Shotbow

Hi Shotbow! My name is Mistri and I'll be your host for this month's edition of Dentril's New Moon. Without further ado, let's dive right into this month's updates.

Network Updates
10th Anniversary
This month, Shotbow celebrated its 10th anniversary. We're incredibly proud to have been around for so long, and it is all thanks to you. Thanks to each and every one of you for an amazing 10 years of Shotbow! You can read all about the celebration we had here.

Team Applications
Ever wanted to join the Shotbow Staff Team? The following teams are accepting applications:

• Development Team
• Annihilation Administrative Team
• Warband and Wasted: Control Staff Team
• Localization Team

Gamemode Updates
MineZ Updates
This month, the MineZ Team released two monumental updates.

The Road Less Traveled was a massive update that culminated from months of work. The update features the return of waygates, a new MineZ map, supply drops, and much more. Learn all about it here.

Additionally, the MineZ PTR is back with our second update of the month: including a brand new quest system, a test of optional PVP, a loot overhaul, and much more. Learn more about how you can contribute to the future of MineZ here!

Wasted Updates
Wasted: Control entered a beta stage, and now has its own lobby NPC. Keep your eyes peeled in our Discord for discussion, playtests, and other ways to contribute!

Annihilation Updates
This month, Annihliation hosted a 3x rank point weekend. If you missed out on it, we'll be hosting more in the future — be sure to join our Discord so you can stay up-to-date with the latest Annihilation news.

Statistics
SMASH Rankings
The summer season ends soon, so be sure to climb up the leaderboards for ranked matches! Current standings are:

• 1st - Cometcat13 (1130)
• 2nd - Mr_Undefeatable (1123)
• 3rd - ZiggyStarDusted (1073)

Network in General
Other statistics:

• 856 in-game reports were handled in the last month
• There were 513 players banned in the last month
• 75 ban appeals were handled in the last month
• There were 133 support tickets resolved in the last month
• This month we achieved a peak playercount of 271 on July 3
• 130,746,566 XP was earned by players this month

That's all for this month. I'm your host, Mistri — thanks for flying Shotbow!

Hello Survivors!

Over the years MineZ has received a lot of gameplay modernizations in addition to PvE content such as dungeons, basic questlines, and storylines. This PTR will expand on these innovations, bringing Quests and Optional PVP to MineZ. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get started with the broadest PVE change to-date:


Introducing… Quests!

For as long as MineZ has been around one of the most glaringly absent features was the ability to complete quests and track your progress through stories around Valar. That all changes now - introduced in this PTR is a brand new Quest System. However, to not spoil the experience we’re providing a set of test quests that exist to test functionality and ensure that MineZ performs suitably when many players are online and questing.

With this being said a lot of these quests may feel mundane. This is intentional for the PTR, as we are designing brand new rich storylines and refreshing old ones to bring this brand new system to life with a full release, and we need YOU to help us test it! Don’t worry, we will reward you… After all, Shotbow XP rewards for these test quests are permanent…

Your Quest Journal

The MineZ Quest Journal is a brand new item that you spawn with, and it is the quintessential item for tracking and managing your quests. Right clicking it will bring you into a menu with all of the categories for quests, though for the PTR, you will only find quests in the PTR category.

Note: The quests menu can also be accessed with /quests.






Unlocking Quests

Quests are locked by default (barring a few introductory ones that you will spawn with), so you will need to unlock them! Quests can be unlocked a number of ways, including entering a specific location, reading from a Lore Block, completing other quests, and more. For this PTR, the majority of quests will be unlocked as you log in, and you will be able to begin questing immediately.

Quests are a big deal for MineZ moving forward, and we plan to bolster this system heavily through content updates. So as long as this PTR is successful, you can expect to see quests in the near future!


Loot Overhaul & Rebalance Test

We will be introducing some changes in the loot system to make the looting experience feel better and combat recent problems in the economy. Read the full list of changes here!

• Loot Overhaul PTR Changelog

Optional PvP Test

MineZ started as a pure zombie survival game inspired by DayZ. Players were exposed to a harsh and unforgiving environment from the beginning, there were constant deaths by zombies and players in the early stages of the game.

Last year, we published a MineZ player survey to receive feedback from players with different play-styles and experience levels, from those playing for the first time to those who have played for years. There were numerous insightful comments about topics that were not commonly discussed or brought up in our Community Feedback Server. Survey results suggest that banditing and unwanted PvP interactions directly affect the player population, preventing inexperienced players from enjoying content. It also suggests that actively developed content from builders and developers alike may not be as effective as intended due to the high barrier of entry caused by unwanted PvP interactions.

We’ve been receiving many suggestions to add a public PvE server to combat this problem, but we believe that we have come up with a more elegant solution that covers as many loopholes and satisfies as many players with different play styles as possible - Optional PvP.

This idea introduces the concept of Modes. Players can switch their mode between PvE and PvP once per hour (1 minute for PTR), or at any time while in Meridian.

1. PvE mode is intended for new players and those who mainly interact with PvE content. Players in this mode are unable to fight other players in PvE areas, allowing easier access to PvE content.
2. PvP mode is intended for players who enjoy fighting others. PvP is enabled in PvE areas between all players in this mode. Choosing this mode gives advantages over PvE mode in regards to PvE threats, as players in this mode choose to face the risk of fighting other players instead of PvE.

With the addition of these modes, the map can be split into two types of zones:

• PvE zones (PvP is opt-in, two players in PvP mode can fight)
• PvP zones (PvP is always enabled, regardless of mode)
  • There are currently 3 designated PvP zones on the map: Gravel Canyons, Autumn Forest near Crowmure and Sanctuary of Peace, and Bazel.
  • Locations in PvP zones on a public server spawn more and better loot than comparable locations in PvE zones.

(PvP zone map updated on 7/17/2022)



A brief summary of the changes for Optional PvP:

• Removed the PvE line
  • Players in PvP mode can fight each other anywhere on the map, including in coastal spawn-towns!
• Added toggleable PvE and PvP modes
  • PvE mode is enabled by default for all players
  • You can switch your mode every 1 hour (shorter for PTR)
    • There is no cooldown to switch modes while in Meridian
    • ‘/tpvp’ or ‘/toggle pvp’ switches modes
    • You can also switch modes in the ‘/toggle’ menu
  • Mode switching has 30 seconds of warmup time and notifies nearby players
  • You cannot switch modes while PvP-tagged
  • Obtaining a PvP-tag automatically switches your mode to PvP
  • Players in PvP mode take less damage from zombies and slower damage from bleeding and infection. This PvP mode advantage only works on a Public server, and doesn't work on PvE, Private, and Instance servers.
  • PvP tag duration reduced: 10m ⇒ 5m Reverted back to 10 minutes
  • PvE server remains fully PvE for premium players.

What to Expect

• More incentives and reasons to PvP
  • Higher tier loot and game objectives (such as Giants) in PvP zones encourage groups to compete with each other and create optional and healthy competition
  • Validating the idea of controlling regions for groups - you’re encouraged to control towns with high tier loot objectives. Groups can farm these locations in the dangerous parts of the map while others are encouraged to contest them. ‘Hasa on Lock’ now gives the real gameplay advantage.

• PvP is centralized, natural PvP interactions increase
  • As learning PvP is no longer mandatory to play the game, non-pvpers are given options to enjoy different aspects of gameplay without having to learn niche skills immediately
  • Players who progress through the learning curve will naturally find their way to PvP zones in an effort to integrate with existing players
  • Mandatory PvP being restricted to certain areas leads to those spaces receiving higher traffic, directly affecting the chance to find others to fight

• Players are given the option to choose their favorite playstyle

• Player interactions and the multiplayer aspect of MineZ are encouraged
  • Playing with others is fun and something that encourages players to stay in the game. However, MineZ’s ‘trust no one’ nature creates an atmosphere where players intentionally avoid interacting with others and prefer playing alone, isolating themselves from the rest of the community.
  • The more chances players are given to experience what MineZ offers, the higher the chance they join our community and contribute to everyone’s play experience
  • MineZ’s ‘kill-on-sight’ atmosphere acts as a ‘Great Wall of MineZ’ that prevents players from experiencing the game’s content and features - exposure to getting killed at any time while learning how to play hinders the chance for our community to grow

Other Changes

Ongoing changes after PTR release will be added at the bottom of this section.

• Added Armor Mobility
  • Players wearing lighter armor types have a longer speed duration from sugar
    • Leather, Chain: +2 seconds per piece
    • Pristine Chain: +1 second per piece

"Low-tier armor has been given a small advantage over iron armor in terms of mobility. The amount of advantage that this armor mobility provides is much smaller than the protection a full iron set provides.
The goal is to reduce the minimum gear requirement for PvP and make players feel comfortable going to PvP without having to spend more time farming endgame gears. Iron armor is still much better than chain due to the protection gap, but it is no longer strictly better than chain armor as there’s now some sort of small advantage when wearing low-tier armor.”

• Added anti-grenade spam
  • Players damaged by grenades take 33% less damage from subsequent grenades for 3 seconds.
    • This effect’s cooldown resets with each grenade hit, but the damage reduction does not stack

• Grenade maximum damage: 2.5 ⇒ 3 Reverted to live damage (2.5 hearts)
• Increased bow knockback
• Improved grapple hook detection
• Splash I healing value: 3 ⇒ 2
• Splash II healing value: 4 ⇒ 3 3.5
• Improved splash potion healing accuracy
  • Looking straight down and throwing a splash potion now heals a full healing value (On Vanilla you get 0.5 less hearts)
• Drink II healing value: 4.5 ⇒ 4
• Reworked knockback
  • Implemented the new knockback based on 1.7/1.8 knockback equation
  • The new knockback could potentially help stop players from taking too much knockback when they’re hit from the side and missing their splash potions.

“These changes were made in order to achieve the goal we set in our recent gameplay thoughts thread. ‘Our intent is to begin adjusting things so outnumbering is less oppressive, rat-gearing becomes a reasonable option/endgame gear is not required for PvP, and potion inventories are a healthier mix of drinks and splashes’ This addresses the issue by toning down potion healing values and increasing grenade damage while introducing a system that mitigates grenade spam - all while not buffing the base sword damage”

• Giants in PvE zones or on a PvE server spawn PvE-focused items
  • 50% durability Diamond Axe
  • Full durability Smite III Iron Sword
  • Full durability Infinity Bow
• Giants in PvP zones on public servers spawn a guaranteed Diamond Sword in addition to other loot
• Scorched Giant now drops the following items (guaranteed)
  • two 390 durability diamond swords
  • 50 durability power II infinity bow
  • Full durability grapple
  • two gunpowders
  • two speed potions
  • two fire resistance potions
  • one golden carrot
• Increased scorched giant respawn time
• Giants now have a correct respawn cooldown after a server reboot
• Nearby chests no longer despawn on player login (except button room chests)
  • Players who login receive a 1 minute cooldown to open or break chests in general
• Horizontal Grapple cooldown is now consistent (20s) Reverted to live grapple mechanics.
• Grapple durability consumption is now consistent (8 durability)
• Food Hunger changes:
  • Baked potato: 6 ⇒ 5
• Food Saturation changes:
  • Cookie: 1 ⇒ 1.5
  • Bread: 4 ⇒ 6
  • Baked Potato: 5 ⇒ 6
  • Cooked Cod: 8 ⇒ 6
• Players now spawn with full leather armor at 33% durability (previously a leather chestplate with 50% durability)
• Added back zombie kill counter from pre-Origins

• Adjusted Zombies:
  • Increased knockback taken
  • Added hit sound
  • Zombies in the main world now receive knockback on hit every 0.25s, only take damage every 0.5s
  • Reduced overall zombie health (3 hits kills a Zombie in the north with a Diamond Sword, previously was 4)

"Current Zombie mechanics and mob difficulty rely too much on click speed. We’ve changed the mobs to add more diversity in Zombie fighting and make it less dependent on click speed while keeping the fun of combo-ing a Zombie.”

• Premium Perks
  • Added /hat command - wear any item as a hat!
  • Added item showcase in chat. Premium players can display the item they’re holding in hand by including “[item]” in chat

• Party member attacking players in the same party no longer applies a PvP tag or automatically changes to PvP mode.

In order to join PTR, use the server selector compass in the MineZ lobby and select ‘MineZ PTR’ (Kit PvP is disabled).

Please remember that new features and changes on PTR are not final and are subject to change at any time before the release, and you will find missing or incomplete features and bugs on PTR. Come join us in our Community Feedback Server to discuss all of the changes and report any bugs you encounter while playing PTR.

What You’ll Get

To incentivize playtesting the new features on PTR, we have added a small reward that’s obtainable in-game. Opening a loot chest has a chance to permanently unlock Firework Spark snowball trails!


Closing

There are a lot of big changes coming to MineZ that will undoubtedly change the formula. We recognize this, and is one of the reasons why we’re holding this PTR in the first place. We have taken great strides in trying to capture the best sides of both PVP and PVE gameplay while refining the formula to fit the new demographic for Minecraft and gaming alike. We hope you approach these changes with an open mind and help us to refine it into a model we can all enjoy.

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you on PTR!

- The MineZ Team

Hello Survivors!

We are excited to welcome you to the latest MineZ Update, the Road Less Traveled! This update has been in the works since March and covers a broad spectrum of smaller updates.


Minor Shoveling Was Needed

Historically the snow biome has been regarded as an area that would need a total remake. The problem with an area this vast is that it has felt like an impossible undertaking. Total biome overhauls have been done before, but never quite as large as this central biome, and they always take an extremely long time to make it from development to players.

With the Road Less Traveled update, we have created a few new microbiomes which will lay the base for more biome overhauls. We have worked diligently to fill these new microbiomes and ensure they feel lived in and traveled.



Furthermore, we have also added a comprehensive road system connecting the Snow Biome to the larger world. This change is incredibly important, especially for newer players. The Snow has been an area that, for being so central, has been incredibly under traveled due to the difficulty associated with blind travel.

A Better Form of Travel

After some downtime, Waygates have returned! However, their function is a bit different now:

• The 16 major waygates are arranged in a 4x4 grid across the map and are accessed with Gate Stones
• Major Waygates allow travel in any cardinal direction(North, South, East and West)
  • There is no looping across world borders. Waygates along borders won’t allow travel in those directions
  • Each use takes you into the Tether briefly to fast travel to the destination
• Each ‘point’ location (Shacklepoint, Anchorpoint, etc) has 3 Minor Waygates to travel within those locations, with no gatestone needed.
• Gate Stones are obtained with 8 uses and now break after their final use.
• Old Gate Stones from before The Road Less Traveled can/should be thrown near any Waygate to be converted to a new single-use Gate Stone that can be recharged.
• Gatestone recharging has been refreshed! Check out the MineZ Changelog for more information!

The Cartographer's Gift



As many of you have probably noticed, it has been quite some time since the map hosted over on minezmap.com has been updated. This is for a few reasons, but the main one is due to the very unfriendly nature of Overviewer, and the monumental work required to re-render and upload the large package to the server.

Without getting too technical, this was not sustainable for the long term, especially with the increasing number of build changes to MineZ. Therefore, we looked towards another solution that supports the rapidly changing nature of MineZ.

Our new map is built on Dynmap and presents a near identical presentation to what the old map provides, with a few improvements:

• A top-down “flat” view
• A much better cave view
• In-line wiki support
• Mobile support
• Rapid updates to the map render, not requiring a complete re-render each update.

However, we are shipping this new map as a beta. You may come across a few things that may not feel quite right, or some aspects of the original map are absent. We are aware of this, and we are going to be continuing to hammer out improvements to the map experience.
Additionally, with us being on Dynmap, there are a lot more options for improving the map and overall gameplay experience. Keep an eye on the MineZ changelog for updates to the map!