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!