Magnetizing

Thoughts from the mind of a Minecrafter

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How to Mod a Game Without Programming

Recently, I posted a sarcastic remark on Twitter regarding the term “Vanilla Mod”.

It’s an ironic term that someone in the Concept Community coined simply for marketing their own mechanic as “game altering”. And it caught on like wildfire. However, a friend and fellow map maker, known by the moniker Moesh, called me out, defending the term “mod” in general as seemingly any alteration to how traditional Minecraft is meant to played. Shortly after, he posted a video asking the community to decide.

Source: http://moesh.ca/mods-and-command-blocks/

Command Blocks vs Mods... I think there is a sense of pride in saying "I did this within the limitations of what the development team gave me." When advanced command block mechanics are confused with “mods”, somehow the project seems less valuable. There aren’t any limits to mods. There’s definitely a sense of achievement when a gamer can take Minecraft, bend the rules as far as possible without breaking them, sit back and say "Wow! Look what I can do!"

I believe this one of the biggest factors for why many map makers want to split command blocks and mods as two different classifications, and is why the phrase "No mods required" is a such a statement of pride.

Regarding default mechanics, Moesh wants to know "where do you stop?"

I think the source of the discussion lies in what you believe default Minecraft is. By default, this shouldn’t be considered traditional gameplay, but rather programmed content. Traditional gameplay revolves around mining and crafting in a Survival World. Content, on the other hand, is the coding that is contained within the game when you buy it. With command blocks, the content hasn’t been altered. Command block "programming" is very powerful, but it hasn’t modified what the game devs have intentionally inputted into the game itself.

In any example of any game, modifying is based upon changing game code. You literally need to know how to program java, in order to modify Minecraft.

Game vs Game Engine... The last issue remaining is whether or not Minecraft is "just a game" or can be considered a game engine. While, yes, you can create "games" of some form inside Minecraft, the end product always requires a player to use Minecraft to run it. This is why we refer to them as "maps". No actual game engine (Unity, Unreal, etc.) requires the use of the game engine itself, to play the finished game it was made on. If one day, we can produce content inside Minecraft, and allow gamers to play it without Minecraft, then we can consider Minecraft a "game engine". But until then, it’s just another game.

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You Dirty Rotten CHEATER!

I'll start off being blunt here. I hate cheating in Minecraft adventure maps! You may or may not feel the same. But I think for many players, cheating is a common practice. Since Minecraft is so easily altered, the player feels it's their right to enter a few lines of command. After all, the world file is in their Minecraft game. They can play a map any darn way they choose. And besides, they must know better than the person who built the map anyway. Right? Listen! This isn't your Survival world. This is my world! I make the rules. Why? Because I know how to make fun happen. You don't. If you did, you'd be playing your world. But instead, you're playing my world. Because you don't know how to have fun anymore. Okay okay. Enough bullying... First off, let's be clear. What is cheating? To make it simple, cheating is entering game commands, typically switching to Creative Mode, so the player can bust a few blocks and bypass a difficult segment of the map. And if I'm honest, I've done it too. Never without a guilty conscience, mind you, unless of course, that part was just too ridiculously stupid ;) But as maps contain higher quality, the trust in the mapmaker should be held. The mapmaker designed the gameplay experience for the player to enjoy. When cheating occurs, it's simply a way of the player declaring to the mapmaker "I don't trust you".

Let's take a glance at maps prior to September 2014. The VAST majority of adventure maps included the generic rule "No breaking or placing blocks". But why is this important to so many mapmakers? And now with Adventure Mode post 1.8, the game has been completely changed. This mode emulates the wishes of the majority of Minecraft mapmakers such at myself.  As far as I'm concerned, in that gamemode, anything goes - so long as the player does not type commands. Now before we continue, I'd like to draw your attention to my good friend Ron Smalec (legendary mapmaker) and his video promoting reasons to cheat in Minecraft maps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzylb4nPLQw There are many reason I can see why someone may want to cheat in a Minecraft adventure map. Whether they lack the skill, they find a particular part boring, they believe some commands are not working, the mapmaker neglected to test something properly, or even Minecraft itself has a bug that prevents the map from working, players will cheat. And in many cases, there isn't a way around it. Unfortunately, cheating must occur in some instances to finish the map. But I feel these cases are fewer and fewer. First, to understand why cheating is a negative thing, you need to see the map from the perspective of the maker - a creation mindset rather than a playing mindset. A great map is designed to captivate and motivate the player into an entertaining experience. I personally, approach maps like game design. If I create a puzzle or a jumping section or a mob fight, I intend the player to accomplish those segments legitimately. If I thought the challenge would be too much, I wouldn't create it. I'm also looking to inspire other mapmakers. So with new maps, come new ideas. And new ideas are sometimes very challenging. Or, would players prefer a world of the same generic maps and the same traditional puzzles? Players need to keep in mind that there is no perfect map. There are always 100 better ways to do something. But what players don't usually grasp, is that the mapmaker has tried their best to give a solid gameplay experience. Sometimes comments can be very harsh. Players can be angry and make personal attacks against a mapmaker simply because they felt the design was not a good fit for them. And many times, mapmakers miss the mark. Intention is there, but it doesn't come off at all as they had hoped. Minecraft is a sandbox, but it doesn't mean when someone makes a creation from their sandbox, players are free to trample all over it. So keeping this in mind, here are 5 points from the other side of the iron bars:

1. Don't Break My Map! Most importantly, maps are fragile. So much can go wrong with them. Maps can be tested 100 times and down the road, someone will always find some mysterious bug the maker didn't think of. Gone are the days of miles of wiring and BUD switch maps. Command blocks have taken over, and by God, with the freedom of Creative Mode, every player thinks they know what's best. Players are typically not mapmakers. And even when they are, it's very easy to get lost in another mapmaker's command blocks. It's highly probable that if a player breaks a few blocks to move on, this ignorance can confuse a player from the proper direction of the map or worse, result in something game-breaking. When it comes right down to it, there's always a way to cheat a map. But cheating can literally stop the map itself. Avoid this possibility and trust the maker. 2. Accomplishment Is Its Own Reward By far, the most common reason players use to cheat, is to bypass something difficult. Granted, many maps are unfair. But more and more quality maps are coming out. With quality, comes a better gameplay experience. That 's really all we want. Mapmakers want to give players an amazing experience. Part of that experience is the feeling of accomplishment. Yes, something is going to be difficult. Perhaps it is simply beyond the player's ability. But what if? What if the player actually DID make that rage-quitting jump? What if the player actually DID solve that impossible puzzle? A proud moment! These are the moments mapmakers want the player to experience. No rules means no value to the goal. Boundaries are there to enhance the experience not stop it. Think about it. Would you feel better about yourself if you legitimately solved a Rubik's Cube, or if you ripped all the stickers off and stuck them back on according to the answer? Both ways lead the same result. But which journey is more meaningful? Trust the maker. 3. The Stupidity of Level Design When you stop thinking of Minecraft maps as block-by-block creations, and start thinking of them as actual games, it will shed some light on the idea of level design. If a puzzle exists in a map, there could be a hundred reasons why logically it wouldn't actually exist. But with level design, obstacles are an absolute necessity, otherwise the game is uninteresting. A player may think "it's stupid", but it's an idea from the mind of a creative person trying to create something fun. The intent is to simply challenge the player and give them an interactive experience. I don't believe for a second that all those strategically placed handholds would realistically exist around the castles in Prince of Persia, but they are there for the challenge. Why does Samus only get minor upgrades in the beginning of Metroid, when the designer could have just given the player everything in the start? Trust the maker. 4. Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain Do you like magic shows? Do you enjoy illusion? If so, don't touch the redstone! Mapmakers can do some really cool stuff. But the stuff isn't very cool if players know all the secrets. I am by no means saying that mapmakers don't want to share secrets of how they pull off what they do. In fact, most want to guide future mapmakers into the community and teach them everything they have learned. But during the playthrough process, players should respect their role. Mapmakers want to impress players and have them complete the challenges they feel are rewarding. When players look behind the curtain, the mapmaker's role becomes less, the effect is lost and the reward isn't meaningful. The player doesn't get to truly enjoy the atmosphere and the map suffers because it lost a part of its value. This may be a little harsh, but honestly, players NEED to leave the magic to the mapmakers. Enjoy the effect, learn about it later. Ignorance is bliss. As my friend Ron explains in the previous video, let the story unfold like a movie. While I see the reasoning, I'd argue this: The player isn't the director. They aren't to go mucking about the set and altering the experience to how they believe the end should unfold. The player is more like the leading role, there for the ride but respecting the vision of the overall experience. This isn't a free-build world. This is a game designed and tested to achieve the goal is has been programmed for. Trust the maker. 5. Edit Away Another big excuse for cheating in Minecraft maps, is for entertainment purposes. I am by no means a YouTube expert. But I feel I have a fair enough grasp of understanding what makes a map entertaining to film. Yes there could be boring parts. Is this really the fault of the mapmaker? If the map is responsible for the video content's entertainment, then only Minecraft channels who play interesting maps would be popular. The truth is, almost all viewers watch channels for the YouTubers rather than the content. I think we all know this. I've seen completely terrible maps become some of the most entertaining videos and I've seen amazing maps have the most boring or obnoxious videos. This is simply because of the personalities of the YouTubers themselves. But furthermore, if bits are boring, and YouTubers lack the ability to keep interest during those segments, the answer is editing. A great edit can make a video the best it can be. No reason to cheat to move on. YouTubers can edit the parts they feel don't work. Editing can be a lot of work, but it's a necessity of any YouTuber. And if cheating is a must, it should probably not be filmed. It takes away from the immersion of the viewer and draws their attention away from the intent of the mapmaker/game designer - ultimately giving the creator a distaste. All in all, it's about trust (have I mentioned that before?). Mapmakers spend countless hours thinking of the absolute best way to accomplish an entertaining experience for players. No one except Mojang/Microsoft themselves can truly prevent cheating in Minecraft. Players who cheat to get past an obstacle don't realize the amount of effort put into the thought process of why it exists in the first place. They don't realize that those jumps were specifically designed to give the player a feeling of accomplishment. They don't realize that puzzle was made because when it is finally solved, both the mapmaker and the player alike will cheer in unison over the victory of beating that stupid thing! So whether or not you agree, at least you have an idea of why mapmakers feel cheating is taking away from the map instead of simply advancing the player.

Remember, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey.  Trust the maker. ;)

[qmagnet]

A Diplomatic Approach to YouTube Attribution

Recently, I posted an open letter to the YouTuber community from the perspective of the Minecraft content creators. The blog post, although personal, was meant to encompass the heart of all content creators. To my surprise, there was much support from inside the community, as one creator after another identified with the neglect. It's no secret, map makers, mod makers, resource pack artists, etc love seeing their work admired, but it's also no secret that there is quite a chasm of relationship between YouTubers and the Minecraft Community. So let me amplify my thoughts, but also give a better representation of the community. This problem isn't one map maker crying out for attention. Because if all this gains is my credit displayed while the others get forgotten, I have failed. I dare you to ask a fellow content creator, and I'd wager this hits extremely close to home. What are we asking for? Simply put, when a YouTuber uses our work, we request the following.

The project name in the video description

The creator(s) name in the video description

The project link in the video description to the source the creator has chosen

If really generous, a shout-out in the video

Why is this important? - It gives the viewers the visual confirmation who is behind the project - It leads the viewers to a central discussion place for the project - It's part of marketing of a brand a content creator has posted - It can be tied to ad revenue for a content creator's website - It makes us feel important to see a YouTuber take the time to post our little unknown name to the viewers - It is how we can build a recognizable name for ourselves - It's a simple gesture that shows the YouTuber is supporting the creator of the content - It creates search results to videos of people who feature content by the creator Simple enough? I would think so. We made something cool. If they like it enough to show their audience, why not show us some love?  But if it's so simple, why is the majority of YouTube channels so neglectful?  Is it ignorance? Is it that they don't understand? Is it that they just don't care? Whatever the reason, I'd like to take some time to go over the common misconceptions presented from the opposing side on why description credits are not neccessary. MISCONCEPTION #1 When large channels feature community content, the are promoting the creator. Isn't that enough? While there is truth to the fact that large channels will create recognition around a particular project, without a mention of the creator, it actually doesn't promote the individual. This is why many content creators have made highly successful projects, but are not well-known. Think of it this way: You hire a contractor to renovate your living room. They make an absolutely beautiful room and everyone you invite over is impressed by the workmanship. But no one knows the contractor's name and you aren't willing to share the secret. This contractor has made something successful but because their name is unknown, there is no promotion towards them personally, only a nice living space you and your friends get to enjoy. But hey, at least that contractor got paid... Hmmm. MISCONCEPTION #2 All a content creator has to do is ask, and the YouTuber will gladly add the credit. Herein lies a massive untruth. Just about every Minecraft content I've personally seen explicitly states some form of attribution placement. In fact, for Diversity 2, it is stated from at least 3 different places for one download depending on where the person gets the file.  See below:

The problem isn't that the community isn't asking. It's that the YouTubers are ignoring us. I have had a handful of conversations with larger YouTubers. Some comply and show respect and some get defensive and call us "passive-aggressive".  We are real people. We have names and we want to have professional friendships with YouTubers. We're not looking to be stars of their videos, we just want them to know we are here to help them. But when large channels see creators as a nameless content production machine, we lose our individualism. MISCONCEPTION #3 Placing credits in the description is a waste of space. Nobody reads the description anyway. Besides the simple fact that if nobody reads the description, then there's no harm in adding a credit there, this statement is completely false. It's interesting how music credits are easily viewed in every description. Somehow, music artists feel the description is important enough to make it a requirement to use their music, but many Minecraft YouTubers seem to have a double-standard when it comes to their very own community. If descriptions were useless, why are they full of subscription links and merchandise store links? Why is the description always the place a YouTuber will link their recording friend's channel and list them by name? YouTubers want to list off their friend's channel because they want to see them succeed. Why not the content creator? The truth is, people do read the description, and when no credit is written, it simply shows the channel is not interested in supporting content creator. They would just rather use their work to create a series and ultimately achieve views. MISCONCEPTION #4 Projects offered for download are public domain and YouTubers are not legally bound to do anything. If legality is in question, there's no real debate. It all boils down to Copyright and who owns the Copyright? In a nutshell, for something to have Copyright, it has to be an original project. So, is the Minecraft project an original creation? If so, the creator legally owns the project. Debating whether or not Mojang/Microsoft own the content is irrelevant. That would be like arguing Adobe owns every image created using Photoshop or Gibson owns every song written on the guitar they manufactured. As for "public domain", for a quick reference, wikipedia states "Works in the public domain are those whose intellectual property rights have expired, have been forfeited, or are inapplicable."  This basically means, for something to become public domain, the creator can no longer be a part of the content. The length for something to become public domain varies from county to country, but the constant beginning of Public Domain is sometime after the death of the creator.  In other words, if the creator is still alive, they own the Copyright to the project unless they sell it. In fact, for my projects I have the option to select "Public Domain" for the file, but instead I list it as "All Rights Reserved".

Content creators own their projects and proper attribution is required. MISCONCEPTION #5 The EULA states anyone has the right to take something someone makes and do what they want with it. Now here is the misunderstanding. It's true when content creators purchased Minecraft, they are legally held to the EULA, which does state that Mojang owns basically anything created in their game.  But let's take a closer look at the EULA as of September 2014: If you make any content available on or through our Game, you must give us permission to use, copy, modify and adapt that content. This permission must be irrevocable, and you must also let us permit other people to use, copy, modify and adapt your content. If you don‘t want to give us this permission, do not make content available on or through our Game. Please think carefully before you make any content available, because it will be made public and might even be used by other people in a way you don‘t like. Notice it specifically states Mojang is the sole party who may use, copy, modify or adapt the content. And Mojang is the only party that is allowed to give out permissions to others to use said content. There is nothing in the EULA that allows another person to freely use content against a creator's wishes, with the exception of explicit permission by Mojang. So this leaves us with two options. Either, YouTubers simply list the credits of the content creators as required and make everyone happy. Or, they must acquire the explicit permission from Mojang overriding the creator's wishes. In which case, I would require written proof that specifically includes the YouTuber's name with my project. MISCONCEPTION #6 The YouTuber has placed a link to the project in the description. That should be enough. In some cases, this might be enough. And I'm quite sure if this was a common practice, the community wouldn't likely be so disheartened. We probably wouldn't even be having this conversation. But I'd simply ask - why not place the creator's name(s)? A project link definitely is the best step in the right direction, but why stop there? Perhaps, if the list of creators is massive, the description could get cluttered. Possible, but this is not typically the case. Again, we are not nameless. I dream of a YouTube, where the YouTubers freely chat to the content creator in video. "Why would you do this Q???" or "Sphax, I love your textures!". As long as we remain "mapmaker" or "the guy who created this map", we have no identity and therefore are unimportant. Admit it. It's a problem. Look. The first step to solving this is YouTubers need to see this is in fact a problem. Content creators are frustrated. We feel unimportant. We want to provide the best possible content for YouTubers to give them something to create a series from. We are on the YouTubers' side!! But we also want to feel like our projects are useful and appreciated. How can we change this? Honestly, I don't have the perfect answer. But leaving the issue alone is not going fix anything. There is power in numbers. And if every single content creator makes this an issue, change can happen. There are some creators who are quite content with the fact that a YouTube channel featured their work, and they simply do not require anything else. But I believe from those I have talked to, the majority wants something more. Do not let this issue die! Let them know, attribution IS important! Comment on those channels who neglect credit - even when it's not your own content. Share this with as many YouTubers you know, and maybe, just maybe we can get our message across.

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How Do I Successfully Release My Map?

Every mapmaker I know of wants a successful map release. From a massive amount of downloads, to having the biggest and funniest YouTubers feature the map in a series. It's no secret that mapmakers LOVE seeing their work being admired by the community. In some ways, it's why mapmakers do what they do. Every once in a while, a Minecrafter will ask me this very question. How does someone effectively release a map so it will catch the community's attention?  Truthfully, I've been lucky with my maps. I seem to be in the right place at the right time. So I'm not sure I have the magical answer, but I can tell you, based on experience, there are a few key factors to keep in mind. And it does go beyond simply having a good map.

If you are looking to get a hyped map release, you've got to think of it as a movie. The most successful map releases have these elements:

An exciting trailer

An invested audience

A clean clear public post

Publicity

A featured Let's Play

The Trailer Nowadays, a trailer is basically required to grab people's attention. I realize there are a lot of maps without trailers. The Dropper, one of the biggest maps of all time, never had a trailer from Bigre. But that was then and this is now. And now is a lot more competitive than then. Your trailer is your most important item for effectively "selling" your map. You may have the greatest map of all time, but if you don't have a visual representation of the gameplay, your release will suffer.

But gameplay footage alone is not a trailer. Here's a guideline of how your trailer would work best (my opinion of course). Variety From colours to shapes, show the most variety the map can offer. Mini-games are tougher to sell because the mechanic is typically short and doesn't have the most variety to showcase. But simply changing camera angles and using quicker cuts can achieve a better end result. AVOID long cuts. You should include a good mix between gameplay and structures. Less Is More It's a trailer, not a short film. There's no reason you can't tease the entire map in under 1:30. Remember, you want to grab people attention so they download the map. You don't need to show them the entire thing.  Save your best "non-spoiler" thing for the last shot and you second best for the first. The rest goes in the middle. The Music THEY Want When choosing your music, choose something upbeat, quicker something that suits the theme of the map. People are drawn into positive music. Dark music can work under certain circumstances but it better sound cutting. Avoid the epic Hollywood scores which can't be edited down to a minute. And ALWAYS use royalty free music. Absolutely NO Command Blocks Mapmakers love command blocks. Mapmakers want to show them off and say "Look Mom! See what I did!". Your viewers, however, have no clue to what they are doing, and don't care. By placing command blocks in your trailer, you've wasted footage for something better to be displayed. If you absolutely must include your god-forsaken command blocks, save it until the end.

Show, Don't Tell Enough of the "No Mods Required" or "4 Epic Boss Battles" jargon. Look, I realize you're extremely proud of what you pulled off, but SHOW it. If you have an epic boss fight, show a glimpse of the boss fight. Leave most of the map a mystery. Most people hate reading anyway. Use very little text.

When in Doubt, Use Shaders No don't do that. That's a dumb idea. Well... you could, but it's a gimmick. I hate shaders.

An Invested Audience What is an invested audience exactly? Well, an invested audience is those who believe in the mapmaker. They trust what he/she will do before the map is released or even built. This is basically unachievable without some level of fame or recognition. It's the reason why some well known YouTubers can release a very poor map and still get thousands of downloads. Unfortunately, if you haven't developed a name for yourself, it's likely you won't be able to take advantage of this aspect. And this is also why you need to work even harder with the other points for your release.

  The Map Post You definitely need a really clean and clear post for the map. It's the main page people see when browsing through hundreds of maps to play. So what's going to be eye-catching when they come across yours? First, you should do a draft on your own computer and read it several times before making it public. Make darn sure you have your spelling and grammar properly organized. You may be an amateur but you want people to believe you are a professional. 

When posting your map publicly, you should place your trailer at the top of the post, easy for everyone to see. Next, your download link in BIG letters. Those are the main selling features. Next, I used to say leave the description, but as of current events, I've been in the habit of placing the Let's Play permissions and credits right under the download link as many YouTubers ignore any info below the scrollbar and neglect to give any credit. As for the description, a single paragraph should suffice. Don't overload people with info. Next, you can post a number of features, recommendations, rules, etc. Try to keep to the point. Bold the sections so the players easily skim down the post and find the info they need. Near the bottom, include some screenshots in a spoiler tag. You need to ALWAYS include 5 or more screenshots of your map. If you don't have screenshots, DON'T post your map. It's that simple.   Publicity This is very difficult to get, considering most times, you have no control over this. Publicity comes from outside sources, usually without your knowledge. But the idea is to get a reputable source to start discussion about the map. Many times, this can come from multiple posts you create. A single reddit post can make a map famous. You could try and contact the Minecraft Forums Content Administrator and ask them to feature your work on a post. Or create a submission of various popular websites like PlanetMinecraft.com. Don't rely solely on your YouTube channel or your website alone to market the map - especially if you're unknown as a mapmaker.

A Featured Let's Play One of the best ways to achieve map recognition is to use a Let's Play of better known YouTubers along-side with your map release. This is key for mini-games especially. This means you need to get people to play your map, record it, upload it, and post all before or at the same time the map releases. If people see how much fun your map is, they will generally look to download it. But it's difficult to build a relationship with a YouTuber who is well known. However, sometimes an email can get you a result. YouTube private messages are typically a bad way of contacting a YouTuber, and don't bother with comments. Twitter likely won't get you an answer, but if you try to send an email, you may get some response. Typically, YouTubers will include an email address on their YouTube page. Woah! You made it to the end. I'd give you a cookie if I had one. I hope that gives you some insight. You can copy my approach if you like. Take a look at my public posts and trailers and see what makes sense to you. It's your map, so you choose. But learn from what inspires you. Find the maps you love, and mimic what those designers have done with their releases. Don't be afraid to ask a mapmaker their opinion. Most are not bigshot YouTubers and will respond pretty positively if you need advice. Good luck! And remember, no shaders (probably)...

[qmagnet]

Hello Bigshot YouTuber,

You obviously don't know me, but let me tell you why you should. I'm one of the reasons you have an audience. I'm one of the hundreds of creators, who allowed you to make your YouTube series from my work and entertain thousand of viewers. I'm one of the hundreds of nameless community members who has generously developed content for you. I'm a dedicated part of the Minecraft content creators but you have no interest in crediting my work.

Remember when you downloaded my project? Remember when I said you were allowed to use my work as long as you link to my project site? Remember when thousands of people watched you and laughed, subscribed to you, and liked your video? Remember when you gave no indication that I made the very thing you recorded?

I have a wife, 3 children, work a full time job of physical labour with overtime, and somehow managed to squeeze in 8 months of hard work to help develop a massive project. I can personally guarantee the work put into producing your 15 episode series pales in comparison to the time spent planning, building, testing, retesting, releasing, bug fixing, and updating the project I made. I never asked for money. I never asked for you to subscribe to my channel, or donate to my patreon. I never asked you to put me in your video or send subscribers to my channel. All I asked was for you to credit me. A simple credit and link to my project post is all I asked. But you'd rather cover your episode description with subscription links to your channel, your latest series and your merch store links. And posting your URL-redirect link to my project file, doesn't really help me you know.

Do you want me to create more content for your channel or not? Or do you want to try and make your own project this time so you can continue to only credit yourself? Grow up and show some respect! This is non-negotiable. This has to stop. Don't make me name names.

  Sincerely,

The Minecraft Map/Mini-game/Mod/Resource Pack/Filter/Server/Animator Community