1.7 Returns
You know what? We gave it a shot. 1.8 had a chance to impress us with its fancy new blocks and back-end improvements, but it ultimately fell short in other respects as well. Despite the data that showed us that a large majority of our players were actively playing on 1.8 after its release, the player base made it clear that you all preferred the gameplay of a 1.7 server over 1.8.
With that, let's all welcome back 1.7.
MCSG and Battlegrounds will both be touting dual-protocol support for both 1.7 and 1.8 versions, ensuring that players will be able to experience the 1.7 gameplay experience no matter which version they choose to play with. Players should rejoice at the return of tighter fighting, less random combos, and other PvP adjustments. And while we may have given up a few of the back-end benefits of 1.8, we decided that player enjoyment is the most important thing for us to offer.
Be sure to use the latest iterations of 1.7 and 1.8 for the best performance, which are 1.7.10 and 1.8.7 respectively. Earlier versions are generally considered to be buggy and are not fully supported, so it's best if you use either 1.7.10 or 1.8.7.
Why does 1.7.2 not work?
We had to make several compromises to get 1.7 to work at all. However, we cannot allow versions of 1.7 below 1.7.6 to work on our network, as they do not support features we need for our disguise system to work (specifically, the ability to have a different, non-Steve skin while disguised). Although any version of 1.7 that is 1.7.6 or above will work on our servers, we recommend you use either 1.7.9, 1.7.10, or a 1.8 version. Versions below 1.7.9 are not officially supported by us, and they'll likely result in a subpar gameplay experience.
Anti-Cheat Improvements
One of the most highly-demanded features has been improvements to our anti-cheat system. Such a task is very difficult and time-consuming. But I'm proud to announce that our efforts have begun to bear fruit, and our system now detects and punishes for an even wider range of hacks.
Work on our Anti-Cheat continues, and we hope to have a new batch of now-banished hacks soon!
Solo SG
Solo SG is not being released with this update; we're working on it, and it will be released within the very near future.
Tired of Teaming? Want to play a game of free for all MCSG?
You're just in time, because we're proud to unveil a brand new variation of MCSG, Solo SG.
Created with a more individually-competitive perspective in mind, Solo SG is exactly as it sounds: every player will be on their own, and any teaming will be against the rules. This should foster fair and fun competition for those who want to pit their SG skills against players on an equal quantitative footing as them. Best of all, Solo SG will feature its own leaderboard to track your stats against your fellow lone wolves.
Don't feel like going solo? Don't worry, regular team-friendly MCSG will still be available and untouched.
But be warned: we will be enforcing the Solo element of Solo SG. Any evidence of teaming between two or more players, such as sharing loot, running beside each other, teaming up against a player in combat, and general cooperation with another player are punishable with staff-issued bans. At best, you'll have a little downtime before your next game of Solo SG; at worst, you won't be playing anywhere for a long time.
Upcoming Events
School's out for summer, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy. Here's a sneak-peek at the events we have lined up for you all:
- MCGamer's Got Talent: Open Mic Night was just a warm-up. In a similar vein to X-Factor or American Idol, MCGamer's Got Talent is a chance to see whose talent shines brightest. And in this contest, the community will have the chance to choose who deserves to be the star of the show.
- Mapping Contest: It's about time we did a little building, huh? The Summer Build Contest will be our way of taking a break from PvP to allow players to indulge in their creative side. Have an idea for a map you'd like to see added to the servers, but never got around to doing? Now's your chance to make a map, and have it recognized for all to see.
- Feature Build Contest: Perhaps you aren't set on building a brand new map, but you have an idea for a creation that you'd love to share with the world. Then you'll be interested in the Feature Build Contest, where players are free to build whatever they want to. If your feature impresses the judges, then it will be featured in a section of the hub for all to see, play on, and enjoy. We're looking to rotate our the featured Features on the hub every few weeks, so the more quality-built features we have, the more we have to share!
- US Community Games: AU got to experience the excitement of the AU Community Games; now it's time for US to too. Featuring up to 48 players in 12 teams competing for up to $100 worth of prizes, the US Community Games promises to be an exciting brawl the likes of which have never been seen before. If you're a YouTuber with an interest in exciting games, this is an event to watch for.
- Staff-Community Games: Get to know the staff and playerbase, one sword-swing at a time. We plan to run regular Staff-Community games throughout Summer, with small twists in-game every time. Will we pit the staff against the players, or will they have to work together? Eitherway, we're going to have a heck of a time together.
- UHC Clan Clashes: Let's see which clans are the most hardcore. Featuring MCGamer's newest gamemode, UHC Clan Clashes will pit a group of clans against each other to see who can survive best in UHC's randomly generated worlds. Is your clan hardcore enough to survive the clash?
Official announcements for these events,
and more, will be made as their scheduled announcement dates draw nearer. Stay tuned to the Front Page News section for announcements and developments into our Summer events.
New Hub System
Efficiency is important, not just with development but also with navigation. Our previous hub was vast and sophisticated, but complicated and cumbersome at the same time. As such, we've gone back to the drawing board with the hub, and we've designed a hub system that is simpler, faster, and easier to navigate.
In lieu of an expansive central hub with segregated mini-hubs, we've chosen to centralize and simplify. Gamemodes will be focused in a central region that is easily accessible, allowing players to wander from gamemode to gamemode quickly and easily. We've removed an unnecessary step with mini-hubs as well, placing all of our server selection signs in separate areas along a single contiguous hub, meaning no having to wait while you're teleported to the mini-hub. Lastly, we've consolidated the lobby system, meaning that all of our players will join a single hub lobby in each region, preventing community segregation and fixing the annoyance of having to constantly switch lobbies to find which one your friend is in.
But that doesn't mean we aren't adding new things to the hub too. Not only will we be seeing a return of parkour courses in the hub (long since missing in the old hub), but we'll also have the ability to expand into new areas as well. We plan on having areas for Featured Builds, special events, and anything else that we want to share with the community.
Refocusing with our Gamemodes
It's no surprise to know that one major complication for the Developers is the sheer scale and complexity of the network. Despite being only a small team, they manage twelve gamemodes across several server boxes that operate around the globe constantly. It's a show of spinning plates, except the plates heavy, oddly shaped, very expensive, and are located in different counties altogether.
When we merged with the AntVenom Network, the number of gamemodes on the network more than doubled, but we were confident that we would be able to maintain them all. We tried our best to keep the plates spinning, and we've invested in ways to make our system more efficient with the balancing act. But over time, as we spent time making sure some plates were spinning in a safe fashion, we realized that others were inevitably slowing down, and they're starting to wobble further and further off-balance. It was a perpetual cycle of rushing from plate to plate, keeping them all balanced but never being able to focus on just some. And with that realization came a choice: do we risk some broken china with the endless maintanence cycle, or do we instead focus on spinning a few plates to the best of our abilities.
The Development team's decision: refocus our priorities to our most popular gamemodes, and develop them to their maximum potential. And that's what we plan to do.
Rather than running around, applying patches and surface-fixes to the gamemodes, we've instead chosen to dedicate ourselves to improving the most popular gamemodes on our network. We'll be putting our time and effort into rapid bugfixes, new features, and player-requested additions. Now that we'll have extra time and resources, we'll finally be able to get around to the numerous items on our List, including some long-awaited items.
The following gamemodes will be maintained as part of the refocusing policy:
- Survival Games
- UHC Worlds
- Battlegrounds
- ZedChase
- Deadly Descent
- Survival Bingo
However, just because a gamemode isn't on this list does not mean it will never reappear on our network. Once our current roster of gamemodes are improved to a point where they further work would result in diminishing returns, or if there is simply no more work to be done, we may then turn our attention towards fixing, refurbishing, improving, and re-releasing some of the other gamemodes as well.
All of these changes are being made in the spirit of "quality over quantity".
Gamemode Improvements
As an added part of the Gamemode Refocusing and Improvement Program, we've also taken steps to improve the usability and playability of our gamemodes as well. We've introduced graphical user interfaces to replace the more tedious and complicated text-based interfaces. We've also made numerous gameplay modifications to make the games more accessible and enjoyable for new players and veterans alike. Lastly, some games such as ZedChase have undergone major overhauls in their gameplay, offering an experience that is fresh, familiar, and fun!
If you have never played any other gamemode, now would be the time to try the new, improved experiences with our other gamemodes.
MCGamer Points System
The points system has not been released as of yet; it will be released in the very near future. This is just a sneak peek of what is to come.
MCSG Points are getting a promotion! Say hello to MCGamer Points!
MCGamer Points will be a new currency on our network alongside MCGamer Credits. While Credits are purchasable from Buycraft and are usable for cosmetic items, Points will be gained by playing games and will be usable for a number of in-game upgrades, items, and boosts. The uses for Points will be covered in the following topic.
Players will gain Points simply by playing on our servers. Whether you're playing a round of MCSG, Battlegrounds, or Deadly Descent, you'll gain Points after each game. Events and special occasions will offer rewards of additional points as well. Lastly, we'll be able to offer special Points-focused events, such as Double Point Weekends. Points are our way of rewarding players for playing on our network, and the most loyal players will be able to further enhance their playing experience.
After the Points system is unveiled, we'll be transferring the old MCSG Points system to the new MCGamer Points system. A pre-determined amount of Points will be assigned to each player on the network; we'd like to be able to directly translate MCSG Points into MCGamer Points, but that would give an unfair advantage to those who abused various point boosting glitches over the years to inflate their points. After a player signs into the network post-update, and is given their MCG Points, they will be able to gain more points and spend said points on a number of new purchases, as described in the next section.
Points for Gamemode Upgrades, Consumable Items
The items described here are not yet released; they'll be released with the aforementioned MCGamer Points System.
After you've played enough games, attended enough events, and been on during enough Double Point Weekends, you'll have acquired a whole bundle of Points. Now what could you do with them?
How about some Gamemode Upgrades? Use Points to unlock special tiers, classes, and gear for a specific gamemode. We won't be changing gameplay in SG, but you will have the ability to use these points on the familiar bounty and sponsor features; but for example, in Battlegrounds, you can unlock access to different, more powerful gear. Differentiate yourself from the crowd with special loadouts suited to your playstyle. Use these upgrades to give you an edge in the game.
Maybe you would consider a Consumable Item? MCSG players will be most familiar with sponsoring, and that same sponsoring system will apply with MCG Points as well. But perhaps you'd like to have a special potion for Deadly Descent to give you a temporary but significant edge. Or spend Points for one-time added weight in a map vote, allowing you to play your favorite map. You can play any game fairly without needing to purchase a consumable item, but you'll enjoy the perks that they offer.
There are many uses for Points, but the end result will be an improved gameplay experience for the player. And since Points cannot be purchased with money, nothing will devolve into, "pay to win"; the most loyal players- not the most wealthy- will be the one with the most perks, the most upgrades, and the most consumable items.
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With these changes, we hope that you will find the Community Update to your liking. We have addressed many of the major concerns that have been brought to our attention over the past few months, even if some of these changes have taken a significant amount of time to come to fruition.
- The MCGamer Development Team
