Chaos Snapshot Server status

[pez252]

Back when the modern incarnation of the chaos snapshot server started, the following warning was given:

"We give no guarantees that the map will remain functional from one week to the next. We may reset the map as necessary."

To date it has not been necessary to reset the map, though there's been some discussions about how, when, and if we should reset. One of the primary goals of the snapshot server has been to allow people to try out the new features as soon as they're released. Resetting means any new blocks, structures, or terrain generation will be closer to spawn, but it also means that everyone starts from scratch which can make it more difficult to hop on chaos only occasionally check out new features.

As something of a compromise we'd like to try using MCA Selector to filter unused chunks based on InhabitedTime. After some test runs using the chaos map data 1 hour of InhabitedTime plus those within a 6 chunk radius gets most of the "builds" that are visible on the map, plus 2 * render distance around them. This will let people keep their semi-established bases, and their inventory so they can quickly get going with new content, but at the possible expense of some ... abrupt transitions between chunks.

To get rough idea of the density of chunks in the ~2000 blocks near spawn, here is PvE rev24 with the same filter applied, but the InhabitedTime requirement cranked up much higher to give a rough feel for what the selection would look like.

In this example, everything highlighted would be preserved and the surrounding chunks would be deleted so they could regenerate with whatever world generation changes may have been implemented.

 

[EvilStepDad]

My initial thought on this is that this is not a good idea.  If I truly wanted to see new features, I would start up a local session in creative mode so that I can explore or obtain items much quicker.  But this is a multiplayer map with the chance of having my base/loot found which is the main reason I play on this server.  I have to do things here to protect my stash.  One should not expect to log in and see new content close to spawn.  I feel that some of the players coming from PvE, where the map is tiny in comparison, will complain that they cannot move out far enough, fast enough, without hardship.  Movement on PvE is night and day of that on Chaos.  My first base is well outside of this 2k ring, well outside.  The chaos map is HUGE, go explore it.  I have not had any issues in finding chunks that contained new structures/blocks, even in the nether.  You just have to walk away from spawn, and it might be frustrating for the new user, since they will likely die much more quickly on this server, as I have witnessed first hand while playing.  Lots of rage quitting.  But, as I stated previously, if I just want to see new blocks, I am starting my own local server/single player map, just to play around.

Resetting the chunks would have a direct impact on the MANY hours I have played on this server.  I have lots of secret pathways, both in the overworld and nether to navigate from my various bases.  I have not spent much time in these actual connections, so I feel like those would be wiped out, and who knows, it could expose a tunnel or something at a chunk border.  Not good for my loot pile.

Thanks for posting this and asking for feedback!

-Evil

[tobylane]

Mildly for reset. If it helps, I volunteer for all my travelling and homes to be deleted.

 

edit: Strongly for reset with the world changes.

Edited February 14, 2021 by tobylane

[anshou]

I wouldn't mind a full map reset; starting over is often fun and there's so much new stuff in snapshots.

The main thing I worry about with chunk pruning is my ability to return to where I build in the long term.  I have dug a series of particular tunnels in the nether to enable my travel to the two or three places I've built, and dying sometimes presents a problem.  (Such as when a creeper killed me through the wall of my house, destroying my bed in the process.

If we are worried about how fresh the map appears, maybe we could settle on a compromise where we routinely reset the chunks close to spawn while leaving a ring of untouched area at the edges.  (That actually sounds kind of fun and interesting for its own sake.)

[EvilStepDad]

So the latest snapshot from Mojang made the question of if we should keep the same map or reset it an invalid argument.  They have increased build heights to y-320 and I think all caves below y-64 are now flooded.  They stated that there is no upgrade path for worlds created prior to the snap 21w06a.

[anshou]

Yep came to post the same here.  Let's go!

[totemo]

One more data point:

 

Microsoft have added the new mountain generation to the non-Java versions. I assume that means they will arrive in Java within the next couple of snapshots (though the code bases are completely unrelated - it's just a gut feeling). It might pay to wait until that feature lands, though as always, travelling further out will generate it in due course.

FWIW: I feel the new above-ground terrain generation would likely create some fairly obvious discontinuities in the terrain.

 

[EvilStepDad]

The new, regular snapshot is out for 1.18!  Not the experimental one.  Are we planning on starting back up the server?  I know, calm down Evil, it has only been one day, people have lives and such...