In order to clarify the current set of rules and cover more situations, I've rewritten the set of rules. Please give them a quick read over to make sure you're familiar with them.

Most notable is the addition of rule #7, which I believe is needed after a few incidents. It goes as such:
No lagging devices: no devices that create a noticeable amount of lag or stress on the server are allowed. This includes but is not limited to heavy redstone mechanisms and large amounts of animals.

Thank you for being considerate toward your fellow players!

The server has been updated tonight to Minecraft 1.6.4! This means it's also time to change your settings to keep on playing with us.

In the launcher, click the "Edit profile" buttton and select "release 1.6.4" as the "Use version" setting. You will then be able to join as before.

Minecraft 1.7 is scheduled to be released tomorrow. However, as usual, it will take some time before a stable server version is available. That's why it's important that you select "release 1.6.4" in your launcher instead of "Use Latest Version", as you wouldn't be able to connect otherwise!

The Muncie building contest is over, folks! As many of you are aware, Muncie was locked down for judging. First thing's first - now that judging is over, the area is unlocked and you are free to build again! Judges in this competition were DrCossack, Anonymous_SoFar and myself (WindRider739). Lots were judged based on originality, detail, asthetics, adherence to the rules, criteria and other minor aspects. Here is a list of the winners and their prizes!

Septina - 1st place: $20.00 Amazon Gift Card!
50teddybears - 2nd place: Wind's goody bag!
mormonmoo - 3rd place: Choice of hyper enchanted weapons or armor courtesy of Wind's personal stash!

* Winners! Watch your inboxes on the forum for more information regarding your prizes!
* All entries with their scores and comments can be viewed here
* Now that the contest is over, Muncie is available for free building and expansion.

I'd like to thank everyone who participated in this competition with the sole exception of Sora, who can really just go away. We're glad so many people turned out for this contest, and that the quality of so many of your creations was so high. Your interest and devotion to your projects ensures that there will be more contests in the future.

The Nether city building contest in Muncue is now closed!

The entire city is locked against modifications until our judges have had time to review each entry. This will take a few days. Once that's completed, the city's business will resume and you will be free to work on your lots as you wish!

Our official resource pack has been updated today! From the words of Sphenicus himself: "Sounds! A small selection of the default sounds have been improved upon for a more unique experience. Continue playing as usual and see what surprises are in store! More to come, don't you worry!" Download the new version from it's dedicated page!

In order to properly mark the work put into this, Sphenicus has inherited the Media status. Congrats!

To prevent random thefts and make it easier for new players to adjust, chests placed from on now will all default to a private protection. This means that no one but the player creating them will be able to access them. To allow anyone to open / place / remove items, doing a /cremove command on them will be needed, possibly followed by a /cpublic.

Also new as of today is the ability to lock droppers and hoppers, much like how furnaces could already be protected. That way, people won't be able to swipe materials out of your devices!

Contest reminder
I'd also like to remind everyone that there is about a week left in our city building contest in Muncie. That's still plenty of time to get started on designing and building an entry!

The Muncie building contest is LIVE folks! From Central, take the Windgrabah line through the nether, and get off at the first and only stop. A clearly marked sign reading MUNCIE will show you the way to a town built on poverty! There's a special map marker in the nether that will show you where to go, here!

Players have from 00:00 EST on 10/05/2013 until 00:00 EST 10/19/2013 to build the most impressive structure they can. Lots are 25x25, and each player is awarded one lot should they choose to build. Players are encouraged to work in teams to build more impressive structures, though this is NOT a rule. The theme is City-scape so most things are valid! Skyscrapers, businesses, police stations, libraries, houses, apartment buildings... if you find it in a town, it's good!

Judging will take place after the contest ends and will take into account form, function, design, theme, originality and other factors. Work hard, because the lava might be hot, but the prizes are hotter this time around.

Prizes are as follows:

1st: $20.00 Amazon gift card
2nd: Chest of goodies from Wind's personal stash
3rd: Choice of a set of enchanted diamond armor OR enchanted diamond sword and enchanted bow.

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who applied. I believe this is the highest level of interest I've seen yet for new positions, and it's always nice to see that this many people are willing to help their fellow players and work on making the server an even better place.

Obviously, I couldn't promote everyone who submitted an application. After proper consideration, I'm happy to announce that AshaLina, HimochiKouen, inflammo and MediaKlepto have all inherited the status of Helper. Congratulations, and good luck! All four of you will soon be getting a private message on the forums with more detailed information.

Also, due to inactivity or lack of availability on their part, ADeadlyFish, daylightnightmar, Kusorai and Phrogie have returned to the standard Trusted status. Thanks for helping when you could!