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Two bits of big Minecraft news for you today, one being a change in the account system and another to deal with social interactions on servers.

Firstly, Minecraft 1.16.4 pre-release 1 went out recently with a change to make playing Minecraft online a more pleasant experience. They're introducing the "social interactions screen", which will let you disable chatting with certain players, and have their messages hidden - helping to deal with players you don't get along with. 

Here's an example of how it looks currently:

Mojang said that hidden players will reset each time you rejoin a server. So it seems it's not a proper block list, but a way to temporarily hide people from social interactions on each session.

The other big change is that in 2021, Minecraft Java Edition will be moving to the Microsoft account system as announced in a blog post. Any new players who create an account starting "this Fall" will instead be sent to a Microsoft account rather than Mojang, whereas every existing account will get a notification about moving over at some point which they're doing in batches and not all at once. After that, they're also giving out a special cape to players who transfer as a reward for being an original MC player.

What's the point of this? Well, it keeps all Microsoft owned games under one account and Microsoft security will be better with their account system compared with Mojang's original system. It's hard to argue against that.

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Samsai Oct 22, 2020
Quoting: Shroobster
Quoting: HoriAnd no, an open-source game doesn't provide freedom.

Thank you. You understood it. Open source in games has nothing to do with open source in software like a video editor or an operating system. People who (only) play open source games because they're open source shouldn't be allowed to play games.
Nothing about this is a coherent or a productive argument, it's just weird gate-keeping. We shouldn't judge games purely by whether or not they are open source, but arguing that it shouldn't factor at all makes no sense. And saying people who enjoy open source games shouldn't be allowed to play games is just being hostile for no purpose.

And in regard to Minetest, it's bare-bones but provides a decent technical base and people have managed to build decent games on top of it. I can't help but imagine that the people levying heavy critique towards it have only played it in its base configuration. Is it as good as Minecraft? Probably not, but that doesn't mean it can't be a decent gaming experience, if for nobody else than those not wanting to put up with Microsoft's nonsense.
tomaszg Oct 22, 2020
Quoting: HoriAnd from what people have to say about Minetest the only conclusion I can draw is that those who enjoy it enjoy it only because it's open-source, free, or non-Microsoft. Which is just wrong. A game should be enjoyed for what it has to offer. And no, an open-source game doesn't provide freedom.
Me and my son enjoy it. We also enjoy many non-free games (like e.g. Supraland or Lego series). Granted we never played original Minecraft (and we never will from the look of things).
Al3s Oct 22, 2020
Quoting: crumblesI had my account deleted the day Microsoft bought Mojang. This makes me smile.

yeah, you only had to wait 6 years without playing the game until you became right
PickleJarBob Oct 22, 2020
First of all, saying open source games in general suck is just mean towards all the great open source game projects out there, and i dont get why just because i enjoy games like mindustry i shouldnt be allowed to play games at all.

Second thing is, you do realise that minetest is an engine and not a game? The minetestgame, is just to showcase the engine and give something people can build upon and is by no means a try on cloning minecraft. Mineclone2 is a Minetest based game that tries to clone the features of a certain Minecraft Version for example(even though not completed yet already enjoyable for some hours).
Dunc Oct 22, 2020
Quoting: Hori
Quoting: tmtvlIf there ever were a reason to switch to Minetest, this is it.
While I appreciate the project, and that was the first Minecraft-like "game" I played (even before Minecraft itself), it at best provides 1% or less of what Minecraft has.
I was about to ask, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and just say it: you haven't played the Minceclone mod.
Shroobster Oct 22, 2020
Quoting: SamsaiNothing about this is a coherent or a productive argument, it's just weird gate-keeping. We shouldn't judge games purely by whether or not they are open source, but arguing that it shouldn't factor at all makes no sense. And saying people who enjoy open source games shouldn't be allowed to play games is just being hostile for no purpose.

Quoting: PickleJarBobFirst of all, saying open source games in general suck is just mean towards all the great open source game projects out there, and i dont get why just because i enjoy games like mindustry i shouldnt be allowed to play games at all.

I never said that open source games suck. Also I never said that people who play open source games shouldn't be allowed to play games.
I said people who only play open source games because they are open source and boycotting proprietary games shouldn't be allowed to play games.


Quoting: SamsaiAnd in regard to Minetest, it's bare-bones but provides a decent technical base and people have managed to build decent games on top of it. I can't help but imagine that the people levying heavy critique towards it have only played it in its base configuration. Is it as good as Minecraft? Probably not, but that doesn't mean it can't be a decent gaming experience, if for nobody else than those not wanting to put up with Microsoft's nonsense.

Quoting: PickleJarBobSecond thing is, you do realise that minetest is an engine and not a game? The minetestgame, is just to showcase the engine and give something people can build upon and is by no means a try on cloning minecraft. Mineclone2 is a Minetest based game that tries to clone the features of a certain Minecraft Version for example(even though not completed yet already enjoyable for some hours).

I just played Minetest again and it's still awful. And it will be forever bad. It doesn't matter if it wants to clone Minecraft or not. It's still trash.


And a message to everyone who doesn't want to play Minecraft anymore because of the Microsoft thing:
Take of your tin foil hat.


Last edited by Shroobster on 22 October 2020 at 1:58 pm UTC
rcrit Oct 22, 2020
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I can't say I'm too keen on having to use a MS account either. My only experience with MS accounts is on the X-Box and it isn't great. Creating and managing a linked account for my son was bad and killed the unboxing experience. And I'm reminded every time I go to log in where it takes 10-20 seconds for the password prompt to appear.
Samsai Oct 22, 2020
Quoting: ShroobsterI never said that open source games suck. Also I never said that people who play open source games shouldn't be allowed to play games.
I said people who only play open source games because they are open source and boycotting proprietary games shouldn't be allowed to play games.
Still an incoherent argument, particularly since I don't think anybody "plays a game because it's open source", at least not purely. Also, boycotting proprietary games is a perfectly valid stance, similar to boycotting proprietary software in general. There are perfectly reasonable arguments to hold that stance and I have no idea why you are being so hostile towards people who think that way.

Quoting: ShroobsterI just played Minetest again and it's still awful. And it will be forever bad. It doesn't matter if it wants to clone Minecraft or not. It's still trash.
You don't seem to be reading what others are saying and thus your comments come across bitter and unproductive. I'd suggest you drop it.


Last edited by Samsai on 22 October 2020 at 2:07 pm UTC
garpu Oct 22, 2020
I really want minetest to succeed, but it just doesn't have the depth of play that Minecraft has. Granted, minecraft has been around longer, so it's got more depth--that is, there are things to do at every stage of the game. Minetest has come a long way, but the mods just aren't there. There are mods and games, but a lot of them aren't fleshed out or finished. Maybe once Minetest is around as long as Minecraft is things will change, but for now Minetest remains a game I pick up and play for 20 minutes every 6 months or so.
DebianUser Oct 22, 2020
Quoting: tomaszg
Quoting: HoriAnd from what people have to say about Minetest the only conclusion I can draw is that those who enjoy it enjoy it only because it's open-source, free, or non-Microsoft. Which is just wrong. A game should be enjoyed for what it has to offer. And no, an open-source game doesn't provide freedom.
Me and my son enjoy it. We also enjoy many non-free games (like e.g. Supraland or Lego series). Granted we never played original Minecraft (and we never will from the look of things).

Never tested Minetest, but i want to try.
I have seen that Minetest is not a game by itself but a sort of engine/base for MC like games.
I have understand that in order to play in minetest, it will require some mods to have a game.

Any suggestions on must-have mods ? What are you using ? Thx
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