~The MCME Times~ #1/16 - Happy New Year!

Friday, January 1, 2016 barely


Opening Statement

Hello everyone, and Happy New Year from the MCME Times Team! Welcome one and all to the very first edition of the Times, your favorite news source, in what I am certain will be a momentous year for our server, full of great changes for the better, tons of projects being started and completed, old friends returning, new members becoming friends, and people who have just stuck around for the duration. Join us, as @Finrod_Amandil leads us all in a crusade into the very psyche of the collective internet, in an attempt to make the server more exciting. Watch as Gondor is at last laid to a peaceful slumber while we valiantly brighten the long dark of Moria with our building, and maybe, just maybe, cultivate the barren Plateau of Gorgoroth into a realm blooming with our labor. No doubt, there will be many promotions and resignations, good times and bad, but as we look upon this new year, let us only maintain our hopes. And, though this is less important by far, I hope that each and every one of you has a fantastic year in your own, real, personal lives.​

Announcements

None right now.​

Project Progress

Alas! This first edition has one flaw. We are unable to take screenshots, so you had better hop online and check this all out yourself. If you want nice pictures, take a look at @Fireinferno13 's thread >>here<<.

Aldburg Revamp (In Progress) - Lead: @Fireinferno13

Congratulations to Thijs, Gene, Eaglz, and Beat for winning the Aldburg keep competition based on their superb organization and clean layout. That being said, the decision was by no means easy, a huge shout out goes to Cred, Despot, and Luk for their hard work as well as stunning final product.

Otherwise, layout and construction of the middle district has started and should be completed relatively soon, marking the end of this project.

- Fire​

Andrast (In Progress) - Lead: @jacenpeter

Lately I have just been trying to work out the shapes of andrast's eastern arm of mountains, and once I am content with what I have they should start to look more mountainy, you know like stone and grass .

- jacen​

Anfalas (In Progress) - Lead: @DSESGH - Reporter @Durtalathion

Welcome back, everyone, for another exciting episode of Anfalas news.
Big news, actually! The voxelling is nearly done and all the waiting that everyone has been doing to put in their time on the province will soon have their opportunity! In a huge report to me by the project staff, "There's been quite a bit of progress in Anfalas this week. On my [unspecified speaker, maybe Dse?] end, I finished up a coastal area in the south-east, and with it another beautiful lake and streams (check that out). I've also started working on the transition between the forest biome in the north and the desert biome in the south. Additionally, we are aiming to finish terrain by the end of the holiday season. Then we'll be moving on to villages - look for more job opportunities soon!" Stick with it everyone, the time will soon be nigh!​

Lamedon (In Progress) - Lead: @Eriol_Eandur

Very good progress at the central mountains of Lamedon these past weeks, quite a lot of jobs there. I think we can make the last streams there next week. Meanwhile, some Artists worked on the last few houses in Rendul. @Mandos is also about to finish the Ringlo Vale.

- Eriol​

Misty Mountains (In Progress) - Lead: @Emilio_ & @Finrod_Amandil

There was very little progress on Fin’s side (that is, the main part of the Misties). He did get a little bit of the High Moors done in jobs, however. Emil also had no progress on the Hollin Ridge.​

Revamps (In Progress)

Fornost (@Demonataz) - Keep on ruining; this city will get done eventually.​

Public Projects:
Linhir Outskirts (In Progress) - Lead: @Nic1337

No progress this week.

- Nic​

House of Tarannon Falastur (In Progress) - Lead: @Wroxxite

Lots of progress got done this week. I completed the lower docks and also began on the upper baths. Huge thanks to @Mandos for leading a group of artists on the interior work. At this rate, I only expect the project to go about one to two more weeks.

- Wrox​

Scheduled Events:

Upcoming Tours:
None right now!

For an always up-to-date overview, please refer to >>this<< thread.

Plotworld Builds:
I am unclear on if the Gondor Treebuild is still going on, so you should probably just do /mvtp plotworld, /warp treebuild, and see for yourself.

For an always up-to-date overview and a list of scheduled jobs, please refer to >>this<< subforum and look at the thread titled “Scheduled Jobs and Open Plotbuilds”.​

Rank Updates

• @_Luk felt that he need a break and thus resigned from Designer. He will, eventually, take up the rank again.
• @ReniMarus has been promoted to Artist, good job!

Year In Review

As we announced a few weeks ago, we are here presenting all of the important events, etc. that happened in 2015. If you feel we left anything out, feel free to comment on this thread with your addition!

It is rather a theme that things take longer than I thought and the Times gets out later than intended. I had meant to format this nicely and put it in chronological order, but I didn't get around to it. So for now, enjoy this wall of text and maybe I'll come back later and make it better. Apologies, Ardelenia.​

• 2015 started with a bad event: Resignation from Head Enforcer by @Iru. To quote @DynoDaring, “The last of those aptly named original Kings of MCME” has now left. Speaking of Dyno, however:
  
  
• Promotion to Head Enforcer of @DynoDaring, an old member who has borne the filling of a rank most dutifully and justly.
  
  
• @Finrod_Amandil took @MaDIIReD ’s jobs as writer of the MCME Times and Themed Build creator.
  
  
• Warp changes: Introduction of /mvtp worldname, and /warp list only displays warps in that world. Leads to organization and a little confusion.
  
  
• Short story contest organized by @Tyranystrasz. One of few times in my memory that we tried forums-based events.
  
  
• Easter festivities -- special Gandalf-themed tour hosted by @DarthRagnar and Easter egg hunt by @DSESGH
  
  
• Introduction of new bbcodes on the Forums
  
  
• Summer Event 2015 and Awards Ceremony: Organized by way too many people to tag, included fireworks competitions, pig races, spleef, parkour challenges, skin competitions, The River Race, boat races, tours, challenges, and server-voted awards, presented in an epic closing ceremony in a beautiful theatre built largely by @jacenpeter.
  
  
• Forums Update: Profile post comments improvements, two steps verification, thread tagging,link title conversation, new post sidebar, social account integration, new website layout
  
  
• Resignation from Head Designer by @Credoo. Met with grief and hesitation about the future.
  
  
• Promotion to Head Designer of @Finrod_Amandil, who has proven himself to be as good at leading as at Elvish.
  
  
• Freebuild Closure due to costs, social and management aspects. The Themed-Builds world was uploaded to the Build Server.
  
  
• New MCME Times writer Team, started by @Ardelenia but with support (thank you all who have helped so far!) in order to relieve @Finrod_Amandil after his promotion.
  
  
• Creation of new Community Goals by @Finrod_Amandil
  
  
• Return of PVP, ushered in by @DSESGH.
  
  
• 5th Anniversary Celebration, featuring the opening of PVP and nostalgic jobs, organized by @lizzy_ and @Iru
  
  
• Halloween festivities -- 5spooky10me decorations in Annuminas and a special PVP event, courtesy of the Guides
  
  
• Winter festivities -- Christmas present scavenger hunt from @kisos
  
  
• @Lady_of_Rohan sparks much conversation with her concerns “about the way projects are prioritized here.” You may wonder that I would include a source of contention and possible ill feelings, but I applaud her for keeping us an active, aware, and thoughtful community with such discussions.
  
  
• The first community-led projects were successfully completed.
  
  
• We swept through Arnor, finishing up the Lake Evendim area.
  
  
• Many cities and regions in Gondor were built.
  
  
• @Finrod_Amandil finished up one section of his great terraforming quest in the Misties and moved on, also recruiting other staff.
  
  
• Moria was started and, regretfully but logically, put on hold.
  
  
• Cinematic server is opened for a select few. Far-rendered screenshots ensue.
  
  
• Themed builds get a plugin to make it easier to run and participate in.
  
  
• Mention in the Guinness Book of World Records

Next week, we will resume our usual sections. Do you want to get featured in the MCME Times? Fill out your responses with these links! For descriptions of each form, please see last week’s edition.
>>#WeAreMCME<<
>>MCME Time Machine<<
>>MCME Travel Guide<<
>>Times Review<<


Themed Build

Umbar (City of the Corsairs)
>>more information<<​

Media of the Week

@SmaugJuice made his first foray into the world of serious screenshots this week (as opposed to funny quotes).

Glittering Caves, or Aglarond​

Community Outreach

Screenshots for Facebook

@Tyranystrasz has access to the MCME Facebook page and will regularly upload stuff there. For that he needs, of course, the very best of MCME, and for that he needs YOUR help! If you have a really awesome screenshot to share, submit it >>here<<!​

~ ~~ ~~ ~



Don’t forget to like our Planetminecraft page daily! Click the picture above!​

Closing Statement

I did all my waxing poetic in the Opening Statement, so here I will just say again:

Happy new year! I hope you all continue to enjoy MCME and keep coming back. Also, don’t forget to comment below if you think we left anything out from the Year in Review. And so, I present you with this quote from someone I’ve never heard of but found amusing:

May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early! My own plan is to swear off every kind of virtue, so that I triumph even when I fall!
— Aleister Crowley

 

[_Drayz_]

So what was the Guinness world of records mention?

 

[Smaug_Niphredil]

Here is a link:
MCME gets recognized for our work in Guinness Book of Records

 

[Finrod_Amandil]

Thanks a lot for these Times, the year review together with Fire's collection of images shows what we have achieved this year. Even though it may be true that we were stuck the entire year in Gondor, you can now see that theres a lot more than just Minas Tirith and Osgiliath included in it and that we are now indeed moving towards completing it at last.

I want to leave some words myself on the past year, and I want to thank some people especially; please note that of course theres many more awesome actions and people that could be mentioned, those I do mention are mainly those who impressed me majorily since I took the Head Designer rank.

• @Eriol_Eandur: I am pretty sure I can give him the "award" of the most hard-working Designer since my promo. Not only has he pushed forward the projects with an amazing perseverance even though mostly the tasks he grabbed where not the most juicy ones (at least not after doing the same for months), also he brought innovative terraforming to the map with his very tedious but very appealing work on the Gondor rivers. Behind the scenes he was very active in multiple plugin development projects, especially the establishment of a new (WIP) and better New Player World aswell as together with Ivan the new (WIP) plotbuild plugin. Additionally he helped me out with reviewing the Artist apps mutliple times. For all these things: A huge Thank You!
• @Tyranystrasz: It was a tough year for trex, project-wise. Multiple times we had to undo work he made, nice-looking things that got victims to mine or Cred's nitpicky project reviews. And that is one of the worst things that can possibly happen; if something gets erased on which someone has put a hell lot of work; Minecraft is a game, a game should be fun, but what Tyr had to deal with was no fun. Hence I thank him for always regaining his passion for the project and continue with contributing great things, whether they are builds or events. Tyran also took the lead for an epic christmas event this year, and again we failed to bring it to an end, at least for now, another christmas will come where I definitely want to see the work Tyran invested to pay out.
• @Fireinferno13: It may well be that Fire is that very staff member who has left and returned most often. And the best about it is, the things his hands create get better every time (and they were already awesome when he got staff the first time). You can try to leave again fire, but we all know you cannot let go MCME (and MCME cannot let go you!)
• @Despot666: In the very last days of 2014 and then throughout 2015 Despot lived for Moria and for Moria only. Officially the project started with me and him as equivalent leaders, but I have to shoutout that almost everything that so far has been made for Moria, from planning over creating the most awesome of MCME's RPs to digging out countless halls (and bearing with people ranting about him for the lag he caused) it was almost everything his work while I could not let go my beloved Misties. Thanks for the passion you've put into what most likely always was and will probably always be MCME's most epic and laborous project. I promise you: 2016 will be the Moria-Year.
• @Credoo: My thanks to you for the trust you have in me and offered me to be the next Head Designer. I remember the time I was Artist and I was completely happy and satisfied with it, and the day where out of nothing I got asked whether I'd be interested in a staff rank. Already then I was blown away and imagined that me getting part of MCME staff is the least thing to happen. Needless to say how I felt this year. I also want to thank you for that you're still active and always ready to talk about the more difficult aspects of the Head Designer rank.
• @Tyranystrasz , @Eriol_Eandur, @DSESGH, @jacenpeter, @kisos and @Emilio_ who spent most of the year terraforming. I am so aware of that this is for many not the most favourite and funniest thing to do on MCME. Hence thanks a lot that you're still doing it, and accepting that we only need a limited number of villages in Gondor.
• Everyone that I did not mention now or even forgot about. Be aware of that almost nothing of what everyone contributes stays unnoticed and I am thankful for every minute someone decides to spend for MCME, as time is by far the most precious thing we all have.

Leading a community like this is not easy, things change to the worse that one cannot avert, so we need to see how we can change MCME to get the best out of the situation. And there we have to act as a community, not as a small group of staff members controlling and deciding upon everyone else. If you have a concern, tell us about it and I promise that your voice will be heard!

All the best for 2016!
~ Finrod

 

[Eriol_Eandur]

...

• @Tyranystrasz , @Eriol_Eandur, @DSESGH, @jacenpeter, @kisos and @Emilio_ who spent most of the year terraforming. I am so aware of that this is for many not the most favourite and funniest thing to do on MCME. ...

I don't know why, but I still love terraforming

 

[Kisos]

Pelftw, Pel2k15, saveFish, Staffsnakegate, BrothelCrawl, Headhunter, PastelCity,

#pel4lif

 

[Ardelenia]

Update!

Misty Mountains (In Progress) - Lead: @Emilio_ & @Finrod_Amandil
At last work is being picked up again in the misties. On the large section below Rivendell I did add the right biomes to the terrain, as since 1.8 the biome changes arent visible until you reload the chunks this has gotten a quite nasty task (blame dev).
- Finrod
Aaaand another pile of sand in northern Eregion, bordering the high moors, turned green today and loads of trees and streems appeared. Two streams to be exact. Jobs will come.
That whole area is shaping up weekly, stone by stone, at a constant speed, which makes it difficult to notice minor changes in the terrain. I'm gonna post an update in the Misties Thread in the upcoming week, with an overview map and pictures included. Cheers.
- Emil

 

[Tyranystrasz]

I'm deeply sorry for this winter events and i want to apologize myself to the community for haven't led our tipical winter events.
We couldn't finish it due to multiple problems but still everyone who partecipated put time and i thanks everyone for that. I want thanks @Emilio_ for the awesome work he made and the many hours he used, @Thijs1801 the artists and designers who helped, @Artale and @gadget271 for planning the dates and trying to have the best winter events ever, @kisos for the xmas hunt and @q220 for endure me (thanks!).
Currently I'm trying to finish 2 new things (that should have been in the events) for the community and I hope you will enjoy them.
Happy 2016 to everyone!

 

[Fireinferno13]

I'm deeply sorry for this winter events and i want to apologize myself to the community for haven't led our tipical winter events.
We couldn't finish it due to multiple problems but still everyone who partecipated put time and i thanks everyone for that. I want thanks @Emilio_ for the awesome work he made and the many hours he used, @Thijs1801 the artists and designers who helped, @Artale and @gadget271 for planning the dates and trying to have the best winter events ever, @kisos for the xmas hunt and @q220 for endure me (thanks!).
Currently I'm trying to finish 2 new things (that should have been in the events) for the community and I hope you will enjoy them.
Happy 2016 to everyone!

We should just save this stuff and use it for next year.. and the year after... and the year after ....

 

[Ardelenia]

Hi everyone,
Let me be frank: amid an onslaught of super-important real life stuff (college apps) I actually forgot about writing the Times. Please accept my sincerest apologies and look forward to an edition covering two weeks next Sunday.