Minecraft 1.0 is up and running, with content for anyone and everyone. The game is essentially the child of Dig-Dug and Lego, but with some odd extras thrown in. You can do anything you want in this game. You can build anything you want in this game. Partway through its development they introduced redstone – an ore that turns to dust when mined and can be used to make electronic circuitry – and the inventions have yet to cease to amaze me.
There does come a problem with this game though. When you are limited to playing by yourself, the issues are mainly game glitches. This game has sold 4,367,543 copies, and has 18,558,513 registered users as of Dec. 29, 2011. With that many people playing, you have to make it multiplayer at some point. Just as with any multiplayer game, the biggest problem is the other people. So, for your uses today and forward, I give you the Ten Commandments of Minecraft Survival MultiPlayer…
Thou Shalt Not Mod
Each individual server has the power to add any modifications to the game they want to. It is not the individual players right to hack/add to/take from the game. No matter how good you may or may not be at computers, it is unfair of an individual player to give himself a ridiculous, or even miniscule, advantage over the general populace of the server. With that said, if you find an advantage within the parameters given to you, use it and abuse it. It was given to you, treat it like the free speech amendment and do all you possibly can with it.
Thou Shalt Not Manipulate N00bs
I just found out what this one was, so bear with me. A noob is a new player, inexperienced or just ignorant to the way of things. Leave them be. We were all new at something at one point or another. It’s wrong of one to tell them to do things that will ruin their experience. Instead, offer to help them out and show them the ropes. The first five times they ask a question, answer it. After that, impatience is expected from just about anyone though.
Grief Unto Other as You Would Have Others Grief Unto You
Griefing is the destruction or alteration of someone’s building without their consent. Some people also lump theft into griefing, that is a server-to-server, person-to-person thing. Now, griefing is just obnoxious. I spend five hours building an awesome mansion, and you have the audacity to go and destroy it? Fine. As you have destroyed my building, if I can catch you, I will rig your home with explosives, then steal all of your diamonds.
Normally, I do not behave in such a manner, but that is what this commandment means. It would be horrible if something like this happened to you. Don’t do it to others.
Attack Not the Unarmed
Not everyone is interested in player vs player encounters. Don’t ruin their experience by forcing it upon them. If they are armed(with a sword, tools don’t count), wearing armor and are out hunting things; fine, they’re a valid target. But if I am down in a mine digging away, or building something and you come up and kill me, you’re a jerk. Be nice to the other players, and they will be nice to you.
Replace The Crop After a Bountiful Harvest
If you come across a farm, leave it be. If you absolutely must take from it though, at least replant it though. If you take a melon, it drops five slices. Each slice yields a seed. You take four pumpkins, 1 pumpkin will give four seeds. Take one wheat, it drops two seeds. To sum all of this up, there is absolutely no excuse for you to not replant what you’ve taken. If it is wild, out and about, fine. If there is any sort of organization or design, treat it as if it were your farm and replant it for whoever it belongs to.
Slay Not the Cattle
Rounding up animals is an annoying and arduous process. Don’t go killing other peoples cattle, chickens, sheep or pigs. They worked hard to multiply them after rounding them up. That might be their food source. Never is it OK to mess with the livestock.
Worship Not Oneself
Yes, we get it. You are awesome. Go compliment someone’s building other than yours. Go help make something in the main town of your server. Maybe build homes for new players(see the second commandment). Boosting yourself only makes you a nuisance to the server, and will irritate those you wish to ally with. The next time you need help, it may not be there because of your attitude.
Thou Shalt Not Tempt the ‘Modmins’
A guy on my server(minecraft.qribble.com is the I.P. you use if you want to check us out) coined the phrase ‘Modmin’. It’s an umbrella term for any moderators, administrators, or other in power figures. If power is being abused-which isn’t a common occurrence-fell free to take a stand. Don’t, on the other hand, intentionally break rules just to make modmins mad. Doing this will irritate the populace, and tick of the people in power. You might get banned, make other people not want to be on the server, or receive jail time(in game of course)
Thou Shalt Leave the Youth Innocent
As I said in the beginning, this game is legos on steroids. Little kids do play this, so be careful. Don’t say or do anything you wouldn’t want you little sister or brother to know about. My siblings both play, the server I play on commonly has wee ones online. Let kids be kids. Don’t pick on them or attack them. Don’t say things they shouldn’t know about.
Thou Shall Never Corrupt Spawning
Most annoying thing you can do that encompasses all of these commandments. Do not, under any circumstances, break someones lights so that things spawn in their homes. This can cause creeper(suicide bomber zombie thing) to spawn and explode, killing crops and livestock, and destroying buildings. It might make people have to fight unarmed. It may upset small kids, and it counts as griefing. There is no need for these behaviors.
Take these, fellow gamers, and spread them about. Nothing listed above is particularly complicated. With these simple guidelines, we can all enjoy a better gaming experience.