Dynmap just got Sexier

Hi,

In effort to prepare my server for more of a public release, I decided to work on Dynmap which, if you don't know, is a plugin that allows you to display a webpage of your Minecraft map in real time (I did a post on this when I first figured it out a long time ago). The reason I'm making a whole post dedicated to this is because I really polished it up. Now when you go there (209.222.69.18:25639), you will see not only the map and the current players, but you will see all the warps and homes. This is thanks to a plugin to dynmap (pluginception) called Dynmap-Essentials. +8 Nerd Points. Also, if you go to the arrow on the left you'll see a sidebar pop out with most of the worlds on there. Almost all the maps on the server are now on Dynmap so you can stalk your friends in all the worlds! I decided to not put the Survival map on there since I like vanilla pure vanilla. I don't want people not making maps and just letting a computer do it for them; that's cheating. But all the other maps are on there. I will probably also map the Skylands (you will not be able to go to that map though. It's for the series only!).

Next I will probably work on some sort of permissions system, probably after my CM test this Saturday. After that test, there's nothing major going on so it will be back to my regular schedule. That means more videos and especially more Minecraft!

- Aidan

It's Official: Cancelation of the Lethaldrive Service (Also other news)

The server has met its fate.

It should be out within 24 hours. So, there you go.

I'll apologize again for the lack of videos. I have a Certificate of Merit playing test (so looking forward to that) this weekend and I will be spending the majority of my time preparing for it. I probably will be able to upload another video this week (maybe two) and, not to give anything away, but it will probably shock and maybe horrify you. Also, I will be working on getting the server set up for a public release. I need to look into some permissions system. That'll be fun.

Digest that information and have a good night,

- Aidan

The Tragedy of the Survival Server, Future Server Plans, and a Redstone World?

Sorry for the title. I just got finished reading Romeo and Juliet.
Anyway, today is a sad day for the Survival Server and, I guess, Lethaldrive because I'm 99% sure that I will be canceling the service.

¿Por que? Because no one has been on it since Skylands. That's the only thing we've used it for other then when we actually used it as a server in beta 1.8.
But, there is another server on the horizon as I will trying out another hosting company called VMLWeb. They host servers and make games (If you have a Mac, I suggest you get Shotgun FunFun. It's a nice little free game on the Mac App Store) and they seemed like the best choice after comparing about ten other services on bestminecrafthosts.com. So, once I get it working (more on that later) I will transfer the Moog City/Thimble Lake Server to this server. This means no more

• "Can't keep ups!"


• Downtime. The only time that it will be down is when I'm working on it.


• Lag. Hopefully. Since the server gets 1 GB of its own RAM and it only usually uses 800 MB it should be pretty smooth. 

Plus, I get all of my RAM/CPU again!
But there's one slight problem.
When checking out with Paypal, I got a message that said "The recipient is currently available to take money at this time". So, I can't actually buy the server yet let alone use it so I sent a support ticked to them and hopefully they will reply soon. I will give you more information about this as it becomes available.

Edit: The hosting company has resolved the issues with Paypal and I am able to buy the server now. I am not going to buy it until Saturday however because I am very busy today and a little tomorrow.

And maybe your eyebrows perked up when you saw the title mentioned something about a redstone world. I like redstone and it usually requires a lot of space. So, what I'll probably do is make another world called the Redstone World or something similar and make it part of Multiworld so you can teleport there and create huge redstone creations.
If your reading this and wondering if you can get on this server (99% uptime is great for everyone) then just contact me via email, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Youtube.
Thanks for reading and heres to a happy future on the server!
- Aidan

1.2 and the Server [Edit: It's up!]

Basically the server will not be up until some of the basic plugins are working and until a beta version of Bukkit is out.

I rely on some plugins to make the server function. The ones I need are Essentials and Multiworld. Also, I do not want to run a developmental version of Bukkit because as it is, I am taking a risk with the beta.

So, sorry for the wait. Once these things happen, you'll be able to get on and build as you please.

Oh, and Redstone Lanterns and upside down stairs! 256 Height Limit!

Minecraft is awesome.

(Not to mention jungles)

Edit: The server is now running a developmental version of Bukkit. Everything seems to be working okay. If anything goes wrong, I have backups. The only problem is that the majority of the plugins were lost. I have Essentials and Multiworld though and they work great! If there are any issues, make sure to contact me.

- Aidan

Thoughts on New Blogger Templates and Lack of Videos

I really wanted to use the new template. I really did.

They're really beautiful and I even tried it. I changed the color schemes and fonts and it looked really good. I didn't like that:

1. There was a bar under the main one that always remained there for different views of the blog. I wondered why I couldn't choose just one view instead of having to put all 8 of them up there.
2. No widgets or sidebar. I like my links, Twitter feed, Youtube, etc. widgets there and this template unfortunately didn't have that option.

If you have a simple blog, I suggest for you to try it out (but don't make it cookie cutter and leave it default. Change the color scheme or something). But for me, it lacks stuff that I need.

You also may be wondering if I'm dead because I haven't been making videos lately. I've been working on the Planet Minecraft Resort Contest (which me and my friend are going to win) and it's been taking up the majority of my time. Once it is done, things should start to come back up to regular although I have some pretty important tests, concerts, and things of that nature coming up so sorry for all the delays!

- Aidan

Backup Disk Crash

Hi,

So, my backup disk just crashed. Thankfully, it wasn't my internal one but this doesn't mean much. The only thing that concerns you is that any backups of the server are now gone. I'm backing up my system now but everything that was backed up from 5 months ago until now is lost.

Looking into getting a new drive because the one I have now doesn't have enough space for my whole computer.

So yeah. Happy Monday.

- Aidan

Through the Mines is on Google+

Hello everyone,

Today, Google announced that it had added new safety features to Google+ to protect teenagers from the "dangers of the internet" so I made an account today and got myself a little situated. If you're a teenager (Read: 13 and over) and want to join Google+, just go to google.com (log in to your Google account if you have one and if you don't, I'm pretty sure there's a button on google.com in the top right hand corner that lets you create one) and click on the "+You" button in the top left hand corner (in the picture above) and Google will do the rest.

So once you do that (or if you already did that) click here to go to the Through the Mines page: https://plus.google.com/114848317035114929277

If you added this page to your circle (I sound cool) then thanks and I'll (try) to post stuff.

Happy Google+ing? (I don't know how you're supposed to say it)

- Aidan

Please Read if You Go on the Moog/Thimble Lake City Server!

Hi Minecrafters,

The reason your reading this is that I just recently got an app that allows you to manage most of your server from an iOS device. That means no more going on LogMeIn and squinting anymore! But what it means for you is a new way to contact me if I happen to be either on my iPad or iPhone. Just type /calladmin mystupidreason(justkidding) and it will send me a push notification on my devices telling me that you're in need of help. Also, I can respond to you very promptly since this app has a built in chat feature with which I can chat with you through the app. If I for some reason can't be reached by this, then texting to my number is fine. I would prefer this however because it tells me that someone needs help on the server. Not only will this app help me with chatting, but, like I mentioned earlier, I can basically doing everything from my phone which will prove very useful for fixing things on the go.

Don't spam me,

- Aidan

P.S: If your wondering what this app is called, it's called Adminium. Get it at adminiumapp.com. It requires Bukkit and knowledge of working with a server (installing plugins, editing config files, etc.).

Discontinuing Custom John Smith Texture Pack

Sorry. Please don't kill me (again),

As the title says I am discontinuing the custom John Smith pack that I put out. I haven't updated it since 1.7, I believe, and have no reason too, since I found a pack that I am happy with called Faithful (http://bit.ly/sXI4PP), which is basically the Minecraft textures in an HD format. Once again, the John Smith textures are great and I still might use the default pack from time to time. But, I have lost interest in it and will not be customizing and distributing it anymore.

If you want to download the default John Smith pack or customize your own, you can go here: http://bit.ly/sC2l7y.

Sorry for any inconvenience,

- Aidan

New Survival Server IP

Hi,

Lethaldrive recently moved their servers to Chicago, I believe and are now hosting them themselves so that means I get a new server IP!. Yay!

50.31.24.48:25566


Other then that, there are no changes. Go on with your worthless lives (:

- Aidan

New Stuff on the Server!

There is some new stuff on the Moog and Thimble Lake City server. I'll list it all out for you (Including pictures for those of you that like picture books).

1. New MOTD (Message of the Day).

I made this new MOTD with the Bukkit plugin Real MOTD. It shows

• Who's on
• The real time
• The current Minecraft day. I don't how it got this. Maybe it's stored somewhere in the world file or something. But wow! 13,000 days is 266,400 minutes which is 4440 hours which is 185 days which means that it started counting Sunday, May 15, 2011. That's probably about the time that I got a Bukkit server.
• The gamemode
• Your coordinates
• What biome your in
• And basic commands

2. Speaking of commands, new plugins have been added to the server.

• /news (SimpleNews) Will give you categories of news to choose from. Think of it as a bulletin board to a specific topic. The two topics that I have up right now are newplugins, which will tell you what plugins have recently been added, and general, which is just general news. To go to a specific topic type /news newplugins or whatever the category is. Check them often!

This is what you get when you type /news

This is what you get when you go to a news category

• MTape. This is a really simple plugin. Just type /mtape help to learn how to use it.
• Pyraetopedia. Even if you can't pronounce it, this plugin could come in handy. Type /what is blah and it will search Wikipedia for the answer.
• This plugin is the one I'm most excited about and it's called Dynmap. What this does is it puts a live updating map of your world online. This includes moving people as well. And just to be clear, when you place a block down on this map, you will see it added to the map in real time. You can go to this map via a web browser by typing  68.4.72.62:8123 into your address bar. Whats also neat is that you can chat via the web browser and people in game will see it.

And that's it, I think. Enjoy all the new things. Remember to give suggestions by using the /suggest command.

- Aidan

Discontinuing Custom Painterly Pack

Hi everyone. Please don't yell at me.

As the title suggests I am discontinuing my custom Painterly Pack. I will probably take down the pack download tomorrow and after that will slowly weed out the links wherever I have posted them. You may be asking "Why has he done this!?". Well, it's definetly not because I don't like the Painterly textures, they are great. But, I have two reasons.

1. It takes a long time to make a custom pack. It usually takes me 30 minutes to make one pack and Painterly usually has frequent updates.
2. I don't prefer the Painterly Textures anymore. I will still be putting out my custom John Smith pack because I actually use that one unlike the Painterly one. I also sometimes will use the default pack and Faithful pack found here: http://bit.ly/u4TH1p.

Once again, I'm not saying Painterly is bad, it's just that I have found packs that better suit me. You can still go to painterlypack.net and make your own.

Sorry for any inconvience,

- Aidan

Halloween Surprise!

Hi everyone,

The survival server is now hosted by Lethaldrive! By the way, if your thinking on hosting your own server they have some great deals right now at lethaldrive.com. That means that the survival server will almost always be up for your adventuring pleasure. The new IP address is 50.97.168.125:25566

You may be wondering why I didn't choose the Moog/TLC server to run on Lethaldrive's servers. That's because that server takes up more RAM then a vanilla server and RAM is $5 per 256 MB. It was the cheaper option. Plus I can manage plugins on my computer better then over FTP.

Anyway, enjoy candy!

The Server is now 1.8 Bukkit!

Great news! The Moog/Thimble Lake City server is now 1.8 Bukkit!

That's not to say everything is good. Here are the problems I've noticed. (Edit's are in bold)

• Citizens doesn't work.
• You can't walk through doors (Use a compass). (Well, it seems you can walk through a single door, not a double door)
• Some doors appear to be missing?

And that's pretty much all that I've noticed. I'll post any more problems that come up. Bukkit will probably have a stable release soon so I don't think this will last for much longer.

Happy 1.8ing

- Aidan

Edit: Added two items


Edit 2: Bukkit had a stable release a while ago. All problems above are fixed.

Lord of the Famine Adventure Map - Download Now!

Hello everyone,

Me and my friends are finished working on an adventure map called Lord of the Famine. Go to the forum post here: http://bit.ly/n6wXyl

Direct download here: http://db.tt/KUFQsOK

Enjoy!

- Aidan

Longer Youtube Videos Ahead!

Good news everyone!

While I was uploading a video through Youtube's website, (iMovie wasn't working for some reason) I got a message at the top that said

"Congratulations! Your account is now enabled for uploads longer than 15 minutes. Click the Upload button below to select a video."

I was completely caught off guard because I believed that you had to be a Youtube partner in order to upload videos longer then 15 minutes.

I looked it up and here's what Youtube posted on their blog (Posted in Dec. of 2010):

"Your creativity isn’t bound by a time limit, so why should your video uploads be? Back in July we raised the upload limit to 15 minutes for all users. Starting today, we’ll begin allowing selected users with a history of complying with the YouTube Community Guidelines and our copyright rules to upload videos that are longer than 15 minutes.

So go find that movie you wrote and filmed last year and share it with the world! Or upload your son’s championship high school basketball game or the insightful lecture you just gave on the emerging economics of green tech. As long as it’s your original content, it’s fair game regardless of length.

This launch has been made possible in part by the continued advances in our state-of-the-art Content ID system, as well as our other powerful tools for copyright owners. Over 1000 global partners use Content ID to manage their content on YouTube, including every major U.S. movie studio and music label. We remain as dedicated as ever to building and improving the most sophisticated technology in the world to help copyright owners protect their rights"

(Full post here: http://bit.ly/qz13rI)

The only question now is: How long can they be? I think I can do a 1 hour, 20 min. video because a 40 minute video that I recorded was 10 GB, and the file size limit (When uploading it with the Java software thing that Youtube's got) is 20 GB. I probably won't be doing that. But, it's nice to know I can (:

Thanks Youtube for opening a lot more opportunities for me,

- Aidan 

(Edit: It seems as though you can't have "<" or ">" in your descriptions... That would've been nice to know...)

Preparing for 1.8 (Edited)

Hi everyone,

I relized that I haven't posted for a while. I've been too busy preparing for school and making videos, and of course... Minecraft. Which is what I'm going to be talking about (Surprise).


1.8 is coming out very soon, most likely early next week. From Notch's livestream and a video of someone filming 1.8, we know most of what will be in the new update. One of those features is the creative/surivival option. Wouldn't be great if Ops were to be able to have the creative mode while non ops got regular survival? I doubt that's going to happen (perhaps with a Bukkit plugin). But if there isn't a way to do half and half, I will probably stick with survival mainly becase the whole reason there is non-ops is so that they don't go on a lava/TNT spree. But, I am hopeful that a plugin will come along that enables a half and half funtionality.

Bukkit is usually good about updating very quickly (Example: They launched a version for 1.7 is just 15 min.!). But, with 1.8 being such a big update, they might be a day or two. So, if they are not quick, we will play on a regular Minecraft server for the time being (Read: No Mods). So don't come on the server and expect Bukit right of the bat.

That's all I really have to say. Just wanted to let you know. Here are the videos I was talking about from earlier.

PAX Livestream (With Notch playing + It's 52 min.)

An HD Look at the New Update (Only 3 min.)

1.8!

- Aidan

Edit: I have figured out that ops will be able to switch between creative and regular survival mode. Thanks to Notch for adding this. It's just what I needed!

I'm Back!

Hello everyone,

I am on the way home from Alaska and I think the server's down. I don't know how long it's been down, but I'll ask someone soon.

The new contest started yesterday and this week is aircraft week. Build the best aircraft of any size or type. I look forward to many awesome entries. See my other post for more details on the contest.


- Aidan

August is Vehicle Month!

Hello everyone,

I wanted to announce that August is Vehicle month. All month long we are doing contests with vehicles. Its going to be split up into 3 weeks:

• Aug. 8 - 14 Aircraft Week. Build the most spectacular flying machine ever built. It's not limited to a specific type of aircraft.
• Aug. 15 - 21 Car Week. Build the coolest car. 
• Aug. 22 - 29 Boat Week. Build the slickest boat. Can be a one man submarine or the Titanic!

Now for some rules and regulations:

1. No mutant vehicles. Ex. No flying boats or cars.
2. No griefing, of course.
3. The judging of all the contests will take place at 1 P.M. on the day the contest ends.
4. You can build them wherever you want (I don't mean build them in a guy's backyard. Be reasonable!)
5. There will be no stretching the time for the contests whatsoever.

Have fun building! I can't wait to judge!

Oh, and the reason that there's not going to be a contest the first week in August is because I'm going to be on a boat; in Alaska. I'll probably be able to get internet on the boat. But, I'm putting off the contests just in case...

Happy building,

- Aidan

New Painterly Pack and Customized John Smith Pack Up for Download!

Hey everyone,

I noticed that Painterly Pack had a update 5 days ago. Sorry if anyone was waiting on it. I use John Smith's texture pack now, but I still customize and put up a customized Painterly Pack because some people may prefer it.

So, my new Painterly Pack has been updated for all of the mods that Painterly Pack supports. And, like I said above, I'm putting my customized John Smith pack up for download as well. Here they are:

John Smith: http://db.tt/RhEFpsx
Painterly Pack: http://db.tt/GvYxBvP

Note: Since John Smith is a HD texture pack, I was disappointed to find out it didn't have an HD font. So, I found a font from another texture pack and put that in there so now it's totally HD! Plus, remember to use this MC Patcher for Johnny's Pack: http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1021&t=252531. All credit goes to John! All I did is copy and paste! Here's his page on the forums: http://bit.ly/nDv32J. Go there to customize your own pack!

Enjoy,

- Aidan