Search the Community

Hey, everyone! Our MC server has just been updated to 1.17! Surprisingly, it didn't take too long compared to past updates - only a couple weeks from the initial release. For the most part, the server is unchanged from 1.16 - however, there are a few key changes to go over. Website Updates This is a fairly minor bit, but still worth mentioning. A couple days ago we quietly updated our forums theme. Not much within the theme itself has changed, however we've done some adjustments to the logo design (for the first time since 2016). Compare these two icons - the left one being our previous Discord icon, and the right being its updated replacement. One thing we wanted to do was make a more cleaned-up version of the HD logo. You see, this specific recreation of the logo came all the way back from 2016, when I was only just learning how to do graphic design. It wasn't bad per se, but it wasn't fully faithful to the original logo either. It had a little more curvature than made sense and if you looked closely, you'd be able to see some imperfections. Since 2016, I've gotten a fair bit better at graphic design, and so I wanted to go back in and make a more faithful recreation of the logo - and at the same time, make it look just a little more fresh and line up with the current visual design by turning what used to be 2 flat colors into subtle gradients based off of those original colors. Top it all off with a drop shadow, and you've got an update that - in my opinion - manages to be both a more faithful recreation of the original logo, while still feeling fresh enough to not feel like some kind of crufty carryover. For those who might be unaware of this original logo, the only remaining image of that logo is this: If you can't tell, it's almost laughably low-resolution, and was pulled from the old CU forums in 2013. From 2014 to 2016, this is as good as we had to work with. It wasn't until 2016 - where I was finally able to both recreate the icon as a vector graphic and track down the original font used - that I was able to finally utilize a higher resolution version of that logo. There almost certainly was a higher resolution out there - but the only person likely to have it is the original designer - MikeStardust. He's not around anymore, but hey - he made that original logo all the way back then, and we're still more or less using it now - so he ought to get some credit. SkyBlock Reset Now, first up in regards to the server itself, we've ended up having to make a fairly significant change to SkyBlock. Our original plan was to keep all the worlds left unchanged until 1.18, and then perform all the fresh resets at the same time as the big world overhauls. Unfortunately, our old SkyBlock plugin, uSkyBlock, has no update to 1.17 as of yet - along with that, there's been several issues that have been persistent with that SkyBlock plugin for a while - most immediately the issue with Nether Portals not taking players to the right locations. So, we've decided to switch to a brand new SkyBlock plugin - one that seems to have a lot more active development, and which is already updated for 1.17. There's no way to migrate data from the old plugin to the new one, so this will require a world reset. The silver lining is that we won't need to reset SkyBlock come 1.18 - this new world will be retained through that update. We hope that this new plugin won't be too difficult to adjust to. Please bear with us as we all explore and learn this new SkyBlock plugin - there might be some issues here or there that crop up. If there are any, feel free to report them on our Bug Tracker. Cracked Support We have to talk about cracked support going forward. Despite my own personal belief that people really should have bought Minecraft at some point during the 10 years that CU has been around, I've made it a point to maintain CU's cracked support on the MC server - primarily because, well, we've always been cracked. Chaotic United's MC server began life as a cracked server, and that support persisted even through Nuclear District. We haven't advertised it as a feature, and premium players (people who own a copy of MC) don't have to /login or /register, but it's been left in for the few cracked users we may still have from time to time. This is something that could potentially change going forward. Early on, cracked support wasn't really too difficult to maintain. It never got in the way. AutoIn helped ensure that skins were forwarded and that premium users never had to mess around with login commands. However, over time, things have somewhat degraded a bit and cracked support isn't nearly as seamless as we'd like. In terms of minor surface-level bugs, there will sometimes be cases where the "Please /login with /login <password>" message is shown after the automatic login confirmation - which has resulted in some confusion for existing and new users, causing them to think they had to log in. Not a big deal really, but still a source of confusion. There are, however, more serious bugs which sometimes show up (and sometimes don't). There have been several cases where username changes have resulted in someone being unable to play - as FastLogin will treat them as a cracked player. Now, this issue has seemingly been nonexistent since 1.16 - but still, it's an indicator that sometimes these kinds of critical issues can crop up. Along with that, cracked severs generally get treated less than favorably by both the Minecraft community as well as server lists. This is why we haven't advertised CU as a cracked server in many years. These issues alone aren't enough for me to drop cracked support, however. Most of these issues are minor, uncommon, and when major issues crop up, they often get fixed. However, those issues combine with something else that make me willing to consider it. There's been a thought floating around within the staff team for a while now that this cracked support may be holding us back further than we realize. It's possible that players join, realize we're cracked, and then dip as a result. It's also possible that server lists are able to identify us as cracked due to AuthMe and FastLogin and are quietly burying us in the deepest pages of the list. And, of course, it's also possible that neither of these are happening and that cracked support has nothing to do with our lack of player retention. So, starting sometime soon, cracked support will be temporarily dropped. The current plan is to start this with 1.17.1, though it may be sooner or later depending on how things go. We had originally planned to include this as part of the 1.17 update, but for a number of reasons we've opted to postpone it for just a bit longer. We aren't ready to commit to ditching cracked support permanently just yet, but we want to experiment and see if dropping this support happens to fix some of these issues - most likely, this will remain the case until the end of the year. The good news is that in early testing, AuthMe and FastLogin both work without issue on 1.17 - so there won't be any technical barrier to keeping cracked support. The bad news for you cracked folk out there is that if dropping this cracked support happens to turn around our population problems, then this will likely be a permanent change. Only time will tell. The Future To wrap things up, something I plan to do starting with 1.17 is properly get back into Minecraft server stuff again. I've been doing some reflection a bit to try and figure out why it is I haven't felt the desire to do anything on CU outside of the bare minimum maintenance here and there - and I think I've figured out why. The answer is in that very question - I haven't wanted to do much CU stuff for a while because for a while, it's largely just been maintenance and bugfixing and reimplementing old features again. I haven't been getting on and working on cool things because I want to make something cool, it's because there's some big problem that I have to solve in order to maintain a baseline. What I want to do starting with 1.17 is knock the two big looming clouds out of the way. Cross-server /tp and /warp functionality. I've been putting these off for a long time - and I think the time has come to finally fix this. Once that's done, I've got a comically long list of possible features that I want to work on - and I think that's the key. I need to make new things - even if those new things are small. I need to stop sitting around and working on features that already exist and fixing bugs - I need to get in and start doing what I used to do with the server - creating new things. I've devoted a long period of time lately towards Elaztek Studios and the Blamite Game Engine - it's been over a year since I last did a hard focus on Chaotic United. And while I don't plan to spend the entirety of the next year focused solely on Chaotic United, I think it's time for the pendulum to swing in the other direction for a bit. Stay tuned.

Howdy, folks! As of writing, the MC server has just been updated to 1.16.4, and with it - a few features are temporarily unavailable (but with others returning). Unfortunately, I gotta be real - this post likely won't be a very positive one - but I don't think it'll exactly be doom and gloom, either. Server Updates/Changes Unfortunately, several custom plugins that were made by GuitarXpress (MagicStuff, Tennis, and Soccer/Football) have broken with the update. This was happening with past updates already, but unfortunately he isn't around to update them. I do have the source code, however when I tried to compile myself I ran into some pretty tough build issues, that may or may not be a result of the plugin's code - I haven't had time to check yet. And unfortunately, I don't know when I'll have that time - but that's for later. Also unfortunately, the server will, for the time being, not support cracked players. This has nothing to do with any actual desire to leave cracked support behind, as I feel it's integral to CU's MC server, in at least some capacity. The issue is that FastLogin - the plugin we use to ensure premium players (those who actually own MC) don't have to run /login and /register commands. That plugin finally broke with this update (of all updates) and we're stuck waiting for an update to be available. As to when that'll be, I don't know. There hasn't been one for a very long time unfortunately. As soon as an update is available (or a suitable alternative is found), then you can expect Cracked support to return sometime not too long after. I have been informed that dev builds of FastLogin exist, and as such cracked support is back. But before I get into the real bad news (kind of), one good thing did happen - Dynmap is back online! It's been down for a while (due to waiting on an update), but turns out there's an updated version for 1.16.4! Yep, that's all the purely positive news I've got. There ARE good parts about the following subject, so don't feel gloomy just yet. My New Job If you've kept up on Discord, you've probably heard that I've recently started a new job at USPS. This job has some benefits - and some downsides. The upside is, above all else, the pay. I'll be working as a Processing Clerk (or PSE as they call it), which starts at a whopping 18.15$ an hour. The downside? Until you become a regular employee (as in, you're considered there for a career), you get very little in terms of a consistent schedule - and you have long hours. From what I've been told, I'll likely be working between 40 and 60 hours a week. Along with this, the days around holidays (the day before, day of, and day after) will usually see me working 12 hour shifts each of those days. The real kicker is that, for PSE's, the typical time to become a career employee is between 1 and 2 years. The nice thing is, this will pretty much instantly pull me out of poverty and leave me sitting pretty. The downside is that I'll be spending a lot of time working. Ideally, I'd be working a more balanced job - you know, 40 hours a week. And the good thing is that once you get career, that overtime becomes entirely optional. So after those couple years, I'll have that balanced job and will likely be making more than 18.15 an hour. Unfortunately, this means that my ability to commit to any new features or major additions to CU is going completely out the window. My ability to fix bugs quickly will be extremely limited. The plans for semi-vanilla and BungeeCord will likely not be happening anywhere remotely soon. Even assuming I had all the time in the world, doing BungeeCord alone would be months of work. With this job demanding these kinds of hours of me, there's no way in hell that's gonna get done anytime soon. I'd like to do it at some point, but as things stand currently - it's gonna be a while. The upshot is that there will never be anything resembling a financial concern with the server anymore. There will be more than enough money to cover all the bills many times over. Even if not much is happening during these next couple of years, the server will not be going away. I'll still make sure to find time to keep the server up-to-date and do general maintenance like that, but I simply won't be capable of committing to any sort of time frame for any new features. Even seemingly simple features would take hours upon hours to code, test, implement, and bugfix. Hours that, for the time being, I won't have. Now, does this mean that I won't have any time at all? No. I'm guaranteed at least one day off a week, and depending on how schedules line up, I'll likely have days here and there where I've got a fair chunk of ample time between work shifts. But this amount of time is going to be significantly limited compared to my previous job at Schnucks (which was usually 20-32 hours a week). Now, you may be wondering - if the hours are this rough, why don't I find a different job? After all, I've talked a fair bit about how I value time over money. Well, I do - and I still hold those beliefs. But currently, I'm in a rough spot. I'll be honest - had I not landed this job, there's a very high likelihood that I would've had to shut down the MC server, potentially for months. Finances are tight, and even with this high of pay, it's going to take 2-3 paychecks before we're fully dug out of this hole. That being said, if it turns out that my time is limited to such an extent where I feel that I'm unable to even have a life outside of work - and assuming that no amount of time management skills can remedy it - I may potentially look for other jobs. But I can't repeat what I've done in the past. I can't leave this job before finding another. Things are just too tight. And even then - I'll be making just over 18 bucks an hour. That's nothing to scoff at. That wage is higher than my dad or grandpa ever had during their lives. And I'm getting that at the age of 21, where my life has just started. Even if it sucks a bit and time is sparse, this may end up being a case where I decide I want to power through for the year or two before I reach career - because it's smooth sailing after that. Consistent, unchanging hours, balanced hours (no overtime if you don't want it), and damn good pay and benefits. As much as I don't want to basically take two years off - especially as we approach Chaotic United's 10 year anniversary - by getting this job, I am able to at least guarantee that CU actually lives to see that day. So, to recap. You'll likely still see me in Discord text chat fairly consistently - although I won't be always available like I was before. I'll be on there for at least a little bit every day, though. I don't know how often I'll be in voice chat, but it likely won't be very often. I'll try to make sure to do so at least somewhat consistently - if only for my own sanity. You likely won't see me on MC much at all for a while, and you likely won't see any major features come in anytime soon. Bugfixes also won't be as common, though I'll try and make it a priority to fix particularly serious ones (as in, real game-breaking bugs - not just minor inconveniences). I'll do my best to ensure the server is updated to newer MC versions as they come out. And, of course, once I get the funds (which should likely be within just a single paycheck), I'll be buying a new router (and possibly a modem) in order to fix the constant error 522 issues the website has had since we've migrated. Unfortunately, that's all I can guarantee. If I get an urge to work on something during some of my free time, then you may see fixes/features in that scenario - but don't count on it. However - since I'll have more than an excess of funds, this may allow for some new things that weren't possible before. Things that don't require me to be directly involved, but can still help keep things interesting. Some ideas include giveaways with proper cash (digital only tho) prizes, paid advertising, or potentially paying someone to help out in some areas. Don't count on that last one as it's a pretty remote idea, and something I don't know that I'm wholly comfortable with anyways - but the other two? Only time will tell. With all this going on, I only have one request - as tall of one as it may be. Keep playing. Keep voting. If you want to see CU continue to succeed and not dwindle to the starting line over this potentially very long period of time, the best thing you can do is play and vote. I'm confident that there's enough features on MC for people to have a decent time - even if there may not be much added for a while. If you have friends who play MC, invite them in. If you know people who used to play but have stopped, try and get them back in. But most of all, vote and keep playing. My worst fear with taking the break I mentioned before, and with taking on a job with such demanding hours is coming back afterwards to find that, when I get out of that situation, I come back to find that all I've worked to build has faded. That the people I've met and the community we've built might not be there when I'm able to finally make a formal return to consistently working on CU again. If you can't be on MC, please - keep in touch on our Discord server. That's where myself and many others have been, and will continue to be for a while yet. If you want to stay in touch but can't find time to play MC (or just find yourself bored of it), being active on our Discord is the next best thing you can do (and might even be better in some ways, to be honest). This job is a massive opportunity, and one that I desperately don't want to have to abandon. One that will result in not only a brighter future for myself - but for CU as well. We've been heavily limited in what we can do due to finances since the start. Limited funds to pay for servers, and for any money beyond that? Ha - forget it. Not a chance. But this job can change that. The pure resources made available from this job has the potential to do more for CU than any amount of time ever could. So, as said before - my one request is that you guys help me out by making sure that, when the day comes, I can make a formal return to working on CU - and have all you guys still there to celebrate with me.

Hey everyone! Something that has sort of been an experiment of sorts for a while is now finally being released to the public - CU's Beta 1.7.3 server! "Do what? A beta 1.7.3 server? Y tho" - You see, for so long, I have seen many of these Beta 1.7.3 servers pop up for a bit, then a month or two later, they are gone - never to be seen again. I discussed this on a recent livestream, but allow me to reiterate some of my thinking here. What I think happens is that when someone creates one of these servers, it is all done out of sheer nostalgic feelings - feelings that don't last. They whip something up quickly on their home PC, post an IP on MinecraftForums or PMC, and play for a bit until they get bored or tired of doing it, and then bam. That's the end of it. I have opted to bring this server to life to counter that, and to give those seeking some nostalgia a place to go. As time goes forward, and as our main server expands and grows, this server will continue to be left as it is for those times when someone just wants to play old MC online. Even if that time is short, we will be here for that brief period. Enough banter, what's the server like? The server, being on an older MC version, is a fairly simple server. It is aimed to recreate the old days of MC survival in its purest form. There are some enhancements, however. ChestShop and an Economy system are in place to add just a little bit of spiff to the experience. In addition, there are several ranks on the server. Member, Advanced, and VIP. You can find out more about those ranks and the staff ranks here. How can I join? You can join the server by going into the launcher, setting your game version to old-beta 1.7.3, and connecting to mc.chaoticunited.net:25566 CU Launcher That's right folks! We have developed our own in-house cracked launcher. It is fully capable as a Minecraft launcher, but there are a couple things you should know. Premium authentication is not currently supported Using this launcher will clear your existing login data in the official launcher. Again - do not use this launcher if you are Premium. These are all things that we plan to fix for the official release. As the topic title suggests, this is an open beta test. There may be bugs and other issues. If you find any issues, report them to us immediately. You can grab the launcher here: