Eagleworld.net Minecraft Blog More Minecraft than ever before!

28Dec/115

Eagleworld is back.

Posted by EagleRock

Yes, yes, it's true. We're finally (finally (FINALLY)) back!

In lieu of celebration, here is a song from Guns N' Roses:

I have certainly worked my ass off to make the new Eagleworld as good as I could, so I hope everyone enjoys the server! Please read the entirety of this post, as it'll be important on how to get started on the new Eagleworld.  If you don't and you start asking questions, you'll just be referred right back here:

What's the new Eagleworld look like?

You might be wondering what exactly what has changed from the old Eagleworld to the new.  Well, here's all the changes in a nutshell:

Spoiler Inside: Changes to Eagleworld

The new towns of Eagleworld

Since wilderness building is heavily discouraged at this point, it behooves all members of Eagleworld to join a town.  Here is a synopsis of your options (and other potential options):

Spoiler Inside: Eagleworld Towns

What you need to know when you first log in

Since a lot has changed on Eagleworld, there will be some things you need to know the first time you log in.  Here's a quick checklist of things you should do:

  • Browse the Server Info page and familiarize yourself with the new rules/policies
  • Browse the list of towns above and figure out which one you wish to join (if you have not yet done so)
  • You may wish to look at the more detailed town applications in this blog post.
  • When you log in the first time, you need to request your rank to be restored.  This is for security purposes.
  • Upon first login, also ask for your back salary.
  • Once you have a house and chests, start transferring your items from the old map to the new one.
  • Select a structure from the old world to bring to the new one.  Electing to not bring one will give you a bonus in Talons.

What's the new features I should look out for?

Now that we have all these new fancy-schmancy plugins and stuffs, what does that mean for you?  I haven't had time to update the Help Page yet, but here's some info to get you started:

Spoiler Inside: New Eagleworld features

Conclusion

I hope the new Eagleworld is more enjoyable for all!  Please let me know if there are any issues with the server; I will resolve them as soon as my personal time allows.  As far as building migration, please be patient.  We will get to them as soon as possible.  Note we will be doing a lot of work rebuilding towns and the infrastructure, as well as handling server bugs, so we have to deal with building migration after all that is fixed.  Thanks for your understanding!

Now get to building!

8Sep/1155

Important: Should we start anew?

Posted by EagleRock

Hey, everyone!

Okay, I've got some plans down the pipeline, especially with 1.8 coming out, and I want to get a consensus from the active players on what to do.  I implore ALL of you to read this and leave at least one comment to have your voice heard, as this is important to you and your creations on Eagleworld.

Eagleworld has been running for almost a year, and the game has changed drastically since we started on Minecraft Alpha.  The game has introduced many new items, and the map format has changed drastically.  Additionally, 1.8 is going to have a large change to the map structure, including a much higher ceiling.  So, suffice it to say a lot of the spawned area Eagleworld has is, well, outdated.

Also, in that year, the players have done a damn good job of pillaging the land for all the good stuff.  :-)  So, after a year, the map has many good creations, but has a lot of "exploited territory" laying in ruin as well.  As such, now might be a good time to start anew.

Start anew?  Does that mean I lose all my crap?

Not exactly.  I'd like to get a consensus from the players as to whether or not they are okay with this first.  Second, all your creations and hard work would not just disappear.  As most of you know, I don't settle for second-best with how I run this place, so it would be a lot better than just dumping everything and starting anew.

Here's what will stay the same:

  • All members would retain their ranks, and there would be no change to that system at all.
  • All players would retain their Talons, and the banking system would be the same.
  • I will create a new Global Shop and let players create new player shops as I did before.
  • Players will be allowed to bring all of their items over to the new map.

Here is what will change:

  • Once 1.8 comes out, Eagleworld will be updated as per the normal update procedure.
  • Once the server is on 1.8, I will create a new map called Eagleworld2 (note the server can support multiple maps).
  • The nether's map will be purged and be started fresh.
  • Townymod data will be purged completely and new towns will be allowed to form on the new map.
  • Players will start playing on the new map, forming towns again.
  • All players are allowed to use their resources from the old map on the new one, but are recommended to not destroy their old creations, as the old map will be kept around.
  • Not Guaranteed - With the help of WorldEdit, Admins will allow players to select one building/structure of their choice to be copied to the new world.  For example, in my case, I would "copy" my mansion and bring it over to the new world.
  • Once the transition is complete, the old Eagleworld map will be frozen and exist as a museum.  This way, we can start anew, but you can still show off all your hard work to other players.

Here's what will happen to the towns:

  • All the old Towny data will be removed.  All players and towns will start fresh.
  • I will lay claim to the new Capitol City and mark the land first (hey, my server guys :-))
  • I encourage ALL active players to have a town to join.  I would rather more structure than not inside towns.
  • The new towns can be based off of old ones, or completely new ones can be formed...it's all up to you.
  • In terms of claiming space, I will make sure towns have the ability to claim the land they need, as I am aware we had problems with this in the past.
  • I will accept applications for new towns, but those towns need to have a definitive citizen list, mayor, location, theme, etc.
  • Everyone can apply, but realize the more organized groups/mayors will have a better chance than less organized ones.
  • Once we get settled on the new map, I encourage more players to set up home base inside towns, not scattered in the wilderness.  Wilderness building is fine, of course, but I would rather see towns be more active than less active.

What I need from you people

I need to know what people think about this.  It is going to take a lot of work to do this, but I believe it will be worth it,  However, it'll only be worth it if everyone is on-board with the idea, and people will actually play on the server.  Note that once we transition to 1.8 and the map is reset, I will start promoting the server more aggressively to bring in new blood.  So, I ask every player on the server to make a comment to this post! Your opinion is very important, so please make sure your voice is heard.

Please note the following in your comment:

  • Are you for or against this move for Eagleworld?  Please explain why/why not.
  • How important is the ability to copy a structure from the old world to the new one to you?
  • Would this move make you play more or less on Eagleworld?
  • Do you like or dislike that players will retain their items/Talons?
  • Do you like how the Towny system will be handled?
  • Finally, any additional comments/suggestions are welcome.

Like I said before, I am NOT doing anything without first getting a voice from the players, so don't worry about the changes just yet.  They will not take place until the server is on 1.8 anyway, so we have time to deliberate.  I want to get a feeling from the players first, and from there I can get a more definitive plan.

On that note, I welcome your comments/suggestions!  Please make sure to respond, as it is highly important I hear from everyone!  Thanks!

6Aug/111

A big update: Referral Bonuses, Back Salaries, and Lots ‘o’ Promotions!

Posted by EagleRock

Hey, everyone!

Yes, it's been a while, and while I realize the bulk of you might appreciate that as to not have to read through my walls of text (lol), this is a post you'll definitely want to read!  I got a few things to talk about today, and they all involve things you will really want to hear!

Lots 'o' Promotions!

Let's face it...promotions were overdue.  Way overdue.  So, without further ado, here's the list of people getting bumped up!

Builder to Architect

  • LilBatesperu
  • Batesperu
  • Ikgrid

Architect to Artisan

  • Peturd
  • xcaboose22
  • yorhodes
  • adamant454
  • pillsbaryjoeboy
  • justynsm

Artisan to VIP

  • jbkarate9
  • Thunder__Child
  • ljdarten

VIP to Moderator

  • EG_SpaceNinja

Again, as of right now, there's nobody on the active or semi-active side on this server that I am not really willing to promote.  So, if you didn't make the cut, just make sure I see your face a bit more.  Promotions only go to active players!

Back Promotions

Besides the latest promotions above, there are a bunch of you that never claimed promotions, some from a long time ago.  At this point, I'd like everyone to make sure you have all the promotions you earned.  Please take a quick look at the newly updated Player List at the bottom of the Server Info page.  Find your name in the list, and see if you indeed have the rank you should have.  If you are, say, a Builder and it lists you as an Architect, check all of the Promotions Posts and find when you got promoted.  Then, come see an admin and get promoted!

Back Salaries

I lament the fact that a lot of the old regulars don't really play on here anymore.  I'd love to see you guys come back for a while.  Some players (such as Peturd, Runninghobo, etc.) have come back recently, but I'd like to see more!  So, for the month of August, I'm going to allow players to claim back salaries!  This means that in addition to August's salary, I will let you retroactively claim up to three additional months of salaries!  I do have a record of who did and did not claim salaries, so if you haven't been around for a while, and were thinking about it, this is the perfect time to come back!

Introducing: Player Referrals

Since Minecraft Server List (or MCSL) has greatly downgraded my server in terms of rating for a whole 4-5 hours of downtime (sigh), we haven't really been getting new members.  However, honestly, my best source of new players has always been player referrals.  So, I have decided that it is time to start rewarding people for good player referrals, and give everyone a bit of incentive to get your friends on Eagleworld!

Here's how the system will work:

  • When the person joins, they will list you as their referral, pretty much how it has always been.
  • The new player will go through the recruitment process as usual.
  • If the person qualifies for membership and becomes a Builder, the referring player will receive 250 Talons.
  • If the person stays on Eagleworld and is ranked up to Architect, the referring player will receive an additional 2,250 Talons.

Since new, good players are valuable to the server, I consider 2,500 Talons a fair bonus for referrals.  If there are players that wish to share the Referral Bonus, I can work those out on a case-to-case basis.

In Conclusion...

I hope all of these updates and improvements will give everyone an incentive to come back and enjoy Eagleworld once again.  I do have plans for additional improvements down the road, so this won't be the end of it.  Stay tuned for even more updates!

18Jul/115

Promotions, Global Shop, and Downtime

Posted by EagleRock

Hey, everyone!

Just another blog post to handle three minor things on the server.  I'll deal with these in order or ease:

Downtime earlier today

I apologize for the server downtime.  The server crapped out on me because the console hung up.  While the server itself was running fine with the console hung, it caused the reboot to not happen properly.  So, after the reboot, the server went down completely.

Anyway, I don't suspect it to happen again, especially after I update Craftbukkit to the latest recommended build.  The Bukkit team has a new build ready, I just have to test it before deployment.

Global Shop Update

Well, I finally got around to it...the Global Shop has been updated to add three new items: Red Mushrooms, Brown Mushrooms, and Slime Balls.  Prices can be found on the Global Shop page as usual.

Promotions

And, finally, the fun stuff:  Promotions!

Unlike last promotion, which was all about the builders, this one's all about the higher-ups:

Builder to Architect:

  • justynsm

Architect to Artisan:

  • jbkarate9
  • xchrisbeftwx
  • Thunder__Child
  • ljdarten

Artisan to VIP:

  • Archer665
  • WARRIORSPARTON

VIP to Moderator:

  • SanctusTerra

And, that's all she wrote, folks!  Again, as usual, there are few active members that are not getting promoted.  If you are active and not promoted, you just need a bit more time, that's all.

15Jul/111

More Server Work – Help Page Updated

Posted by EagleRock

Hi, everyone!

I finally managed to get the Help Page updated to reflect the latest changes in the server commands.  There are a bunch of new commands out there and an adjustment of permissions across the board, so be sure to look at the commands for your rank and the ones below you to see what you now have the ability to do.

Just one note: The Mods have two commands listed that are not yet in the version of Essentials on Eagleworld: /nuke and /fireball.  These will be implemented in the 2.5 version of Essentials, which is not stable yet.  Once it is stable, I will be rolling it out to Eagleworld, and these commands will be available.

The next step on the server overhaul is redoing the global shop.  I know there are items missing from the shop (most notably slime), but I have to go over the whole list of items and balance out the prices.

Keep posted!

2Jul/112

1.7 Update, Promotions, Salaries, and Playing Admin

Posted by EagleRock

Hey everyone!

Here's a quadruple-whammy post for y'all tonight.  I have four major things to cover, but I'll try to keep it as succinct as possible:

1.7 Update News

Just so you are in the loop, yes, Craftbukkit does have a recommended build for Minecraft 1.7.2, and I can update at this point.  However, there are major bugs in the server app itself (not Bukkit) that cause dupe bugs and piston bugs.  The Bukkit team is strongly recommending not to update until this is fixed, and I tend to agree.  Here is the Bukkit team's blog post regarding the matter: link here.

So, the long story short is hold tight until this is resolved.  The good news is I can temporarily start working towards updating the server to get a head-start once the update is finished.

Independence Day Promotions

Well, I promised more promotions, so here they come!  This batch involves the newest string of members and an embellishment of the server staff:

Builder to Architect:

  • Banana_Blob
  • adamant454
  • MegaUltraBuilder
  • pillsbaryjoeboy

Artisan to VIP

  • Nonagrrl

VIP to Moderator

  • Nephylim
  • Melany23

Moderator to Administrator

  • Openminded

I chose to promote Nephy and Melany to mods because they are both dependable and trustworthy members of the server, and they have experience modding Minecraft servers in the past.  Also, the times they are online will fill the gaps of when mods/admins are actually online to ensure greater coverage of the server at all times.

I chose Openminded as the latest admin because Nick (Runninghobo) has been quite busy lately and he hasn't been able to back up me as much as he was in the past.  Therefore, the need for additional admins is in order.  Open has consistently proven to provide great assistance to helping me deal with the server, not just in building things (such as the subway system), but also in dealing with new members.  He's proven as a mod that he will be able to serve as a quality admin on this server.

So, I hope you all congratulate the new promotions and welcome the new server staff!  And if you were expecting a promotion, don't get upset.  There are three major reason that people don't get promoted at any given time on this server:

  1. Hasn't been on the server long enough to demonstrate the worthiness of a promotion
  2. Has demonstrated trustworthiness, but has been inactive on the server
  3. Has given me a reason to question whether or not to promote them.

The majority of the lack of promotions in the list are due to 1 and 2.  Honestly, I have 10-12 people I'd be willing to promote right now, but they either don't play anymore or have played very sporadically.  So, don't fret if you don't see your name on the list today.

July Salaries

Well, it's that time of the month again!  July salaries are ready to be given out, so make sure to claim them!  And, since the server is not on 1.7 yet, I'll be giving out another "SNS-Free Bonus" this month for those of you that were willing to either not update or willing to back-up their 1.6 install: If you claim your salary before I update the server, you will get a 500 Talon bonus!  So, make sure to claim them soon!

Quick update on Playing Admin

I've received a LOT of questions regarding Runninghobo's post on Playing Admin on the server.  While I posted a response to his post in the comments and clarified some stuff, I still see people unclear about this.  For example, someone was concerned because they saw a moderator asking questions and accused them of playing admin.  Note that while mods cannot actually promote members, they can do all the preliminary questioning and prep them for membership.

So, to the members, if you see a mod asking questions, it's okay.  And if you are a moderator, and want to know what you need to do to question a member, please ask me!

I'll be redoing the Server Info and Help Pages soon, so I'll make sure to add all this info in to clarify it for good.

And in closing...

It's a lot of crap to read, I know, but there's a lot going on in Eagleworld right now.  Any questions about the post (I'm sure there will be a lot), please comment below and ask away!  I will be sure to answer them as best as I can!

1Jun/113

Update Updates and Monthly Salaries

Posted by EagleRock

Hi everyone!

Just a quick note that the Bukkit team has finally been able to create a semi-stable build for the new 1.6.6 release.  I will be starting to roll out the changes to 1.6.6 to the test server today.

However, please note that this Bukkit release is a mere 10 hours old as of this post.  Most plugin developers have not yet updated their plugins to work with the latest version of craftbukkit.  Therefore, until the plugins catch up and work with Bukkit, I will NOT be updating the server.  I will, however, update what I can, so that by the time all the plugins are up-to-date and working swimmingly, I'll be ready to roll out 1.6.

And, to the idiots that keep connecting to the server in the blind hope that I might have magically updated it to 1.6 (you know who you are), it's not going to help.  Rather than wasting your time and looking like an idiot by connecting to a 1.5_02 server with a 1.6.x client, just take three seconds to view the blog first.  If it's updated, trust me, this blog will be the first place notified.

In other news: It is now the first of June, so June salaries will be taking effect!  Make sure to claim your salary the next time you see an admin online.  And, to those of you that have been sticking with 1.5, avoiding SNS Syndrome, and not asking me stupid "When are we updating?" questions, I am giving you a 1,000 Talon bonus on top of your normal salary!  Many of you have stuck with 1.5 and have made my life a lot easier in dealing with this last Beta update, so consider the bonus a small thank you out of appreciation for your efforts.

You will get your bonus as long as you have logged onto Eagleworld any time between May 26th (after the update) and May 31st, and you haven't asked me when I plan to update.  Just make sure to ask for it when you ask for your salary!

I hope I will be able to post to the blog again soon regarding 1.6 updates.  Until then, have fun!

17May/116

How to Make Money on Eagleworld

Posted by EagleRock

This is a question I've been asked many times before, and I think it's time I gave it a proper treatment on the blog.  There are tons of ways you can make a good rake of Talons on this server, enough that you shouldn't feel like you can't make money.   The best part about the server economy is that there will always be a way you can make money depending on the way you play the game.  Therefore, no matter your play style, there are ways to take advantage of it to make some extra cash for those projects you need money for.

1) Make sure to collect your monthly salary

This one requires the least amount of effort, and will give you a nice rake.  Every player on the server gets a monthly salary depending on their rank.  The server rank section on the Server Info page lists these salaries, but for convenience, here's the list:

  • Builder - 500 Talons
  • Architect - 600 Talons
  • Artisan - 750 Talons
  • VIP - 1,000 Talons
  • Moderator - 1,500 Talons
  • Administrator - 2,500 Talons

You DO NOT get your salary automatically!  You must claim it every month.  You do so by asking an Administrator for your salary after the 1st of every month while logged on the Minecraft server.  If you are new to the server, the 500 Talons you received upon joining acts as your salary for that month.  Every subsequent month you need to ask for your salary while logged on to the server.  If you are promoted, you will automatically get your raise for that month, and will receive your whole salary if you didn't request it yet for that month.

Note that if you do not log in for the entire month, you can't get your salary.  So, even if you don't plan on playing for a whole month, make sure to log in at LEAST once when an admin is on to get your Talons.

2) Sell staple goods regularly to the Global Shop

The Global Shop is there for a reason.  It is not only there to help you obtain the harder-to-get items that you want (such as gunpowder for TNT, clay for Brick, and diamond for tools/armor), but also to get rid of the staple goods you always have an abundance of but can't always find a player to sell them to.  These less-desired items might normally go to waste and end up in an incinerator, but if you play it smart, you can use them to make a substantial amount of money.

Here are the staple goods you can end up selling for money just by doing your day-to-day tasks on the server:

  • Mining
    • Cobblestone
    • Dirt
    • Gravel
  • Digging/Excavating Land
    • Dirt
    • Sand
    • Gravel
  • Wandering/Travelling
    • Feathers
    • Wool
    • Raw Pork
    • Bones
    • String
  • Working in the Nether
    • Netherrack
    • Mob Drops
    • Glowstone
    • Soul Sand

These items might seem like they don't make a lot of money, but if you collect them at a regular-enough rate, you will always have a steady inflow of Talons.  For example, if you are mining and come across gravel, always have at least one slot in your inventory dedicated for a stack of gravel.  You mine more gravel than you think, and can easily make 10-20 talons clearing out an area that you had to clear away anyway.  Taking the additional minute or two to claim it all and use the /shop sell gravel command could easily make you 50-100 extra talons an hour for minimal effort.

Naturally, you can extrapolate this example to the other staple goods on the server.  Taking the marginal effort to claim all these goods will give you extra unexpected Talons left and right.

3) Mining is an excellent way to make Talons

Since most people on the server end up mining for whatever reason (either to mine for ore/diamond, for cobblestone, or just for fun), I made it that there are always ways to make Talons from this everyday task.  In addition to selling the "staple" goods in method #2 above, there are a few tips and tricks that can really optimize your mining experience and turn your mining time into a real money maker:

1) Do not ignore any type of ore!

Certain ores (such a coal and redstone) often get overlooked by players.  They consider them undesired and a waste of time and inventory to mine.  This could not be farther from the truth.  Coal usually comes in large veins, so it's easy to collect a whole stack right away.  You can then either use it yourself for your smelting/torch needs, sell it to another player for a decent 25 Talons/stack (roughly), or sell them by stack to the Global Shop for 20 Talons/stack.  Either way, that's plenty of cash you wouldn't have had otherwise.

Redstone is even more valuable than coal.  Not only is it 64 Talons/stack if sold to the Global Shop (more to other players), but you can sell them individually to the Global Shop!  Therefore, you will always net at least 4 talons per Redstone Ore Block, no matter what.  So, if you're scrubbing the Earth for diamond and can only come up with Redstone, mine the Redstone anyway.  It can only give you more Talons to buy what you need!

2) Always explore cave systems when you find them

While I believe most players do this already, it can easily be overlooked.  Caves give you a really fast way of traversing underground while being able to quickly inspect areas for exposed ore.  And remember, all the ore is valuable, even the kind you're not looking for.

Just remember to have courtesy to other players.  If a mine already has torches placed in it, it's probably claimed.  Don't mine other people's mines, and make sure if you're going cave exploring, it's in the Wilderness, or with permission of the Mayor of the town you are in.

3) Learn efficient ways of mining

Mining can be tedious and tiring if you don't have a method.  There are plenty of methods that other players have developed to efficiently cover an area to mine the valuable ores without wasting time strip-mining an entire area.  Branch mining is a very effective method of retrieving 80-90% of the valuable ore by only mining 25-30% of the area.  There are plenty of tutorials available on this subject easily found with a Google search.

4) Be efficient with your tools

While diamond tools are great to use, they are a large expense to the miner.  Diamond Shovels can cost 150 Talons to purchase, while Diamond Pickaxes go for 450 Talons.  While they last 7-8 times longer than Iron tools, the Iron Shovel and Pickaxe can be bought for 3 and 7 Talons, respectively.  It's wise to have your diamond tools available, but only use them for ore, while your iron tools cover the fast-to-mine items, such as gravel, dirt, and stone.  The amount of time you lose by using the lower quality tool is negligible, and the money you save can mean hundreds of Talons a month saved.

5) Lava can be a good moneymaker

For those of you good around lava (especially those that are Artisan level or above), you can make a good amount of money from lava.  Obsidian sells 5 Talons apiece to the Global Shop, and even more to players that wish to build with it.  It is a very good use of Diamond Pickaxes, as you will make a large amount back on your 450 Talon investment.

Note that this isn't for everyone.  If you aren't good with lava, don't bother trying.  You'll lose your Obsidian and Diamond tools and end up in the red much easier than turning a profit.  However, to those of you that are able to negotiate lava safely, you can make lots of good money this way.

4) Don't underestimate the value of farming

Farming is a "renewable" resource on Eagleworld.  As such, farming the same land again and again doesn't take anything away from the server, unlike mining.  Therefore, I have designed the economy for you to be able to make a decent amount of money from the simple act of farming.

There are multiple ways you can go about farming, but any way will net you some easy Talons.  Here's a list of farming methods to not forget about:

  • Wheat farming
  • Sugarcane (formerly Reed) farming
  • Cactus farming
  • Tree farming

All four methods will draw a decent and steady profit, even if you sell the goods only to the Global Shop.  On top of that, if you sell your items to players, you can make even more.

Also, don't forget autoharvesters/grinders.  Whether they are for cactuses, or for mob drops, they are extremely easy methods of earning money, just by standing on one spot and waiting.  Just remember: if you make any kind of automatic harvester/grinder, you have to place lava at the end of the collection chute.  This will prevent server overload issues.

5) Open up your own player shop

Let's face it: buying from the Global Shop is pricey.  However, selling items doesn't net you nearly what the item is worth.  For example, one diamond costs 200 Talons to purchase, but you only get 100 Talons if you sell it.  There is no easier way to make more money off of the items you have than to sell it to other players for a higher price.  For example, that very same diamond can be sold to a player for 140-160 Talons, netting you a 40-60% extra profit on your diamond.

A player shop can help you get your diamonds and other goods sold to other players very easily.  Even if you are offline, a player can enter your shop any time of day or night and purchase your goods.  The Capitol City Marketplace is the premier location for player shops, as all shops so far are located there.  It is a one-stop shop for all kinds of goods you might need.  Here are a few tips on how to set up your shop and how to get players to buy from it:

  • Read up on how to run your player shop on the Blog
  • Specialize what you want to sell in your store and clearly mark it, so players know to visit your store for those goods
  • Post all the items you sell and their prices on signs, so that they can see prices even if you are sold out of an item
  • Make sure to check your stock regularly and see what items are popular
  • Try to keep your best sellers consistently stocked, as players will learn to depend on your store
  • Finished goods and items that take time and effort to make (e.g. smelted goods) are items people regularly buy on this server
  • Do your research on the value of an item to make sure you price your items fairly and lucratively

These tips and tricks can really help you get items sold, even when you're not on the server.  While you can still do your player-to-player haggling and trading on the side, your store will help you provide a reliable and consistent way players can purchase your items from you.

6) Sell in-game services to players for a price

There are plenty of times players are in need of assistance from other players.  There are also plenty of times you might be sitting around with nothing to do.  There's nothing better than solving your need of finding something to do and coupling it with earning some extra money on the side.

A good way to set up a contracting business is to find something you are good at on the server, and advertise it to other players.  Let's say, for example, you are good at building structures and wish to make money contracting your building services to others.  First, make some excellent quality structures you can show-off as your example work.  This will show players that your services are worth the price, and they will come to you for assistance.  Second, negotiate a pay rate before working.  For example, you might charge a set price of Talons per real-life hour of work, plus fair market cost of materials.  Third, make other players happy with your work and let word-of-mouth help your assistance become desired.

Also, building structures isn't the only kind of services you can contract.  Here are some examples to give you some ideas on what you can do:

  • Building structures
  • Interior decorating
  • Clearing land/terraforming
  • Assisting other players with various tasks
  • Mining other people's land for a percentage or a fee
  • Farming other people's land for a percentage or a fee
  • Smelting materials/perform other time-consuming tasks for someone
  • Design/build redstone circuitry for others

There are many other things you could do.  These are just a few items.  Figure out what you're best at and what sets you apart, then find your hourly rate that you can charge to others that they will pay.

7) Be Economical: Don't forget the Player Shops!

Part of making money on Eagleworld is learning how to most effectively spend it to get the most for your money.  One way is to not immediately go to the Global Shop for purchasing items.  While the Global Shop is fast and convenient, dealing with other players can not only save the purchaser money, but can earn the seller extra Talons for their items.  It will always be more cost-effective to deal with a player than it will the Global Shop, as no player will charge more money than the Global Shop, as it just does not make sense.

Therefore, make it an effort to learn about the different stores in the Capitol City Marketplace.  The better stores specialize in certain goods, so you know what to expect in a store before you even go into it.  However, the unmarked or generic stores might have a good deal on the item you want, so it's worth browsing around and seeing what's available.  Remember to brush up on the Local Shop Commands so you don't get confused when trying to buy something.

8 ) Don't forget about the Gold Ingot

One thing most players forget about is that their Gold Ingots are an unofficial secondary currency on this server.  You shouldn't be afraid to trade them to other players for goods/services in lieu of Talons.  Also, you shouldn't be afraid of accepting them for payment.  When you do the math, a Gold Ingot is roughly worth about 15 Talons apiece.  Therefore, if want to try to make some extra cash over all that Gold Ore you have (instead of selling it to the Global Shop), smelt it and use it as currency.  The price of Gold Ingots is pretty static on the server, and I meant it to be that way.  You can think of one ingot as 15 talons (or one gold block as 135 Talons) and use those items in your inventory to unlock some of your wealth.  Some players actually utilize gold blocks for building, and they'd very happily accept the 15 Talon-per-ingot price as opposed to the 20 Talon ore price from the Global Shop.  That would save them an easy 45 Talons per Gold Block.  That's not chump change.

Either way, I as the Server Administrator would like to see Gold Ingots work as a secondary currency on the server, so I will make sure that if you accept Ingots for goods/services, you won't lose the value of your ingots.  I believe they can make buying/selling goods more interesting/fun, and add an additional layer of haggling to your player-to-player dealings.

Conclusion

Hopefully this post will assist everyone in making some additional Talons on the server.  Any questions or comments can be posted below, and I will clarify/adjust the post if necessary.  Since it's in the Helpful Hints category of posts, I plan on it being read and reread over time.  Therefore, I will make sure to update and improve it as I see opportunities to do so.

I hope you find the information helpful and that it makes your gameplay on Eagleworld more fun and interesting!

1May/112

Promotions and New Salaries

Posted by EagleRock

Hi everyone!

Well, here's a quick post to let you know who got promoted on 4/30:

Builder to Architect:

  • XnostradamusX
  • deathsbones
  • Karaktar
  • stealth238

Architect to Artisan

  • ZackBlaze164
  • Battle_Toads
  • SnarlyCharly44
  • barneyrubble

Artisan to VIP

  • Melany23
  • Nephylim
  • _Nod_
  • openminded

Note that all of these people earned their promotions due to following the rules, being good, and having the time on the server to show their trustworthiness.  If you were not promoted, it is probably because you have not played on the server enough yet, or have been inactive recently.

I am concerned about a few people being inactive in the list above, so they will only be promoted if they play on the server within the current week.  By next Sunday, if they have not claimed their promotions, they won't get it.

Oh yeah, this is now the first day of May, so it's time for new salaries!  Remember to claim your salary sometime this month, or you will not get it!

Filed under: Economy, Promotions 2 Comments
14Apr/114

Tons ‘o’ Updates

Posted by EagleRock

Okay, I got a bunch of changes I did today, so allow me to fill you all in:

Craftbukkit/Plugin Updates

A bunch of plugins got updated, along with Bukkit itself.  So far everything seems to be working nicely with no issues (at least no new ones...).  The big changes to the server involved Essentials and LWC.

Door Redstone Protection Added

Thanks to the latest version of LWC, you can now protect your locked doors against redstone circuitry!  Type /lwc flag redstone on and left-click a door to turn on redstone protection and disable an override of a locked door.  If you want to enable redstone again, type /lwc flag redstone off.

Note that all locked doors DO NOT have this protection by default.  So, if you have doors you want to disable redstone on, you must turn on the flag for each one. Do not assume the redstone lock is there.

New Essentials Commands

There are bunch of new commands thanks to the Essentials plugin!  Here's the list of them and who has access to them:

  • /whois - Builder - Now you can see player info at a glance!  Displays their username, any nicknames they are currently using, their account balance, their location, whether they are AFK or available, and their current health.  Very handy if you are trying to figure out who is using what nickname!
  • /clearinventory - Architects - Architects or higher can now clear their own inventories.  Clearing other people's inventories are still restricted to mods or above.
  • /ext - VIP - VIPs, Mods, and Admins can now extinguish a player on command!
  • /burn - Mods - Mods can do the opposite, too!
  • /jails - Mods - Since we can set multiple jails, use /jails to see the list of them when you want to jail a player.

Global Shop Additions

I am adding gunpowder to the Global Shop, as it is a highly requested item.  It's not cheap, but not too expensive, either.  TNT works out to be about 10tl each.  Note that buying gunpowder without access to use TNT doesn't let you place it.  You can also sell gunpowder to the store as well, if you have extra and are looking to make a few extra Talons.

If you can think of anything else that should be added to the store, let me know.  Note that I have no way of adding cocoa, so don't bother asking.  The plugin still does not support damage values (which is how dyes are differentiated), so there is no way for me to sell it.  I either have to wait for the plugin to support it or change plugins.  The latter option I could do, but it would take me time.

And that's about it.  Have fun with all the updates!