BitMissile

As many of you are aware, Minecraft 1.3 came out this morning.  As is the case after all updates, we are left waiting for our version of Bukkit (CraftBukkit++) to update.  Please note that there is no current estimated time of arrival for the update.  We will update this post to reflect the current status of such an update. Update: The server is currently up!

However, the question remains as to what will happen to the current map.  The main benefit of keeping the current map would be the value of the hundreds of hours of work people (players, mods, and admins alike) have put into it.  Since we first started BitMissile 16 months ago, we have transferred buildings and items across to the new maps we have setup.  Aside from this process taking a lot of time and effort on the part of admins and mods, it still leads to a lot of the problems we face now.

Currently, the map is a complete mess. There are things scattered all over the place: unfixed creeper damage, random shacks, griefing that has not yet been cleaned up, and an abundance of teleporters.  While it is possible to alleviate some of the symptoms of this mess, it would never be completely fixed.  Furthermore, with Minecraft 1.3, many users will want to take advantage of the new features in the world generation system.

With this in mind, we (the BitMissile administration) have come to the conclusion that BitMissile is long overdue for a fresh start.  We are going to take down our current map, and (as we always do) make it available for download.  We will be moving a very select few structures for people who have or are currently working on large structures that are worth moving.  If you believe your structure should be moved, please submit a ticket.

Additionally, we are creating new policies for (currently overabundant) teleporters.  In the past, we have never had a proper standard for the creation of teleporters, and always just put them wherever requested.  However, with the new map, it is time we set a standard for teleporters so they don’t become a mess like in the current map.  Below we have listed the requirements that must be met for a teleporter to be created.  Our staff will determine at the time of creation if these requirements are met.  Please note, these requirements are subject to change at any point in time.

Along with the new map, we are also going to refactor our staff by adding new staff members and removing some current ones.  Additionally, we will be enacting new policies and regulations that staff members will need to abide by and enforce.  We have found that there has been a good deal of power abuse by some staff members and we consider this activity completely unfair to everyone else.  With this fresh start of BitMissile, we want to iron out any issues that exist amongst the staff that makes BitMissile continue to work.  We will begin to enforce these new policies to ensure the integrity of the server.

Over the past 16 months of running this server, we have all learned a great deal about what it takes to make a server run smoothly.  The experience that we now possess should help us ensure that we do not make many of the same mistakes that manifest themselves on the server currently.

If you wish to stay up-to-date with the current operations of BitMissile, please visit us on IRC or @BitMissile.

BitMissile Map (1.2 world): download (zip)

~ BitMissile Administration (jgeboski, CheeseGamer, and cheese1756).

Teleporter Requirements:

• An established location or structure
• Player has no more than two personal teleporters
• Teleporter is not to be used for landmarking
• Teleporter is not for temporary use
• Teleporter is not to have a generic name (such as “home”)

As announced in early March, the 1.0 and 1.8 worlds would be retired, and it is that time.  This evening, we have retired the 1.0 and 1.8 worlds, and they are no longer active on the server.  As promised, we have packed up the old maps, and made them available for download.

Please note, if you have structures/items that were not transfer, please submit a ticket.

BitMissile-10 (1.0 world): download (zip)

BitMissile-18 (1.8 world): download (zip)

This morning we got a “surprise” update from Mojang in the form of Minecraft 1.2.4.  BitMissile has already updated to 1.2.4 and is online, running smoothly.  The update was rather small all things considered, and did not effect many of our plugins.  CraftBukkit, which BitMissile’s Minecraft server runs at its core, has already been updated.  In terms of plugins, Dynmap seems to be the only plugin not functioning with 1.2.4.  We suspect an update will come shortly but, until then, the dynamic map will not update.

A complete ChangeLog for Minecraft 1.2.4 can be found here.

As always with new updates, expect some updates to the server.

That’s right!  Once again, we’ve created a fresh world.  Since 1.2 has come out, many people have been asking for a new world, and after much deliberation, I present you a new world.  Do not panic, we have kept all of the existing worlds, and move the “BitMissile” world to “BitMissile-10″.  This allows us to keep all of the worlds live while we transfer everyone’s belongings to the new world.

If you need anything transferred from either “BitMissile-18″ or “BitMissile-10″ to the new “BitMissile” map, please submit a ticket.  Transfers will be handled in the order they are received.  If you’re not online at the time we start doing transfers, we will move along to the next person in the list.  It is worth noting that on May 25, 2012, we will be taking down “BitMissile-18″ and “BitMissile-10″ and making them available for download.  Our nether world, “BitMissile_nether”, will remain intact.

If you’re thinking ahead, and wondering if we’re going to have to get a new world for the next update, you must note the new map formatting.  Mojang has created a new map file format, Anvil, which if everything is correct, should stop us from ever having to create a new world.

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, comment below or contact us via ticket system.

BitMissile’s Minecraft server has been updated to 1.2.3.  Please note, several plugins are still not up-to-date, and are disabled due to the fact.  Currently, all portals are offline, and will continue to be until Transpoter is updated.  Spout has just recently been updated, and due to the current traffic on the server, updates will be pushed to the server tomorrow morning.

Also, due to the fact there are still a lot of bugs that need to be worked out, expect a lot of updates in the next week or two.

UPDATE: Transpoter has been temporarily patched, and portals are now back in action.

As most of you probably know, Mojang released Minecraft 1.2.2 on March 1st.  If you’re one of those people who rushes to click the update button, you’re out of luck for now.  Currently, we’re waiting on a plugin called Spout to update, as it is a dependency for Logblock and mcMMO.  You can track the development of Spout along with us via GitHub.  Additionally, Transporter, the plugin that handles the portals and our multi-world setup, still has some kinks that need to be worked out.  Finally, there are some internal configuration issues with mcMMO.

I know there was lots of concern over what was going to happen with the maps.  As of now, we are not going to be creating or removing any maps.  If you want the new biomes, you can look at our dynmap and go to the map where no terrain exists.  This will allow the terrain generator to generate new terrain, and eventually you should hit the new biomes.

Just a side note, don’t worry if you receive the message: ”Internal exception: java.net.SocketException: Connection reset” on connecting.  It’s due to the server being outdated.  The Minecraft protocol changed, and it now gives you that error rather than a message telling you the server is outdated.

The server should be upgraded to 1.2.2 tonight or tomorrow.  Please stay tuned to our website and IRC channels for updates.

UPDATE: We’re still waiting on Spout.

If you’re one of our longer-standing players, you probably remember our original (pre-1.8) maps.  Now that we’ve moved on, and have a 1.8 world and 1.0.0 world, we decided that it was time to retire the old worlds.  If you haven’t noticed yet, these original BitMissile maps have been taken down.  We’ve also made them available for download to anyone who would like to mess around on them.  Enjoy!

BitMissilerOld: download (zip)

BitMissileOld_nether: download (zip)