remember seeing like 10 players maybe in the faction server. And I thought 1. Oh, I forgot we had that lol. and 2. perhaps there trying to be more active?
I did think that, that maybe my post could be working, encouraging players, and I was glad about that, to see more players on than usual. And I may not be the most encouraging person in the world, probably not even close, but I am trying. I somewhat see the cycle of this server. We get a map reset, and probably like 40-50 players are online, and its like that for about a month or 2 maybe, and then it dies down to 0-20 players. I know that feeling, that happens on a lot of servers.
I've been with this server for awhile, even if I was gone for 6 months. I somewhat know this server. It was the first server I ever stayed on, that I loved! I think this server I have been with more than any other server. I just can't leave it, its impossible. I have thought of leaving it at times, but I know it won't ever happen. I love this server.

There is more to do than building, you know it, I know it, we all know it. But the question is, what are we going to do? Hey, we are Minecrafters, we are playing one of the best sandbox games of all time, in all of gaming history. Yes ImDeity Kingdoms may be limited, but Hey that makes minecraft just that more interesting. BarryX15 brought up the point of singleplayer worlds, And he's right. Singleplayer world are fun and you can't get griefed or anything, well maybe except for creepers and endermen, but other than that, there aren't any players. But that's also one of the problems, there aren't any players there.
ImDeity Kingdoms is a great server, yes, its a towny server, if you want to build, you will be either grief or taxed, but that's also another modification to MC, that makes the game a little more interesting, you have limited space, but well, that's some of the fun, you can challenge yourself with the building in small areas. With mining, you can mine quarry's, you can mine ores to sell, and maybe eventually make your own town.
I want to start me own town, but I don't have an enough of a desire to go and do it, because towns are expensive. And I just don't have the time and patience to be on getting money for hours a day somehow. Towns are not cheap, I know they're expensive, I've done the research, like I said, I've wanted to start one lol. But I just don't have enough desire to do it, plus, I don't have that much time to put into it.
And social stuff. I know people can get lonely on the server even if there are a couple of people on. If you don't want to be lonely, well, maybe ask someone to mine with you, go exploring with you, or help you with your build or something. This server is very friendly, don't be afraid to say something, but of course don't be a butthole to other players, because if you be mean to them they won't want to talk to you. The Golden Rule.

Anyway, I agree with Driver_X and BarryX15. I didn't cover everything in the last post, but I did do my best with this one. That other night I was thinking one sided, the reason why I focused on building. But I read the comments on this post from Driver_X and BarryX15, and well, as you can tell from this reply post, I learned a little something lol,
But anyway, I do know that I can't help this seed grow on my own, I need help. I can water it, or give it plant food, or fertilizer, I can't do it all, I need help. And I hope that I can get some. I will do my best with this either way.
And that server, well, that's another story, and that story is my own and has nothing to do with this server. I am researching how to make servers with plugins and other stuff. It's a little confusing, but I'm getting there.
Thanks for the reply's, I learned a little bit,and will continue to have a blast on this server . If I seem to not be on much, its because of real life stuff going on. and I don't always have time to get online. but if I really want to I will make time. and others can to. I will always make time for MC, I love this game. Its just awesome! lol. But anyway thank you. And I shall talk to yah later.

I do have a video to show you players reading this, but apparently, I haven't posted enough articles, so I guess the video will have to wait for another time. Bye

 

Your argument seems based on inspiring the people to play on the server with what we already have - what has already bored us. It's like a halftime speech for a losing team - we're all tired, yet you want us to keep on going. I admire that, but I've said it time and time again; the fault lies with the content we are given, or rather the lack of it. That's not a shot at the server - I've come to accept that Deity can do and does what he chooses for his own reasons. That's just how it is, and seemingly how it always will be. There may be minimal little additions, such as the new crafting system that was implemented a while back, and he'll roll out the new updates Mojang puts in every once in a while, but the ambition to make it a larger, greater server just isn't there from a managerial standpoint. If we happen to achieve large numbers again it won't be because Deity willed it. He's along for the ride, fixing it as it breaks and keeping up with new regulations. Again, it's not a shot - but from what I grasped he has neither the time nor the will to make it a competitive (regarding the rivaling of other large servers) server.

And that's fine. It's been said before - if that's what you want, there are places that offer that. To reiterate, the answer to this problem does not lie within our will to play on the server. It is not our fault for losing interest, and it certainly is not a bad thing in Deity's eyes (he's happy with a small community), nor should it be in yours. Your take may fill you with hope, but I warn you that if you poke the bear to wake up and go to hunt, that you will instead be his and other's prey.

If that last line confused you; I'm not a very beloved person for the complaints I've made and the changes I proposed. People took me as and told me that I was ill-willed and flat out stupid sometimes. I prefer the terms focused, honest, and brash.

I wish you the best of luck, though.

 

Well, I thank you for the luck Mojinax, but I've thinking and praying about this forum post and I know now, that, I'm not going to keep this up, this isn't going to work, and this forum post, is not where I am needed. I am needed somewhere else, I'm not sure where yet, but, I'll know when the time comes. I did have fun with this forum posts. I tried to make an encouragement, it didn't really work. But I'm happy that I tried. And I'm very glad that I have gotten the responses that I have received on this post. And this is for a couple of reasons: 1. I'm just plain happy people took this post seriously. and 2. Well, thanks to the responses, I have learned a little more about ImDeity. I see this is true now, that I was trying to get people to keep going and basically keep doing the same stuff that has made them bored. It's a bad habit that I'm starting to pick up from my dad, but I'm trying my best to resist it. But this is what I'm going to do, I'm going to stop with this encouraging stuff. And I thank you guys for noticing my.... trying confidence to get the server excited again. I know that I shouldn't do this, its not my place to, and I realize that now. That place belongs to the people who run this server. I am just an average player. I did my best, but now I need to back off of this, which I never really had control over at the start, I really was just ball parking out of the blue. Well, I think I'm going to just do what I do best: Play Minecraft (my favorite game), and have somefun, and make friends along the way, just have a great time, like any other player would do. So, I bid this post farewell. I was fun in all, but I'm done here. And yes Mojinax, I did understand that last line lol. Nice reference. Well, I will be logging onto the server in about 1-3 days. I have somethings I need to take care of before I get on the server and have a good time and everything. I hope anyone who read and/or responded to this, enjoyed it. And reading this post you may learn something, I know I have lol. Well, later ImDeity Kingdoms, and thanks again Driver_X, BarryX15, and Mojinax, for helping me realize what my place here actually is, or helping me better realize I guess I should say. Adios, til the next post!

PS: I forgot to mention that I will be logging back into the server in the next 1-3 days by the name of Bluewood465, I'm a little tired of being Miner right now, so I'm looking a new direction. Thanks again and bye.

 

Just wanted to clarify that I didn't mean to shut you down, rather that your time is valuable and there are obviously better places that would better suit your interests. Your heart was in the right place.

 

Mojinax you did fine

 

Thanks for not slamming everyone and everything in your post, MinerCrafter128. Your respect is worthwhile.

I think there's a fair amount of "aging out" going on with this particular community. It's easy to play when you're in jr. high or high school and you have a couple hours each week to spend on video games. (assuming you don't have football, or theater, or AP literature courses, etc) But once college hits, free time drops, and playing minecraft or hanging out with friends becomes an exclusive choice. Notice that most of the currently active players are 7-12th graders - lots of time and creative energy. In contrast, different life circumstances limit your playing - those in the military have free time in spurts - ALL THE FREE TIME for months on end, and then barely time to meet basic needs like sleeping and showering for a year. Returning from such a schedule requires reacclimating to basic commands and social cues. Then there's running a househol - I'm not familiar with "adult life" myself, but I understand it works similarly - there's bills, and children, and similar things that eat up your time.

There are other points I've made on other posts with similar precepts, but I think that is sufficient for today.

 

Although I see that as a sensible argument, it might actually apply only to very (very) few people who used to play here and now don't.

It is a mistake to assume that something like that happened to over 60 different people, from multiple ages, cultures and backgrounds under the same short time period.


Pic by Qazz, taken in the day after the reset.

As this local saying goes, 'When you want to do something you make the time. When you don't want to do something, you make the excuses'.
The reason these people "can't find time to play here" anymore is not because they have absolutely no free time ever (not even during weekends and holidays?). It is because they'd rather spend their free time somewhere else. They are free to choose to be wherever they please, of course, but the fact that they are playing somewhere or something else means that we have failed to entertain them. We are simply no longer at the top of their free-time activities list.

RIP

 

I love that picture, thanks Qazz X. the nostalgia is real.....

But just quickly, speaking for myself I agree with both of you on that point, some players definitely outgrew minecraft, but it's split because speaking for myself I know people who outgrew the game, but I also know people who don't actually like building, and those players really only game here to play games and socialise, some are bored of building constantly lol and would rather go play lol, lol

I personally would play hunger games every single day, but my favorite server ruined the setup they had, I spoke to deity about it and guaranteed players and projects from the ideas, deity pretty much agreed and said we could work towards it. That was years ago, people would play here all the time if deity was keeping it dynamic And ahead of the curve, but sadly he has other priorities which we must accept,but I can certainly see why people would go elsewhere. It's not just about content though, it's atmosphere, and busier servers have better atmospheres than the Mary Celeste

 

I am included in the bored and not playing on Deity anymore. My skills as a builder are moderate and truly that has been the staple of my play. I do enjoy redstone and exploring with new ways to automate things. Herein lies the reason for my departure.

Deity has limited block usage for us in order to keep main world griefing to a minimum, and that hinders my continuation of experimentation with redstone and the new 1.10 blocks. While i did get some time in the /nine world to explore these new items, it was under duress as griefing could occur at any time, which again prevented me from experimenting due to the fear of losing everything.

Waiting for Deity to get the plugins updated is very painful. Creative world was down for I can't even remember how long getting updated to 1. something or other. It felt like a year of no creative world on Deity. The promise of 6 ranks in creative never happened, yet the ticker tape on main page still says 6 ranks in creative. Then when finally updated - we were still denied use of certain items, causing lag and griefing in creative world.

Knowing that if/when Deity updates all plugins to 1.10 (several years later) there will already be newer content out. Also of note is that even when updated, we will still be denied use of certain items due to grief protection.

Henceforth, with new content the server will remain the same.

Recipe plugins became the way to get the items we wanted but could not collect. Great - but does that really help, not so much.

The main world spawn is beautiful for sure, no denying that - but is it time for a new one? Could players rally around each other and create a new main spawn using the 1.10 updates? Would anyone be interested? Who knows, is this being done already? There is a lack of communication with staff to players as to what is going on in Deity. For years I hear of some staff playing in an area of Deity that no one has access to, and what are they doing there?, why can't they tell us? Some sort of place in creative that is just for them. Kinda makes me feel like my presence here is moot.

My 2 cents worth which is not worth 2 cents.

 

Its a futile battle. I commend your positive outlook though.

 

Its worth so much more than 2 cents, maybe 2.5 cents xD

Jokes aside, well this is the thing, the players that want to do things cannot, the players that can do things will not (to an extent there are always exceptions and exceptional people). It has always been this way from my perspective with regards to the server/spawn image etc.
There are projects worked on in the build server that are without the input of the rest of the server true, sure we might not all be Leonardo Da Vinci, but we still care just as much as anyone and we all want to make an impact that the community remembers.

Even the biggest nubcake that ever lived would come onto the server and think "wow! how can i have the biggest impact here?" All the way upto the Barry's and Stridier's of the building scale.
I think that was a good thing, and its upto the community and staff and admins to channel that into something beautiful. True the server has lost its way, but its not over till it is over!

I am not bitter, just disappointed and especially so after so many positive talks with Deity where he made me hopeful that i could also have an impact on how the server operates and effectively carve my own niche and be the games master, we had many many chats and i genuinely felt like things were going the right direction but then it just stalled not long thereafter.

Dont get me wrong, but I think it might of been easier for Deity to say one thing to keep me happy and chill, but the reality is something else entirely. And when all is said and done, i dont blame him for it, i just wished Deity himself had not outgrown developing the server. That is my opinion, i dont want to sound harsh and in no way am i judging anyone for living their lives the way they do, but i can make a wish even if it doesn't come true.

So with that all being said, (didnt sound so good after the 50th re read)

Is the answer to the problem to find a dev that can work on stuff?

Or is the answer to go back to the original Swag cake economy that we used to have xD
thats the economy that we had we i came here, and the server was booming, but was it really?

Thinking really hard i seem to remember Versh and Maple being on most out of the people in our town during that time in the first town i joined, but other than that, there was a serious inactivity problem in large towns even with a server population of way over 100 (refresh my memory wasn't the limit 300 at one time because we actually needed it?

Now the game is old we have obsessive players, and others that are getting into it for the first time, but overall the game has peaked so for a while more people have been leaving it for games like GTA yadda yadda yaddda

we had thousands of players in a very short space of time but i think towny and inactivity go hand in hand because i think for most people it was never about the building or the towns or the game itself, it was you and you and you, socializing and having a ball with all the players we had that made it fun, when you are having fun you dont care what you are doing because time is always best when enjoyed with a few great friends, well here we are and what shall we do for fun guys?.

And btw burnout i miss you and am glad to see you post here!

Ps. Eden is safe with me xD

Hope everyone is good x

Extended edit!: the only thing that comes to my mind is that if we want people to play, we need to be offering them something that they have so much fun doing, with people they have so much fun talking to, on a server that offers them something they cannot get anywhere else. I dont know what that could possibly be, people still play ftb in large numbers, thats one reason minecraft is dead, but with ftb it goes on and on and on, its almost impossible to be bored. so we need something that grabs people and makes them want to be here.

I am personally willing to put up 100 dollars of my own money, and i would encourage anyone to contribute to a possible prize pool, and perhaps get some real competitions going, Versh is the man with the tools and the talent to host it for us, but we can all get out there and tell people that there is a competition going on or something.

this was an off the cuff idea but i would like to see some sort of spleef tournament in the format of an actual championship, hold each event like normal with a winner and runner ups etc but they win dei for those, but at the end of the season the one with the most points gets a trophy built by someone awesome, or maybe a rubbish trophy built by someone not so awesome for a lol, but we could have a distributed prize pool so its worth something to a nice portion of players and keeps them coming back every week even if its for an hour or 2 at a time. maybe host it over the course of a couple of months or more if need be, but the point is we will have a reason to hype something up xD and people could win real money!

Possibly do 1 every quarter and have all the finalists back for a battle royal at christmas or something,

I know i am flogging the dead horse right now, but honestly one big pull factor here for me was spleef i just loved to watch the big games, give people a very good reason to play here and let the good times roll.

Talk to me baby!

Come on down! lets play HSC its like UFC but its Heinz Spleef Championship