[Brad]

Originally Posted by 709 If minecraft.net doesn't get its shit together no one will be able to log in to be there anyways.

This.

I guess if we can't reliably connect in the next half hour (I wouldn't bet on it), we'll have to postpone the game.

[Bryson]

Ah.... Post server restart is not good....

[Brad]

We're all here waiting for Kraetos to show. Chicken?

[Brad]

So, the first night at the arena was interesting! Two battles were waged. The contestants included Bryson, 709/Grey, and turtle. I won't spoil the results, but I am about to edit a short video together of the event and will post for you to see yourself.

[Bryson]

Here's a better picture of the (now finished) arena. At night.

[Brad]

Yeesh... I forgot what a PITA it is trying to coerce Final Cut to work with anything that's not a native "DV" video format. Next time I guess I'll try iMovie. After smashing my head against the screen for a couple of hours, I managed to eek out the following two minutes of video.

http://vimeo.com/19620032

Vimeo says it's still processing, but it should be up in ~20 minutes.

[drewprops]

Drat. Vimeo must be a Flash-only format. No worky on iPhone

[turtle]

Originally Posted by Brad Yeesh... I forgot what a PITA it is trying to coerce Final Cut to work with anything that's not a native "DV" video format. Next time I guess I'll try iMovie. After smashing my head against the screen for a couple of hours, I managed to eek out the following two minutes of video. http://vimeo.com/19620032 Vimeo says it's still processing, but it should be up in ~20 minutes.

I love the audio track you used! It played great on my iPad too BTW.

[drewprops]

Why would it play on the iPad and not the iPhone??

[arteggio]

Well Mr Fancy Pants, I hope that pygame app led to a perfectly placed floor considering I had just volunteered to the arrange it. I figure I have a good mind for setting out things strategically, so I thought I'd have a go at it, but I guess I experienced the dreaded end-of-page post location. WIll have to do it some other time, unless Arena management has a monopoly on floor set-up.

So, has the Wager been one? Did the matches last more than a few seconds, though? Maybe a certain degree of armor could be permitted for each player so that no one dies from being hand-punched while searching a chest (at least that's what it looked like in the video).

And in other news, I added doors to the Skyriser skyway link, Elysium. In a furnace downstairs I also found 4 ore and 5 ingots of iron. I took them, because I think I might have forgotten them there for the last month, but it's totally possible that someone else was smelting them and forgot them. Let me know if they're yours.

Anyone interested in playing around with the skyscraper I made? It's pretty bare and I don't care to do anything with it, so I thought about auctioning it off with a beginning bid of $0, or donating it to charity. Or setting the wood floors on fire and gutting most of it...

[Elysium]

Originally Posted by arteggio Anyone interested in playing around with the skyscraper I made? It's pretty bare and I don't care to do anything with it, so I thought about auctioning it off with a beginning bid of $0, or donating it to charity. Or setting the wood floors on fire and gutting most of it...

Ooooh. Let's wire it with TNT and have the first ever AN Minecraft building demolition.

[Maciej]

Originally Posted by Elysium Ooooh. Let's wire it with TNT and have the first ever AN Minecraft building demolition.

Brilliant! Too bad the blocks aren't affected by gravity.

[Bryson]

Awesome. It looks like I have a ceremonial fart to celebrate my victory!

I agree that armour should probably be allowed otherwise it gets a bit crazy - I found a sword in my first chest, so it was game over for GC at that point. Maybe both contestants should have a wooden sword too, so they can at least defend themselves.

And you'll be glad to hear that I fixed those bloody doors.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by drewprops Why would it play on the iPad and not the iPhone??

Vimeo has an HTML5 H.264 option on by default for browsing in desktop Safari. Try again now? Or see if there's a link to switch? In desktop Safari, there's a "Switch to Flash player"/"Switch to HTML5 player" link. Vimeo has generally been better than even YouTube WRT supporting HTML5.

edit: Huh. Playing HTML5 version, I now get an "Oops! Something broke" message.

Originally Posted by arteggio Well Mr Fancy Pants, I hope that pygame app led to a perfectly placed floor considering I had just volunteered to the arrange it.

You snooze, you lose. You weren't online at the time; so, I jumped on it. You're welcome to set up for the next match!

Also, yes, it looks like I missed your post at the bottom of that page. Sorry about that!

[arteggio]

Originally Posted by Elysium Ooooh. Let's wire it with TNT and have the first ever AN Minecraft building demolition.

Though I would love to witness this myself, I was thinking of something a bit more constructive. I wanted to return in a week and see creativity spread among its levels. Or something poetic like that. (Ignore my whole burn-the-floors part. )

Originally Posted by turtle My wife and I could take over possession of it.

So, I declare Mr and Mrs Turtle the new sole proprietors of the skyscraper. Since there's a full size basement for 15 blocks down or so, a short dig off your current tunnel could get you right in there.

Originally Posted by Brad You snooze, you lose.

Fair enough.

[Brad]

FWIW, if arteggio or anyone else wants to reset the arena after the next match, I've stocked some sand in the manager's office for if/when the TNT chews up the supply of sand up there.

[kscherer]

My money is on arteggio. He has the best axes.

[Bryson]

Good times. I miss that arena.

[Brad]

No joke: I was actually just thinking about this over the last weekend and was contemplating building a new arena in the current world for invitational death matches.

Maybe this is just the motivation I need to actually do it.

After I finish building all this other stuff.

[kscherer]

See?

Seeeeeeee!?!

Boosting old threads can be fun!

[turtle]

Where to build such a thing? How about the middle of 709's amusement park? That would be fitting right?

[kscherer]

What about the vacant lot in downtown where the Monument Tower used to be located (just west of the money building)? I donated that space to the community, and it might be large enough.

[turtle]

Oooo.... I like that too. Might be too small though.

[kscherer]

It seems to me that it's something like 45x45 or there abouts.

[Brad]

For reference, the O.G. Bridgeport Arena:



That was pretty big for its time, but I think we need something much bigger now. The original Arena had chests hidden under the sand with weapons and armor, and of course its successor needs something like that as well. If it's bigger, I also imagine building American Gladiator-style obstacles for taking cover, running around, etc.

I have had some recent ideas for continued expansion of Bradtropolis into that entire swamp region to the east. Maybe Arena 2.0 would go out there? Or maybe on the north side of the canal instead? Keeping it far from civilization, farms, or mass storage areas (i.e. places with lots of item frames, chests, hoppers, and signs) to keep participant FPS/performance high should be a key factor in deciding the location.

Hmmm... Now that I'm typing out these thoughts, I wonder if an underground arena might work. It could have an ornate structure for an above-ground entrance, of course, but by digging down, it could sprawl out a far greater area without taking up precious surface land.

[turtle]

I actually though about under the water in CC. Nice view from above and it's otherwise wasted ground down there. Not sure how close that would get to builds down there though.

[709]

I like north of the canal, but also like the idea of underwater - especially with a glass ceiling. Or maybe out by the hockey arena, making that the 'sporting' area.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by Brad but by digging down, it could sprawl out a far greater area without taking up precious surface land.

You know, I know where there is a very large, in fact *titanic* pyramid-shaped hole in a location that is quite suitable!

[Brad]

Originally Posted by turtle I actually though about under the water in CC. Nice view from above and it's otherwise wasted ground down there. Not sure how close that would get to builds down there though.

CC is a nice central area, and I do also like the idea of a water ceiling, but there are still some troublesome performance spots around the cove. My best guess is it's from the hundreds of hoppers by the underground tree farm. It could go farther out into the ocean to the west, though.

Originally Posted by 709 Or maybe out by the hockey arena, making that the 'sporting' area.

An excellent idea! I think I'm really warming up to this one.

Originally Posted by kscherer You know, I know where there is a very large, in fact *titanic* pyramid-shaped hole in a location that is quite suitable!

Maybe. I wouldn't want to tarnish all your hard work, and besides I don't know if it's the right shape. That being said, if you want to take charge and start turning it into a battlefield, be my guest!

[Brad]

Let's put it to an informal poll. Sure, there won't be a ton of votes, but it's a start…

Preferred location for a new (future) underground arena?

1. North side of the eastern canal that leads to Bradtropolis and points towards 13topia.
2. West of Cashout Cove far in the middle of the ocean, past the Enterprise but before Arteggio castle.
3. Somewhere near the winter wonderland hockey rink.
4. Repurposing Tall Town's Luxor basement.