Minecraft Update August 3rd 2015

So I'm still not exactly sure now this new blog is going to evolve, mostly I need to learn how to store screen dumps from 3 different PCs centrally so I can upload them here, but anyway here's what's been happening on Minecraft since my last update

E (8) has become a VIP on Hypixel. Since I said it my first post that Minecraft is amazing VFM I realise that E especially is running with a number of "add ons" like ranks and realms but, that said, it still is. He has also won a round of build battles for the first time ever. We've been on the Hypixel forum together looking at the leader boards for the two games he likes Cops and Crims and Sky Wars and talking about how the numbers differ from his own.

O (6) asked me what the numerical value for the scoring was for each level on Hypixel build battle (super poop through to epic and legendary) and I expected to find a quick answer but it turns out the formula is a closely guarded secret!

For E (8) there has been a lot of learning from mistakes going on. Or so we thought! He wanted to spend some of his money on a new Heroic Diablo Kit for a server he likes called CosmicPVP. He's heavily invested in Cosmic. It's the kind of brand loyalty advertisers dream of! He watches the two owners of the server on YouTube everyday and has been playing on it since at least Easter as he has the Easter Kit. It is a factions server and only one of his friends likes factions.

So on Friday morning we bought the kit and when it didn't show as unlocked during the 5 minutes suggested we worried we had made a mistake. We emailed, tweeted and I joined the forum......but no luck. This lead to us talking about exchange rates, time differences.....(the server is in Canada) but for 3 days E has felt really upset, let down and cheated. Then, today it appeared as unlocked!!

Faith in Cosmic restored and he's all smiles again! Straight to AH (Auction House) which is like Cosmic's eBay to sell some of the unwanted bits. Lots of conversations about 000s!


The book in which I write E's server addresses and commands was looking really messy so I started a new one and was copying the commands over. As I was writing them E was saying "I know that one now without looking at the book so you don't need to write that one done."

E now has 15 people on his Realm. A mixture of real life local friends and some whom we've met via a Facebook group for Unschooling Minecrafters. He seems to manage them all okay. It's a dilemma for me as if I sit right by him he lets me do all the typing and reading whereas if I come away he really makes much more effort to try and do it self.

One of E's friends J now has a server of his own. E has been on there a few times but again his reading ability coupled with the many typos that come through the chat mean he often seems to miss the just!


There's a really good article about Screen Time here btw

S continues to find ideas for her Realm (population 4) from StacyPlayz and LDShadowlady on YouTube as they do lots of the stuff with pets and interiors and architect design she likes. 

On her realm she has built a cool dog walking trail and a spawn hut as the spawn is miles away from the centre of he world. She has also created a bookshop which might now be a library. A times she says the actual building takes second place to the negotiating that goes on. 

We've had some good chats about the pros and cons of Skyping versus Typing (you can't sleep if Monsters are nearby for eg but by the time you've typed that in the chat you might be dead as you can't type and fight!)

And Gamer tags.


You might think that kids learn about Minecraft by watching YouTube then play on line with their friends but my! The wrong YouTuber or the wrong Server ~ I hope that huge diversty of possible play is partly what these posts using three different children as examples illustrate.

For me the big adjustment has been that S and E now both have PCs in their bedrooms which are connected to Skype and Minecraft so physically separate in many ways. My challenge is to maintain the connection.