Category: Special Events

Welcome to the Mini Builders Summer 2015! Now that June has begun, we have a fun summer planed out for little ones on the server.

If you are not familiar with Mini Builders, take a look at its history. We are proud of mini builders. It is a great way for the kids to learn more about Minecraft and about each other! These kids are pretty creative.

2015-06-15_11.24.51So welcome to the inaugural Summer 2015 Mini Builders’ Build. A boat challenge.  Similar to the previous boat challenge, each builder will pick out a boat lot and make a boat out any materials they choose. The challenge will run from June 22nd-June 30th. Here are some rules you must follow:

  1. One boat plot per child
  2. Do not tamper with another mini builder’s boat, this will disqualify you.
  3. Do not explore past the Mini Builder’s area.
  4. All materials are not supplied and must be acquired. See note below for more information.
  5. Adults may visit the Mini Builder’s area but they are NOT allowed to help.

 

There will be some changes for Mini Builders moving forward:

  1. There is now a Mini Builder’s vault. This vault is accessible by all.  People may donate to this vault as they see fit and all materials can be used by any Mini Builder at any time.  At no time should there be requests to fill the Mini Builder vault to anyone in the community.
  2. All materials used for challenges will be acquired supplies. This means that all materials used for challenges must be obtained from mining, collecting or chosen from the Mini Builders’ Vault. As a reminder, you may not ask for the vault to be filled. Meaning, if someone was kind enough to drop off a chest of cobblestone to the Mini Builders vault, that is wonderful. But if that chest is empty, it is now time to visit the Mini Builders’ mine!
  3. Each Mini Builder will be given their own personal vault at the Mini Builders’ Bank, Gringotts! Come on down to the Mini Builder’s area to check out this great build. Ride through the deep and dark vaults to discover the mysteries of Gringotts. You will get a vault assigned to you when you sign up for the Mini Builders’ challenge below.
  4. In addition to Gringotts, there is now a Mini Builders’ garden, tree farm and animal farm. This should help fill up those vaults and keep you well fed during the challenge.
  5. We will be having some mining parties! Join us on June 18th at 6 PM CST and June 20th at 2 PM CST to mine together and for some fun mining challenges!

So, you may be asking yourself, what do I do now? If you are a mini builder, take note of the following:

  1. Sign up for the Mini Builders’ Boat Challenge below and you will be assigned a vault.
  2. Join us for the mining parties on June 18th at 6 PM CST and June 20th at 2 PM CST.
  3. Note that the boat challenge starts on June 22nd.
  4. Start gathering supplies for the boat challenge

If you are NOT a mini builder:

  1. Join us for the mining parties and consider donating the supplies you acquired to the Mini Builder’s Vault.
  2. Consider donating any of your other excess items to the donation area, on the second floor of the Mini Builder’s building.
  3. Invite your kids or your friends or your friends’ kids to join us for our first summer challenge. Send them to the server rules to get them set up and have their kids’ sign up below.

To access the Mini Builders’ area, Take the Mini Builders’ CB from the Mini Builder’s room adjacent to the Community CB room. (It’s the colorful one)

What are the prizes for the boat challenge?

1st Place: 3 enchanted books of their choosing plus a special set of diamond armor
2nd Place: 2 enchanted book books of their choosing plus a special set of iron armor
3rd Place: 1 enchanted book of their choosing plus a special set of gold armor
Every child will get a prize for participating!

Happy Minecrafting! As a reminder, please sign up with the mini builder’s IGN below, not the adult’s. This is a challenge for the children of the server and we will use the IGN as a sign up for the vault as well so it must be case sensitive. This is a fun challenge, not a speed challenge. The number one goal is to have fun and maybe make a new friend!

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Mini buildersOne of the most important parts are the littlest ones in our community, the kids! With that in mind, Mini Builders was created in late 2013. The first build challenge was a way to make the Mini Builders area on main a place of their own, by building houses on a 20×20 plot.

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After working on the outside of houses, the second challenge stepped inside for an interior design challenge. For this new challenge, the kids competed in age groups 5-10 and 11-16 as they decorated hotel rooms in the grand Mini Builder Hotel.

MB's Hotel Challenge 2

The third challenge ushered in the holiday season with a Holiday challenge. We saw some really creative holiday builds like a snowman, Christmas tree, candy canes and Santa Hat houses.

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The fourth challenge was a team challenge. The red team and the blue team competed for a farming challenge. The teams had to build a farm and simply farm as much as the other team to win!

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The fifth challenge brought some fun life to the Mini Builders area with the creation of the mini market. Each mini builder built a shop on a 15×15 plot.  The kids got really creative and made stone, cake and many other shops. 2015-06-10_21.02.39Following the build of the market, the mini builders took on the water with a boat challenge. As usual, there were some really creative builds and lucky for the kids, all the boats float!

As mini builders started warming up, we took a step forward on educating the children on Minecraft and created the Hogwarts School of Mining and Crafting. It is a “must visit” on Main if you have never seen it. Besides being a totally awesome build, it is a central location for everyone on the server, old and young, to visit as a reminder or learning for the first time, all the recipes that make all the things in Minecraft.

Check out this awesome video summing up Mini Builders:

A few fun mini game builds popped up in the Mini Builders area as well as a vault for the kids to store their items.  Mini Builders also opened up to everyone on the server. Last summer, we invited the mini builders to a Summer Sandbox Challenge.  With limited resources, each child had to be extra creative with what they built and they did not disappoint!

2015-06-10_21.13.27With NuNu, came a new challenge and a new Mini Builders area. Mini Builders 2 was born and the first challenge mirrored Main with a house challenge.

2015-06-10_21.17.53It has been a little while since we have done a Mini Builders and with summer upon us, expect a big announcement soon! We cannot wait to see what these kids can do.

 

 

 

 

On April 6, 2013 Serverus and I opened our little private family server to our online community. We hosted it from one of our home computers and were very pleased when we would see people log on. It was slow at first, a “busy” day meant having 8 people log on, but now our whitelist contains over 500 IGNs. With the Minecraft group being one of the most interactive and engaging groups we’ve been a part of, our humble little home has become a community of Awesome!

To celebrate our 2nd anniversary we will be bringing you home! Yes friends, the “Main” server is coming back. Permanently! As if that weren’t enough we’ve decided to give you a sweet homecoming gift as well. We’re bringing back the command of the week starting with everybody’s favorite: REPAIR!

Don’t worry Nu Nu, we haven’t forgotten you! For our newer members who call Nu Nu home and are not yet familiar with Main, we want you to enjoy this milestone with us, so we’re giving you REPAIR too! For one week everyone will be able to fix your tools, armor, and weapons simply by holding them in your hand and typing the command:

/repair

into the chat. Your items will revert back to 100% durability. Take advantage while you can, it’s only temporary, but don’t worry, we’ll bring it back again…eventually 😉

New changes to the old server…

Some things to remember about Main. Mob griefing is off so creepers will not do damage when they explode, endermen won’t steal your blocks, zombies won’t break down doors, and keep inventory is on. While all of that is great, keep in mind that diamonds are rare on this server, but we still have the bank if you’d like to exchange other blocks for them.

Another point of mention is that if you previously had creative access on this server, that will no longer be available to you. We have not completely removed the possibility of it though. You may apply for creative permissions on the Main server only if you have met all of the requirements. Please send your new request to us via the Contact Form. We will need to know what project you are working on, and how long you expect the project to take. You may not request creative to tackle an ocean monument. 😉 If we grant you permission to use creative and we find that you are abusing this power disciplinary action will be taken, including and up to removal from the servers depending on the severity of the abuse.

Bringing back the Main server is a long awaited and an exciting homecoming for some players, but even if you weren’t part of our group since the beginning there is still plenty of reason to log on and visit the original birth place of our community. Visit the original market’s Tour Shop and “Oooh” and “Ahhh” at some of our amazing builds!

 

Welcome home everyone!

Holidays are a great excuse for server shenanigans and all around good fun so it’s a good thing that Easter is upon us!

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We will be celebrating Easter with a very special “egg” hunt in the Nu Nu Market. Why do I keep putting the word egg in quotes you may ask? Well these are no ordinary eggs. Last year we used spawn eggs, but with mob griefing turned on for Nu Nu, we figured that would be most disastrous so don’t bother looking for those, there are none 🙂

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If you were here for last year’s egg hunt you may remember that we hid player heads around for you to find and collect. We will be doing the same this year. We’ve also included some special ones as well.

So join us, Saturday April 4, 2015 at 6:00pm EST for this holiday event.

PLEASE NOTE: We will need to close the server at 5:30pm EST in order for the admins to hide the eggs and make sure we have everything ready to go.

Check the time in your Time Zone:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

One of the nice things we admins like to do for the players is recognize your birthdays. All you have to do is add your birthday in the comment section of our Birthday Doc in the group and on your special day the admins will gift you 30 levels of XP points along with one in-game item from the creative menu.

What we used to do was leave a gift box at your house for you to find the next time you logged on, but we were finding it hard to locate some command blocks, or found that some people just didn’t have one yet. So to make things easier we’re happy to announce that the new Birthday Celebration area is now OPEN!

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You can find the Birthday Celebration display in the picnic area off the West Exit of the Command Tower (near the community garden). How it works is, this Mini Cake building in the center houses 6 separate and personalized command blocks for anyone having a birthday that day.

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On your birthday, enter the building and press the button for the command block with the sign with YOUR name on it (please do not press anyone else’s). You will be teleported to one of our celebration rooms where your gifts will be waiting. Use the exit command block to go back to the picnic area.

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Gifts will only be held for 30 days or until the space is needed. You do not have to cash in your birthday books right away if you prefer to save the XP for a later time. Just don’t lose your book (they will not be replaced).

Feel free to use the picnic area to host birthday parties or other celebrations of your own! And as always…

mc-bday

 

NOTE: In group birthday shout outs are for anyone, but gifts are only available on PC. Sorry console players, we admins have no power off our servers. If you add your birthday to our doc, please note if you are only available on xbox, ps, or pocket editions.

Welcome to Some Awesome Minecraft’s newest original survival map challenge: Shipwrecked!

 

Now that you have gone down with your ship, you just might survive on the ocean floor. Your ship, & its remaining cargo, has come to rest near a colorful reef where you might find some useful supplies. Underground you are sure to find many resources to aid in your survival.

You are the Captain, locked in your cabin as your ship sank to the ocean floor.

You are the Captain, locked in your cabin as your ship sank to the ocean floor.

Listed below you will find the building, crafting, & collection challenges needed to setup your new undersea home.
You will have 2 weeks to complete the challenge, however there are prizes for the 3 individuals or teams who finish first! Read to the bottom to see your Bonus & Build challenge options.  Challenge runs: February 27th through March 13th.

NOTES: 

~There are 25 ‘maps’ setup, with 1 to 3 people allowed per map/team.

~You will find a map in your starter chest of the *original layout* of your area. However, this map is not actually of your area, or it would only show water. It will not reflect any changes you make to your play area.

Generic Map for reference

Generic Map for reference

~There is no lava in this world. However, there is still gravel, so you’ll still want to avoid digging straight up.

~There are 4 mob spawners in each map space. They start off lit up to prevent mobs spawning & building-up before you uncover them. Each holds special blocks & items that you will need to complete your challenge.

Spawners

The 4 spawners & the special blocks they hold.

~When you find your special blocks (grass, mycelium, snow, & glowstone) be careful not to turn them to dirt or destroy them.

~Keep Inventory is Off.

~There are no Command Blocks (CBs) from your map back to Spawn.

~Any kids wishing to participate, must be teamed up with an adult.

 

RULES: 

~Do Not alter anything at the Spawn & CB islands. No breaking blocks, bushes, leaves, torches, etc. Anything at spawn, belongs at spawn only.

Spawn Islands (aka a near death experience)

Spawn Islands
(aka a near death experience)

~ALWAYS keep your mob spawners lit up when you are not actively killing the mobs in them (the ones included, as well as any you may create). This will help prevent lag from mobs building-up, as well as allowing other teams to get their mobs to spawn when they need them. Leaving your mob spawners running constantly without standing there actively killing them creates frustration for the other players & will usually have to be dealt with by the admins.

~No Trading with other teams. Each team needs to complete their list on their own.

~Do Not go to the water’s surface. Do not place blocks, or otherwise alter, the water’s surface (or the ice on top of it).

~Do Not alter, enter, or mess with any other players’ or teams’ stuff.  The world is setup so that players only have access to their own maps from Spawn. You shouldn’t be able to get to another players’/teams’ place, so please don’t try.

**Breaking any of the above rules will disqualify you and get you removed from the challenge map’s whitelist.

 

CHALLENGE REQUIREMENTS: 

Build Challenge: 
These need to be built above ground level, out in the open and  underwater. Use your creativity to build your new underwater home. Your ship can be taken apart for the resources, but cannot be used as your new home, you need to build a new one. (Hmm… where underwater could you find a block that would aid in water removal?) 

~House: must include at least one of each of these rooms: -Kitchen -Living Room -Bed room -Bathroom

~Enchanting Room: with a minimum of 10 bookshelves  (can be included in the house, or separate)

~5 Snow Golems: make some new friends! Just keep them protected from the water.

***Everything else can be included above or below ground level, but completely underwater. ***

Farms & Crops:
Notice: Auto farms of any kind are not permitted. These farms need to be established when submitting completion photos. 

~Melon Farm: collect 64 melon blocks
~Pumpkin Farm: collect 64 pumpkins
~Sugar Cane Farm: collect 64 sugar cane
~Wheat Farm: collect 64 wheat
~Carrot Farm: collect 64 carrots
~Potato Farm: collect 64 potatoes
~Cocoa Bean Farm: collect 64 cocoa beans
~Netherwart Farm: collect 64 netherwart
~Cactus Farm: collect 64 cactus
~Mushroom Farm: collect 32 red & 32 brown mushrooms
~Vine Farm: collect 64 vines
~Flower Farm: collect 64 each of the double tall flowers: peony, sunflower, rose, & lilac
~Tree Farm: have planted a minimum 1 of every type of tree (oak, birch, spruce, jungle, dark oak, & acacia)

Animals & Animal Drops: 
Notice: Animals are limited to 2 of each type in your maps unless you are actively breeding them for food or resources*. When you log off the challenge map, be sure to keep your numbers to 2 of each type. Meaning only 2 sheep, NOT 2 of each color of sheep.
**WARNING: If you are not online & your animals exceed this limit, they will all be killed.
*While breeding, you must remain near the animals so we know you are working them. Please keep your maximum amount of animals “reasonable”. Remember that the server will probably be full of players trying to breed their own animals & it all adds to the lag.

~Have 2 Cows: collect 32 leather
~Have 2 Chickens: collect 32 feathers & 16 eggs
~Have 2 Rabbits: collect 32 rabbit hide
~Have 2 Pigs
~Have 2 Sheep

Food Stores: 

~Make 1 cake
~Make 32 bread
~Make 9 mushroom stew
~Make 32 baked potatoes
~Make 32 pumpkin pies
~Make 3 rabbit stew
~Cook 32 chicken
~Cook 32 steak
~Cook 32 fish (any combination of cooked fish types)
~Cook 32 rabbit
~Cook 32 lamb chops

Crafting Challenges: 

~Bed (1 per person on your map)
~64 torches
~Crafting Table
~Furnace
~Anvil
~Brewing Stand
~32 Jack-0-lanterns
~16 Paintings
~Clock
~Compass
~4 Maps (Empty)
~16 Bookshelves
~64 Glass
~36 Glass Panes
~16 Tripwire Hooks
~16 Levers
~16 Trapdoors
~16 Armor Stands
~64 Stone Slabs
~64 Stone Brick Stairs
~64 Polished Granite
~64 Polished Andesite
~64 Polished Diorite
~64 Mossy Stone Brick
~64 Cracked Stone Brick
~64 Chiseled Stone Brick
~64 Smooth Sandstone
~64 Chiseled Sandstone
~1 Full set of Diamond Armor: Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, & Boots *per person on the team
~1 Full set of Diamond Tools: Sword, Pickaxe, Axe, Shovel *per person on the team

 

Dyed Materials: 
All 16 dye colors are available: white, light grey, grey, black, brown, red, orange, yellow, lime, green, cyan, light blue, blue, purple, magenta, & pink.

~16 of each color of Wool
~16 of each color of stained Glass
~8 of each color of stained Clay
~Design 1 team banner (not blank)

Mob Collection & Challenge: 
Notice: Light up your spawners/spawn rooms to stop the mobs from spawning when you are not actively standing at your spawner to kill them. 

~64 Spider Eyes
~64 String
~64 Rotten Flesh
~64 Bones
~64 Arrows
~32 Blaze Rods
~9 Bows
~8 Ender Pearls
~1 Eye of Ender
~Capture 1 Zombie Villager & cure him. *Do Not cure more than 1 villager per map/team.*

Redstone Mechanics: 
Notice: To help reduce lag, please do not build any redstone contraptions on the map. 

~Collect 64 Redstone Dust
~Craft 32 Redstone Torches
~Craft 16 Dispensers
~Craft 16 Redstone Repeaters
~Craft 8 Pistons
~Craft 8 Redstone Lamps

Potion Brewing: 
Notice: You have access to materials to make extended, thick, & splash potions. Any version of the following will count. 

~3 Speed/Swiftness Potions
~3 Instant Health/Healing Potions
~3 Water Breathing Potions
~3 Night Vision Potions
~3 Poison Potions
~3 Instant Damage/Harming Potions
~3 Slowness Potions
~3 Weakness Potions

BONUS CHALLENGE: 
These are in addition to the main challenge & are not required to complete the main challenge criteria. An individual can complete these, even if the rest of their team does not, & that individual will receive the rewards. 

~Complete a “Survivor’s Log” written book – detailing your story of survival and rebuilding your life underwater *per person
~Collect & Craft Fully Repaired sets of the following types of armors *per person: Leather, Gold, Iron, & Chain mail
~Collect all 6 Sponge Blocks on the map (& do not lose them).
~Collect 64 of each type of logs (oak, birch, spruce, jungle, dark oak, & acacia)
~Brew 3 Leaping/Jump Boost Potions *per person

BEST BUILD BONUS: 
Do you have the best new underwater home? 
You have the entire contest period to complete this bonus part of the challenge. Submit a photo collage of your above ground/underwater home to the admins for them to add to the Best Build Challenge group photo album. Voting will begin after the 2-week challenge is over. The build with the most “Likes” on their photo will receive a special prize.

Your underwater beginnings.

Your underwater beginnings.

PRIZES: 

Challenge:
1st Place:
“I Survived Shipwrecked!” t-shirt (for each person on team)
100 team points (for each person on team)
1 item of choice from admins (for each person on team)

"I Survived Shipwrecked" custom t-shirts. (multiple sizes & colors available)

“I Survived Shipwrecked” custom t-shirts.

2nd Place:
$30 steam game credit from our steam selection (divided amongst team)
50 team points (for each person on team)
3rd Place:
25 team points (for each person on team)

BONUS Challenge (for each individual who completes it):
Choice of 1 of the following *custom* horses: Skeleton or Zombie Horse
25 team points

Best Build Bonus Winner:
50 team points (for each person on team)
1 item of choice from admins (for each person on team)

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