Please use this for discussion on Mojangs EULA.

Hi guys, interesting situation we've had lately...


Thought it might be prudent to post a link to the new EULA Q&A for those who haven't seen it:

https://mojang.com/2014/06/lets-talk-server-monetisation-the-follow-up-qa/


Here's hoping for a swift and resolute solution to our issues. Stay Crazy, Fools.

Hello!

I would just like to add on a few links related to the EULA:

#SaveMinecraft
EULA Thread - Reddit
Grumm's views on the change

And also, a video

Can I sell “kits” for hard currency if I provide a balanced alternative for non-paying users?
If the “kits” contain gameplay-affecting features they are not allowed. Gameplay balance is not relevant to the EULA. If the items included in the kit are purely cosmetic, you can charge real money/hard currency.

Then the question is.. what defines cosmetic?

Can I sell ranks on my server?
Yes. Ranks are allowed so long as any perks gained are cosmetic. Coloured names, prefixes, special hats etc. are fine.

So the ranks are fine.

Can I charge for access to server commands?
Yes, as long as their effects are purely cosmetic. Commands that affect gameplay, such as a command to fly, cannot be sold for hard currency.

So no /warp and such it seems..

All this feels like Mojang has gotten a little too big for it's own good, to be honest. This is pretty much a kick in the balls for all the server owners out there who have spent a lot of time and money to run a server, and promoted Minecraft for all these years.

It's their creation and they have the right to dictate what happens to it, but without the community's support they are nothing. Without people like Broonie to run servers, and the donators who contribute to the costs of just that, they are nothing.

In my opinion, Minecraft is in the hands of the community that supports it and helped fund and build it into what it is today and should remain free of corporate dictatorship. The way a server is run should be in the hands of the ones that are part of it, not the ones who collect a paycheck thanks to it.


I might not play Minecraft anymore but I'll always be part of CFUK, and I don't think anything should change. This server is what it is thanks to the people that run it and contribute to it on a daily basis (and I'm proud to speak from experience when I say this is done with great dedication, no matter how difficult it may be at times), Mojang can't do anything to change that.

Here's a strip from a comic i read at times. Sums it up rather nicely i think.

*OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS*

The easiest (and legal) change would be to set a target for each day, say 1/x per day of the month, or 1/y per week of the month.

x meaning number of days in the month, or y meaning weeks of the month.

So lets make up an easy number (a fair bit more than the monthly cost of the server), £50, and choose a 28-day month.

The per-day goal may be too finicky over a per-week goal, but we'll run with it for an example.

So set a target on the website, to unlock donator features, £1.79 (50 / 28) must be donated on that day by the community to unlock current-donator features for ALL members *BY* the following day.

Therefore all members have the privileges, no-one is paying for exclusive access, no-one is paying to gain an advantage, if someone donates for the community, the whole community reap the reward and the lifespan of the server is increased.

Say someone donates £10, then that member has unlocked *donator* access for the whole server for 5 days, with .58 of whatever left over contributing towards the next day that hasn't met the goal.

Since we can add cosmetic things, we can exclusively thank that member by:
- Giving the contributor a special colour/tag
- Thanking and showing appreciation them in game for there generous donation with relaying messages/a special thank you on the website

And I'm sure other nice things in games we can all do/show to show our appreciation.

I'd be k with that o.o
But I dont donate atm so I don't think I have much say in the matter of this...

/moneybutnopaypal

Would work broonie , maybe implement a time based period before people can gain the donator rewards , that should work ( and obviously be linked also)

From what I understand of the whole thing, you could give donators x amount of "soft currency" in-game when they donate with "hard currency", which they automatically use to "buy" (with their "soft currency") the donator command pack upgrade.

EDIT: Scrap that idea ... just re-read it all again ... I think they need their head's checking if they think this EULA is going to work for them rather than against them!

EDIT 2: If you consider any basic server as it is, everyone get's the same features (non-donators, donators, helpers, etc.). Once someone donates to help with the costs of a server, they are just putting "hard currency" into the server, but they are not sponsoring it or paying for advertising space - they are just trying to help keep the server running.

Ok ... So you can sell Ranks, so you can still have Donator / VIP / etc. ranks which don't come with anything other than "cosmetic changes" (i.e. change in name colour).

However, as "all features" must be available to all players, I would suggest that all donator commands are given to non-donators ... but the non-donators can only use them let's say 10 times a month (per command), and once a month for VIP commands.

The EULA makes no mention for limited use of all commends, or the use of staff commands that are required to administer the server (so staff commands should be exempt). Therefore, everyone has access to all the commands, but it's limited to those who can't (or decide not to) donate.

Sorry to double post, but just thought of a very simple solution around all this ... twinned servers ... i.e. a Vanilla server for non-donators (though donators can play too without their commands), and a Vanilla server for donators and above only.

You can do the same for any of the other CFUK servers.

All commands would remain in effect for staff members (for all servers) as they would need them to administer the servers / fix breakages (via kits).

Soul, your second post sounds like it would split the community :/ not so much for that one.

The first one I'd also be k with o.o

Soul's idea could work, considering the chats can be linked just like vanilla is linked with FTB to still have the community be able to chat as a whole. But yea, it would make one world less populated than the other and could be somewhat boring depending on the non-donator / donator ratio.. And would of course limit the actual physical interaction of players in-game.

No offence but the idea of two separate servers sound like the idea of the poor and the rich getting quality and the poor greifing but the idea of having no advattages over each other is good.Again this is only my personal view

My idea of two seperate servers is not intended to split the community - I'm just trying to find a way to keep CFUK servers populated, and still comply with the silly EULA. I do realise that it kind-of splits the community up - which is not what any of us want.

I'm more in favor of my first idea to allow everyone donator commands, but limit the number of uses for non-donators. I realise that this could also be seen as "tempting" or even "pressuring" non-donators to "pay-up", but how else could we get around this stupid EULA.

...

Overall .. my basic thoughts come down to the simple fact that this blows serious chunks!
i know saying that brings down the whole mature feel of this conversation but its true.
What isnt broken doesnt need to be fixed!

They are screwing servers over and forcing change! its horrible!

I'm not sure of the outcome, but the only two features I really care about as a donator are /warp and /top. Personally, the ability to get free items isn't that useful or fun to be honest.

I spend most of my time in ftb these days anyway, so I'm not too concerned about it. But in vanilla its nice to be able to jump around to visit people on occasion.

How do we keep this with the eula changes?

If you all haven't already, please read Broonie's news post on the CFUK news feed, or click HERE to jump to that news post directly before commenting further.

The reason for me saying this is that Broonie has now decided a course of action based on our responses here that will allow us to fall inline with the Mojang EULA whilst still keeping the CFUK "spirit".

To summarise Broonie's post, we will have to reach a weekly goal in donations for the cost of running the server - if it's met, everyone get's donator status (and all the commands and perks that go with it) ... but only donators get the coloured names and other "cosmetic" bonuses ... But don't just take my word - please read Broonie's full post carefully before commenting further (or perhaps this should be a new topic???)


But back to the subject of the Mojang EULA ... I totally agree that it's screwing with loads of servers that offer an honest and fair donation system (like CFUK's), compared to stopping the odd few rip-off merchants. I personally think they should have set price limits as to what you can charge, so rogue servers would be forced to change or shut down ... not all servers :'(

I will reiterate my first thoughts. Leave the policy as donators receive VIP tag as reward. Remove reward list from web site. Give current VIPs warps as reward for being just being players.

WebmasterMC

I agree with this (I think Mega also mentioned it..)
Give the current privileges to players based on time spent on cfuk and to keep the donations flowing in, add some that as Broonie mentioned, whole server would get if we reach the donation goal..
That way old and good players will be rewarded for their support and time spent on cfuk and u would give some incentive so that people will still donate..
So I suggest leaving some commands for players that have "earned" them by spending lots of time and keeping CFUK alive, but also provide some commands (or only kits etc) if the monthly donation goal has been reached..

I wrote a bit hastily, but I hope most will understand my point
I think this could work great, it will keep old and faithful players happy and keep the donations going.. (maybe ramp up the kits whole server gets if donation goal is met or maybe make a suggestion page for rewards so we come up with some creative ones.)

One thing I wanted to add,
As much as I also think kits, warps etc can make the game easier and less fun (makes traps and some other in game things useless), I also wouldn't like to spend that much time traveling to other players bases (especially in vanilla, since using magnetic force in monster can tp u to other players and it's cheap to make)

By chance the eula agreement is tomorrow good luck all and hope to see you soon