All Networks What Cubecraft Can Learn from the 1.19 Update

[Salty_Shadows]

So what now...

nothing, same as always

 

[VanHouten]

Hey,


As mentioned earlier, the update is out and arguing about alternative approaches is not the main focus of the original post. Some context is still important so I’ll be splitting my post into 2 parts, Where We Were and Where We Are. I'll focus on technical aspects of the update, so I apologize in advance if I don't address all the feedback. While the feedback is valid and welcomed, I'm not qualified to respond as I'm not involved in those areas of the company. We’ve unfortunately been in a season of extremely technical changes over the past couple of years, which aren’t that easy to boil down into user-facing content. We should have done better at communicating this. I’m going to be covering a lot here, so strap in.


Where We Were
Initial Challenges
In 2020, CubeCraft, like the rest of the game industry, faced many challenges as we grew quickly. We accumulated technical debt due to rapid feature development and changes needed in order to support the large influx of players. By the end of the year, we decided to rewrite our internal games system. Until then, our systems were patched repeatedly, causing parts of the network to become very unstable. We worked on this privately for some time and started implementing these internal changes with game migration announcements in June 2022.

During this time, we decided to update our base server to 1.19. Although we were in the process of migrating games, the migration was not yet complete. Additionally, we had separate code for Bedrock and Java. Throughout most of 2022, we maintained four different sets of code (non-gameframework java, non-gameframework bedrock, gameframework java, gameframework bedrock), which resulted in a slowdown in update frequency and size reduction. This also contributed to the decision to cancel the Skyblock end update.

1.19
We began rewriting our base server in early March 2022. The server now utilizes the popular Bukkit fork, Paper, with several exciting custom additions. These include full native Bedrock support, custom item/block support, and Java support for our custom models. We started migrating games and backend systems in September. This was a combination of three migrations:

1. Migrating all remaining systems to Game Framework
2. Migrating to the new 1.19 base
3. Combining the Bedrock and Java codebase

Due to internal issues, we faced delays and had to repeatedly push back our release.

We also ran into the issue of feature creep, which put simply is the constant addition of more and more features which slows down release. Our team was well aware that the average player didn’t care about the technical changes we were implementing. In response, we decided to add more content to make the update feel more “full”, which led to additional system changes and complications. Unfortunately, this resulted in unexpected delays for the release dates of both Java and Bedrock versions.

Java Release + More Struggles
In April of this year, we released the Java version of the 1.19 migration. This was the first time we tested the code at scale, and some issues only emerged on the public network.

After we got Java in a mostly stable state, we again focussed on Bedrock, hoping to get it out in May. However, due to internal challenges, the release was delayed. In June, we started testing on a staging network and encountered significant performance and gameplay issues. We addressed most of these issues and set a new release date for mid-July.

Bedrock Release
We released Bedrock, but it had major performance issues and caused network crashes. While Java runs on about 30 Minecraft servers, Bedrock runs on up to 1,000 at peak. We underestimated the resources needed and faced significant challenges.
View attachment 224725

On top of this, we had game updates prepared for over half a year but didn't consider your needs and wants enough. I believe the ideas behind these updates were good, but we released them without warning after a year of few releases. If we had made these changes gradually and gathered more feedback, I believe the overall response would be more positive. The negative response was unexpected and we have learned from it. Now, we are focusing on smaller and more frequent updates instead of big unannounced changes.

Where We Are
That was a lot, and none of it makes any of the feedback here any less valid. I just wanted to explain what all has been going on so you can get a better perspective of how we got here.

Bug Triage + Updates
View attachment 224726
After the initial fire of the update, we spent a considerable amount of time fixing bugs across all parts of the network. Above you can see the number of bugs reported vs resolved in the past few months. This does not include other work, like game and content updates.

We've released updates to both networks, including improvements to EggWars and Lucky Islands, new maps, and updated loot. We've also made internal changes, such as updating moderation systems and server support for new Minecraft versions.

The Future
In the near future, we’re releasing an SG update, the winter event, and an update to Battle Arena. We’re also working to improve our internal processes regarding getting community feedback, community interaction, and keeping the scope of updates more tight.

Conclusion
This is all meaningless without real change, so we hope you'll stay with us as we continue to implement the aforementioned changes. We have some exciting plans for the future, and look forward to hearing your feedback.

Thanks for the feedback, sorry it took so long to get a detailed response.

Thanks so much for this well thought-out reply Austin. I'm very glad we could reach the team with this thread. It's great to hear this response from you and gives all of us a lot of hope for the future of the network. I hope we can see that change you mentioned and I can't wait to see what you all are working on.

 

[xFqbian]

nothing, same as always

alr bud

 

[icynutella]

Introduction​

It has been roughly four months since the official release of the 1.19 update. It left the community in the dark with a promise that it would “one day” be released. Half a year later than the expected release date, the 1.19 beta update went online. The community had its initial meltdown and rode the hype of negativity, but to this day there are still comments pointing out its cons - especially in EggWars. The update has its many flaws, and not just in the game. The update was a combination that exposed some areas Cubecraft must reflect on and change. I want to use this post as a reflection, to look back at the release of the 1.19 update and focus on what Cubecraft can learn from it, to not repeat the same mistakes next time.

Where was the update hype?​

Cubecraft fails to generate excitement and anticipation for updates that have more than enough content to be labeled as something big. The release of the 1.19 update, for instance, was missing the expected hype due to its beta status. The absence of pre-release promotion and engagement with the player community left the update feeling underwhelming and poorly received.

Awful Release Times​

Another significant flaw in Cubecraft's marketing strategy is the choice of release times for updates. Releasing the 1.19 update on a Tuesday morning seems counterintuitive, as this timing did not align with the optimal availability of players. Why was the update not released on a Friday morning or Sunday? I understand the devs want enough time during the week to fix the bugs, but the lack of hype and no given public release time was very underwhelming. This decision could have negatively impacted the initial reception of the update, diminishing its potential success.

1.19 Beta Hidden from the Public: Disregard for Community Input​

The decision to hide the 1.19 Beta from the public contradicts Cubecraft's claim that community input is only a small portion of decision-making. If the community is such a “small input” compared to its overall player count, why was the beta update deliberately hidden? This move raises questions about transparency and the server's commitment to valuing the opinions and feedback of its player base. Is the feedback of the community worthwhile or not? If so, why is feedback on the forums completely overlooked? This is where you receive the most thought-out suggestions from your most dedicated members. Not the comments on a YouTube video or Discord threads.

Neglected Social Media Platforms: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram​

Cubecraft's negligence of key social media platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, is noticeable. Cubecraft has a large social media following, yet the server's lack of active maintenance on these platforms reflects a disregard for potential avenues of growth and engagement.
I would also like to point out a time Cubecraft successfully created hype for an update: The Release of Skyblock on Bedrock Edition. The highly anticipated update included a timer that would count down to 0. Players joined the server and waited in excitement to see the timer hit 0. How did an overhaul as big as the 1.19 update not have a count-down or any sort of anticipation?

Inability to Recruit New Developers​

Cubecraft's excuse of not having time to reach out to potential developers is a severely overlooked flaw. In a previous post, Laura noted how difficult it is to find new developers due to the large amount of time it takes to find new potential candidates. If the issue is finding candidates, why not have the candidates come to you? The server's decision not to actively seek new talent through platforms like jobs.cubecraft.net raises concerns about the commitment to enhancing the player experience and maintaining a competitive edge. I can only imagine how difficult the entire 1.19 overhaul was with the size of the development team - and I commend everyone involved in the incredible amount of work, but without a doubt, more help would have been beneficial.

Conclusion​

In conclusion, Cubecraft had missteps from the 1.19 update, ranging from poor update promotion to neglect of crucial social media platforms, that have collectively contributed to a decline in its overall appeal. To ensure sustained success and player satisfaction, Cubecraft must reevaluate its marketing strategies and adopt a more proactive and professional approach for future updates.

this

 

[privqted]

About the Partner Programme

This is specifically to @VanHouten @privqted @Prixifye @xclutchingg @RelatedNoobs and anyone else within the partner programme. The current partner managers are Luke, Marta, and Camezonda. Luke has a lot more things that he needs to focus on within Ziax other than partnership, such as the business management side of the company. This is also the same when it comes to Marta, who focuses mainly on network infrastructure. They try their best to handle the programme as it currently stands, and response times can vary but eventually will be answered.

One of the main perks of becoming a partner is having that direct support, and the ability to make 'partner requests' to the team, so I can understand where partners may be getting frustrated when it takes between 3-5 business days for a response back. Don't forget that Ziax requires Marta and Luke to focus on other key parts of the business' infrastructure, including some areas that you may not see. While Camezonda focuses more towards CubeCraft Games, he also has other important areas to manage, such as the Quality Assurance team.

Additionally, when team members are on holiday, responses can be made even longer. I do agree that communication could be made better here to let partners know when to expect a lack or extended response from our team and that partners should be a large focus on the network for publicity and advertising reasons.

These roles can be very time-consuming, and our team definitely aren't trying to ignore your requests. I do try and pass on these requests to those who handle the programme as soon as I see them (usually within 2-4 hours of posting), but it all depends on their availability, even bumping them internally to prompt the need for a response. I can't handle these requests.

Having previous experience with the role, I can understand how much time it takes, especially when trying to focus with other tasks on a busy day.

I can understand why times are slow but I dont get why such busy people are in charge of the partner programme. Im not sure why you arent anymore but it was much better with someone who was available to answer questions and help out. The waiting times are generally unacceptable for "Direct Support". Myself and many others sometimes wait weeks for replies not the usual "3-5" business days. I completely understand Marta, Cam and Luke being super busy and important people to the company but I dont understand why they are in charge of the partner programme if theres alot more important things to be doing, It just seems like an extra burden. I appreciate the reply very much though thank you.

Hey,

This whole post from Austin was super eye opening and very helpful. Its so nice to see everyone take the feedback and inform us about their POV of everything and help us get a better understanding of whats happening with Cubecraft. Thank you for the reply.

 

[ProfParzival]

Some amazing and well appreciated and very insightful replies from Cube.. (esp RedNed, Hazard, and Austin).

11TB of RAM deployed across 1000 servers. Honestly I don't think many people in this thread really realise quite what an undertaking it must have been to entirely replace the codebase across such a distributed system while maintaining a live and running system.. and for that to be done with such a small team of skilled developers is just.... breath-taking.

TBH those commentating that "cube needs more devs" need to go back and read what the guys here are telling you. 10 devs isn't equal to 10 times the output of 1 dev... that's not how software development works. Building a software development team is a VERY difficult and long running task and just adding more developers is a small part of that process. To build a great team you need to gradually add new members, train them, get them to really KNOW the code base and some you will lose along the way. It's not easy at all.

My personal take on the update....

If I was leading the team, I too would have rolled it out during a quiet period and not on a weekend for example. The developers have told you why and they're right. To add to that.. it's similar to my "Friday Rule".. Developers are not good at fixing what's broken if the majority are in the pub :P

I think what most don't realise is that if this were just a content release then yeah.. major promotion, but it wasn't... it was a VERY RISKY update to the whole software across the whole platform.. I would have been having palpitations if I was the lead on that team that rolled that out even at the quietest time.. big kudos to those guys.. braver than I'll ever be.

I didn't like Season 2 Eggwars when it first launched, but I see now why they did what they did and I've learnt to appreciate it. It's always a shame that they don't seem to play their own games (not at a dedicated / sweat level) and hence inevitably they don't often build upon what the dedicated community are asking for and yeah.. that is a real shame.

It's a shame that cube has never embraced the competitive side of the community (the scrim scene) as I think they'd benefit a lot from doing so.

On balance though.. unreal update and especially from such a small team at such scale.

BTW.. great job application @RelatedNoobs

 

[Rocks1]

Damn, you summed this up perfectly. I completely agree with ya.

 

[RelatedNoobs]

Conclusion
This is all meaningless without real change, so we hope you'll stay with us as we continue to implement the aforementioned changes. We have some exciting plans for the future, and look forward to hearing your feedback.

Thanks for the feedback, sorry it took so long to get a detailed response.

Thank you so much for this message. I and everyone involved were wanting to see just a simple acknowledgement from the team about the message. Hopefully this level of transparency can continue between the community and the team.

So what now...

The takeaway that this post was intended for involves two things.

1. Improved communication between the community and the team. Hopefully Cubecraft can continue to interact with it's community as Austin and Redned did in this post. It goes without saying having both sides of a story helps A LOT.
This goes for the community too though. Please keep making well-developed suggestions and feedback. Hopefully this post will help amplify those voices to ensure your suggestions are now taken seriously by the team in the future.

2. Better marketing. I'm not sure if Cubecraft has a marketing team or who runs the socials, but updates should without a doubt be more anticipated by the community before they release. Use your socials!!! Make videos! Or give something for your partners to make videos on! Make a count-down timer in lobby! There's so many different ways to attack marketing an update, and I sincerely hope to see it improved in the future.

 

[Gamer winner]

I Agree, CubeCraft Killed Its community the only way to revive the community fast is by adding a big update like the END Update For Skyblock

 

[Reesle]

I Agree, CubeCraft Killed Its community the only way to revive the community fast is by adding a big update like the END Update For Skyblock

I agree that they killed some of their community (like the scrim community), but definitely would not say all of it. I ofc agree Skyblock needs end update.