Polls & Game Update

The results from last week's poll are in!  Here are our favorite ways to travel:

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL?

Walking/Sprinting	1 (8%)
Horseback	5 (41%)
Saddled Pig	2 (16%)
Railroad	4 (33%)

This week's poll is now up:

WHICH MOB KILLS YOU THE MOST?

Last week's Where Am I? is going to be re-flown as there hasn't been a winner.  We're upping the ante with a better prize to see if we can encourage you to look harder.

It's time for Where Am I? Wednesday! Here is your mystery server screenshot:

Prize: 

• 20 Glowstone Lamps
• Gold Horse Armor
• A Confused Sheep
• A stack of these babies: 

How to Play and Enter: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates. 
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun

The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.

Read HERE for more information! 

The Weekly Gaze

The Weekly Gaze

No entries were submitted for this week's Weekly Gaze!  Noooooo!

In that case, let's up the motivation a bit, shall we? The spotlight is still on Fishing Ponds. The prize is still an enchanted Fishing Rod! To complete the theme, though, I am throwing in an Aqua Affinity, Underwater breathing leather armor set! 

Hmm. Maybe I should compete too . . . 

Wednesday Where Am I? Winner!

No one has won this week's Where Am I challenge!  We are upping the ante! In addition to the fireworks, minecarts, and tracks, the winner will also receive a saddle and a name tag!

Preparing for the 1.8 Update!

Just a couple of notes about the release of 1.8.  Mojang is currently saying it will be available September 2nd.  Please be aware that GazerCraft may not be able to update on that exact day.  We do need to make sure that our plugins (like MyHorse, DiscoveryWarps, Lockette, etc.) are able to successfully update to 1.8 as well.  GazerCraft may have to wait a couple extra days, but we'll make it worth your while!  When we do update to 1.8 we'll have a party!  The festivities will include: 

• A firework celebration
• A 1.8 prize pack for everyone who logs in
• Banner making competition
• Expanded world border! 
• (We'll go from a 3000 block diameter from spawn to 8000!)
• Festival Announcement
• Outpost Announcement

Wednesday Where Am I? 8/20/14

It's time for Where Am I? Wednesday! Here is your mystery server screenshot:

Prize: 

• 2 Minecarts
• 32 Rails
• A stack of these babies: 

How to Play and Enter: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates. 
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun

The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.

Read HERE for more information! 

Wednesday Where Am I? 8/13/14

It's time for Where Am I? Wednesday! Here is your mystery server screenshot:

(Note: Zombies may have been killed after photo.)

Prize: 

• A surprise "Squidward"
• 10 pieces of glass
• A lilypad
• A stack of these babies: 

How to Play and Enter: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates. 
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun

The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.  Winners will be sent a confirmation letter and MUST pick up their prize in Otterun's office at spawn.

Read HERE for more information! 

Wednesday Where Am I? 8/6/14

It's time for Where Am I? Wednesday! Here is your mystery server screenshot:

(Note: Sheep may move)

Prize: 

• 10 cocoa beans
• A stack of these babies: 

How to Play and Enter: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates. 
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun

The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.

Read HERE for more information! 

Wednesday Where Am I? 7/30/14

It's time for Where Am I? Wednesday! Here is your mystery server screenshot:

Prize: 

• Iron horse armor
• A saddle
• Two leads
• A stack of these babies: 

How to Play and Enter: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates. 
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun

The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.

Read HERE for more information! 

Weekend Update

The winner for Wednesday's Where Am I is... Minja! Congratulations!  Here's the answer to this week's puzzle.  The location was just outside of Haven (though there was a bit of confusion as the location was altered after the puzzle was posted -- sorry!  Otter will be more careful next time). 

If you want to see the original puzzle, click here. If you want to get in on the next Wednesday game, you can read the competition rules here.

Greetings everyone! A few updates. We are planning a grand opening on Tuesday (be on around 12pm Pacific Standard Time to catch it!  Here's a time converter).  We hope to see a big turnout of people attending the opening!

Also, for the Weekly Gaze, it has been postponed to next weekend. The same spotlight, water features, and the same prize will be awarded.

Click here for last week's Weekly Gaze.

Wednesday Where Am I? 7/23/14

It's time for Where Am I? Wednesday! Here is your mystery server screenshot:

Prize: 

• A magical sheep
• Ten daylight sensors
• A stack of these babies: 

How to Play and Enter: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates. 
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun

The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.

Read HERE for more information! 

Wednesday Where Am I? 7/16/14

It's time for Where Am I? Wednesday! Here is your mystery server screenshot:

Prize: 

• A wolf spawn egg
• A name tag
• Half stack of glowstone lamps
• A stack of these babies: 

How to Play and Enter: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates. 
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun

The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.

Read HERE for more information! 

Where Am I Wednesday 7/9/14

It's time for Where Am I? Wednesday! Here is your mystery server screenshot:

Prize: 

• A slime spawn egg
• A name tag
• A random music disc
• A stack of these babies: 

(I apologize for using a texture pack. I hadn't realized it was on and when I turned it off, I couldn't get a screenshot as good as this.  Fireworks are hard to take pictures of!)

How to Play and Enter: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates. 
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun

The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.

Read HERE for more information! 

Wednesday Where Am I? Winner Announced!

With Friday being a national holiday in the United States, Z and Otter are running a little behind as we recover from the weekend festivity.  Z will be posting the spotlight tomorrow, but I wanted to reveal the Wednesday winner today!

This week's "Where Am I?" was a great success!  The winner of the very first competition was ThePunisher1028!  Great job, Pun!

The next one is going to be harder -- check in this upcoming Wednesday to play!  You can see the previous contest here and read the competition rules here.

Where Am I Wednesday 7/2/14

It's time for Where Am I? Wednesday! Here is your mystery server screenshot:

Prize: 

• A wolf spawn egg and
• A stack of these babies: 

How to Play and Enter: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates. 
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun

The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.

Read HERE for more information! 

New Game! Where Am I? Wednesday!

Each Wednesday Otter will be posting a screenshot taken somewhere on the server on this website.  The first person to correctly identify the place by telling Otter the X, Y, and Z coordinates will with the prize for that week!

How to play: 

1. Search the server for the place in the screenshot!
2. Once you think you've found it, hit F3 on your keyboard to bring up the coordinates.  
3. Jot down the coordinates for X, Y, and Z on a piece of scrap paper (make sure you correctly identify if they're negative coordinates!).
4. Write a letter to Otter by typing the following command:
• /letter Coordinates (XX, YY, ZZ) <YourUsername>
• (Please replace XX with the X coords, YY with the Y coords and ZZ with the Z coords)
• Please sign the letter with your full username.
5. With your written letter in your hand, send it to Otter with the following command:
• /post Otterun
6. The winner will be announced along with the weekend spotlight.

Game Information:

• You will be able to find the place in regular survival.  
• Otter will not add or remove blocks to an existing place in order to take a screenshot.  
• Otter will be reasonable when accepting coordinate submissions.  If you were only a couple numbers off in your coordinates and you were first to get your answer in, odds are she'll still consider you the winner.
• You MUST send a letter in order to be considered.  Entries through in-game chat or Skype will not be counted.

Winner Information:

• The contest will run from Wednesday to Sunday.  Winners will be announced in Z's weekend spotlight post on the website.  
• Only one winner will be chosen.  The first person to correctly identify the place and send a letter with the correct coordinates to Otter will win.
• The winner will receive their prize by Sunday (possibly sooner, depending on how quickly the place is correctly guessed).  Otter will attempt to find you in game to give you your prize or she will leave your prize in a locked chest in your house on Sunday if she can't get ahold of you.  

Special Rewards

To encourage villages/towns/tribes/etc. to start making and updating webpages, Z and Otter are offering a special prize to anyone who gets their page together by the end of May!

If you're web savvy, you can make a page from scratch, use a social media profile, OR you can fill out a form and have Otter do it for you.  Read this page for your options:

Make a town page!

If you haven't already, you can also make a town banner for an additional reward.  If your town already has a banner, please let Otter know who created it by writing her a letter.  Read here for instructions:

Make a town banner!

For the time being, only the creators of the page and banner will get the reward, but will be given a little something extra if they feel so inclined to share. :)

Make a Town Page

Our lovely Nikki (DynamicDolphin) has suggested that each group have the opportunity to create their own page for the site!  To get started, head over to this page (located under "Community Directory" on the right) and fill out the form.  You supply the text and Otter will do the rest!

If you are web savvy, you can also create your own webpage on a different provider and Otter will link it for you under the directory.  Some examples of free hosts you can use are:

• Weebly
• http://www.weebly.com/
• Free Website Builder
• http://www.webs.com/
• Wix
• http://www.wix.com/
• Yola
• https://www.yola.com/
• Webklik (Dutch)
• http://www.webklik.nl/

Or, if you would prefer something a little more user friendly, you can opt for a social media blog:

• Tumblr
• https://www.tumblr.com/
• Facebook Pages
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/
• Twitter
• https://twitter.com/
• Blogspot
• https://www.blogger.com/home

Finally, if you haven't already, don't forget to create a banner for your group.  It's a great way to advertise and get more members, keep your group organized, and let others know about the goings on in your sub-community.

Create a banner!

Here are some fancy examples of what our community has already.

Advertise Your Place!

Would you like a way to advertise your group for free?  Rank (city, settlement, independent tribe, etc.) doesn't matter -- all are welcome to participate!  Create an banner for your group and it will be randomly appear at the top of the server's website as people browse through the pages.

Here's what you do:

1. Right click and save this template.  
   
2. All banner ads must be no larger than 830x50 pixels and should be in the shape of a rounded rectangle.  Transparent backgrounds are appreciated so we don't have those white squared off corners.
3. Create your image.  This can consist of screen shots, words, or your own graphics.  The ad must use appropriate language and images.  While our server chat has a PG-13 rating, banner ads should be G to PG rated.
4. Your group's name must be visible on the ad.  It's also recommended that you include your group's coordinates. 
5. Please do not put the rank of your group (settlement, village, town, city, etc.), just the name.  This way, if your group gets promoted/demoted, you will not have to redo the entire image or have an outdated banner ad.  
6. Save your image as a .gif.  
7. Contact Otterun to figure out how to send the image to her.  

We can't wait to see your amazing banners!

If you need help getting started, try Googling a banner generator.  Here are some free sites you can try:

Banner Fans
http://www.bannerfans.com/banner_maker.php 

Fotor Banner Maker
http://banner.fotor.com/

HTML5 Animation
http://html5maker.com/

Webestools
http://www.webestools.com/banner-animated-maker-generator-gif-banners-free-online.html