Update: 2.0.9 (2.0.9a) Released!

This update includes new versions of 3 mods as follows:

• Backpacks updated to 3.1.3 (was 3.0.11):
• Multiple items can now be added to collect/resupply lists at once.
• Multiple minor code improvements and bug fixes.
• Spice Of Life updated to 1.3.6 (was 1.3.1):
• Multiple minor code improvements and fix for rare crash.
• Apple Core updated to 1.3.2 (was 1.3.0):
• Multiple minor code improvements.

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform. 

As of this release all known bugs have been fixed! Yay!

Note: Due to changes in the way Curse CDN's work JourneyMap must now be downloaded separately and cannot be auto-installed, version 2.0.9a removes code that is no longer needed as a result of this change.

Enjoy!

DiggyMinecraft Returning Soon!

 It's been almost two years since we closed the Tekkit Classic server and moved to our own custom modpack, DiggyVerse... but DiggyMinecraft is about to return in a new form!

Times have changed and thousands of modpacks are available now with an seemingly endless choice. It was a fantastic experience developing the modpack, I learnt a ton of Java, drastically improved my Gimp/Photoshop skills and ultimately got to create a truly unique modpack that is far beyond what I originally aimed for. I for one will definitely continue playing it in singleplayer, I'd also love to see screenshots of builds etc you guys create with it, so please do send them to me at the usual email address! 

The DiggyVerse modpack will stay around as long as the Technic platform supports MC 1.7.10, hopefully many years to come, and I will continue to support it and provide bug fixes if required.

On to DiggyMinecraft.. 

Over the last few weeks I've been thinking about the future of the server. With so much competition it's difficult to build a decent sized community of regular players, so I've decided to go back to basics.

The server will be kept relatively simple, running the latest vanilla release and using only open source plugins that are updated regularly, so we can move to new versions as soon as possible. It will also be as low maintenance as possible so that myself, Diggin etc can actually spend more time playing like we used to. 

We've got some great ideas for the server and are already testing plugins and putting together the ranks, permissions etc. More information will be posted soon! 

Website Changes & DiggyMinecraft

As you may have noticed the website (and Technic page) is undergoing some major changes. I've removed all the old server related information and started reworking it as a base for the modpack and any future stuff I release.

I'm also making some changes to Discord, including adding a separate DiggyMinecraft channel. I'll be popping in more often as we get closer to launching the new server etc.

I've also removed the code that redirected the old DiggyMinecraft website here and started making changes to that as well. The old DiggyMinecraft site will become the base for the new vanilla server that I'm currently putting together, which we're hoping to launch very soon. You'll find a convenient link to switch between the two websites on the right hand side (the image flipping between the two logos). 

Single Player Worlds

Just a quick note for those of you worried about loading existing single player worlds after the last update:

Don't worry about the message regarding missing mods/blocks/items when you load existing single player worlds, it's perfectly fine to go ahead and load them as normal. 

If you did have any of the blocks from those mods placed, which seems unlikely as they were useless in single player, they will be removed from the world/s without any issues. We tested this several times, and in a few different ways, without a single issue.

Enjoy!

Texture Pack Version 2.0.2 Released!

Version 2.0.2 of our BDCraft (64x) texture pack has been released! 

This update removes textures which are no longer used in the latest DiggyVerse version (2.0.8) and is expected to be the final version unless issues are found.

As of the DiggyVerse 2.0.8 release this is the expected patch version.

Enjoy!

Update: 2.0.8 Released! (now 2.0.8b)

This update converts the modpack from being multiplayer focused to be single player focused.

This version includes 1 mod update and many changes as follows:

• Carpenters Blocks updated to 3.3.8.1 (was 3.3.8):
• Multiple minor code improvements and bug fixes.
• Singleplayer & Multiplayer options switched in menu, plus other small menu tweaks.
• Removed DV2ServerStuff & Vending mods, no longer needed.
• Various tweaks to Thaumcraft aspects etc.
• Iron Chests Mod:
• Re-enabled crafting recipes for Crystal Chest and upgrade.
• Tinkers Construct:
• Re-enabled Travelers Belt, Knapsack & SDX Explosives.
• Chisel:
• Re-enabled Cloud In A Bottle, Smashing Rock & Diamond Chisel.
• Thaumcraft:
• Re-enabled Bottled Taint, Shovel Of The Earth Mover, and previously disabled wand foci.
• Thaumic Tinkerer:
• Re-enabled all previously disabled wand foci & potions.

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform. 

This is expected to be the final significant update for for DiggyVerse modpack, but I will still fix bugs if found or reported!

it's been a fun couple of years working on the the modpack and developing the custom mods I made for it. I've gained a ton of Java experience and had a lot of awesome times playing it with you guys! 

From all of us that worked on it I'd like to say a big thank you for being a part of DiggyVerse. 

A special thanks goes out to those who donated towards running costs, your generous donations have totalled almost £1000 to date and covered virtually all of our running costs since the days of Tekkit Classic.

Watch out for updates regarding the future of DiggyVerse/DiggyMinecraft, big changes will be made to the website over the coming days & weeks!

Enjoy!

Note: 2.0.8a was released shortly after to fix a spelling mistake, oops! 2.0.8b was released the next day to remove some unneeded code.

Server Closed & The Future

Well the server has been down for a month now, so I figured I'd better post that more detailed update I mentioned in my last post! Thanks for all your messages of support, I've replied to most of them now but I know people still have questions, hopefully I can answer most of them here...

What happened?

Basically the physical server that DiggyVerse was hosted on was moved from one location to another and things went badly wrong. Here's what actually went wrong...

• I didn't receive any notification and so wasn't able to back everything up before the move.  
• After the move the server was brought back up automatically, with default settings.
• The settings caused the server to launch using the wrong Minecraft version (and IP), which overwrote most of my custom server files and caused irreversible damage to the world files.
• Seemingly I was also able to save files outside of "my area" on the hosted server, which meant I lost all my notes, some custom patches and various other bits and pieces. Because of their location they hadn't been included in the backups either, and unfortunately I hadn't noticed.

So is it fixable?

In theory yes, but it's not realistic. I've spent a few weeks trying to put things back together and recreate my patches, but made relatively little progress. It took me a few months to put the server together originally, it would take me a similar amount of time to get it back up and running bug free, probably longer.

Why would it take so long?

The server software for 1.7.10 (Spigot/Cauldron) hasn't been properly maintained for a long time now, the "fork" we were using was a custom off-shoot which I helped a few other guys maintain and develop. 

Unfortunately the other guys involved have moved on to other things, the code we shared has been taken down, and although I wouldn't be starting from scratch (I didn't loose all the changes/patches) the amount of coding required is beyond what I can manage in a reasonable time-frame.

So is this the end of DiggyVerse?

As it was, yes, sadly. That said, you can still continue to play the modpack in single player.

What about the future?

Well, I've hosted one server or another for over 5 years now, and I still enjoy playing the game, but it's changing rapidly. For example...

• The range of plugins available and their reliability rapidly dropped after the CraftBukkit legal disputes. Things are still a mess, getting a modded server to run both mods and server plugins reliably for 1.7+ is, for the most part, a pretty painful task. That makes it unlikely that DiggyVerse would have had 1.8.x or 1.9.x updates. 
• The games code changed a lot in 1.8+, many modders have given up in frustration, are taking over a year to adapt code for new releases, or have skipped versions for which they just can't get things working.
• The community has been split between multiple editions (console editions, Windows 10 edition etc), and the vast array of modpacks now available. As a result player numbers are down for most servers, funding by donation is much more difficult, and many small-medium sized servers which have been running for years are closing.
• The new Add-Ons feature will gradually add more control and ultimately make a lot of plugins / mods unnecessary. If the plan for them to "unify" the platforms works, making all the editions be able to play together on the same server, and Add-Ons multi-platform then things will change drastically almost overnight.

So what now?

Well, firstly I'll probably release an update for the modpack soon enabling features that were only disabled to make it "server friendly" and making some other tweaks to make it more single player focused.

I'm also seriously considering going back to basics, and opening a minimal plugin vanilla server that can easily be kept up to date as new versions are released. The idea being that more customisation would be made as the Add-Ons feature is expanded. I could also spend more time playing myself as I wouldn't have a huge amount of code to maintain. I'm looking at options for this, and it could be up and running fairly soon so be sure to check back!

Server Down - Update

I was hoping to post some good news this morning, but unfortunately it's the opposite. Some of the issues are still present even after fixing various lost settings and performing rollbacks.

My only option now is to reinstall the server and piece it back to together using fresh copies of various files etc. That's going to take some time, in fact I doubt I'll get it all done in a day. So... unfortunately it looks like the server will be down for at least another day, maybe even two. 

I'll update here as soon as I have some more news.

Update - 4th Oct:

I'm still working on getting things stable again. I won't give an ETA for now though as I'm dealing with a couple of complicated issues.

If you see the server up then you can try to connect, it may or may not be whitelisted depending on what I'm doing, please bear in mind though that the world might be rolled back when I'm done so changes you make could be lost.

Update - 12th Oct:

Apologies for the delay in posting an update, as you've probably guessed things haven't gone as well as I'd hoped. I'll post a more detailed update soon but for now I'll just say that, sadly, the server won't be coming back up in it's previous form. I'm weighing up some options though so watch this space.

Server Down

The server has been down for around 2-3 hours, I am looking into it but at the moment am unable to reach the server at all (even the console). I'll post an update here when I know more.

Update 19:10 - It seems that the server (the actual physical computer) has been relocated to another location in London, and that for some reason I didn't receive an advanced notification like I should have. I'm trying to find out when things will be up and running again. 

Update 20:45 - The hosting company have brought the server back up, but, I can only access the console. I'm working on why the client can't connect so hopefully it won't be too long now.

Update 21:55 - It seems some settings were lost and when the server was brought back up (automatically) it created some problems. It's unlikely the server will back up today as a rollback of the worlds is needed and I'm still seeing some very odd behaviour (including client connection issues).

Update 22:50 - Last update of the night...

I'll update here again tomorrow, hopefully with an estimate of when I expect to have the server back to normal. 

A client update will be required as I'll be using it to flush out some settings, you can update as soon as it's available though and don't need to wait until the server is back up. 

Donations Closed

I've closed donations with immediate effect, watch this space for information regarding some big changes coming soon.

Server Down For Maintenance

I've taken the server down to take a quick world backup, this should take 30-45 minutes.

Apologies for the short notice, updates will be be posted here.

Update - 21:35: The server is back up and players can now connect!

OnTime Glitch Fixed

I've fixed a small glitch in OnTime that caused some players time to not save correctly from time to time.

I've manually added some time to make up for it and it should now be permanently fixed. I think I got everyone, but, if I did miss someone then please do let me know and I'll sort it out asap.

Enjoy!

Server Down For Maintenance

I've taken the server down to take a quick world backup and perform an update (no client update required), this should take between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

Apologies for the short notice, updates will be be posted here.

Update - 21:10: The server is back up and players can now connect!

15% Off Merchandise!

Been looking at buying something from our merchandise shop?

Well now you can get 15% off until August 11th!

Simply enter he code HEAT16 at checkout or click "Redeem code now" on the menu shown below.

Click here to check out what's available.

Galleries

As many of you will know Google have officially retired Google Picassa, which I used for the galleries on this site. To be honest I had expected them to stop working straight away and was planning on replacing them, but, as they are still working and Google hasn't mentioned turning off the API they use to function I'll just leave them for now! 

If anyone has issues with them no longer working in a specific browser etc at any point then please do let me know!

Hey!

Apologies for the lack of posts over the last couple of weeks, I've been super busy working on various things! Don't worry though tickets etc are still being handled daily, it's also great to see a few more of the old Tekkit Classic players have returned, hopefully I'll get a chance to catch up with you in game soon.

500 Installs!

The modpack has hit 500 installs!

Thanks to everyone who has played and contributed!

Update: 2.0.7 Released!

This version includes 1 mod update as follows:

• Storage Drawers updated to 1.9.9 (was 1.9.7): 
• Multiple minor code improvements and bug fixes.

It also includes the Treecapitator changes made on the server since the last update, so Slimy Trees compatibility is now also available in singleplayer.

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Enjoy!

Server Down For Maintenance

I've taken the server down to take a quick world backup and perform an update (client update will be released shortly), this should take between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

Apologies for the short notice, updates will be be posted here.

Update - 15:30: The server is back up, but whitelisted while I test the update.

Update - 15:50: The whitelist has been turned off, but a client update is required to join.

Drifter Wins Big

Drifter397 proved that persistence pays off 

and finally won the $10,000 jackpot!

Apparently it took a lot of trying but he got there in the end.

Congratulations!

In case you're wondering the slots currently pay out about 

25% more than players spend on them each month,

which averages over $38,000 at the moment!

Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we

use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

Merchandise - Price Reduction

Due to a change in the way Spreadshirt prices are calculated the prices for all items in our merchandise store are now £1 lower!

Enjoy!

Competitions & Exams

A few people have asked when the next competition will be as it's been a while since the last one.

We are planning to have another one soon, but as so many of our regular players have exams this year we decided to hold off until after the exam season has passed. Watch this space for details in the coming weeks.

Talking of exams... good luck to anyone who is sitting them this year!

Server Patch - Fixes & Improvements!

As promised here's some details about the server patch that's been applied this morning:

Fixes:

• Leaf shearing has been completely fixed (sorry it took so long!).
• Fixed rare portal glitch (strange player positioning).
• Fixed a few rare glitches & potential crashes.
• Hopefully fixed occasional memory leak.

Improvements:

• Improved chunk loading & unloading to give smoother FPS when exploring.
• Improved handling of "active" blocks (furnaces etc) to improve server performance.

There's been some major code changes so please do let me know asap if you find any bugs which aren't already listed on the Bugs page!

Enjoy!

Server Down For Maintenance

I've taken the server down to take a quick world backup and apply a server side patch, this should take between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

Apologies for the short notice, updates will be be posted here.

Update: 11:35 - The server is back up, but the whitelist is on while I check the patch is working as intended, it shouldn't take long.

Update: 12:00 - The whitelist is now turned off and players can connect as usual!

I'll post more details about the patch shortly.

Merchandise - 15% Off All T-Shirts!

From tomorrow (15th June) until 21st June you can get 15% off ALL t-shirts in our merchandise store using the code... TSHIRT16

Enjoy!

Treecapitator & Slimy Trees

After some playing around today Treecapitator now works properly with Slimy Trees from Tinkers Construct! As with other trees you can collect the leaves by having Shears on your hotbar when you cut down the tree. 

Until the next client update is released this will only work in multiplayer.

Thanks to Drifter397 for highlighting the issue.

Enjoy!

Banned Item List

I've added a more detailed banned item list to the 'Rules' page as this was requested by a couple of players recently.

It includes all the currently banned items, the reasons they are banned, and also some general information about how the bans are handled in game.

Update: 2.0.6 Released!

This version includes 2 mod updates as follows:

• DiggysMobs updated to 2.0.9 (was 2.0.8):
• A few recipe tweaks (mainly for drinks).
• General code optimization.
• Railcraft updated to 9.12.2.0 (was 9.10.0.0):
• Several bug and rare crash fixes.
• Improved fluid handling.

This should be the last update for at least a few weeks unless bugs are found.

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Enjoy!

Update: 2.0.5 Released!

This is a fairly big update with 4 mods updated and notable changes as follows:

• Carpenters Blocks updated to 3.3.8 (was 3.3.8-DEVR9):
• This is the final 3.3.8 release.
• Rotation support added to various block types.
• Ladders can now be placed free-standing (see image below).
• Pet Bat updated to 1.3.8 (was 1.3.7):
• Bat now drops as item where it died if player is dead.
• Backpacks updated to 3.0.11 (was 3.0.8):
• New "Collect" mode, automatically collects items already in backpack.
• Backpacks now render on back if in inventory top row, not just hotbar.
• Dynamic Sword Skills updated to 1.7.0 (was 1.6.5):
• Improved support for non-vanilla swords.
• Improved "Dash" skill (more effective at short distances).

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Enjoy!

Server Down For Maintenance

I've taken the server down to take a quick world backup and apply a server side patch, this should take between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

Apologies for the short notice, updates will be be posted here.

Update - 23:20: The server is back up, but a client update is required before you can join!

Nevs010 - Flux Experimentation

I'll let Nevs010 explain this one himself...

"Today I decided to play around with the crucible a bit, and after losing my sanity, I got intrigued by the wonders of Flux." 

"I decided to make this, an overflowing crucible to cause loads of Flux, which is used to spawn in Thaumic Slimes, giving me quite the challenge to keep the area clean of taint."

"I use the drops to mass produce Vitium crystals, as they are were hard to make without having access to a Taint biome."

Definitely an interesting, and daring, way of getting Vitium crystals!

Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we

use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

Site Revamp & DiggyVerse Merchandise!

Site Revamp

Some of you have already commented on the changes I've been making to the site over the last week, though many of the changes were small I hope you'll agree that they have made the site feel much more 'polished'. With advertising starting very soon I figured it was time to smarten things up a little!

DiggyVerse Merchandise!

This has been brought up by players many times over the last couple of years, sometime jokingly and sometimes seriously, and I always said maybe one day... well... DigginChickin finally persuaded me to do it!

I put together a few designs and spent a couple of days making a Spreadshirt shop with 34 unique items. I've added a minimal 'design fee' of just £1 and don't aim to make any significant money from the shop, but any profit will be used to cover web hosting related costs (domain registration, web/file hosting etc).

I hope you guys like the range we decided to go with, if you have any requests for additional items from the Spreadshirt range then please do let me know and I'll see what I can do about adding them!

To give some extra added value every item you purchase will earn you a free 'Tip Package' once the order is confirmed, PLUS you can earn an extra $2500 of in game money for submitting an image of you using/wearing any purchased items! 

Until 3rd June you can also get free delivery on orders over £30 using the code: BYEMAY

See the 'Merchandise' page for full details.

Enjoy!

Discord Up & Running

As some of you probably noticed already Discord (a chat server for gamers) is now built in to the Technic Platform.

I have now set up a server for the modpack and linked it so that it's available from the launcher and Technic website. I've added a link to the website (take a look down the right hand side) which will take you to the web version of Discord, but of course you can also download the app for either Android or Apple iOS.

Players will need to be "Confirmed" in order to use most features, which for now can only be done by me. Eventually other members of staff will also be able to "Confirm" players as well as help moderate the chat if needed.

Enjoy!

Update: 2.0.4 Released!

This is a relatively small but mandatory update that introduces two new mods and makes a couple of changes as follows:

• Added new mod, Cart Livery 0.11.1. An awesome little mod that allows you to dye Minecarts and apply pattern stamps to them. 
• Added new mod, DV2Extras 1.0.1. A very small client side mod that, for now, simply downloads and installs JourneyMap automatically.
• Railcraft: Fixed some small language file issues.
• Assumes latest texture/resource pack (2.0.1).

Thanks to techbrew, the author of JourneyMap, for inspiring to come up with a solution that automated the inclusion of JourneyMap, whilst also meeting his requirement that each client downloads the mod directly from the official source.

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Extra release notes:

Whenever your client updates DV2Extras checks for JourneyMap, and if it's missing silently downloads it using the official Curse (CDN) link (as required by the mod author) and puts it into the correct folder for you. 

As the download takes place after Forge has finished loading you'll need to restart your client for JourneyMap to load, if the mod downloads successfully you'll see the above message when you join either a singleplayer or multiplayer world.

Cart Livery:

I only recently found out about this awesome little add-on for Railcraft and think it's a great addition to the modpack.

It's very simple, to dye a cart just right-click it with a dye!

To use the patterns you just use the Livery Cutting Tool to turn paper into Livery Stickers (20 designs available), then put your Livery Stickers into a crafting table with a dye above and a dye below to set the designs colours (primary colour on top, secondary on the bottom). Like using a dye you just need to right-click the cart to apply the Livery Sticker.

Livery Stickers can even be copied in seconds using a Livery Cutting Press.

Enjoy!

Texture Pack Version 2.0.1 Released!

Version 2.0.1 of our BDCraft (64x) texture pack has been released! 

The update replaces a few textures with tweaked versions but most notably adds more than 50 new textures for Thaumcraft, bringing us a huge step closer to a truly complete patch! 

Here's a preview of some of the awesome new textures...

A huge thanks to Novamanga over at the BDCraft forum who made the OuterLands, mob & armor textures, he did an amazing job!

 You can get the patch from the 'About' page as usual, but here's a link for convenience:

http://bdcraft.net/community/post21588.html#p21588

As of the next modpack release this will be the expected patch version.

Enjoy!

BiblioCraft Paintings

We're looking at adding some custom paintings to BiblioCraft and would like your help!

Would you like to star in a painting? Or have your build or other creation star in a painting?

If the answer to either question is yes then send your screenshots/images to the usual email address stating that you'd like them considered for paintings. You can take a look at the existing ones to get an idea of the shapes and sizes that are possible, let us know if you have something specific in mind!

I look forward to seeing your submissions!

Server Down For Maintenance

I've taken the server down to take a quick world backup and apply a server side patch, this shouldn't take between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

Apologies for the short notice, updates will be be posted here.

Update 10:15 - The server is back up and players can now connect!

Update: 2.0.3 Released!

This is a relatively small but mandatory update that makes a couple of changes as follows:

• BiblioCraft: Minor bug fix & Fancy Workbench dupe fix.
• DV2ServerStuff: Tweaks to VIP blocks (can now be broken using hand, hardness and blast resistance increased) and Portal blocks (hardness increased).
• Custom Main Menu: Added better support for non-English locales.

Thanks to nevs010 for help identifying and resolving the issue with Custom Main Menu.

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Enjoy!

#SelfieWithMagicalStructures

#SelfieWith Reloaded!

It's time for the return of Nevs010's selfie series,

starting with him standing inside an Advanced Alchemical Furnace!

If you haven't come across this yet it's basically a turbo charged

Alchemical Furnace which is fuelled by centi-vis from

nearby energized nodes, very handy.

Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we

use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

Sky Broadband Customers

Due to a routing issue at our web hosting provider Sky broadband users were unable to load images on our website or download the modpack (or in fact access any web services hosted by them) over the last 24 hours or so, I'm pleased to say that this has now been resolved and everything should be back to normal.

Thanks to the players that notified me of the issue and helped me pin it down, passing the details on to the hosting company helped get it resolved much faster.

Enjoy!

Update: 2.0.2a Released!

This is a small but mandatory update that makes a couple of changes as follows:

• Carpenters Blocks: Minor update to handle missing blocks/textures better.
• Custom Main Menu: Several enhancements (see image below).

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Enjoy!

Jav0330 - OuterLand & Hungry Node

Jav0330 has finally reached the OuterLand, 

something only a handful of players have managed so far!

He's also having fun keeping an eye on this hungry node under Ningyo's base...

Might be time to start thinking about trapping/destroying that before it reaches the base!

Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we

use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

Anti-Lag Spawn Changes

I've made some changes to help improve client performance (FPS), mostly for those experiencing client lag at Spawn.

The changes are:

• Reduced number of Item Frames used at Spawn by around 70%. For example actual blocks are now used in the Land Claims Store rather than blocks in frames.
• Reduced number of Signs at Spawn by around 10%. Signs barely cause any client lag but I figured it couldn't hurt to cut down on duplicate information.
• Halved distance at which particles & frames load for players. This means that your client will render up to 75% less particles and Item Frames at any given moment.

The last change actually applies server-wide and so will also help keep client lag down in player builds that use a lot of Item Frames etc, such as shops and malls. This change will also reduce the loading distance of Vending Blocks by the same amount due to the way they work, which again will be useful for player shops and malls.

When I was making the loading distance changes I also noticed that the default loading distance for living entities (mobs etc) was very high, in fact it was well beyond the distance you could see them from. So, I've reduced that by 50% as well which seems a much more reasonable distance and should result in improved client performance in all worlds (but especially The End & The Nether).

Enjoy!

More Minimap Info

Unfortunately the authors modpack permissions had changed since I last downloaded the minimap (JourneyMap) mod and under the new terms it cannot be included in any modpack that distributes the mod directly.

This basically means that, like OptiFine, it cannot be included in the modpack by default.

After giving it some thought we decided to remove the mod, but not the configuration files and other settings, making it as easy as possible for players to add it themselves.

We've done this for a few reasons:

• MapWriter has a few small but annoying bugs which the author has no intention of fixing, so we didn't want to revert back to using it.
• Every other minimap we looked at was either discontinued, buggy, lacked additional world support, or was far less suitable for another reason.
• JourneyMap offers a far better experience and quality than other options and as a huge bonus is still being actively developed for 1.7.10 meaning if bugs are found they will be fixed.

As with OptiFine it can be downloaded from the 'About' page, the link will be kept up to date and if/when a new version is released I will also post here to let everyone know.

I have edited the 2.0.2 update post to avoid confusion.

Update: 2.0.2 Released!

This update has a few tweaks but mainly makes the following change:

• MapWriter mod removed.

The replacement minimap (JourneyMap) has several benefits over the old one:

• Smoother mapping.
• Better support for extra worlds / dimensions.
• Simpler interface.
• Option to show a grid overlay.
• More flexible waypoints / deathpoints.
• Displays current biome name under minimap.

Note: Like OptiFine you must download and install this mod separately (see the 'About' page for the link). We realise this is not as convenient but unfortunately it is the only real option available to us at present (this may change in the future).

The modpack already includes the configuration, settings etc for JourneyMap, all you have to do is drop in the mod file and play!

As always for more details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Enjoy!

Jabbawokkey Wins Big On The Slots!

Jabbawokkey had an amazing run of luck on the Casino Slots...

...the chances of getting three wins at the same time like that are insanely low!

But not only did she manage a triple win but then she also got a double diagonal win, congratulations on your extremely impressive winning streak!

Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we

use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

Minimap Change - Important If You Use Waypoints

Anyone who played DiggyVerse 1.x will know that the minimap mod we use changed when we updated to DiggyVerse 2.x.

For 1.x we used the REI Minimap, as used in Tekkit Classic and many other modpacks, but unfortunately that mod is no longer in development and the author did not want to release the source code to allow someone else to take over.

When we were putting 2.x together we tried out every minimap mod we could find in search of a suitable replacement, and we ended up settling for MapWriter for a number of reasons.

A few Minimap mods have been updated over the past couple of months and as several players have noticed small but annoying glitches in MapWriter, which is no longer receiving updates for 1.7.10, we decided to try out the other maps again.

So, in the next update MapWriter will be replaced by another minimap mod (we are currently testing and comparing two possible options).

Whichever option we go with any waypoints you currently have will be lost, so we would suggest taking a copy of the coordinates etc if they're important to you.

The update will be released within the next few days.

OptiFine Update

A new OptiFine version was released today;

OptiFine_1.7.10_HD_U _D4

I have updated the download link on the 'About' page.

The update essentially only fixes a single issue, which did not affect this modpack anyway, so upgrading does not provide any benefits other than removing the "new version available" message that the mod posts to your chat.

Slenderman Summoning!

If you've read the post about the last update then you'll know that the Slenderman can now be summoned... if you're daring enough!

If you do decide to summon him, you'll need some supplies first in order to build and then activate the summoner, shown below...

As you can see the bottom layer consists of 4 Nether Brick and 4 Iron Bars, with a block of Redstone at the centre, on the top sits an Infused Ectoplasm Block. 

To activate it you must right-click the Infused Ectoplasm Block with a Nether Star. 

The summoner can only be activated at night and when it activates you will loose most of the materials used to build it (except for the Iron Bars). The Nether Star will also be shattered into Nether Star Fragments, one will remain in your hand and the others will drop to the floor. 

Sometimes one of the fragments will be destroyed and so only 2 will drop instead of 3.  

Enjoy!

Update: 2.0.1a Released!

This is a minor, but mandatory, update that makes several small changes as follows:

• DiggysMobs:
• Improved mob spawning in custom biomes.
• Sheep no longer spawn in Shrubland (replaced by Pigs).
• Goats now spawn slightly more often but in smaller groups.
• Massive Slenderman overhaul; slight spawn chance increase, improved AI, slightly increased aggression, health increased from 80 to 90.
• Added ability to summon Slenderman using a special structure (more info to come!).
• Thaumcraft: Added Stone Brick, Redstone Block & Quartz Blocks to Portable Hole blacklist.
• Various new recipes added related to using GrowthCraft Honey/Rice and Natura Barley in Diggys Mobs food recipes.

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Thanks to DigginChickin, dino_king & Jav0330 who gave feedback related to at least one of these changes.

Enjoy!

Server Down For Maintenance

I've taken the server down to take a quick world backup and apply a server side patch, this should take between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

Apologies for the short notice, an update will be be posted here when the server is back up and ready for players to connect.

Update 14:45 - The server is back up and players can now connect!

Jav Does Thaumcraft

Jav0330 has been making headway with Thaumcraft over the last week,

collecting Crimson cult armour... 

Making his altar more stable...

Building up a collection of nodes... 

And finally... for some reason...

...cooking Nevs010 in a pot!

Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we

use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

Link Signs At Spawn

Due to a change in a plugin update some of the link signs at spawn were saying players didn't have permission to use them, this has now been fixed and all signs should now be working again.

I've also updated all the signs linking to this website to use the 'https' version of the web address.

Enjoy!

Network Issue

Sorry for the delay in posting, I've only just been able to get onto my computer.

As some of you have noticed the server is suffering from lag this afternoon. I'm not entirely sure what is going on but it appears to part of a wider problem affecting many London based web services. 

I am unable to connect to the hosting companies website (well for more than a few seconds anyway) and a few other websites I use are also having major connectivity issues this morning, hopefully whatever is going on will be resolved very soon.

If you can connect to the server then you can continue playing, there's no reason to think anything will be lost. Unfortunately I cannot do anything about the lag until the connectivity issue is resolved, although obviously the two things are most likely connected.

From an official network status website:

It doesn't give much detail but that's a pretty big blob and definitely covers where we are hosted!

I'll update here when things are back to normal.

Update 22:30: Things are pretty much back to normal now, speeds still aren't 100% but very close!

Promotion Changes

As some players noticed the automatic promotions have not been working as intended.

I discussed this with the plugin developer today and due to some limitations reliable "unique days" based promotions are no longer possible, although this may change in the future.

So, for now at least promotions will be based on total playtime as follows:

• Resident - Play for a total of 32 hours (1 Day 8 Hours).
• Citizen    - Play for a total of 64 hours (2 Days 16 Hours).
• Veteran   - Play for a total of 256 hours (10 Days 16 Hours).

I have updated the 'Ranks' page and the information at spawn. 

I've also manually promoted a few players that I know were overdue for a promotion and would have had to have waited longer because of these changes. If you're affected by this (you already have more than 7 unique days but don't have the 32 hours total playtime) then please open a ticket within the next couple of days and I will promote you manually asap.

Enjoy!

Nevs Epic New Build

Well it didn't take Nevs010 long to find a great spot for an epic build...

In fact the build is so big it barely fits inside a City PS!

Having finished the huge wall around the edge he's already started work

on the smaller aspects and details, which are looking awesome already.

I think my favourite so far is the little farm / garden area in the final

screenshot, I can't wait to see the finished build!

  Remember we pay $250 for every screenshot / image we

use, it's always fun to see what you guys/gals are up to!

Competition Results: Go Fish!

The competition has ended and it's time to announce the winners!

So here they are, our winning entries...

1st Place: dino_king with a massive 468lb Halibut!

Congratulations on winning the grand prize of $3000 + 32 Gold Tokens!

2nd Place: Jav0330 with a slightly smaller, 464lb, Capitaine! 

Congratulations on winning  $1500 + 32 Silver Tokens!

3rd Place: Cullyn22 with a very respectable 395lb Halibut!

Congratulations on winning $500 + 32 Bronze Tokens!

All the other players who entered have been also been given 8 Bronze Tokens! 

Congratulations again to the winners, and if you didn't win.. better luck next time!

Update: 2.0.1 Released

This is quite a large mandatory update that updates 7 mods, the main changes are as follows:

• Fix for rare loading screen glitch (also slightly improved loading times).
• DiggysMobs: Fixed & improved spread logic for Shells & Autumn Leaf Piles.
• NotEnoughItems: Updated to latest release (a few small bug fixes).
• RailCraft: Major update, includes; 
• Numerous fixes, tweaks & enhancements.
• Disposal track can now be disabled by redstone signal.
• Coupler Track now has 'Auto-Coupler Mode'.
• Crowbar can now harvest tracks and related blocks (was pickaxe).
• AppleCore & SpiceOfLife: Update includes;
• Minor food container fix.
• Improved handling of nutritional values.
• Improved food journal layout, including extra information.
• Storage Drawers: Several fixes and config tweaks.

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Thanks to DigginChickin who gave feedback related to at least one of these changes.

Enjoy!

Server Down For Maintenance

I've taken the server down to take a quick world backup and apply a server side patch, this shouldn't take between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

Apologies for the short notice, updates will be be posted here.

Update - 13:25: The server is now back up, but a client update is required to connect, more information will be posted shortly.

Competition Reminder: Go Fish!

Just  a quick reminder that players have just over 24 hours to submit entries for the fishing competition,  for a details or the rules etc see this post...

https://diggyverse.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/competition-go-fish.html

We've already had a few entries with the current biggest being ahead of the rest by more than 10lbs. Having played around myself I know even that weight is beatable so all three top places are still potentially up for grabs... although the current contender for 1st place will take some beating!

Good luck!

Shearing Leaves Bug - Fix In Progress

Just to confirm their is currently a server side bug which stops players being able to shear leaves. The cause has been pinned down but requires a server-side code change which will likely take a few more days to put in place (along with some other minor updates).

In the mean time I enabled a feature for Treecapitator in the latest update which gives players a way to obtain leaves from trees (use an axe to cut the tree down while shears are on your hotbar). This setting will be kept enabled even after the shears bug is fixed as it can be very useful.

Minor Update: 2.0.0d Released

This is a minor, but mandatory, update that makes several small changes as follows:

• DiggysMobs: Fixed block name mistake for Tomato & Onion plants. Goats eat item chance decreased by 60% & spawn chance increased 25%.
• DiggysStuff: Animal Catcher now catches Squid correctly.
• Treecapitator: Enabled leaf harvesting when shears are on hotbar & autostacking of drops.
• Enchanting Plus: Added descriptions for all enchantments & improved ToolTip for Advanced Enchanting Table.

As always for full details you can check the Changelog on the Technic Platform.

Thanks to DigginChickin, Jabbawokkey & Jav0330 who gave feedback related to at least one of these changes.

Enjoy!

Competition: Go Fish!

By popular demand, and now I have more time, we're bringing back our regular competitions!

As many of you know Aquaculture assigns a random weight to fish when they are caught making it perfect for competitive fishing, so here's our first competition of 2016... Go Fish!

The idea is simple, use an Aquaculture fishing rod to catch the biggest fish you can!

Prizes will be awarded as follows:

1st Place: $3000 + 32 Gold Tokens

2nd Place: $1500 + 32 Silver Tokens

3rd Place: $500 + 32 Bronze Tokens

Be sure to read the rules below for full details!

Competition Rules:

• To enter the competition open a support ticket using "/ticket Go Fish Entry".
• Entry tickets must be opened by 9 pm (UK) on Sunday 17th April.
• One entry per player only, once your entry is submitted it is final and can't be changed.
• The fish must be in your inventory to be verified, so leave it there when offline.
• Only standard size fish, NO Sharks, Whales, Squids, Swordfish, JellyFish or Eels!

Good Luck!