As many of you already know, I've written multiple server plugins over time. Some were created to add brand new features, others to replace existing plugins that went unmaintained or weren't reliable enough.

Considering the amount of work I've put into these, I figured I'd go the extra distance and make them publicly available! As of now, I have five plugins ready for download, with more being planned for an eventual release.

If you're interested, you can access all the important links on a new page on Interordi. This currently includes downloads on Spigot and Polymart, plus their full source code on GitHub.

This isn't something that will be relevant to most of you, as you're already having fun playing on the Creeper's Lab, but some here also run their own servers and might have a use for them!

The (lesser known) Interior Decorator's Guild invites you to take part in a building contest!

The Contest is being held at the Brixton Estate (West Nether Line to Alucard, then up one floor). There are 24 identical plots available to choose from, which the observant may notice already have houses built on them. The focus of this contest is interior and garden decoration, not building skills. Add a sign with your name to the plot you wish to claim.

The Contest is open now and will close on 8th August!

The Rules!

The Brixton Estate has quite strict building regulations which the Interior Decorator's Guild have agreed to follow for this contest. As such:

• Your plot is surrounded by a fence and everything must be contained within your fence. Do not build above or below the fence, or spill out onto the pavement.
• The majority of the Bricks must stay the same. You can move, change, add or remove windows and doors, but the essential brickwork structure must remain.
• You may add more bricks if you want, for instance to create an extension in the back garden.
• You can change any of the wood, including the interior walls and roof, in any way you want. However the build must not go above Y79 (two blocks above the current roof).
• If you choose to dig down in the garden, do not go below Y59 (basement level).
• All builds must have a sewer connection. There is one in each basement, but you can be creative as to how it is used.
• You may also decorate the grass verge on the pavement outside your house. This cannot be more than two blocks tall.
• A vendor is located near the portal selling some useful decorations for emeralds.
• Please only take one plot.

Judging!

Builds will be scored out of ten on the following criteria:

• Interior Decoration (30%)
• Garden Decoration (30%)
• Use of Space (10%)
• Fitting the Estate's theme (10%)
• Unique-ness (10%)
• Sewer Integration (5%)
• Grass Verge Decoration (5%)

If you wish to help Judge this contest, please contact Twixxi! Judges will not be eligible for first, second or third place prizes but will receive a reward.

Prizes!

• First Place: 100x Interior Decorator's Guild Token, Master Interior Decorator Insignia, 3x Interior Decorator's Potion IV (Levitation 40 sec, Slow Fall 80 sec),
• Second Place: 40x Interior Decorator's Guild Token, Expert Interior Decorator Insignia, 3x Interior Decorator's Potion III (Levitation 30 sec, Slow Fall 60 sec),
• Third Place: 15x Interior Decorator's Guild Token, Journeyman Interior Decorator Insignia, 3x Interior Decorator's Potion II (Levitation 20 sec, Slow Fall 40 sec),
• All Runners-up and Judges: 5x Interior Decorator's Guild Token, Apprentice Interior Decorator Insignia, 3x Interior Decorator's Potion I (Levitation 10 sec, Slow Fall 20 sec),

Interior Decorator's Guild Tokens can be used at the Prize Vendor to buy:

• 5 Tokens -> Box of Bricks (Orange Shulker full of Bricks)
• 5 Tokens -> Dye Pack (Pink Shulker with a stack of every Dye)
• 10 Tokens -> Decorator's Torch [When in Off Hand: +0.01 Speed; +7 Luck; Produces light around Player if using Optifine Dynamic Lighting] (Blaze Rod)
• 20 Tokens -> Log Stripping Axe [Unbreakable. When in Main Hand: -0.09 Speed] (Stone Axe)
• 50 Tokens -> Brick Helmet [Aqua Affinity, Depth Strider III, Protection IV, Respiration 255, When on Head: +0.1 Speed; +10 Knockback Resistance] (Custom Player Head)

Those looking for a bit more variety in building blocks are welcomed to visit the newest destination in Central's Commercial District - the Mini Mart!

The Mini Mart offers microblock versions of the standard blocks in the game, opening up some new possibilities for decor within your builds. This is done using disguised player heads, so you can orient the blocks the way you want.

Designed by Kimonellos, the place offers pretty much every single block in the game, including the newest 1.17 goodies, and plans to be expanded for future game updates.

The trades are a 1:1 between the regular material and the microblock. Be sure to grab the instructions book within (to your right after entering) for the full details.

You will find the Mini Mart in Laurasia's Central, in the Commercial District, nearby the Creeper Bazaar. Be sure to visit when you get the chance!

I'm introducting today to the entire Interordi network, including the Creeper's Lab, an official Privacy Policy alongside Terms of Use. Both are used to highlight how your data is stored and used, what expectations you can have while using the websites and game servers, and under what conditions you are allowed to access the whole network.

There is nothing crazy to be found in either documents, as they cover basic expectations you would have from most places. I was reaching a point where I needed both in order to pursue some projects, so I finally took the time to get the proper documents into place. These are requirements from third-party partners to allow use of their own tools and platforms, which I'm planning to work on in the upcoming months to add new features. As such, I invite you to review both pages when you get the chance. They are linked at the bottom of most pages here and elsewhere.

These will officially go live on 1 August 2021.

There's always work to be done somewhere, and now I'm happy to confirm that two notable bugs have been fixed.

First, a correction on achievements tracking: shift-clicking items in the personal crafting grid or on a crafting table will properly count the total quantity of items crafted, so you don't need to click them one by one anymore.

Second, breaking your bed will now reset your spawn point to the world you're in, restoring the vanilla behavior. It used to be that breaking a bed wouldn't change anything, forcing you to set your spawn somewhere else manually. That's no longer needed! For this to work properly, make sure to right-click your favorite bed once again to ensure your place is set; you don't need to wait for night to come.

The Paradise Resort Island building contest has closed, the entries have been judged, and it's time to announce the results! Here's Exodio with the details.

The Blue Palm Hotel thanks everyone who joined the Bungalow Contest! Most of the entries will find a permanent home at the Resort.

Congratulations to the winners:
1st Place: ROEN_44
2nd Place: TIE Sane_Tezz and the team of Chilling_Slav & D_0C
3rd Place: TIE GroovyBanana and Doctacosa

Prizes will be in your mailboxes, Groovy and Doc please talk to me to claim your chair at the Blue Palm Bar!

Judging was by Exodio with input from Mrs. Salifax. Please note that a Bungalow is considered a one or two story building with a porch, and if a second story exists, it is typically a half-sized floor with an angled roof. I tried to be objective as well as appreciating the aesthetics of each entry in their own right. This was very difficult to judge but I had a great time doing it, and seeing what was built.

See the contest results page for the list of entries, or the wiki page for everything about it.

Paradise Resort Island is now reopened to allow builds! There are several unclaimed bungalow spots available, plus a variety of hotel rooms for those who would prefer to do an indoors concept. Thanks to Exodio for running the event, and congrats to all participants!

This is the time that many of you have been waiting for: we're officially running 1.17, Caves & Cliffs: Part I! Java players, set your client to 1.17.1 to continue playing with us. Bedrock players, you're already set to go!

You might be looking for the new materials and blocks introduced in this update. To let you find them easily, a rebooted Tasmantis is now available in the survival wing of the lobby. The previous spawn town has been moved over, but the rest of the world is brand new, with a variety of biomes waiting to be discovered. Explore, gather the materials you want, and bring them elsewhere! This world is temporary - don't make builds you want to keep! It will be removed once interest dies down.

With 1.18 already promising more changes, no changes will be done to the existing worlds for now.

The resource pack downloads have been updated to clear any notification about outdated files. There is no new content available.

Science players, read on for new information from Sora!

As part of our upgrade to 1.17, science has undergone the massive rebalancing we mentioned a few weeks ago! The core armor and weapon sets have been enhanced to match vanilla's new endgame of Netherite, and the science mobs and bosses have been powered up equally.

You have the older version of the newly enhanced items? Check the below post, and bring them to the Science Workshop beneath the Post Office at the Citadel to get them upgraded! It's highly advised to proceed with these updates, as you may not perform as well in this new science environment with the older gear!

1.17 Science Item Update Changelog

Updates to the forum posts and wiki are in process to reflect the new item and NPC changes.

Please note, some items may be limited to 1 upgrade per person.

Who's in a fighting mood?

It's time to go back once again to the Spider Dome and face hordes of monsters! For those not familiar with the concept, a group of players go into the titular arena and fight waves of mobs summoned by none other than myself. Fun, tricks, laughs and deaths are all to be expected, while you get to keep the drops of anything you can get your hands on!

We'll start at 10pm, Eastern time, this Saturday. No science-based equipment allowed: bring your best, purely vanilla gear and see how you will do!

Minecraft Java Edition 1.17.1 was released yesterday, and the network has been updated to allow connections from this new version. The servers themselves still run 1.16.5 and you are encouraged to stick to that version for now. Bedrock players, no changes no report.

Work on the actual update to 1.17 is progressing, but not quite ready yet due to compatibility issues with at least one plugin. I'm hoping to be able to see that through soon.

After a very heated race, all six Guild Grand Master spots have now been won! The winners are:

• axe_y has become the Grand Master of the Blacksmith's Guild
• GroovyBanana has become the Grand Master of the Hunter's Guild
• StTheo has become the Grand Master of the Builder's Guild
• BioZombieActive has become the Grand Master of the Miner's Guild
• Rebbica007 has become the Grand Master of the Fisher's Guild
• Doctacosa has become the Grand Master of the Farmer's Guild

Congratulations to you all! Your prizes await you at the Guild Council Chamber in the Citadel.

For everyone else, the Guilds are very much still open! There are a number of rewards available at each rank, and Replica versions of the Grand Master prizes are available for those who prove themselves at the Master level! There are also a couple of special rewards for those who can achieve Master in all six guilds! More information on these can be found on the forum thread.

Kenorland: UHC

After all that running last month, it's time for less racing and more survival efforts with the return of UHC! As a reminder, your four targets in this world are:

• Crafting a bookshelf
• Crafting an enchantment table
• Access the Nether
• Pick up a blaze rod

Each is worth 5 Merit Points. Dying kicks you out of Kenorland for a week, so be careful!

Race Away results

Speaking of racing, last month saw some seriously strong competition going, way beyond what I expected! Here are our top 30 runners and their best positions:

1: GroovyBanana - 88888
2: GodofRandom23 - 77024
3: MineshaftBob - 72173
4: MrsForerunner - 63029
5: BroitsTAG - 61048
6: axe_y - 59677
7: Caiside2202 - 45158
8: AustinTexas21 - 45009
9: DashieSquare17 - 43164
10: ItzEnderr - 30302
11: Aaranvor - 29809
12: alecmon2 - 28836
13: NicDaKermit - 27791
14: MrTweety10 - 26143
15: BlueShadowDemon - 20749
16: ROEN_44 - 20364
17: xKamachi - 11583
18: AlexTheTrain - 11029
19: Kimonellos - 9931
20: Alphasniper828 - 4654
21: ~ThaRaptorKid - 4469
22: MeridianNight - 4000
23: TacoBell96 - 3938
24: ~INFERNO628 - 1624
25: ~nathanielfike43 - 1041
26: BioZombieActive - 901
27: Exodio - 821
28: Coneva - 393
29: Aresd57 - 215
30: ~Offbrand_Neo - 119

All Merit Points have been awarded to the contestants. Congrats, that was very fun to see unfold!

Science

It's now July, where a Warlock and Uncle Sam are engaged in a month-long conflict at the Hunter's Lodge! Can you pacify the region by calming them down... the hard way?

All Horsemen Quests have also been updated. See the Horseman Points Guide for an indepth look at the quests, points, and how to cash them in!

Guilds

This month is the one: the first people can become eligible for the title of Grand Master in each guild, and the competition appears to be fierce! The new guild targets will gradually be rotated in starting at 7pm Eastern time tonight. This also marks the opening day for the Gondwana Guild Hall for those that have gathered enough points!

If you need more information on how to claim a title of Grand Master, see Twixxi's update from last week.

Once you have been granted the rank of Master, you can obtain Council Tokens from the Master Guilds in Gondwana. These can be traded for special rewards back at the Council Chamber, at the Creeper Citadel.

If you need details on any of these, the wiki page about the Monthly Challenges is updated as soon as each of these is ready at the beginning of the month!

Paradise Resort Island party

As a reminder to everyone, we have a party scheduled this Saturday! Here is Exodio with the details.

Party on Paradise Resort Island this Saturday starting at 9PM EST with Event Night! Come and hang out for a couple of hours and explore the Island, hang out with friends, and maybe throw up a last minute Bungalow for the contest!

*The party will involve mostly lounging on the beach, having a cookout, a boat race around the island, and ending with a fireworks display at Midnight EST. *

Music for the Fireworks show will be provided by Jukebox discs, and coordinated using the Creeper's Lab Standard Resource Pack, so make sure you download and install the pack before the Fireworks start! If you are unable to, a Playlist with potential songs for the display can be found here. Each song will be announced before starting to give people time to load it up and play along.

To get to the Island, simply visit the nearest TARDIS and go to "More Attractions". Please feel free to bring your own refreshments or activities to share with others! Hope to see you there.