MCSG is in trouble

[_Reevesdrums_]

https://mojang.com/2014/06/lets-talk-server-monetisation-the-follow-up-qa/


According to the new EULA Q + A:

It looks like MCSG won't be allowed to offer perks anymore for donations,
This means that it will be generating a lot less money to pay for server hosting, which is bad.

Edit: Mojang says that all our donor perks will also be removed or given to all players(except for joining full servers) Unless of course mcsg ignores the EULA....

Edit: heres a new video explaining the situation

 

[RC_4777]

We were okay actually. None of our features are gameplay impacting and therefore alright, and if they decide they don't like flying in the hub or whatever we can just get rid of it.

 

[Cern]

Can I sell ranks on my server?
Yes. Ranks are allowed so long as any perks gained are cosmetic. Coloured names, prefixes, special hats etc. are fine.

This is what MCSG does. They don't have people pay for advantages in-game, they have people donate for colored names, pets in hub, etc.

 

[Cubes]

Don't worry about it
The devs have gone to extensive research on this issue, and we have reached the conclusion that ultimately, MCGamer will Not be leaving. In fact, due to how our system works, we may be one of the only networks that will not need to change much.

 

[_Reevesdrums_]

We were okay actually. None of our features are gameplay impacting and therefore alright, and if they decide they don't like flying in the hub or whatever we can just get rid of it.

That's true, theres a lot on offer that's cosmetic, But there's also non cosmetic things like Voting weight, points boost and disguising to prevent targeting...

 

[jonnysurvives]

That's 23 EULA threads and counting

 

[Jon | Lqzer]

That's true, theres a lot on offer that's cosmetic, But there's also non cosmetic things like Voting weight, points boost and disguising to prevent targeting...

That's what I was going to bring up; a lot of players donate solely for the voting weight and the join power. Join power affects gameplay, thus disallowing it. :/

 

[Cern]

That's what I was going to bring up; a lot of players donate solely for the voting weight and the join power. Join power affects gameplay, thus disallowing it. :/

How does join power affect gameplay? Even if you get in the server easier, everyone has the same chance to win.

 

[_Reevesdrums_]

How does join power affect gameplay? Even if you get in the server easier, everyone has the same chance to win.

They specifically allowed join power in the Q+A! so that should help, They did just update the Q+A then to say that any previous (non cosmetic) perks will need to now be free for all players or available t purchase with in game currency.

 

[Mooclan]

Your thread is rather false and misleading, you probably just misinterpreted the article.

As I've stated several times before:

As entertaining this was to watch, it was very inaccurate.... for some servers.

(Based off of the article: https://mojang.com/2014/06/lets-talk-server-monetisation/)
Minigames
Minigame servers such as MCSG and The Hive won't be affected as much. Dinnerbone stated that he doesn't think Donor Priority is illegal under the new EULA, and colored names and chat is legal and 100% allowed. MCSG will have to remove the extra bounty that donors receive and the flying perk for Platinum Donors, but I'm pretty sure that's it.

Survival/Creative
Survival servers.. Let's talk kits. Many servers' donation ranks benefit from kits - Namely, you pay more to receive better items. This is illegal, and has to be removed.
I'm going to go onto a standard Factions server website, and view their Donor Rank list. The screenshots below have a few examples - If they are next to a Red X, then it means that they will have to be removed or altered.

(http://prntscr.com/3te7wa)
VIP is a standard $10 rank for this server.

(http://prntscr.com/3te8go)
Supporter is a standard $15 rank for this server. (It's on sale at this time, it's usually $15 USD.)

This practically kills 90% of the perks that this server has to offer. (Rough estimation.) Not to mention, they're killing off the largest and most valuable perks - the things that make people want to buy the package.
This could very well be the death sentence for 85% or more Minecraft servers.

https://mojang.com/2014/06/lets-talk-server-monetisation/
According to a Mojang article released on June 12th, 2014, (today, as of me posting this thread), Mojang has decided where to draw the line concerning servers and money-making.
As many people may know, making money off of Minecraft servers has technically been illegal, but it was overlooked. Mojang recently decided to take matters into their own hands, and discuss this.
I won't go into detail - you'll have to look it up for yourselves, but they've finally posted something which clears things up.

What the article says:

• You ARE allowed to charge for access to your server. In other words, charging money for people to be whitelisted is allowed. However, the price must be the same for everyone, and you can't let anyone in for free if you're charging other people for it.
• Donations are still allowed. You can still thank them in public or private, but you cannot treat them differently for donating, or give them access to different parts of the server because of that reason.
• Adverts and sponsorships are still allowed. Adverts are, I believe, having an ad placed on your server to gain income from it. Sponsorships are, if memory serves, having someone pay you or pay for your server in order to gain credit for it, such as paying for your server, but their name has to be on it.
• You can NOT sell anything that affects gameplay. Weapons, armor, food, blocks, tools. Nothing like that. However, you CAN sell things that are purely cosmetic, or aesthetic such as hats, pets, nicknames, colored chat, etc. NO CAPES, free or otherwise! I think this includes OptiFine capes.
• No real-world money for in-game currency. Easy and simple, you just cannot accept real-world money for in-game money.
• When someone pays or donates to the server, make sure to clarify that you DO NOT represent Mojang. This entire issue was partially caused because Mojang got complaints from parents about their children paying for absurd packages on servers.

Some things that I (or the person who linked me this article) deduced: (please correct me/us if we're wrong.)
Priority - Donor kicking, for example, on MCSG. This is sort of a grey area. You don't pay to play on the server, but you can be temporarily prevented from participating if you are kicked by a donor.
Kits - These are not legal.
Queue priority. For example, on some servers you have to be put in a waiting list for certain things, and donors sometimes get put ahead in that list because of their rank. This is also another grey area.


And now, I open the floor for discussion....
*Stage lights*
*Podium rises from the floor*
"Discuss!"

I made a thread like an hour after the Mojang article was released: http://www.minecraftsurvivalgames.c...ales-donations-and-other-monetisation.111755/
Here's the quote if anyone is too lazy to load the page:


As it is, MCSG has only a few violations/grey areas of the new EULA that I know of:
Bounty. Not bountying a player, but the bounty points themselves. With a donor rank, you receive extra bounty, and that can be counted as a currency, because it can be spent on in-game items for your friends. Either MCSG has to remove the extra bounty for donors, or they have to remove/alter the sponsoring system. I say, personally, remove it from donor ranks.
Donor-kicking. I consider this a grey-area, but apparently Dinnerbone tweeted somewhere that it was allowed. Donors are allowed to receive kicking power to get into a full server, and it does not violate the EULA.
If MCTF2 implements donor-only classes, then that will be against the EULA.
The Creative server is not allowed to let Donors access things like redstone, while regular players cannot. It's all or nothing for everyone.
Flying, particularly MCSG's flying donor perk, is also not clear to some people. It does not affect competitive gameplay. However, it does affect overall gameplay, in the Hub and Lobby. Mojang doesn't care whether or not it's competitive or overall gameplay, the flying perk has to be removed.

I had something else really important to say, but I had to go sign up for a church camp so I don't remember what it was ;_;
Edit: Not 100% sure but it might have been:
Servers have almost no choice BUT to agree to this. If they don't, they can be criminally charged or some fancy thing like that because as it is, making money the way many servers have previously been is already illegal, just that Mojang hasn't really cared until now. If they DO agree to this, then they CAN still make money - legally! It's just a little bit harder.
Edit 2: Also, MCSG is fully aware of this, and I heard that they're going to rework the way the donation system works so that it complies with the EULA.

Sponsoring
Sponsoring changes gameplay. Whether it be an enderpearl to five arrows, a bowl of soup to an iron ingot, or a cake to jump over a fence.
You can only sponsor using points/bounty. You gain points/bounty not only from in-game kills, but also from DONOR RANKS. Either remove sponsoring, or remove the bounty addition that you get from having a donor rank.

So basically, the only things MCSG have to change are:
Update to 1.7.10 (otherwise donations are illegal)
Bounty for donors (remove)
Fly for platinum in the Lobby/Hub (remove or give it to all players)

That's what I was going to bring up; a lot of players donate solely for the voting weight and the join power. Join power affects gameplay, thus disallowing it. :/

Dinnerbone tweeted saying that he (unofficially) believes that donor kicking will be legal.

Don't worry about it
The devs have gone to extensive research on this issue, and we have reached the conclusion that ultimately, MCGamer will Not be leaving. In fact, due to how our system works, we may be one of the only networks that will not need to change much.

Can we please just have a single EULA thread stickied so that more of these aren't made? Seriously, we have...

That's 23 EULA threads and counting

pls and thnx

-Mooclan

 

[I_love_desk]

I imagine the distinction that mojang will make that MCG can co-operate is that they will be anti pay to win. The only real thing that donating adds that could be seen as 'pay to win' would be the monthly points (or whatever it is) for donors, so I imagine that if they remove that we'll all be fine.

 

[Zacharoutio]

You never know we might be off the hook in a way. Many servers, especially the big ones have a 'Buy2Win' system.
This means to be able to win easily, or a lot you must have a certain kit or class.
Luckily, MCGamer has no 'Buy2Win' situations. You don't spawn with extra stuff, or get a speed boost.
As mentioned before, a 'Buy2Win' system means non-cosmetic rewards for donating.

The EULA, basically states that their shouldn't be any non-cosmetic rewards given out for donating.
Most of the perks that MCGamer gives for donating is cosmetic, so isn't going against the EULA.
However, we do have a couple things that are non-cosmetic. Mooclan already mentioned them, and how MCGamer will be affected by the EULA.
(everyone loves mooclan)

So basically, the only things MCSG have to change are:
Update to 1.7.10 (otherwise donations are illegal)
Bounty for donors (remove)
Fly for platinum in the Lobby/Hub (remove or give it to all players)
-Mooclan

Unless the EULA is changed again, these will be the only changes given. But, this Mojang and Minecraft, you never know what is going to happen.