Minecraftly: Inspire kids to learn computing via Minecraft(m.ly)
m.ly
Minecraftly: Inspire kids to learn computing via Minecraft
https://m.ly
34 comments
Yes, it's a shame that Minecraft's mobile version isn't aligned with Minecraft PC version, while Minecraft PC is better and more popular for online gaming.
If you are to setup an online platform for your family, it's best to setup a PC version. It's just more enjoyable for now.
P/S: I do hope that MCPE is one day aligned and compatible with PC. For sure it won't be the other way around.
If you are to setup an online platform for your family, it's best to setup a PC version. It's just more enjoyable for now.
P/S: I do hope that MCPE is one day aligned and compatible with PC. For sure it won't be the other way around.
The "learning" element seems very loosely connected to the product. Call it what it is - a scalable minecraft server.
I know. I haven't opened source it for long, it's just been 2 weeks now. For the past few years, I hired developers to help me make the prototype. As of right now, I feel that it's better to donate the work to the public, and write content, create videos showing people why it's designed like that via Minecraft.
The purpose is via this platform, kids can learn conciously or subconciously, so that in the future they can remember that a game with this kind of architecture exists, and build something more scalable, better in the future.
The purpose is via this platform, kids can learn conciously or subconciously, so that in the future they can remember that a game with this kind of architecture exists, and build something more scalable, better in the future.
My nephew was quite into minecraft for a while. I ended up setting up an EC2 based server for him.
To avoid crazy costs I setup a bit of infrastructure: I managed to pipe the active / logged in user count of the minecraft server to cloudwatch: 30 mins of server in-activity and I had the server shutdown (to avoid paying for it to run 24x7). Additionally I setup a webpage that he could login to (only used basic auth to be honest) and click a "start server" button. This sent the ec2 start instance command to AWS. Granted he didn't have instant play capabilities (had to wait for server boot up) but the costs were quite low.
I personally installed any mods or plugins he wanted.
I'd highly recommend rolling your own setup like this to anyone interested :)
To avoid crazy costs I setup a bit of infrastructure: I managed to pipe the active / logged in user count of the minecraft server to cloudwatch: 30 mins of server in-activity and I had the server shutdown (to avoid paying for it to run 24x7). Additionally I setup a webpage that he could login to (only used basic auth to be honest) and click a "start server" button. This sent the ec2 start instance command to AWS. Granted he didn't have instant play capabilities (had to wait for server boot up) but the costs were quite low.
I personally installed any mods or plugins he wanted.
I'd highly recommend rolling your own setup like this to anyone interested :)
My son is just starting down this road - and I have no idea what plugins for minecraft are. If you could put up a blogpost or pointers on this Inwoukd be very grateful
Sure, I will do that!
The reason I created this is to:
1. Tackle my challenge of scalability.
2. I love Minecraft and have seen it being non-scalable for a long time, without people doing anything about it.
3. I want to remove the hassle of you having to setup your own server, with all the installation, and plugins, etc.. Maybe you and your family can just hop in and play, and things will be kept for as long as Minecraft is alive.
4. The already setup version of Minecraftly has a disadvantage that it is limited in terms of plugins. I only choose cosmetics, fun plugins to install in this project, so actually you can't choose plugins, unless you use the open source code and host it by yourself. It's a little like Wordpress.com's add-ons vs wordpress.org self hosted version
That is how I view it. :)
The reason I created this is to:
1. Tackle my challenge of scalability.
2. I love Minecraft and have seen it being non-scalable for a long time, without people doing anything about it.
3. I want to remove the hassle of you having to setup your own server, with all the installation, and plugins, etc.. Maybe you and your family can just hop in and play, and things will be kept for as long as Minecraft is alive.
4. The already setup version of Minecraftly has a disadvantage that it is limited in terms of plugins. I only choose cosmetics, fun plugins to install in this project, so actually you can't choose plugins, unless you use the open source code and host it by yourself. It's a little like Wordpress.com's add-ons vs wordpress.org self hosted version
That is how I view it. :)
Please shout when you have got a draft :-)
https://s.m.ly/
Garbage p2w microtransactions. Seems like they even sell access to the nether/end, core parts of the game.
So nothing to see here, move along, another minecraft server host looking to exploit kids with access to their parents' credit cards.
Garbage p2w microtransactions. Seems like they even sell access to the nether/end, core parts of the game.
So nothing to see here, move along, another minecraft server host looking to exploit kids with access to their parents' credit cards.
Minecraftly is open source and going to be transformed to a non-profit organization soon, but I still have operational costs to run the service.
In fact, I am further from a p2w model, as there are only cosmetic items and boosters in the store.
It took me years to build the first scalable architecture, after many mistakes, but at least I got a working version, and want to donate all the software and ongoing work to the public.
In fact, I am further from a p2w model, as there are only cosmetic items and boosters in the store.
It took me years to build the first scalable architecture, after many mistakes, but at least I got a working version, and want to donate all the software and ongoing work to the public.
Either you're misadvertising what you're selling in the store, or you're flat out lying. Allow me to list some things you're selling (all from https://s.m.ly/):
- Access to Nether and The End worlds.
- Higher jobs xp and income!
- Buy Lifetime VIP rank and get an extra Treasure Trove, and Dreaded Warrior crates for free! (Dreaded Warrior gives you 300 crates that drop enchanted diamond armors, weapons and tools. Gain a chance to win God armors, weapons and tools with full maximum enchantments.)
- Get 850 crates that drop enchanted diamond armors, weapons and tools.
- Get $36,000 in game money.
All seem pay 2 win to me. On top of that you're selling stupidly basic functionality that shouldn't be for sale:
- Mute, kick, and ban other players from your server (and many other admin commands) at (username).m.ly
The fact that you're open source is irrelevant. I don't care how your service is implemented, I have issue with your business model and target demographic.
Your intentions are also irrelevant, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Actions speak louder than words.
- Access to Nether and The End worlds.
- Higher jobs xp and income!
- Buy Lifetime VIP rank and get an extra Treasure Trove, and Dreaded Warrior crates for free! (Dreaded Warrior gives you 300 crates that drop enchanted diamond armors, weapons and tools. Gain a chance to win God armors, weapons and tools with full maximum enchantments.)
- Get 850 crates that drop enchanted diamond armors, weapons and tools.
- Get $36,000 in game money.
All seem pay 2 win to me. On top of that you're selling stupidly basic functionality that shouldn't be for sale:
- Mute, kick, and ban other players from your server (and many other admin commands) at (username).m.ly
The fact that you're open source is irrelevant. I don't care how your service is implemented, I have issue with your business model and target demographic.
Your intentions are also irrelevant, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Actions speak louder than words.
There is no winning in Minecraftly.
I have every intention to make the value added service non pay2win, and if users are not happy about it, I have every intention to change it to fit what users want, paid or not. So far, people are happy with what I provide.
There is nothing like god mode, PVP boost, etc.. in here.
If you are truly unhappy with a certain part, I will take it into consideration. If you are really just here to hate, I can't help, because companies like Miniclips provide games with the same store system for almost 2 decades.
I have every intention to make the value added service non pay2win, and if users are not happy about it, I have every intention to change it to fit what users want, paid or not. So far, people are happy with what I provide.
There is nothing like god mode, PVP boost, etc.. in here.
If you are truly unhappy with a certain part, I will take it into consideration. If you are really just here to hate, I can't help, because companies like Miniclips provide games with the same store system for almost 2 decades.
> There is no winning in Minecraftly.
Let's not try to define away issues. You are selling items for in-game advantages that aren't just cosmetic (e.g. you take less damage and die less often with diamond armour, which is something you sell and is rare otherwise). That is called pay2win.
> I have every intention to make the value added service non pay2win, and if users are not happy about it, I have every intention to change it to fit what users want, paid or not. So far, people are happy with what I provide.
I mentioned in my last post that I consider intentions are irrelevant.
> There is nothing like god mode, PVP boost, etc.. in here.
That is not necessary to be classified pay2win, at least in my book.
> If you are really just here to hate, I can't help, because companies like Miniclips provide games with the same store system for almost 2 decades.
And I also take issue with them. And I'm not just here to hate, I'm just voicing my criticism on what I believe to be a morally bankrupt business model targeting vulnerable children.
Let's not try to define away issues. You are selling items for in-game advantages that aren't just cosmetic (e.g. you take less damage and die less often with diamond armour, which is something you sell and is rare otherwise). That is called pay2win.
> I have every intention to make the value added service non pay2win, and if users are not happy about it, I have every intention to change it to fit what users want, paid or not. So far, people are happy with what I provide.
I mentioned in my last post that I consider intentions are irrelevant.
> There is nothing like god mode, PVP boost, etc.. in here.
That is not necessary to be classified pay2win, at least in my book.
> If you are really just here to hate, I can't help, because companies like Miniclips provide games with the same store system for almost 2 decades.
And I also take issue with them. And I'm not just here to hate, I'm just voicing my criticism on what I believe to be a morally bankrupt business model targeting vulnerable children.
I understand now. Your definition of pay2win is different from the nature of Minecraft.
It's okay. I'm new here and I won't argue with you.
But you can't disregard my intention, because of it I constantly improve what I do.
If it is action you want. My actions were that I built something that I thought was cool for myself, donated it to the public, and continued to contribute with the vision that the right people will benefit from it. Simple as that.
While I hustle everyday to share the vision with people, provide children with a gaming platform, and parents with something they don't need to setup for their kids, get feedback and improve upon it, YOU are using children to attack me and the value of what I created passionately for people. That's a disgrace.
I heard your opinion but that's it. You can continue to protest all you like. I will continue doing what I think is best for the Minecraft community.
It's okay. I'm new here and I won't argue with you.
But you can't disregard my intention, because of it I constantly improve what I do.
If it is action you want. My actions were that I built something that I thought was cool for myself, donated it to the public, and continued to contribute with the vision that the right people will benefit from it. Simple as that.
While I hustle everyday to share the vision with people, provide children with a gaming platform, and parents with something they don't need to setup for their kids, get feedback and improve upon it, YOU are using children to attack me and the value of what I created passionately for people. That's a disgrace.
I heard your opinion but that's it. You can continue to protest all you like. I will continue doing what I think is best for the Minecraft community.
>Your definition of pay2win is different from the nature of Minecraft.
This is a weak argument because there is no winning condition in pretty much every pay2win MMORPG. Pay2Win is not about winning. It's about getting an advantage versus nonpaying players.
You're selling ingame currencies and crates with a random chance of getting items in exchange for real money.
By the way what pay2win actually means is a redherring. The point is that this is an unethical business model that I don't want to support.
This is a weak argument because there is no winning condition in pretty much every pay2win MMORPG. Pay2Win is not about winning. It's about getting an advantage versus nonpaying players.
You're selling ingame currencies and crates with a random chance of getting items in exchange for real money.
By the way what pay2win actually means is a redherring. The point is that this is an unethical business model that I don't want to support.
> The point is that this is an unethical business model that I don't want to support.
How the heck is it unethical to sell in-game items to make real-world profit? It's simply not.
How the heck is it unethical to sell in-game items to make real-world profit? It's simply not.
Don't let the haters get you down. I see nothing wrong with what you've built and are building.
Haven't Mojang added restrictions on people being able to charge real money for in-game items? Would be interesting to know how Minecraftly gets around it.
I don't get around it, I respect Mojang and abide by their terms, the subscription is only for cosmetic items.
Think of Minecraftly open source as wordpress.org, and Minecraftly demo server as wordpress.com, so at least there is donor engagement from people who are interested.
The only thing I don't like about Mojang is how they design Minecraft Realms architecture. It's proprietary and too complicated. I want to build something simplier, more scalable, with better player's freedom in cross-server interaction, and is supported for years to come.
Think of Minecraftly open source as wordpress.org, and Minecraftly demo server as wordpress.com, so at least there is donor engagement from people who are interested.
The only thing I don't like about Mojang is how they design Minecraft Realms architecture. It's proprietary and too complicated. I want to build something simplier, more scalable, with better player's freedom in cross-server interaction, and is supported for years to come.
How is "a chance to win God armors, weapons and tools with full maximum enchantments" only cosmetic? That's found at https://s.m.ly/category/305898 along with other stuff that seems to be pay2win.
I don't think it's really in Mojang's interest to actually enforce those rules. The majority of servers I've ever been on have a "Donation" system allowing you to buy in game perks (currency, commands such as /fly, etc). Incentives like that are what keep lots of servers up, and more people playing the game.
This might make a good "Show HN" (guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html)
That domain must be worth a fortune.
What a fascinating idea. Looks pretty cool — if I ever get back into vanilla Minecraft I'll give it a shot (I've been 100% modpacks for a few years now). Any plans to support some of the more popular modpacks? I can imagine that the server costs for that could get brutal though.
These days I'm thinking of getting into minetest (http://www.minetest.net/), but the mod scene is pretty primitive there.
These days I'm thinking of getting into minetest (http://www.minetest.net/), but the mod scene is pretty primitive there.
The Minetest API is itself a bit more primitive, as it's server-side-only Lua scripting as opposed to essentially hacking the whole game engine inside out with zero security involved.
As for modpacks, they add a lot of RAM usage especially to the whole thing. Minecraft 1.9 also made it possible (theoretically, that is it's possible in the code and probably used by Realms) to run multiple servers in the same Minecraft server instance, saving a lot of overhead on the block definitions, classes, JVMs, etc.
As for modpacks, they add a lot of RAM usage especially to the whole thing. Minecraft 1.9 also made it possible (theoretically, that is it's possible in the code and probably used by Realms) to run multiple servers in the same Minecraft server instance, saving a lot of overhead on the block definitions, classes, JVMs, etc.
Where did you learn that Minecraft 1.9 allows for multiple servers in one instance?
I'm trying to build something so minimal and work with existing Minecraft software, easy to install, easy to upgrade as Minecraft upgrade, and can sustain the architecture for years to come. (instead of adding modpacks, heavy plugins, etc..)
Minetest is pretty cool, but it isn't really what I'm trying to achieve.
Minetest is pretty cool, but it isn't really what I'm trying to achieve.
Who is paying for this???
I wondered the same thing since TANSTAAFL. Looks like there's a "store" selling various in-game perks: https://s.m.ly/
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Great idea, would be nice to explain how pricing and teleportation between servers works on the landing page.
Sure. I will draw that and explain on the landing page this week.
Odd feature matrix. The free version has all the benefits; the paid version has all the limitations.
edit: Oops, that's the second time I've glossed over a site and mistaken a company's competitive analysis for a multi-tier pricing plan.
edit: Oops, that's the second time I've glossed over a site and mistaken a company's competitive analysis for a multi-tier pricing plan.
I think the "paid version" you saw is actually a competitor.
It is a pity that the mobile version isn't more open so third party servers can support it. The family might enjoy something like this but I would never get them lugging a laptop around and driving minecraft with a mouse and keyboard.