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Let's Talk Minecraft: Keeping the Community Alive
__Jay
ScotsMiser
Let's Talk Minecraft: Keeping the Community Alive
Hey everyone,
I wanted to start a discussion about something that's been on my mind lately: the state of the Minecraft community. It feels like things have been slowing down over the past few years, and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on why that might be and what we can do about it.
Here are some questions to get the conversation going:
*Edit not just Servers but communities in general.
I'm really looking forward to hearing what you all have to say.
Hey everyone,
I wanted to start a discussion about something that's been on my mind lately: the state of the Minecraft community. It feels like things have been slowing down over the past few years, and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on why that might be and what we can do about it.
Here are some questions to get the conversation going:
Why do you think the Minecraft community isn't as lively as it used to be? Do you feel the same way?
When you're thinking about joining a new *server, what are the must-haves that make you want to stick around?
If you had a magic wand and could change something about the Minecraft community, what would it be?
How do you think we can bring back that sense of community we used to have? Any ideas or experiences to share?
Some *servers seem to stand the test of time, while others fizzle out quickly. What do you think makes a server great, and why do you think some last longer than others?
On the flip side, what are some things that turn you off from a *server? What makes a server not-so-great in your opinion?
*Edit not just Servers but communities in general.
I'm really looking forward to hearing what you all have to say.
Create an account or sign in to comment.
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First: Alot of reasons. Mainly, The huge gap between updates and the somewhat disappointing results. Mob votes. A huge lack of ideas and repetitive content like manhunts, Lifesteal, Survival minecraft and other stuff.
Second: Depends what kind of server it is. If you mean survival. I'd like it to have a medium community. Maybe 30 members max. It is more cozy and more fun in my opinion.
Third: The first two reasons in the first question. As well as actually listening to the community
Fourth: Not possible to return the old community or the sense of it. But you can to an extent have some of its features back. Still very hard though.
Fifth: What makes a server great in my opinion is. Caring owner and staff that don't restrict the player's freedom too much. Constant updates & making the player feel like he's on good terms with the staff. Perhaps have some of them play or join occasionally. Having a healthy relationship. And the second thing. About what makes a server last longer than the other. Popularity. Alot of good servers die due to players not wanting to try something new and get out of the cozy comfort zone. Many people get demotivated. The solution is coming up with a new idea that could attract players and maybe do a few videos on the server.
Sixth: Too much toxicity. Too many restrictions that aren't needed. Repetitive ideas with no difference from other servers. Uncaring staff. Mostly opposite of question Five.
Oh yeah and i changed each one with a color to not blind you with too much text so if it looks weird deal with it :>
Second: Depends what kind of server it is. If you mean survival. I'd like it to have a medium community. Maybe 30 members max. It is more cozy and more fun in my opinion.
Third: The first two reasons in the first question. As well as actually listening to the community
Fourth: Not possible to return the old community or the sense of it. But you can to an extent have some of its features back. Still very hard though.
Fifth: What makes a server great in my opinion is. Caring owner and staff that don't restrict the player's freedom too much. Constant updates & making the player feel like he's on good terms with the staff. Perhaps have some of them play or join occasionally. Having a healthy relationship. And the second thing. About what makes a server last longer than the other. Popularity. Alot of good servers die due to players not wanting to try something new and get out of the cozy comfort zone. Many people get demotivated. The solution is coming up with a new idea that could attract players and maybe do a few videos on the server.
Sixth: Too much toxicity. Too many restrictions that aren't needed. Repetitive ideas with no difference from other servers. Uncaring staff. Mostly opposite of question Five.
Oh yeah and i changed each one with a color to not blind you with too much text so if it looks weird deal with it :>
4
1} Some of this is the natural growth/contraction cycles games experience.
The end of the COVID lockdowns etc has also likely played a role as there were many month s where a great many people had a lot more [enforced] 'free' time.
The 2-updates a year target isn;t helping as the more rapid changes in game mechanics lessen the interest of any but strongly technical players in optimizing stategies/builds (because such optimizations are likely to be griefed by the next update).
There is also the point that there is not one, but many, MC communities fractured both by platform and version as well as the unavoidable playstyle divisions; this is only getting worse as more updates are added. (In particular updates that change long standing mechanics.)
2} I barely play on public servers: generally I already know the people (or someone I know does).
With that said: The rules [ALL of them] including the fee structure (which includes 'expected donations') and any rank / reward ladders need to be clear and available without joining (preferably on a web site with active help/questions fora).
[That may sound harsh, but I've seen rule sets that neglect to mention 'little' things like "No use of the Nether attic" or "No stealing (but taking things from openable containers doesn't count).]
3} Bifurcate the game into MC-E (kid friendly) and MC-AO (adults only) with adult being defined by the player/credit card holder.
[AD&D was at one point marketed as "For Adults 8 and Older"]
AO accounts could join any server, E accounts only E-rated servers (with this actually enforced [dare to dream]). Converting an E account to an AO account would require access to the purchase code (which should be sufficient for parents to keep their progeny under control).
4} Prayer. Seriously, I see no return to the days when [virtually] all players played the same game; add in the IRL divisiveness that seems to be accelerating and I expect the best that can be hoped for is the formation of 'large' groups with a strong sense of community.
5} Longevity is simply a mattter of how long someone[s] can be found to put in the time and money to keep the server up.
What makes a server 'great' is the player community; even on something like 2b2t there is a shared community of anarchy loving etc. (Note that few servers — non-anarchy or otherwise — are able to honestly claim something like the Southern Canal).
6} All the usual: unannouced rules, unenforced rules, Rules for Thee, but not for ME, poor admon/mods, no admin/mods, constant "mortgage" calls, P2W…
Also many things like non-consenual PvP, permited griefing,, P2Play, etc. that I have no issue with as long as everone knows about these from the start.
The end of the COVID lockdowns etc has also likely played a role as there were many month s where a great many people had a lot more [enforced] 'free' time.
The 2-updates a year target isn;t helping as the more rapid changes in game mechanics lessen the interest of any but strongly technical players in optimizing stategies/builds (because such optimizations are likely to be griefed by the next update).
There is also the point that there is not one, but many, MC communities fractured both by platform and version as well as the unavoidable playstyle divisions; this is only getting worse as more updates are added. (In particular updates that change long standing mechanics.)
2} I barely play on public servers: generally I already know the people (or someone I know does).
With that said: The rules [ALL of them] including the fee structure (which includes 'expected donations') and any rank / reward ladders need to be clear and available without joining (preferably on a web site with active help/questions fora).
[That may sound harsh, but I've seen rule sets that neglect to mention 'little' things like "No use of the Nether attic" or "No stealing (but taking things from openable containers doesn't count).]
3} Bifurcate the game into MC-E (kid friendly) and MC-AO (adults only) with adult being defined by the player/credit card holder.
[AD&D was at one point marketed as "For Adults 8 and Older"]
AO accounts could join any server, E accounts only E-rated servers (with this actually enforced [dare to dream]). Converting an E account to an AO account would require access to the purchase code (which should be sufficient for parents to keep their progeny under control).
4} Prayer. Seriously, I see no return to the days when [virtually] all players played the same game; add in the IRL divisiveness that seems to be accelerating and I expect the best that can be hoped for is the formation of 'large' groups with a strong sense of community.
5} Longevity is simply a mattter of how long someone[s] can be found to put in the time and money to keep the server up.
What makes a server 'great' is the player community; even on something like 2b2t there is a shared community of anarchy loving etc. (Note that few servers — non-anarchy or otherwise — are able to honestly claim something like the Southern Canal).
6} All the usual: unannouced rules, unenforced rules, Rules for Thee, but not for ME, poor admon/mods, no admin/mods, constant "mortgage" calls, P2W…
Also many things like non-consenual PvP, permited griefing,, P2Play, etc. that I have no issue with as long as everone knows about these from the start.
3
There is also the point that there is not one, but many, MC communities fractured both by platform and version as well as the unavoidable playstyle divisions; this is only getting worse as more updates are added. (In particular updates that change long standing mechanics.)
I'd say the playstyles were long fragmented ever since creative came out. It just really isn't apparent until after 1.9
Back in the old days, it was survival players and builders (incl creative). From the combat update, it was pvpers, survival players and then builders. In the recent updates, Builders are having fun with the new blocks, explorers get more structures and biomes, command blockers/datapackers/mapmakers get more toys to play with. I'm sure their communities are thriving. Only pvpers who love the original combat system get left in the dust, lamenting loudly; They are a vocal minority and they only get louder with each passing update, which may influence your thinking on general minecraft community as a whole. The silent majority are the casual players after all, and they mostly follow the former playstyles.
By strategies if you're referring to netherite and villagers, those were considered too OP by everyone even back then. The only reason it took the devs this long to nerf it was most likely due to beauraucracy.
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Yep, as I said playstyle fragmentation of players is inevitable (although into more groups than you recognize — even within redstoners one finds door guys and music guts, etc. tce.).
Platform in my OP refered to the spread of MC onto various mutually incompatible physical gaming machines and win10 (something only partially alleviated by the "Better Together Updtae" [often snarkily referred to as the "Better without Java Update"]).
Aside from 1.9 and the spam-clicker/click-timer divide (and the old better without hunger crowd):
1.12 marked the last of the old chunk loading
1.12.2 last of the old water mechanics
1.13.2 last of the old villagers and iron golem mechanics
1.15.4 last of the old nether
1.16.5 last of the old build limits
etc.
etc.
[As well, one might include the new additions such as:
geodes and amethyst
jack-o-lantern placement mechanics
redstone on glass
which significantly effect gameplay and therefore tend to divide the player base.]
Strategy (as I used the term) is considerably more expansive than the netherite and villager trading examples you site.
[It should also be noted that the netherite equopment that strips enchantments in the transformation was considerably less 'OP' than the current version.
Similarly, the old door based iron farms were far less productive than the post 1.14 versions.
Also pre 1.14 villager trading was far more time consuming to expoilt as well as containing a [remote] possibility of perma-locking any given villager.]
Rapid releases (particularly changing game fundamentals) strongly bias strategy towards haste and 'good-enuf' builds and against careful planning and optimization.
Among other issues, regular addition of new biomes/structures/features (anything that will not retrogenerate in previously world-gen-ed chunks) biases against such strategies as canal/ice-road infrastructure. [Given the attempts to force 'exploration' and prevent drop farming, this can be extended to disfavoring any large or otherwise time consuming/respurce intensive] stategies in favor of the casual's grab-n-go.]
Beyond any specifics, rapid changes in the structure of the game discourage the careful study and full understanding of the full feature set of any 'current' version as the likely reward is greatly diminished by the potential version griefing slated to come a few months hence.
Platform in my OP refered to the spread of MC onto various mutually incompatible physical gaming machines and win10 (something only partially alleviated by the "Better Together Updtae" [often snarkily referred to as the "Better without Java Update"]).
Aside from 1.9 and the spam-clicker/click-timer divide (and the old better without hunger crowd):
1.12 marked the last of the old chunk loading
1.12.2 last of the old water mechanics
1.13.2 last of the old villagers and iron golem mechanics
1.15.4 last of the old nether
1.16.5 last of the old build limits
etc.
etc.
[As well, one might include the new additions such as:
geodes and amethyst
jack-o-lantern placement mechanics
redstone on glass
which significantly effect gameplay and therefore tend to divide the player base.]
Strategy (as I used the term) is considerably more expansive than the netherite and villager trading examples you site.
[It should also be noted that the netherite equopment that strips enchantments in the transformation was considerably less 'OP' than the current version.
Similarly, the old door based iron farms were far less productive than the post 1.14 versions.
Also pre 1.14 villager trading was far more time consuming to expoilt as well as containing a [remote] possibility of perma-locking any given villager.]
Rapid releases (particularly changing game fundamentals) strongly bias strategy towards haste and 'good-enuf' builds and against careful planning and optimization.
Among other issues, regular addition of new biomes/structures/features (anything that will not retrogenerate in previously world-gen-ed chunks) biases against such strategies as canal/ice-road infrastructure. [Given the attempts to force 'exploration' and prevent drop farming, this can be extended to disfavoring any large or otherwise time consuming/respurce intensive] stategies in favor of the casual's grab-n-go.]
Beyond any specifics, rapid changes in the structure of the game discourage the careful study and full understanding of the full feature set of any 'current' version as the likely reward is greatly diminished by the potential version griefing slated to come a few months hence.
4
Take my answer with a grain of salt; most of the answers here inevitably refer to my experience in the Chinese Minecraft community. (not related to NetEase tho)
1. Absolutely. Minecraft communities in China are degenerating into echo chambers and idol-worshipping. Creativity is dying. The exact phenomenon might be complicated but it simply appears that people are a) doing the same stuff over and over again without creative input and b) following a select few of well-known creators, again without creative input.
2. Freedom and, to an extent, rule of law. I'm sick of having to read walls of draconian, byzantine rules composed by some random admin on a power trip just to have him/her bash people's creativity. Drama must stop and people must return to - honestly - just DO SOMETHING!!!
3. I must reverse the spread of Minecraft in China. It had spread way too fast.
4. Learn from communities outside China. We need a Cincinnatus-esque figure to stop powerhungry admins from taking over the Chinese Minecraft community. Idol-worshipping is worthless and must be abandoned - creators deserve their attention from individuals capable of critical thinking, and only when people stop worshipping can they critically evaluate and engage in Minecraft creations. Communities exist to - yeah, socialize for sure - but the creative aspect is crucial.
5. Greatness does not necessarily equal longevity. That being said, great servers should be inclusive and tolerant for all sorts of creativity. A long-living server probably needs some sort of patreon, I dunno. Both need skillful administrators to "suppress" drama - whether that's being done in a good way or bad way.
6. An amateur modpack author myself, I planned to write about stuff from learning curves to playstyles. Yet servers are communities, which sort of comes back to my answers. We need creative players to build interesting stuff and lore to enrich them and smart admins to tolerate playstyles and different types of people. Boring servers have the polar opposite, and imo copypasting mega-redstone-structures for survival purposes is one of the most boring stuff to do. (Sorry if that offends people, my inner self is a bit of a Luddite.)
1. Absolutely. Minecraft communities in China are degenerating into echo chambers and idol-worshipping. Creativity is dying. The exact phenomenon might be complicated but it simply appears that people are a) doing the same stuff over and over again without creative input and b) following a select few of well-known creators, again without creative input.
2. Freedom and, to an extent, rule of law. I'm sick of having to read walls of draconian, byzantine rules composed by some random admin on a power trip just to have him/her bash people's creativity. Drama must stop and people must return to - honestly - just DO SOMETHING!!!
3. I must reverse the spread of Minecraft in China. It had spread way too fast.
4. Learn from communities outside China. We need a Cincinnatus-esque figure to stop powerhungry admins from taking over the Chinese Minecraft community. Idol-worshipping is worthless and must be abandoned - creators deserve their attention from individuals capable of critical thinking, and only when people stop worshipping can they critically evaluate and engage in Minecraft creations. Communities exist to - yeah, socialize for sure - but the creative aspect is crucial.
5. Greatness does not necessarily equal longevity. That being said, great servers should be inclusive and tolerant for all sorts of creativity. A long-living server probably needs some sort of patreon, I dunno. Both need skillful administrators to "suppress" drama - whether that's being done in a good way or bad way.
6. An amateur modpack author myself, I planned to write about stuff from learning curves to playstyles. Yet servers are communities, which sort of comes back to my answers. We need creative players to build interesting stuff and lore to enrich them and smart admins to tolerate playstyles and different types of people. Boring servers have the polar opposite, and imo copypasting mega-redstone-structures for survival purposes is one of the most boring stuff to do. (Sorry if that offends people, my inner self is a bit of a Luddite.)
3
Absolutely. Minecraft communities in China are degenerating into echo chambers and idol-worshipping. Creativity is dying. The exact phenomenon might be complicated but it simply appears that people are a) doing the same stuff over and over again without creative input and b) following a select few of well-known creators, again without creative input.
2. Freedom and, to an extent, rule of law. I'm sick of having to read walls of draconian, byzantine rules composed by some random admin on a power trip just to have him/her bash people's creativity. Drama must stop and people must return to - honestly - just DO SOMETHING!!!
I wouldn't be surprised if most communities following a game/fan or anything are as rabid as you claim. I saw a bit of CN drama for the very popular and funni anime game and the chinese discourse/rants were not composed by any means.
I think this is more of specifically a Chinese societal problem as a whole. Specifically similar to societal pressure to do better than the "other kid", feuling their greediness to get to the top, and then in the case of your 2nd point, lashing out on those below them to show off their power.
You see this in real life from the insanely competitive nature people display while playing competitive games or doing exams (e.g. exam cheating is prevalent)
I'm no expert on sociology, but this is my 2 cents
4
Many servers and creators nowadays rely heavily on blueprints and schematics to quickly build and attract players, often resulting in a transient community that's easily monetised.
Unfortunately, this rush for quick gains leads to poorly moderated servers and admins who abuse their power.
Many of these servers are pay-to-win, dictating how players should engage to reach a paywall, stifling creativity in the process.
However,
not all servers follow this pattern, but it's a prevalent trend.
A well-balanced server, in my opinion, maintains careful moderation while allowing players the freedom to express their creativity however they choose.
While there are still many creative players within the community, they often remain within their established circles.
Reflecting on the past, PMC used to buzz with exciting ideas and new players, fostering engaging conversations and a sense of community.
However, the same level of activity and engagement seems to have dwindled.
Where did all those players go? Did they outgrow the game, lose interest, or is there another underlying reason?
Unfortunately, this rush for quick gains leads to poorly moderated servers and admins who abuse their power.
Many of these servers are pay-to-win, dictating how players should engage to reach a paywall, stifling creativity in the process.
However,
not all servers follow this pattern, but it's a prevalent trend.
A well-balanced server, in my opinion, maintains careful moderation while allowing players the freedom to express their creativity however they choose.
While there are still many creative players within the community, they often remain within their established circles.
Reflecting on the past, PMC used to buzz with exciting ideas and new players, fostering engaging conversations and a sense of community.
However, the same level of activity and engagement seems to have dwindled.
Where did all those players go? Did they outgrow the game, lose interest, or is there another underlying reason?
4
I think this circle phenomenon indoctrinates the Minecraft community with a "go big or go home" mindset. Either you work on a megaproject with friends from your circle or you do nothing.
There is no middle ground and this silence daunts me.
There is no middle ground and this silence daunts me.
2
Similar situation in China. "Transient" describes it really well. Only difference is the absence of P2W because NetEase actively cracks on those servers, but monetizing still manifests under more subtle forms like social media subscriptions (follow) or to join some private social group - similar to "remain within their established circles" as you've said.
Sadly I'm not familiar with the pasts of PMC, but I speculate that monetizing is the main culprit. A second factor in China - again, take this with a grain of salt; below is my speculation and I really, really do not wish to offend anyone - is the deterioration of the overall environment.
Proliferation of mobile devices produce more netizens who tend to flood Minecraft creations with lava, TNT and forum spam. Long, serious forum discussions degenerate into TikTok clips. This constitutes as another pushing factor for the self-isolation of creators. My two cents: the mobile internet screwed it up.
Back to the question: players are probably self-isolating more than ever, in small circles, due to a perceived threat of encountering low-quality response and, in China, "social monetizing".
Sadly I'm not familiar with the pasts of PMC, but I speculate that monetizing is the main culprit. A second factor in China - again, take this with a grain of salt; below is my speculation and I really, really do not wish to offend anyone - is the deterioration of the overall environment.
Proliferation of mobile devices produce more netizens who tend to flood Minecraft creations with lava, TNT and forum spam. Long, serious forum discussions degenerate into TikTok clips. This constitutes as another pushing factor for the self-isolation of creators. My two cents: the mobile internet screwed it up.
Back to the question: players are probably self-isolating more than ever, in small circles, due to a perceived threat of encountering low-quality response and, in China, "social monetizing".
2
Proliferation of mobile devices produce more netizens who tend to flood Minecraft creations with lava, TNT and forum spam. Long, serious forum discussions degenerate into TikTok clips. This constitutes as another pushing factor for the self-isolation of creators. My two cents: the mobile internet screwed it up.This is more of a human thing and is apparent in western society as well. In the context of trolling/griefing that is most likely due to upbringing (e.g. Japanese society is extremely strict on politeness so you dont see nearly as much as I assume you saw).
An extremely competitive mindset which extends from real life pressure into gaming, without any rules on sabotage, allows them to use unethical means to reach their goal. Even before the rise of tiktok, people in competitive games (e.g. League of Legends and PUBG) were lamenting about Chinese/Asian players, how they were so rude, how they cheated etc. Ofc that is a generalisation and maybe a bit racist, but that was the consensus at the time and even now (which is why theres also plenty of memes about the chinese player in your team, meant it was an easy win and vice versa).
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Exactly - it's more "upbringing" than "culture". My proposition is that the enormous rural population/low-income urban dwellers simply don't have the time and energy to properly educate their children yet still handing out smartphones like candy. Research in China pointed out the decline in age of the average Chinese netizen, introducing a great deal of people who are less... refined.
