The founding of the GateCraft server has been accompanied by ambitious plans, but also by several critical challenges. A major factor was that the server was designed from the start for the full version of Minecraft, yet its foundations were laid a month before the official release. At that time, it was unclear which plugins could be relied upon or to what extent backward compatibility would be maintained. In fact, even after the full version was released, the server ran on unstable builds for quite a while. The Recommended Build was officially released only a few days ago.
The Beginning...
As mentioned, server preparation began during version 1.8. At that time, it made little sense to build entire maps because the release of the new version was expected to bring a new map generator (incompatible with the old version). Nevertheless, the foundation for one world—later named Rogue lands—was laid. This is an introductory world with limited dimensions that won't require further terrain generation; instead, it will be periodically reset.
During its preparation, the first essential plugins were implemented and tested, and preparations were made for future updates. Not long after, on November 18th, the full version of the game was released. A few days later, a new Bukkit server build brought support for the new client, and a week after that, the official closed alpha test began. In a very short time, a new website was created, several volunteer testers were recruited, and a series of mass updates and the preparation of new worlds took place.
Economy and Cities
The economy was one of the first systems to be launched because it is integral to the initial gameplay loop. The testers' first task was to navigate the Rogue lands, where they needed to earn a certain amount of currency to pass through a toll gate. However, the testers proved to be seasoned players and cleared Rogue lands relatively quickly, which meant we had to fast-track the implementation of plugins for the main world.
During the alpha test, the foundations of two new worlds were laid: Kingdom, for social life, construction, and trade; and Mining Colony, intended exclusively for resource gathering. The first shops were established in Kingdom, serving as the only way to acquire funds. In the full game, any player who leaves Rogue lands will have the option to join an existing city immediately. Our testers had it harder; they had to earn enough for their cities first by selling mined materials at the shop. This process proved that the city system is heading in the right direction. We only needed to adjust certain limits so that players wouldn't feel too restricted by city plots.
We won't hide the fact that there were some reservations regarding the initial high prices. Based on this feedback, we adjusted the prices of selected materials. Otherwise, the pricing system—designed according to the rarity of materials in the world—seems to be the right path forward.
Quests, Events, and Dungeons..
These three concepts are intended to be the main attractions of this server. During the alpha test, only two quests were set up as a proof of concept. We also added a temporary event called Blaze menace and a permanent dungeon named Bone swamp in the newly established Inferno (Nether) world. Both were created to allow players to obtain otherwise unavailable alchemy ingredients.
At this point, the most important thing is that this system has proven functional. We plan to add dozens of random events and permanent dungeons in the future. Furthermore, the Inferno world is no longer intended for mining, but specifically for these dungeons. Nether materials (including nether brick and nether fence) can be purchased at a tower located in Kingdom. In the future, we plan to add a dungeon where players can purchase these materials at half price upon completion.
Another feature that hasn't been mentioned yet—but will be a permanent part of all upcoming development phases—is team games. This includes classics like Capture the Flag, castle sieges, and even football, or random treasure hunts inspired by real-world Geocaching.
Community and Communication
Although the server may currently seem targeted at Czech players, we plan to welcome an international community in the future. The world and server itself run in English, and the same applies to events organized by admins. However, in-game communication isn't strictly limited to English. Chat is divided into several channels, including those for locals and international players. There are also specialized channels for Trade, Help, and a general Public channel.
Furthermore, GateCraft has its own IRC server directly linked to the game. Every in-game channel has a corresponding IRC channel, allowing you to communicate with players even if you are on the go via your smartphone. The chat is synchronized between the game and IRC, and everyone can choose which channels they want to follow.
We also place a high emphasis on world security. Players have the tools to check their surroundings—seeing who built what or who last accessed their chest. If a theft occurs, players can simply report the culprit's nickname to a staff member (sheriff, agent, architect), who will deal with them accordingly—usually with a permanent ban. We are committed to building a community of reasonable players; no one wants to play on a server where they have to worry about their belongings.
Other Plugins
While we’ve highlighted the main features, there are many other extensions making the game more interesting. Generally, these are elements that will come into full play during the Beta, which will be covered in a separate article. For instance, we mentioned NPCs. There are only a few now, but their numbers will grow into the dozens. These NPCs can perform various tasks, from giving quests and repairing gear to casting spells or fighting alongside players. They won't just be allies; many will appear as enemies in events and quests. There is also a Creative world ready, which will serve as a relaxation zone for players who are tired of mining and just want to build for fun.
Conclusion
The server currently runs nearly 40 plugins, and that is not the final number. While our homepage mentions that the server isn't chaotically cluttered with plugins, that doesn't mean we don't use them—it means they are used correctly. Every plugin has its purpose, and almost all are configured to feel like a single cohesive unit.
Finally, I would like to personally thank all the participating testers who helped during the world testing phase, whether through active feedback or simply by playing and allowing us to observe their progress.
- hadraba, F4lco, Sumeesh, Kennykomar, Laqhren, nubax, p_j_m, hudsonCZ, Manikone, Tooonek, TommSK, jurgensson83, FranCZek
Special thanks to:
- phoenix_52 - for help with construction and mental support
- winKoneR - for translating the website into English
- c0xx - for technical server support
