Friday 25 December 2015

Merry Christmas!

I hope you've all enjoyed the advent gifts, if you thought that the 2 x Bullion on the 23rd and 2 x Flight Cube's for Christmas Eve were good then you'll love today's final gift... a huge token bundle to spend on whatever you want in the Token Store at spawn!

You've got until midnight tonight to claim the final advent gift which includes... 20 x Bronze Tokens, 15 x Silver Tokens & 10 x Gold Tokens!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and an awesome new year!

Enjoy!

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Christmas Sale now on!

A couple of people asked about this in the recent feedback survey so here it is, the DiggyVerse Christmas Sale!

For the next ten days you can get our best ever deal on VIP and Donator ranks as well as our Tip Package, here's the details...

VIP Package - 20% off - normally £25, now £20!

Donator Package - 20% off - normally £15, now £12!

Tip Package - double up bonus, get twice the usual items and money!

The sale ends midnight on 1st January so if you've been holding off on donating now is the time to do it!

Christmas Countdown - Double Gifts!

Christmas is getting closer and as today is the 22nd all Advent gifts from today until the 24th are being doubled!

So, following the Beehive from yesterday, and starting off the double gifts today, is... two Diggyolite Blocks!

Enjoy!

Sunday 20 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Day 20!

We've now reached day 20 of the Christmas countdown!

Here's a list of what the Advent kit has given out each day since I posted on the 10th...

11th - Cookie Jar
12th - Coin Cast
13th - Ender Link
14th - Doggy Charm
15th - Mystery Block Plus
16th - Magic Apple Juice
17th - Adamantine Orb
18th - Tartarite Enchanter
19th - Backpack Restorer

What's today's free gift? An Essence Stone!

Don't forget to come back every day to claim your free gift, the last 5 days will be the best gifts by far!

Enjoy!

Friday 18 December 2015

Questionnaire Results

We had some great feedback via the latest questionnaire, so thanks again to everyone who completed it!

Here's a summary of what you guys had to say and how it's influencing development of DiggyVerse 2.0...

How old are you?

As always we had quite a spread of ages, with around 60% of our players being under 17 and the rest being fairly evenly split between the other age groups. No real change here!

What types of Minecraft servers do you regularly play on?

More than 80% of you said you play on PvE / Explore and build servers like ours, around 60% play on Minigame based servers, 40% on Creative / Build servers, 20% on Adventure servers and not a single player on PvP / Fractions servers.

What types of Minecraft servers do you play on the most?

More than 70% of you said you spend most of your time on  PvE / Explore and build servers, 20% on Adventure servers and 10% on Creative / Build servers. As you'd expect no-one said PvP / Fractions servers and only a single player said Minigames servers.

Based on the last couple of questions and other comments we won't really be making any major changes to the way we do things, the server will continue to be build / explore focused with a separate minigame world etc.

Roughly how long have you played on DiggyMinecraft / DiggyVerse servers?

Just over 40% of you have been part of our community for more than 4 years, 20% for 3 to 4 years, 20% for 2 to 3 years and 15% for 1 to 2 years. Just 5% of you are new players that have joined us within the last year. 

I wasn't really surprised by this, with me being so busy over the past year or so we never really did much advertising to attract new players, it's good to see so many long term players completed the questionnaire though, hopefully I can catch up with the rest of you all very soon!

Do you use the official 64x texture pack (based on BDcraft/Sphax)?

80% of you said that you use the 64x texture pack, maintaining this will continue to be a priority for DiggyVerse 2.0, in fact I've been busy working on this over the last week and have already made over 400 new textures myself as well as adding thousands of others made by other members of the BDCraft community. The pack will be slightly larger than the current one (probably around 15-20%) but it shouldn't be a problem for most players.

Do you use the OptiFine mod when playing DiggyVerse?

The number of players using OptiFine has dropped to around 40%. The author still does not want it being included in modpacks but we will provide a link to a DiggyVerse 2.x compatible version as we do now for DiggyVerse1.x.

How likely are you to donate to the server in 2015/2016?

40% of you said you will definitely donate, with the rest being undecided, no-one said they would definitely not donate.

Have you ever donated to any of our servers in the past?

35% of you said you donated in the past.

Do you regularly play on the DiggyVerse 1.x server?

60% of you said you play for more than 10 hours a week, 40% for less than 10 hours a week. No-one said they no longer play on the server regularly.

What is your favourite DiggyVerse 1.x feature?

The most mentioned features were the elevator blocks, parachutes and flight stone. Although, the majority just said something like "everything" so it looks like we're on the right track!

What is your least favourite DiggyVerse 1.x feature?

The most mentioned feature was actually Tinkers Construct, which is interesting as it was also the most requested feature when we started putting the modpack together! It seems Tinkers is the marmite of mods, you either love it or hate it! The vast majority of people just said "nothing" or something similar. A couple of people mentioned the need for more mobs, which is something I'm working on already!

Do you make use of our minigame world?

60% of you said you use it regularly, 20% occasionally and 20% never. 

Obviously the minigame world will continue to be a major feature of the server!

Do you make use of the features available in the Diggybrines Realm adventure world (free portals, regenerating mines etc)?

30% said regularly, 30% said occasionally, 25% said no but they might in the future and just 15% said no.

This feature will be changing a lot when we update to 1.7.10 and is going to be rebuilt from scratch. It was something new that we wanted to try and while some features worked well others weren't so popular, we've learned from it and hopefully the revamp will appeal to more players! Based on feedback regarding PvP this will not feature as it does now.

Do you have a vault in VaultWorld?

Only 10% of players said yes. We'll be encouraging people to get a vault over the coming weeks as it will be the only way to transfer items over from DiggyVerse 1.x to 2.x, keep an eye on the site as we'll be posting a list of what you can transfer in the new year. If you don't already have one I'd suggest getting one sooner rather than later so you can start thinking about how much stuff you'll be able to transfer.

What is your favourite mob added by DiggysMobs?

More than 50% of you said Mushlings, 20% said Cactlings, 20% said Damned Warrior and 10% said Reaper. The mobs I made using custom models are definitely the most popular and you'll be pleased to know more are coming in DiggyVerse 2.0!

DiggyVerse 2.0 will be a major update based on Minecraft 1.7.10 and with a more magical theme (including Thaumcraft), do you think this will make you want to play more?

More than 80% of you said that you think the update to 1.7.10 will make you want to play more, which is great!

Is their anything you would specifically like to see added to the modpack in version 2.0? 

Quite  a lot of different mods and features got suggested here, too many to list them all! 

A few people mentioned Mo Creatures as some unofficial (and very dodgy) sites are claiming the author now allows it to be use in modpacks, I can confirm that this is definitely not the case and so we cannot include it.

I don't want to give too many spoilers at this point but so far at least 3 suggested mods (which we hadn't already planned to include) are definitely being added. Several feature requests are also being added to my own mods, including more advanced elevators and more passive mobs, which several people requested.

Is their anything you would specifically like to see added to the DiggysStuff or DiggysMobs mods?

The most requested thing by far was more mobs, mostly passive but a surprising number of people also requested more hostile mobs and even a custom boss. I must admit I quite like the idea of adding a custom boss and I'll be giving it a lot of thought!

A couple of players also suggested a custom enchantment, with one request being very specific. It's something I've not seen done in any other mod and I do like the idea so I'm looking into whether it will be possible for me to do!

Custom biomes were also a popular request, especially fairly flat biomes as they are great for large builds etc. I can confirm that I've already added two new biomes, both of which are very flat and I'm working on ideas for one or two more. Obviously this is something I need to get done before the update launches as I can't add new biomes after the worlds have been generated, so this is a top priority at the moment!

Other feedback...

Thanks for all the comments here it was great to see so many positive comments!


Thanks once more to everyone who completed the questionnaire, your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Wednesday 16 December 2015

DiggyVerse 2.0 Feedback

The DiggyVerse 2.0 feedback questionnaire is now closed! 

A big thank you to everyone who filled it out, you've given us some great ideas and inspired some interesting new items / blocks for my own mods.

Thanks again!

Thursday 10 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Day 10!

We've already reached day 10 of the Christmas countdown.

Here's a list of what the Advent kit has given out each day so far...

1st - Platinum Chest
2nd - Magic Cake
3rd - Diamond Fishing Rod
4th - Emerald Block
5th - Slender Pearl
6th - Project Bench
7th - Large Coin Stack
8th - Mystery Block
9th - Steel Furnace

What's today's free gift? A Diamond Block!

Don't forget to come back every day to claim your free gift, the best are yet to come.

Enjoy!

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Nevs New Cabin

Remember the cabin entrance to the underground base 
built by Nevs010 and DigginChickin?

Well, the cabin has had a makeover...






Another great example of the awesomeness of
Carpenters Blocks!

  Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we
use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

Monday 7 December 2015

Feedback Reminder

If you haven't already completed the DiggyVerse 2.0 feedback survey then here's the link...


We really would appreciate it if you could take just a few minutes to complete it, as always all your feedback will be read and considered. 

This survey will close on 16th December*!

It's been a month since we first posted the link and things are moving along very quickly now, with several changes already made based on player feedback.

Remember, this is your chance to give us your opinions before some of the big decisions are made and things begin being finalized, so don't miss your chance to inspire big changes!

*Changed from 14th to 16th due to player request!

Tuesday 1 December 2015

Christmas Countdown!

Christmas has arrived at spawn and the Christmas countdown has begun!



At spawn you'll find two boards where you can claim a different  free gift every day using the Advent kit sign! The free gifts are available to players of every rank, even new players.


Just like a regular advent calendar this event will run until December 25th, meaning that you can claim up to 25 different free gifts!

Edit: A couple of people mailed me to ask what time the gift will change, it will vary a little but will be around midnight UK time.

Enjoy!

Scheduled Downtime

The server is down for maintenance as follows:
  1. Full backup/clone - Complete.
  2. Clean out old logs and data - Complete.
Scheduled Downtime:
Date: 30/10/15
Started:  10:00 am (UK)
Finished:  11:00 am (UK)

The server is now back up and you can connect!

Monday 30 November 2015

Scheduled Maintenance

The server will be down for maintenance tomorrow as follows:
  1. Full backup/clone.
  2. Clean out old logs and data.
Scheduled Downtime:
Date: 01/12/15
Est Start:  10:00 am (UK)
Est Finish:  11:00 am (UK)

Friday 27 November 2015

1.7.10 Update - Your Questions Answered

As promised here are some answers to questions asked via the feedback form, along with some extra information...
  • Will player name changes be supported in DiggyVerse 2.0?
    • Yes! Being based on 1.7.10 name changes will be fully supported.
  • Will player ranks be changing?
    • No, we have no plans to change ranks. Players will also keep their current ranks 
  • Will all the worlds on the server need to be reset?
    • When I built Game World, Vault World etc I deliberately only used blocks from either my own mods or Vanilla Minecraft, so these worlds will not need to be reset. That said I have started work on a new, and much improved, Spawn World. 

      However, due to changes in mods and additional world generation both player worlds (the main world and Veteran World) will have to be reset. You won't loose everything though, nearer the time I will post details of what blocks/items can be kept if stored in Vault world!
  • Will player data be reset?
    • The way player data is stored changed a lot in Minecraft 1.7 and so will be reset. However, in game money balances will be transferred and all players will get a free nickname change as well as keeping any additional commands bought through the Upgrade Store at spawn. We're also working on a way of compensating players based on time and effort put into existing builds (free materials etc).
  • Will any advertising be done before the upgrade?
    • After talking to a few players about this I've decided to hold off on advertising until the upgrade is completed, mainly as the player worlds will be resetting. I have noticed quite a few new players joining over the last couple of weeks though and obviously players still have plenty of time to explore the modpack, build up money, progress through the ranks, etc, before the upgrade.
  • When will live testing start and can players help?
    • As with DiggyVerse 1.0 all testing during the alpha stage will be done by myself, DigginChickin, DiggityDuck & Diggybrine. Tatankore will once again be assisting in texture design and mod feature testing. Beta testing (expected to start in the new year) will initially only be open to staff, with a small number of selected players being invited to help once we believe that most bugs are ironed out and further world resets will be unnecessary.
  • Will there be a long downtime (days/weeks) for the switch?
    • This is a tricky one to answer at the moment, it really depends on how much work is involved and how smoothly things go, it's unlikely that the server would be down for more than 48 hours, and it could take as little as 2 hours. Changes to the network configuration will mean that players outside the UK/EU are likely experience a slightly longer downtime though.
  • Will player referral bonuses be returning?
    • As some people will remember this was very buggy for 1.6.4, I will definitely be trying this again with 1.7.10 and hopefully the bugs will have been fixed. Basically, I can't promise it will return but I'll definitely try and get it working!
Well that covers everything I've been asked so far, if you have any more questions though please do include them on the feedback form or drop me an email!

Wednesday 25 November 2015

Version 1.3.6a Released!

Main changes in this version:
  • Updated DiggysStuff to 1.6.0d (was 1.6.0c):
    • Added crafting tweaks to fix Chisel issue reported by nevs010; glowstone dropped by Chisel blocks can now be used to re-craft glowstone blocks and books dropped by Chisel blocks can now be used to re-craft bookshelves.
  • DiggysMobs (no version change):
    • Improved Mushling sounds.
As always you can find full details in the Changelog on Technic Platform.

This is a mandatory update and is required to join the server!
    Enjoy!

    Saturday 21 November 2015

    Feedback Update

    Thanks to everyone that has already completed the DiggyVerse 2.0 feedback form!

    If you haven't completed it yet but would like to it's not too late, you can find the form here.

    Here's some examples of what I've been working on based on your feedback so far:

    Based on the DiggyVerse 1.x feedback;
    • More custom mobs, especially passive ones.
    So far I've already completed 7 additional mobs, all based on custom models! Of these, 3 have variants with different textures etc, 5 are passive and 2 are aggressive (well, 1 is only aggressive if you get too close!).
    • A simple way to trap and transport animals.
    It took a lot of work but I've come up with a way of doing this which keeps it simple and works for every passive mob I've tried it on (including ones from other mods), I finally finished this feature a few days ago.
    • More custom features for The End.
    I'm still working on this but so far I've added 2 new blocks to the End world generation, one of which is used for a surface feature. What are they and what are they used for? Well you'll have to wait and see!
    • An alternative way of obtaining wither skulls.
    I finished work on this last week, they're a little risky to obtain if you're going solo but I didn't want to make it too easy! Again I don't want to give too much away yet so watch this space.

    Based on the DiggyVerse 2.x feedback so far;

    Obviously I don't want to give too much away at this early stage but to give you an idea of how your feedback has influenced things so far...
    • Currently 2 additional mods are being included based on your suggestions.
    • Based on a feature request 1 mod has been removed, instead I've added similar features to my Diggys Stuff mod... but with some major enhancements!
    • I've added a couple of new world generation features for the Nether to my Diggys Stuff mod.
    • I've started work on 2 new mobs based on suggestions, 1 passive and 1 aggressive.
    • I'm working on adding a couple Tekkit Classic inspired functional blocks, with a twist, which a couple of players mentioned they really missed and I agree would be great to have.
    Sorry it's gone a bit quiet on here again, I've been very busy coding away and creating the hundreds of new textures needed for DiggyVerse 2.0. I'll be posting more information soon and answering some questions asked via the feedback form so keep checking back! 

    Tuesday 10 November 2015

    Nevs010 Armor Collection

    Nevs010 has finally completed his armor collection,
    which even includes the recently added Spectral Armor...


     

    Good use of mod blocks for decoration too, simple but effective!


    Walking by you'd never suspect that such an epic build was hidden 
    away underneath this small cabin!

      Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we
    use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

    Friday 6 November 2015

    Feedback For DiggyVerse 2.0

    As promised here is a link to an initial questionnaire to help us with the development of DiggyVerse 2.0... 


    We really would appreciate it if you could take just a few minutes to complete it, as always all your feedback will be read and considered. 

    It's likely that at least one more questionnaire will be posted before the launch of DiggyVerse 2.0. However... this one is your chance to give us your opinions before some of the big decisions are made and things begin being finalized, so don't miss your chance to inspire big changes!

    Sunday 1 November 2015

    Player Feedback

    I've closed the current DiggyVerse Player FeedBack form, many thanks to all those who responded over the last year as the modpack developed!

    I'll be opening a new feedback form soon to collect your feedback on the upcoming 1.7.10 update, but first I want to go over what I've already collected as most of the feedback will still be relevant.

    Ideas from the feedback that I'm already working on include:
    • More custom mobs, especially passive ones.
    • A simple way to trap and transport animals.
    • More custom features for The End.
    • An alternative way of obtaining wither skulls.
    I'm also working on a few ideas of my own and, of course, trying out different combinations of Magic related mods.

    As well as the new feedback form, which should appear in a few days, I will also be posting polls to let you all have a say in the direction of DiggyVerse 2.0 so remember to keep checking back if you'd like to have your say!

    Friday 30 October 2015

    Scheduled Downtime

    The server is down for maintenance as follows:
    1. Full backup/clone - Completed.
    2. Clean out old logs and data - Completed.
    Scheduled Downtime:
    Date: 30/10/15
    Started:  10:00 am (UK)
    Finished:  10:30 am (UK)

    The server is back up and you can now connect!

    Thursday 29 October 2015

    Scheduled Maintenance

    The server will be down for maintenance tomorrow as follows:
    1. Full backup/clone.
    2. Clean out old logs and data.
    Scheduled Downtime:
    Date: 30/10/15
    Est Start:  10:00 am (UK)
    Est Finish:  11:00 am (UK)

    Monday 26 October 2015

    Triple Win For DiggityDuck!

    It was definitely a very lucky day for DiggityDuck,
    he scored a triple win on the slots at spawn! 




    Well done!

      Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we
    use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

    Sunday 18 October 2015

    Nevs' & Diggin's Underground Base

    Nevs' sent me some screenshots of their new underground base, 
    it's still a work in progress but it's looking amazing so far!




    This is definitely one of the best uses of Carpenters Blocks I've seen for a while
     and it looks great combined with the Chisel textures...


    The coloured glowstone blends in really well too!






    Looking around you can already spot items from various other mods
    too, especially Tinkers and Metallurgy... 



    That's one seriously impressive build already!

      Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we
    use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

    Wednesday 14 October 2015

    Version 1.3.6 released!

    Main changes in this version:
    • Updated DiggysMobs to 1.3.2a (was 1.3.2):
      • Improved bounding (hit) boxes for all mobs.
      • Ectoplasm Block & Slender Quartz potion effects tweaked.
      • Spectre & Mushling code overhaul.
      • Several other minor code tweaks.
    • Updated DiggysStuff to 1.6.0c (was 1.6.0b):
      • Purple Endstone (including Diggyolite ore version) now cannot be broken by Ender Dragon.
      • Several other minor code tweaks.
    As always you can find full details in the Changelog on Technic Platform.

    This is a mandatory update and is required to join the server!
      Enjoy!

      Monday 12 October 2015

      GameWorld - Free Bread For Parkour!

      We noticed that some players were getting a little frustrated due to starving whilst 
      trying to complete the Parkour minigames, so we made a little change...


      You can now get unlimited free bread at the starting points!

      Just right-click the sign and you can take as much as you want.

      Enjoy!

      Wednesday 7 October 2015

      Done Studying & 1.7.10

      Well I've finally completed my degree (results due in December) and I'm gradually getting around to doing all the things I put off over the last year to concentrate on my final project!

      Despite being bogged down recently the modpack is stable, all the kinks are ironed out (except for a couple of relatively small unfixable bugs, like any modpack) so now I can just get on with adding new content to my mods and advertising to attract new players.

      That said, lots of people have mentioned in the feedback over the last year that they would like to see us move to Minecraft 1.7.10, mainly so we can support name changes.

      We did actually start putting together a test version of the modpack, based on 1.7.10, about 6 months ago when a few of the major mods were finally updated. I'm pleased to say that most of the mods we currently have in the current 1.6.4 version have also updated since then, although a few have decided not to.

      I've spent some time over the last few days updating my own mods to 1.7.10, which was actually a huge task, as well as starting work on new ones which will replace those not being updated (meaning that 6-7 of my own mods will be included in the update). 

      So, although we still have a lot of work to do a 1.7.10 update is in the works for release in 2016. I'll give a more specific time once we have started more in depth testing.

      This doesn't mean that I'll stop updating the current 1.6.4 version though. 

      My modding skills have come a long way since I started writing the current mods and rewriting code for 1.7.10 has highlighted a few things that could be improved in the current version, I've also been trying out some new ideas for features which I intend to 'backport' to 1.6.4.

      The 1.7.10 update will also include some major new additions! Based on player feedback we've decided that the modpack should have a more magical aspect to it.

      As well as complimenting some of the existing mods this would add more depth and a huge number of new possibilities. I don't want to reveal too much at this stage (as a lot can change during testing) but this will include the addition of Thaumcraft and other complimentary mods.

      Hopefully I'll see you in game soon!

      Monday 28 September 2015

      Teleporting Between & Within Worlds

      I've made several changes this morning based on a bug fix regarding teleportation, you can now;
      • Use /home to leave Diggybrines Realm, as well as /spawn (you cannot return using /back).
      • Teleport directly between Vault World and the main world / Veteran World.
      • Use /tpa to teleport in and out of GameWorld spawn from the main world  / Veteran World.
      Enjoy!

      Scheduled Downtime

      The server is down for maintenance as follows:
      1. Full backup/clone - Completed.
      2. Clean out old logs and data  - Completed.
      3. Test some plugin config tweaks - Completed.
      Scheduled Downtime:
      Date: 28/09/15
      Started:  10:30 am (UK)
      Finished:  11:30 am (UK)

      The maintenance is complete and the server is back up!

      Sunday 27 September 2015

      Scheduled Maintenance

      The server will be down for maintenance tomorrow as follows:
      1. Full backup/clone.
      2. Clean out old logs and data.
      3. Test some plugin config tweaks.
      Scheduled Downtime:
      Date: 28/09/15
      Est Start:  10:30 am (UK)*
      Est Finish:  11:30 am (UK)

      *This is a bit later than originally posted (10:00 am) as I got a little delayed!

      Monday 21 September 2015

      Stalking Tatankore

      Tatankore was minding his own business making some changes to his base
      when he spotted this guy watching him...


      Slenderman!

      Apparently he stood on that corner for 5 minutes watching him and then decided 
      to teleport down and follow him around for the next 10 minutes!

      In Tat's words... 

      "seriously creepy, every time I looked around he was staring at me...
      was too scared to try and kill him though cos I didn't have armor on...
      he's still in the house somewhere... I keep hearing him =/"


       Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we
      use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

      Thursday 17 September 2015

      Version 1.3.5b released!

      Main changes in this version:
      • Updated DiggysStuff to 1.6.0a (was 1.6.0); 
        • Flight Stone & Flight Cube tweaks (including bug fix).
        • "Flight (Stone)" potion effect has been renamed to "Flight (Essence)".
      As always you can find full details in the Changelog on Technic Platform.

      What you need to know:
      • Flight Cube now requires you to have a Flight Stone on your hotbar, just like when using Flight Essence.
      • Disconnecting and reconnecting whilst either Flight potion effect is active no longer leaves you unable to fly until either the timer resets or you change worlds (bug removed from Bugs page!).

      This is a mandatory update and is required to join the server!

      Note: A small issue was found with 1.3.5b, so 1.3.5c was released as a quick fix.
      Enjoy!

      Saturday 12 September 2015

      Version 1.3.5a released!

      Main changes in this version:
      • Replaced some ChocoCraft textures, the purple chocobo is now actually purple! (you'll need to also update your texture pack to see the 64x version, see my previous post).
      • Updated DiggysStuff to 1.6.0 (was 1.5.9d); 
        • PS Blocks hardness increased by 20%.
        • Gravel wall, slab & stairs now harvest with shovel instead of pickaxe.
        • Added MC 1.9 inspired paths, available as gravel, dirt, cobblestone and mossy cobblestone, they can also be crafted with added glowstone for a half or full glow effect! 
        • Diggyolite Ingot introduced for consistency, affected recipes have been updated.
      • Updated DiggysMobs to 1.3.2 (was 1.3.1); 
        • Complete rewrite of code for Sandman & Damned Warrior.
        • Sandman loot drops now more consistent and they no longer target or attack villagers.
        • Damned warrior now slightly larger and no longer wears armor, instead it's part of their skin for efficiency and future update reasons. They no longer wield a sword, reducing their damage, but they always give Weakness II effect on attack.
      As always you can find full details in the Changelog on Technic Platform.




      This is a mandatory update and is required to join the server!

      Enjoy!

      Texture Pack 1.1.7 Released!

      A new version of our BDcraft texture pack has been released, version 1.1.7.

      Changes:

      This update includes 31 texture changes and a new addition for the new version of DiggyVerse (1.3.5a), being released shortly.


      Players who already have the texture pack can download a small upgrade patch rather than re-downloading the entire pack, just drag the contents of the patch into your existing 1.1.6 texture pack and you're ready to go:

      Click here to download the 1.1.6 to 1.1.7 upgrade patch

      If you're still using an older version than 1.1.6 you'll need to apply any other older upgrade patches in order of release.

      Enjoy!

      Friday 11 September 2015

      FragNet Maintenance - Server Down

      Fragnet are carrying out some maintenance and upgrading some of their systems. This shouldn't have affected our server but seemingly they are having some issues with a management interface update and have had to take  some servers, including ours, offline.

      It's been over two years since our server had any hosting related downtime and they tend to respond to things like this very quickly so hopefully they'll have it resolved soon, I'll update here when I know more.

      Update - 21:00: The server is online again and everything is fine.  

      Sunday 6 September 2015

      Fan Art By Nevs010

      Nevs010 sent me some fan art...


      ...nice work, thanks!

       Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we
      use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

      Saturday 5 September 2015

      New Launcher Artwork

      I've just added new artwork to the Technic Launcher, here's a preview...


      Since the update a while ago means that most of the background is hidden I've gone for something more plain, with the main artwork elements moved onto the logo instead as it's much larger. 

      I wanted to show more of the packs features too so I've added some artwork of DigginChickin wearing Diggyolite Armor, standing next to a golden chocobo!

      It can take some time for the new artwork to be downloaded to your launcher, if you want to get it straight away then you can delete the diggyverse folder found at:   .technic/assets/packs/diggyverse

      Thursday 3 September 2015

      Mob Spawners Now Changeable

      Players can now change the type of mob spawners!

      Here's the details you'll need to know (please read carefully);
      • As with mining and placing spawners players must be Citizen rank or above.
      • To change a spawner to a different type use: /spawner [mob]
      • They can only be changed into one of the mineable types;
        • Zombie, Skeleton, Spider & Cave Spider.
      • You can change either placed spawners that you are looking at or ones in your hand.
      • Changing the type of a spawner costs $5000, you will not charged if you try and change a spawner to the type it is already.
      • The cost is per use of the command, so if you are holding stacked spawners you can change all of them to the same type for the same price as one placed spawner.
      • Spawners can only be changed in the main world and Veteran World.
      Important: Region permissions are ignored when changing spawner type, this means other players can change your spawners even if they do not have build permission in your area. Due to the cost of the command this is unlikely to be an issue, however, it's a good idea to keep your spawners secure and build in a way that protects them from this possibility.

      Enjoy!

      Tuesday 1 September 2015

      Version 1.3.5 released!

      Main changes in this version:
      • Updated DiggysStuff to 1.5.9d (was 1.5.9c); EnderCreeper code clean up, added VIP block for DiggityDuck.
      • Updated DiggysMobs to 1.3.1 (was 1.3.0a); Reaper made slightly less aggressive (5% slower, 4% shorter follow range, 10% less damage dealt). Cursed Spectre spawn rate increased by 50%. Added Spectral Armor.
      As always you can find full details in the Changelog on Technic Platform.

      What is Spectral Armor? Here's what you'll need to know...


      • Wearing a full set prevents you from being targeted by Spectres & Reapers, basically by tricking them into thinking you are one of them!
      • Wearing a full set gives you Night Vision for as long as it's worn.
      • Wearing a full set gives you Hunger III, meaning you need to eat a lot of food to make up for all the energy the suit consumes! 

      This is a mandatory update and is required to join the server!

      Spectral Armor had been a work in progress for quite a while so I'm very happy to have finally been able to add it to the modpack.

      Enjoy!

      Texture Pack 1.1.6 Released!

      A new version of our BDcraft texture pack has been released, version 1.1.6.

      Changes:

      This small update includes 7 new textures added for the new version of DiggyVerse (1.3.5), being released shortly.


      Players who already have the texture pack can download a small upgrade patch rather than re-downloading the entire pack, just drag the contents of the patch into your existing 1.1.5 texture pack and you're ready to go:

      Click here to download the 1.1.5 to 1.1.6 upgrade patch

      Enjoy!

      Saturday 29 August 2015

      Silk Touch & Mob Spawners

      I've enabled an exciting new feature that I'm sure will prove very popular!

      Players of Citizen rank or higher can now mine dungeon and abandoned mine shaft mob spawners using the Silk Touch enchantment and place them wherever they want!

      Here's the details you'll need to know (please read carefully);
      • These features are only available to players of Citizen rank or above.
      • If you are below Citizen rank then the spawner will just be destroyed as usual.
      • If you are below Citizen rank you cannot place mob spawners.
      • The mineable and placeable spawners are; 
        • Zombie, Skeleton, Spider & Cave Spider.
      • Silverfish & Blaze spawners are not mineable, due to griefing potential.
      • The spawner will be destroyed unless your pickaxe has the Silk Touch enchantment.
      • Spawners can only be placed in the main world and Veteran World.
      Enjoy!

      Friday 28 August 2015

      Version 1.3.4c released!

      Main changes in this version:
      • Settings stored in options.txt are reset when the modpack is updated.
      • Updated DiggysStuff to 1.5.9c (was 1.5.9b); Major overhaul of EnderCreeper spawning mechanics.
      • GrowthCraft tweaks; Bee spawn rate reduced by 5% & Fishtrap loot rate increased by 15%.
      As always you can find full details in the Changelog on Technic Platform.


      Why reset the options.txt settings on update? - Here's what you need to know.. 

      I considered doing this in previous versions as it allows me to make changes to the key assignments. For example I've used it in this release to revert TAB back to showing the player list, the key that it clashed with, 'Dynamic Swords: Next Target' has been reassigned to N.

      Some key assignments do still show as red in the list as they are assigned to more than one function, but this is normal and the keys do not actually clash

      For example, Doggy Talents and Dynamic Swords share some key assignments, however Doggy Talents only uses these keys when you are holding the Command Emblem and Dynamic Swords only uses them when you are holding a sword. For that reason they do not clash with each other. 

      Likewise the P and L keys are assigned to more than one function but not in a way that clashes, in fact the way L is assigned keeps things much simpler when using the Backpacks mod.

      If you do highly customise your settings or key configurations you might want to back up the options.txt file (found in the modpacks main folder) before future updates.

      What's changed with the EnderCreeper? - Here's what you need to know..
      • The End version of Diggyolite Ore is no longer mineable with silk touch.
      • The Enderman teleport sound now plays when an EnderCreeper spawns.
      • Blocks around the EnderCreeper are removed when it spawns, with the exception of the End version of Diggyolite Ore (unless it's the block above). The pattern of blocks that are removed is shown below.

      The blocks shown in glass are the ones removed when the EnderCreeper spawns, one above the ore block and a two block high cross centred on it. This makes sure the EnderCreeper doesn't become stuck and makes mining the ore a little more dangerous.

      This is a mandatory update and is required to join the server!

      Enjoy!

      Thursday 27 August 2015

      The End Just Got A Little Tougher

      The EnderDragon dies pretty quickly now so many people are well equipped,
      so we thought it was time to make it a little tougher...


      The new central pillar is tougher than the usual ones, it's taller
       and has a top structure which is mostly made out of bedrock...


      But... inside that structure is an extra something that makes
      the challenge a bit more rewarding, good luck!

      Scheduled Downtime

      The server is down for maintenance as follows:
      1. Full backup/clone - Done
      2. Clean out old logs and data  - Done
      Scheduled Downtime:
      Date: 27/08/15
      Started:  09:30 am (UK)
      Finished:  10:30 am (UK)

      The maintenance is finished and you can now connect again!

      Wednesday 26 August 2015

      Scheduled Maintenance

      The server will be down for maintenance tomorrow as follows:
      1. Full backup/clone.
      2. Clean out old logs and data.
      Scheduled Downtime:
      Date: 27/08/15
      Est Start:  09:30 am (UK)
      Est Finish:  10:30 am (UK)

      Friday 21 August 2015

      Full Set Of Armor!

      It's taken him several months but Tatankore has finally managed to
      complete his armor collection... all 48 sets available in the modpack!


      That's one seriously impressive collection, it's actually pretty 
      awesome seeing them all displayed in one room like this...



      Congratulations! So... what's next... 
      the tools and weapons to go with them?


       Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot we use,
      it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!