Shotbow

Annihilation Base 1.16 Update (3.0.0)

What is this?
Before now, Annihilation was running on Minecraft 1.12 as the server version. However, we are pleased to announce that we have updated the base server version to 1.16.

What does this mean?
This means we can fully use newer (1.16) mechanics, such as newer mobs, sounds, effects and other features. You can still connect to Annihilation using any client version from 1.12+. However, we recommended using a newer version, like 1.16 or 1.19.

This base update enables the full use of crawling and the lower crouching height. This means you can now fit yourself in a 1x1 hole and crouch in a gap only 1.5 blocks tall.

There are also new 1.16 mechanical blocks, such as blast furnaces and barrels.

What changed?
Not much. With every base update, we try and keep everything the same as this helps to keep the number of bugs down and make the transition smoother. There are a few differences, though (non-exhaustive list):

• /swag no longer exists. It has been replaced with the new /cosmetics command; this change introduces some new cosmetics! See Cosmetics section below.
• Team helmets are gone. We found that it was confusing for new players, and very few regular players had it enabled.
• Combat log NPCs have been overhauled. You can now rejoin a match immediately after logging out. You will be held in the voting lobby until the combat cooldown has elapsed.
• Bosses may be a bit more challenging to kill. We might change this later, but we wanted to see how players felt as bosses, in general, are pretty easy to kill.
• Instant respawns and class changes.
• For now, new servers may show as melons in the server selector. This will be fixed when we move the Annihilation Lobby over to 1.16.

Cosmetics
You can now purchase cosmetics in-game! Use the new /cosmetics command and it will open up a GUI that allows you to purchase and select your kill sound/visual effects.
We have added three new cosmetics with this update: Wololo, White Orb and Flower Power. You can purchase these in-game right now and they will be yours forever.
It is now easier than ever to add cosmetics, so we're looking for cool ideas for new cosmetics. Drop your idea on the forums or Discord; if the community likes it, we'll add it!

What if I want to keep using my 1.12 client?
You can keep using 1.12. However, we would strongly advise that you update as there are certain disadvantages that we cannot fix for players using clients lower than 1.16, such as (non-exhaustive list):

• Cannot crouch in 1x1 or sneak in 1.5 block spaces
• No fast swimming
• Certain new blocks will show as stone (or similar) for you (lanterns, for example). If that block has a gap in it, someone on a newer version could attack you through it, but you could not attack them back.
  • Some new blocks will have non-standard hitboxes that may cause you to become stuck if stepped on. For example, turtle eggs.
• 1.16 mechanics will allow for cool new traps that will be very hard for 1.12 clients to escape.
• The Nexus will make a scary and annoying sound. Because beacons now make a sound that 1.12 doesn't have, it attempts to play guardian noises.
• Some cosmetics and other particles won't look right for you. There was a change between 1.12 and 1.16 with colour data (in Minecraft), and it's not backwards compatible, so certain effects will look messed up.

Final Words
As we have just released this update, there are bound to be bugs. Please report any bugs you find as soon as possible via our official Discord by using this command: !support bug <IGN>.
This update took us a long time as it required updating much more than just Annihilation. We hope you enjoy it.

Hello there Shotbow players!

To celebrate Black Friday we're activating the discount code "BLACKFRIDAY2022" for a 30% sale on purchases made at the Shotbow Store.

In addition to Thanksgiving we're also having a 2x XP-Multiplier until the end of the week.

Hello Shotbow and MineZ community members! With MineZ Spookfest ending soon, we are hard at work planning MineZ’s next holiday event which will take place in December.

Each year we have decorated a growing amount of locations for these holiday events and we expect this year to be no different. This year, we’d like you to join in on the fun of decorating locations for Christmas.

For that reason, we're hosting the first ever MineZ Holiday Build Contest! Anyone can enter a build into this, and we're hoping to give many of you the chance to have a build added into the Christmas rotation! The contest will run until December 3rd, and we're excited to see all that you have to submit!

• This MineZ Build Contest will last for 21 days, ending on December 3rd, 2022.
• Builds can be of any size, though we recommend sticking to towns. Builds should be taken from the overworld only. Dungeon locations will not be accepted.
• Builds do not have to be strictly reskins of current locations. You can build new locations for this contest.
• Submissions are welcome to suggest chest/water/crafting table/etc locations, but will ultimately be left up to MineZ staff. Generally the placements of these resources don't change for holiday locations.
• For this contest you will be allowed to download the chunks you need to build with.
• Multiple winners are expected. We will add winning builds to the Christmas map, so long as they meet a certain standard.

• Please submit your build here as a comment. Make sure to list who worked on it and what location it is.
• Each submission requires an Imgur album of build screenshots, taken in vanilla without shaders!
• Each submission requires a schematic file of the build.
• Each person/group is limited to 3 submission

The rules of the contest are as follows:

• Anyone can send in a submission
• Each person/group is limited to 3 submissions (Please note, group submissions will only receive one prize amongst the group. In the event of multiple winning submissions from the same group, you will receive double/triple prizes.)
• Builds must be created in 1.12.2
• Submissions, if selected, are subject to edits as necessary by the MineZ team
• Submissions sent in, if selected, will be property of Shotbow
• Submissions sent in after December 3rd will not be considered for the contest

Winners will be announced by December 4th! Special prizes will be given to the top 3 builds:

• 1st Place: 50,000 Shotbow XP + Gold Rank + Shotbow Lunar Cape
• 2nd Place: 25,000 Shotbow XP + Silver Rank + Shotbow Lunar Cape
• 3rd Place: 25,000 Shotbow XP + 3 Shout Tokens

All winners will additionally receive a special in-game prize and holiday cosmetic for use on MineZ. There may be more than 3 builds added however, and in that case, those who did not place in the top 3 will also receive a special in-game prize and cosmetic.


It is our hope that as many of you as possible get in on the fun of building Holiday locations, however big or small! While it is unlikely, we must say that winners and ALL submissions are not guaranteed to be added to the Christmas MineZ Map. To avoid this scenario you can follow some of these tips:

• Review past holiday locations. There are several locations that we expect to use again from previous years. This means if you select Al Hasa, your build will be heavily contested. It would be wise to select another location.
• Find inspiration on the web for fun decoration tips for the holidays.
• Use custom Minecraft heads, though don’t go too crazy!
• You can always ask for feedback on your builds. Don’t shy away from getting an opinion on your build.

Happy building and Happy Holidays!