The World of Humanities - May 2013 "BETA" - For Download and Distribution

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Eric

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Apr 27, 2013, 10:00:46 AM4/27/13
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You will need MinecraftEdu version 1.5.1 (stable build 9) or later to run this. Installation instructions are below.

This is the latest version of my "Wonderful World of Humanities" map, featuring various worlds from ancient history and tons of information to read / secrets to find / characters to talk to / quests to go on / building projects to collaborate on, etc.
Feel free to use this however and whenever you see fit, just please give me credit. :)  

I am calling this version a "beta" simply because the world has not yet been completely filled with characters and quests. More than half is filled, and works perfectly. I just wanted to get this version out now so teachers would have time to try it with their students this year, if they like. I will release a finished version for the next school year, with many more characters and quests, before the end of the summer.

This is the largest single map update I've done yet. It feels like a "whole new game", more like an online RPG, than just Minecraft. Some of the additions include:
- Hundreds of characters from history, that students can meet and have conversations with.
- Over 100 quests students can embark on, for rewards and experience points. These include finding ancient artifacts, talking with people from history, solving puzzles, discovering new lands, and many, many more.
- An in-game economy, built on different types of coins students earn from completing quests or selling items to merchants.
- Completely new graphics, using new textures made by Sphax and myself.
- A "Remote Crafting University" that teaches students the basics of crafting in the game.
- New clothing and armor items for students to wear/wield to differentiate themselves. These can be purchased from merchants or earned by completing quests.
- New crafting recipes not included in the original Minecraft, some tied into questlines.
- Bug fixes / new details / more secrets / redesigned areas and buildings


Please have a read through this information packet that I give to students. It will give you many more details. You may also want to print it and distribute it to your students: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53773950/World%20of%20Humanities/WORLD%20OF%20HUMANITIES%20Starter%20Pack.pdf



INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS:
These are a bit more complicated than older versions, but are well worth it to get all the in-game features. Please follow them carefully.

1. Download this world file, and unzip the included folder into your minecraftedu/servertool/worlds/savedworlds/ folder.

2. Download these two mod files, and place both of them in both your minecraftedu/minecraft/mods folder AND minecraftedu/servertool/server/mods folder. Do NOT unzip these files, just place them there.

3. Copy this mod file into your minecraftedu/minecraft/mods folder only. Don't unzip it.

4. Copy this textures file (for the characters) into your minecraftedu/minecraft/customnpcs/packs folder AND minecraftedu/servertool/server/customnpcs/ folder. If those folders don't exist for you yet, create them.

5. Copy these texture files (you can choose which one you'd like based on how good your computer is, or all three - I use Medium) into the minecraftedu/minecraft/texturepacks folder. You will need to select one in your in-game options menu to view the new graphics.

6. Unzip this file into your minecraftedu/minecraft/mods folder. These are the labels for the in-game map when you press F. You can rename the "localhost" part of the file localhost.DIM0.points to your server's address (for example, 12.345.6.789.DIM0.points)

7. ENJOY and LEARN! :)


EXTRA MATERIALS

Intro video of the world: http://youtu.be/NhlKF4kKzi8

Video of an interview that was conducted with me. Note that this is for an older version of the world: http://youtu.be/K5Recp9xpYY


Packet for parents, including my master's research paper on games in education, and the World of Humanities in particular: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53773950/World%20of%20Humanities/WoH%20-%20Information%20for%20Parents.pdf

Badges students can earn by finding the "secret code words" hidden around the world. I cut these out and put them on a big "Wall of Scholars and Explorers" bulletin board in my room: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53773950/World%20of%20Humanities/WoH%20Badges.pdf

Here's the "master list" of where all those codes are located so you can check student progress: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53773950/World%20of%20Humanities/WoH%20-%20Secret%20Codes%20and%20Badges%20master%20list.xlsx

Here's a good example of the digital citizenship learning possible in the world, a chat log of students playing: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53773950/World%20of%20Humanities/Digital%20Citizenship%20-%20WoH%20chat%20log.pdf

And here are some "promotional posters" you can use to help promote the world at your school (I have them all over my room and the hallways!):




/\ Example, here are the others: 


PHEW! Enjoy!! Please post in this thread to let me know how things work, how your students enjoy the world, and any other thoughts and impressions! I've been working on this for over a year now, probably more than 600 hours put into it, and I'd love to hear how it's being used by students outside my own school.

Thanks!




Eric

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Apr 27, 2013, 10:17:07 AM4/27/13
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Whoops, here's the file for step 6: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53773950/World%20of%20Humanities/World%20of%20Humanities%20MiniMap%20data.zip

Craig Wentworth

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Apr 27, 2013, 9:09:37 PM4/27/13
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Tonight is the first chance I've had to really explore your WOH map.  Amazing!!! Your time and effort is greatly appreciated and I can't wait to try it with students.  I have a few questions though.

Will I have to load the files into each of the student computers?
In the game I can't figure out how to use the magicians teleport.  Pressing M brings up the REI minimap, not my assignment.  Any suggestions?
Do items like the "Rescue the Princess" book in the Skytower need re-added after a student takes one from the chest?
Do you have build mode on when your students explore?  Does this cause any problems with the map?
Do you save the server or is it automatically saved?

Luke Johnson

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Apr 27, 2013, 9:29:59 PM4/27/13
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Eric, I too have had a good look at your world for the first time in a while, and think the addition of adding NPC's is a masterstroke! Completely new experience, one I believe delivers a richer learning environment and one that scaffolds the learning which is especially good for younger students. Well done mate, many hours of hard work, definitely worth it!

I was wondering about the process you use to prepare the dialogue? It is so detailed and engaging. I am very interested in creating a similar, although much much smaller world, based around Australian Colonial History and would love to get an idea what you process is to create the characters, than plan out the intricacies of the story, and then dialogue.

Elfie I know you have used the NPC's in your Mathlandia, which I havnt go working yet, but would also love your input how you go about using the CustomNPC mod, and plan out the dialogue for that world too.

For example, do you have a word doc or some sort of template that maps out all the conversation lines first, before inputing into the Mod GUI????

Looking forward to hearing your methods soon!

Cheers

Luke


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Eric

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Apr 27, 2013, 11:40:58 PM4/27/13
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The files that go into the minecraftedu/minecraft directory and its subdirectories, yes, you need to put them on all student computers. The ones that go into minecraftedu/servertool and its subdirectories, no, those are just for the server (you). So for students, you need to copy:
NPC mod file
Backpack mod file
REI Minimap mod file
NPC texture file
World textures pack
REI minimap data

The Magicians teleport you when you talk to them, not by pressing a key. The map should default to the F key if you placed the files from number 6 correctly (unzipped the folder). 

The books don't come back, but there are tons of them.

I have build mode off at all times. Students can still build in the allowed areas.

The server is automatically saved. I have an online server they connect to from home. When I want to stop it, I type "stop" in the console, which saves itself again before shutting down.

Thanks for your feedback! Enjoy!

Eric

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Apr 27, 2013, 11:45:56 PM4/27/13
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Thanks for the kind words! The dialogue writing has taken a long, long time. And yes, it is pre-planned, since the NPC mod doesn't have the most intuitive interface. I use a free program called XMind (http://www.xmind.net/), which works great. Here's an example of what it looks like (click on it to see the full size):

I hope to participate in a Google Hangout again soon, where I can give better description and tutorials on how I use the NPC mod, and all the little details that go into the various types of quests and dialogue I made. But there is no getting around it: it took a LOT of time to learn and get used to, and it will for anyone else, too.

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Luke Johnson

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Apr 28, 2013, 12:36:17 AM4/28/13
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Geez....looking at your mindmap does my head in! I think I get the main message (TIME & hardwork) and have a lot of thinking/planning/creating to do! 
Thanks again mate!


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EduElfie

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Apr 28, 2013, 3:56:21 AM4/28/13
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I too use a mindmapping software, I use freemind and my maps are nowhere near as cool as Eric's, but the basic principle is the same. Plan it all out in as much detail as you need to keep it clear in your head what you have done and what is next on the list.

Elfie.
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Eric

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Apr 28, 2013, 4:57:36 AM4/28/13
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I forgot to mention another major new area for this version:

- Refugee simulation camp, found in the Sahara Desert area. This was a collaborative project between myself and an English teacher at my school, and ties into their unit on the book Fish, about refugee life.


mke...@milwaukee-montessori.org

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Apr 29, 2013, 10:01:48 AM4/29/13
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Hi Eric,
 
I am new to the world of Minecraft.edu and one of tech people forwarded me your World of Humanities. It is super cool! I would love to use it as a culminating project for history. I have explored the world, looked at the maps, and read your parent and student information. You talk about collaborative building project like the Greek school and Mesopotamian irrigation system. Do you have directions written up somewhere in the world for these?  Also, where do you have the students build these things?
 
 
Thanks for your help,
Meghan

Eric

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Apr 29, 2013, 2:53:14 PM4/29/13
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Yes, it's all in the world. Greek schools are by the Ancient Greece area, and the irrigation system is right where the Mesopotamia teleport takes you. Instructions are in info blocks and character dialogue in the area. Talk to the tech people and see if they can help you figure out how to use the teleport system and talk with the characters in those areas.

Eric

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May 1, 2013, 8:38:52 AM5/1/13
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Anyone using this yet? How are kids taking to the NPCs/quests?

jol...@sd42.ca

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May 1, 2013, 12:17:16 PM5/1/13
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I loaded this up on monday and ran with a couple of classes but ran into some major lag problems with kids getting dropped off the server.  I've just deleted the mods folders to see if that helps and so far I'm not having any lag problems minus the mods.  I'm going to try re-introducing the folders one at a time to see if I can isolate where the problem is.  Kids really like the texture pack though.  I really hope I can get the NPC stuff working smoothly.  Afternote I also have to update to the newest version of Java, although I don't know if that will make a difference?

Eric

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May 1, 2013, 1:24:51 PM5/1/13
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I've never had any additional lag from the NPCs mod, either on my computer or on my remote hosted server. Do you have the mods folders set up right on servers and clients?

Jonathan Palles

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May 2, 2013, 10:20:15 PM5/2/13
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I know this must be a user error, but I can't seem to find any of your build. When I spawn into the world, there's nothing (built) there. It's just an open world. I tried to teleport, but there doesn't appear to be any teleport stations. put all the files where you instructed. I've loaded the Rei's Minimap, but there are no waypoints. Any idea what I'm missing?

EduElfie

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May 2, 2013, 11:16:42 PM5/2/13
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Sounds like you have not actually loaded the world properly Jonathan. You may need to retrace your steps and make sure the folders are in the correct place.

Elfie.

Eric

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May 3, 2013, 1:57:14 AM5/3/13
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Yes I agree with Elfie. Even if you didn't load the mods properly, you'll still get the empty world (no characters or quests). It sounds like the map folder (WorldofHumanities2013) is not in the /savedworlds directory. Or you are not selecting it from the servertool launcher before you start your client.

Eric

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May 3, 2013, 11:18:06 AM5/3/13
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There will be a new beta version of Edu out soon, one that will allow for hyperlinks in the info blocks! In preparation for this, I made a new type of info sign, a "link block" sign. I will place them over info blocks that contain external internet links. I plan to include many links to 360-degree panoramas around the world, such as this one in front of the Greek Temple, for example: http://www.360cities.net/image/zakato-greatathina-10-2010-02

I just replaced the texture for the foundation block, since I don't think anyone ever uses it. Here's the new texture:

Eric

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May 6, 2013, 12:15:09 AM5/6/13
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Thanks Elfie for giving the redirect link on the old thread. I was thinking of doing that before. Now I'm just "bumping" this one so it is above the old one. :)

Craig Merrick

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May 6, 2013, 11:44:12 PM5/6/13
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There's a quote from Big Bang Theory where Sheldon says in a crazed manner "DO YOU REALISE WHAT THIS MEANS?"


Linking to websites from within Minecraft is massive! I assume we're talking the default web browser, but wouldn't an in-game web browser be something? An tablet device players can carry around like a map and when you look down you can browse the web...

I see this as a game changer, this will exponentially increase the usability of Minecraft in the classroom!

EduElfie

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May 6, 2013, 11:50:18 PM5/6/13
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Building in an in-game browser is very problematic, the devs have discussed it in the past and there are a lot of limitations that being based in java does, and my understanding is that this is a big one. However I agree that being able to link outside of Minecraft is a massive step forward to interactive worlds and research/writing/everything.

Elfie.
Message has been deleted

eol...@aisv.lt

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May 7, 2013, 3:59:44 AM5/7/13
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I am crashing after logging in as teacher on the servertool (and on client as student, but realised I haven't loaded the textures into the student PCS).  Should I be crashing out on the server side if I've followed the instructions?

Cheers!  
Eric Olive
AISV


On Tuesday, May 7, 2013 8:50:23 AM UTC+3, eol...@aisv.lt wrote:
This was done in Open-Sim and people connected to Moodles, Youtube, etc.  It is pretty cool, but not so easy to interact with.  

EduElfie

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May 7, 2013, 5:49:11 AM5/7/13
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I am not sure what you are meaning here Eric. Textures do not need to be loaded, if you are talking about mods, many of them will need to be loaded on both the client and the server.

Elfie.

Eric

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May 7, 2013, 10:38:40 AM5/7/13
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A possible cause of a crash is if you put a client-only mod, like the MiniMap mod, in the server's mod folder. Some have to be placed ONLY on the client computers/folders, while others have to be placed on both client and server. Please try to re-follow the directions carefully, paying special attention to what files go in which folders.

Scott Pollmann

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May 7, 2013, 11:53:34 AM5/7/13
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Hyperlinks would be great!!! For someone like me with a server that is off line, would it be possible to also link to HTML files or images saved locally on the server?

Eric

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May 7, 2013, 11:59:26 AM5/7/13
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I would imagine so. As long as it detects the http:// at the beginning, it simply opens up whatever your default browser is, and then opens the link.

Rick M

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May 8, 2013, 9:56:45 AM5/8/13
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Eric, if you don't have any luck with Eric or Elfie's ideas, post the crash log, or the message you receive when you get a crash, and maybe we can figure out what's going wrong?

Eric

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May 10, 2013, 9:49:25 AM5/10/13
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So did you get it working?


On Tuesday, May 7, 2013 10:59:44 AM UTC+3, eol...@aisv.lt wrote:

David H. Crawford

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May 10, 2013, 11:18:10 AM5/10/13
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AMAZING!  Looks like this will be a great way to end out our MC E-Period this year..  Can't wait to figure it out and start incorporating it into our program.

Eric

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May 10, 2013, 6:46:45 PM5/10/13
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Let me know how it goes! And let me know what kids think of the quests, etc... no one has really responded and let me know what kids think of the different quests etc.

David H. Crawford

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May 11, 2013, 8:25:18 AM5/11/13
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Will Do!

Scott Pollmann

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May 15, 2013, 1:54:50 PM5/15/13
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Maybe I have a setting wrong.  When my students were near the "food storage" and "Viking" info blocks, there was wheat that they could not break.  I temporarily fixed this by placing a few build blocks, but did not cover the entire area.  Do I need to change a setting?

-Scott 

Eric

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May 15, 2013, 2:18:00 PM5/15/13
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With build mode off, students cannot dig up wheat. It's there for decoration purposes, anyway. But there is a "bug" where they can dig it up - if they jump on it, it pops out and they can pick it up.

Diane Main

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May 18, 2013, 11:28:41 PM5/18/13
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Um, Eric?  I accidentally destroyed the threads of time I found in Ancient China on the timeline.  Any way to fix that?

Eric

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May 19, 2013, 4:15:57 AM5/19/13
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Hi Diane. Do you mean the items in your inventory? If so, you can simply collect them again after 1 day has passed in the game (about 20 minutes I think). Most items given from characters or the world reset after about 1 day - some reset after 1 day real-time, though.

If you mean the actual "cobwebs" that mark where they are on the timeline, then that is not so easy to fix. You would need to re-load the map fresh, or use MCEdit to copy/paste that section back into your world (not easy and quite complicated). The actual objects that give you the items are actually invisible NPC characters, and they should still be in the same places.

Diane Main

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May 19, 2013, 4:39:53 PM5/19/13
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I killed the cobwebs.  (Bad, teacher, I know.)  I figured I would start from a fresh install of the WWoH world, but if there's a way I can "fix" what I did by just replacing certain files, that would be nice.

Scott Pollmann

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May 19, 2013, 6:18:02 PM5/19/13
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Thanks Eric,

I left build mode off, it was set this way and I keep telling students that after working this hard on a project people shouldn't destroy the world.

Is build mode supposed to be on? The student was looking for a place to farm wheat to finish one of the quests (needing to make bread).

Diane Main

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May 19, 2013, 8:43:44 PM5/19/13
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I just went back to the world before my last save.  In other news, Eric, is there really a pendant that the pleb dropped?

Eric

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May 19, 2013, 11:54:07 PM5/19/13
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Yep! Look straight down from him, in the tall grass area.

Diane Main

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May 20, 2013, 1:11:42 AM5/20/13
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Cool!  I found it and completed the quest, but now the pendant is still in my inventory.

Eric

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May 20, 2013, 8:55:05 AM5/20/13
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Hmmm, maybe you found it twice. To accommodate many simultaneous players, the game gives out items once per day. So you can get repeats. You can get the quests again after 7 in-game days, and repeat them for more rewards and XP.

BrainStorm

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May 20, 2013, 2:40:14 PM5/20/13
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Hi Eric,

Just wanted to say a BIG thank you for all your hard work on this!  The kids have truly been enjoying it!!  

Thanks again!!!

Darren

Eric

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May 20, 2013, 4:05:11 PM5/20/13
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Thanks so much! Are they enjoying the quests and characters? I haven't gotten too much feedback from people so far on all the quests, dialogue, and characters. Did they enjoy any quests or areas specifically?

Diane Main

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May 20, 2013, 7:01:18 PM5/20/13
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I've been having so much fun on the quests, I haven't had time to write and tell you!  I'm starting with my students tomorrow.  I'm going to have them each select a part of the world to explore and report back on.

Craig Wentworth

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May 22, 2013, 8:47:37 AM5/22/13
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Eric,

I had some students try the WHO in my after school Minecraft Club yesterday.  The club consists of 2nd-5th graders. Here are some of the responses to your questions. 

 

5th grader: The thing I enjoyed most about WOH was getting to see the different places. It was huge, and there were lots of things to explore. I want to explore more. The place I liked the most was the giant skull. It led to the Great Sphinx and some pyramids. I went in a pyramid and found the secret room. I came out with a lot of stuff in my inventory. I loved everything about this and it was really fun.

3rd grader: I liked the map, it was fun. I like the people that dance, it’s FUNNY. I liked ever thing.

5th grader: Today I went to w.o.h the thing I liked best was the new islands. I loved the characters but not the quest there really hard. The island i liked the most was Greek one.

3rd grader: I love the map we did today. I liked the quest and characters. I found a lot of neat stuff. I really liked everything.

3rd grader: woh has been awesome. i have already bought a bank and i can nearly upgrade it.

4th grader: I really like the world, characters, and the quests.  My favorite place was the chests. There was nothing i did not like exept the part were i could not click with something in my hand.

 

Personally, I feel you’ve done an amazing job!  I don’t think some of the students are used to using Minecraft in this way, so I heard some complaints about not being able to build or mine, so I explained to them what someone suggested in this forum about the time it took to create the map and not wanting it to be destroyed.  I feel the quests are a great challenge and a great way to force students into reading if they want to complete quests and earn materials needed to progress.  I don’t know that too many completed any quests today because most of them were enjoying the exploring at this point and didn’t take time to read many of the blocks or interact with characters.  I did stress the importance of this, but other than that I set them loose to explore on their own.

David H. Crawford

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May 22, 2013, 10:10:35 AM5/22/13
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All set up on our Server - Testing it this week with students and then starting officially next Monday with our new group.  We will run it until the end of the school year.

It looks Amazing.

David

David H. Crawford

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May 22, 2013, 11:10:59 AM5/22/13
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Seeing the Twin Towers was kind of emotional.  This is and EPIC achievement.  Thank you!

Diane Main

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May 22, 2013, 2:17:18 PM5/22/13
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Hey Eric,

Do you have a list of all the quests somewhere?  My students each have to complete a quest and write a reflective document for my class.  Some of them are struggling to find a quest to go on.

Thanks,
Diane

Eric

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May 22, 2013, 2:48:02 PM5/22/13
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Wow, I didn't even think those were supposed to be the Twin Towers... but maybe they could be. I hope no one is upset by the similarity. 

Eric

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May 22, 2013, 3:03:17 PM5/22/13
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There are about 80 quests so far. I don't really have a compiled list of their details, but I could name them here.  A good place students could visit for a lot of quests in a small space is in the Refugee Camp. That place was co-designed between me and an English teacher, and was made with reflective writing in mind. It is accessible from the teleport blocks.

Here are some of the quests in the world:

Defenses Must Hold
Diamond Travels
Gathering Greek Wood
Shiny and Sparkly
To Build a Home
Athenian School (AIS)
My Monument
Spartan Academy
He Who Came Before
Book for the Sailor
Carrots for the Goat
Conserving the World
Feeding Time
Fishing for Help
Golden Apple for The First
Heart of the Aztecs
Lilies for Thought
Missing Painting
Pleb Pendant Problem
Riches for Cortes
Royal Artifacts
Skull Collector
The Bad Hand
The Golden Apple of Wisdom
The Golden Fleece
The Lighthouse Keeper
The Red Rose of Time
Threads of Time
Warming the Dead
Water from the Sands
???
Advice from Greece
Empire Building
Et tu, Brute?
First Post
Fish Traps
Food for Rome
For Spartan Glory
Head of Snakes
Mining, Crafting
Mountain Climbing
Neolithic Farming
Returning the Jewel
Riddles!
Secret Historian Tokens
Secret Keepers
Spartan Obstacle Course
The Far Corners
The Locked Tower
The Philosopher's Stone
The Pirate's Treasure
The Secret Historians
Annabelle Lee
Aristotle's Apprentice
Atonement
Find Cortes
Finding Jaguars
Hey, a Quest!
Lost at Sea
Lost Brother
Lost Future Sister
Mayan Ghosts
Mythic Scribe
Return to Alarico
Seek Plato
Stuck on a Statue
Teacher to Student
They Egyptologist
The Little Climber
Tribal Journey
Wandering Brothers
Back to Shady
Collect Water Bottles
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David H. Crawford

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May 22, 2013, 3:31:40 PM5/22/13
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They Look pretty similar.  It wasn't upsetting, just kind of sentimental.  My Grades 6-8 Class took a ride on the roller coaster and were blown away.

Diane Main

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May 22, 2013, 4:03:56 PM5/22/13
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Gosh, Eric, you're awesome.  THANKS.

I have a question for you: do you turn on "students can build" when your student play?  Mine can't even place torches in dark hallways, so I am wondering if I should turn on build mode.  I'm just worried they'll accidentally destroy things other people need in the game.

Your thoughts?

Eric

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May 22, 2013, 4:07:14 PM5/22/13
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Thanks for the detailed feedback, David. I had my students play the game in class today, for final exam review, and it was the first time we've actually used Minecraft in the classroom. It was so rewarding to see their smiles and excitement as they played in my world. It was something I had been unknowingly missing as I had them always play from home. 

Diane, the world is designed around having them NOT be able to build in all places. Stuff would get destroyed left and right, even accidentally, and then quests would not be able to be completed. There are special themed building areas around the world for this purpose. Also, getting blocks and items as rewards for quests and exploring are a major motivator - being able to just dig them up anywhere would defeat the purpose of the world. But of course you can play it any way you see fit.

Matt Coia

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May 22, 2013, 4:07:51 PM5/22/13
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Build allow blocks are in places where the students can build. They don't need to worry about monsters or anything so lighting doesn't play as big a role. I would keep student building off. I do have an old copy of WoH that I made survival just for fun though. 
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Diane Main

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May 22, 2013, 4:24:37 PM5/22/13
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Eric, I tend to agree.  I told them about how I had accidentally destroyed something and had to restore to a much earlier saved version of the world.  Also, there are chests hidden all over the place with all kinds of great stuff.  I want them to play the quests as intended.  Several of them asked me to give them stuff today, and I said I wanted them to go find the necessary materials.

Eric

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May 23, 2013, 7:00:20 AM5/23/13
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Great! :) I will give students some things every so often if they ask nicely, but not entire sets of blocks or rare armor/items. Something you can give to students if they are begging is stone coins. It's easy to give and they can use them to buy stuff they want from merchants, or to save them up along with coins from quests they complete, to buy the big and rare stuff.

Nathan McAfee

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May 23, 2013, 2:14:16 PM5/23/13
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Am about to start summer camps based on the Humanities world, will happily share feedback.  Am trying to build a daily plan for a 3 hour per day, 5 day course.  If anyone has advice of guidance I would love to have and will pay you back once we figure things out.  

Am a Minecraft idiot but am learning more every day.  Good news is that I think the kids will push me out of the way and lead me along.

Nathan

Diane Main

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May 23, 2013, 2:30:55 PM5/23/13
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Hi Nathan,

I'm pretty new to Minecraft too.  What I had my students do (11 high schoolers, only 2 had played Minecraft before) was find out a topic that they could learn well enough to teach the rest of us.  Many of them used the Minecraft wiki and/or spoke to a friend of family member who was well-versed in Minecraft, both to find out what would be a worthwhile thing for players to learn, and for teaching themselves so they could then teach us.

Some things kids taught in class (this was in a world I randomly spawned, before I ran the WWoH world) included: farming, crafting (in general), making and using a bow and arrows, making and using a sword, building a boat, growing trees, enchanting items, building a castle, getting fire to burn/cook things, making a bed, cooking with a furnace.  Here's what they had to include in their lesson:
- what materials were needed
- how to get the materials
- how they learned about it
- complete steps
- why a Minecraft player would need this knowledge

And I also scored them on their presentation skills, their preparedness for presenting, and how they conducted themselves as audience members for each other's presentations.

I took screencast videos, but most of them are not online yet.

dedicated x

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May 23, 2013, 2:42:48 PM5/23/13
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Nathan,

I'm interested in doing something similar, but as an independent study with access remotely to our school server.  It would be great to bounce some ideas.

:) David


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Eric

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May 24, 2013, 2:50:29 PM5/24/13
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Here's a cool new promotional video made by a teacher at my school and myself:


Enjoy, and please share!

dedicatedx

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May 24, 2013, 2:53:57 PM5/24/13
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WOW!!!!  This is going to be so helpful to our Teachers and Parents

Sent from my iPhone

Joel Levin

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May 24, 2013, 9:45:50 PM5/24/13
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Holy Jeebus! That was incredible!  Seriously awesome.

~Joel


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Chris Scott

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May 25, 2013, 9:36:39 AM5/25/13
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First the world and now the promo video. I'm pumped!

Chris Scott

BrainStorm

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May 25, 2013, 11:02:53 PM5/25/13
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Hi Eric,

They are still in the midst of going through it.  Rome & Greece have been very popular.  They have really enjoyed the quests and are always excited when they find a new one.  Sometimes they get sidetracked, but that is to be expected.  They have enjoyed all of the building assignments in the game and are always excited when we start on a new project!  They also really enjoyed playing in the Colliseum!!  I will keep you posted as we get further into the game.

Many thanks,

Darren
  

On Monday, May 20, 2013 1:05:11 PM UTC-7, Eric wrote:

Nathan McAfee

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May 27, 2013, 4:57:23 PM5/27/13
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Am having challenges with FPS.  Have world of humanities running on a pretty powerful desktop with 8gb of RAM, only thing running on the server.  My clients are dell laptops which are about 3 years old.  Am only getting about 14 fps on my laptops.  My desktop is pulling about 125 FPS do I know the server is capable of running well.
 
Client RAM is 700MB.  I disabled the medium texture pack to see if that helped.  Set graphics to fast, full screen on.  Also reduced render distance to tiny and performance to Max FPS.  Pretty much minimized any video qualities.
 
The 14 fps can be livable but every 10 seconds it drops to 2 or 3 FPS for a second or two.  I tested this on 2 laptops.
 
Any ideas?

Matt Coia

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May 27, 2013, 5:19:03 PM5/27/13
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How is it with other maps?  The frame rate is probably more limited by the graphics card than the server. There's probably not much else to do that you haven't tried already. My personal laptop is pretty new (i7 with 8Gb ram) and has 2Gb of video ram but its integrated and not allocatable so I rarely get more than 20-30 fps. 

Rick M

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May 27, 2013, 5:33:16 PM5/27/13
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If it's a regular interval when the client FPS drops, are there any background programs running there? Any antivirus software, or malware detection?


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Meghan Kearns

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May 28, 2013, 10:11:37 AM5/28/13
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Eric,

 

We have been using WOH for two weeks as a culminating history project.  THEY LOVE  IT! The kids have had individual tasks and group building projects (defense system for Babylon and irrigation for Mesopotamia). We have time to complete one more group project, what is your favorite? Could give a few recommendations? 

 

Thanks,

Meg

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Joel Solomon

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May 28, 2013, 12:58:36 PM5/28/13
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What grades do you think this would be appropriate for? I teach K-5. I think grades 3-5 might be able to handle it. What do you think?

Joel

Joel Solomon

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May 28, 2013, 1:13:28 PM5/28/13
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Tried following the directions, put files where you said, and then it crashed upon startup. Crash log attached. Any ideas?
crash-2013-05-28_11.10.37-client.txt
crash-2013-05-28_11.10.38-client.txt

Eric

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May 28, 2013, 2:39:55 PM5/28/13
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I love the "build a civilization" on Shipwreck Isle. Teleport to the Docks by the Library of Alexandria, and get on the boat to take the Adventure Voyage. Instructions are on the rocks after your ship "crashes". 

I'm glad to see the kids are liking it! You have the version with all the characters and quests, right? Do they have any quests they like the best?

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Eric

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May 28, 2013, 2:44:48 PM5/28/13
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3-5 grades would be great. I think the ideal grade range is about 4-8. 

It looks like maybe you put the minimap mod file in the server mods directory. Please be very careful where you put each mod ZIP file. Some should be put in both server and client folders, and some should only be client (like the minimap).

Diane Main

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May 28, 2013, 5:34:26 PM5/28/13
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All the writing on ALL wooden signs has disappeared.  Is there a specific file I can replace on the server?  Which file contains all the sign content?

Thanks!
Diane

Joel Solomon

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May 28, 2013, 5:44:38 PM5/28/13
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When you say "client" that means I need to install on EVERY computer that is running Minecraft EDU, right? Can I still copy the files on my "admin" MacBook for BOTH server and client to test it first?

Joel

EduElfie

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May 28, 2013, 6:41:24 PM5/28/13
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Yes there is a file you should be able to replace, although I don't know what you would have done to break it in the first place.

the file is located in /minecraftedu/servertool/worlds/tmpworld(if you are running it)/MCEDU/

and it is called signLocations_en.ini

Hope that helps/works.

Elfie.

Eric

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May 28, 2013, 11:38:44 PM5/28/13
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Your computer (MacBook) has both the server and the client on it. Every time you play the game, you are starting up a server, and then connecting to it as a client. The minimap file can only be in the client portion, not the server portion, even on your own computer. Anything that goes in the client areas (the /minecraft/mods folder) must be installed on all connecting computers, yes. 

Just follow the directions again, being very careful with which files go into which folders, and which files are unzipped or left as a zip file.

Joel Solomon

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May 29, 2013, 10:10:00 AM5/29/13
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I'm still having trouble on Step 2-3-4: I do not have a folder called "mods" or "customnpcs" so I created them. Should these files already exist? I'm trying to follow your install instructions exactly, but keep running into trouble since I do not see certain folders in my MNEDU server or client folders as is stated in the install instructions. Thanks for bearing with me through this process.

Joel

Rick M

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May 29, 2013, 10:16:40 AM5/29/13
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The mods folder does not appear after a brand new install until you launch the game once and make it to the Single Player/Multiplayer screen, I think. Same is probably true with customnpcs folder? When I do a new installation and I want to add mods, I launch MinecraftEdu once, get to the point where I'm clicking either Single Player or Multiplayer, and then quit the game. 

If you go to your folder structure at that point, you should see the mods folder, and probably the customnpcs folder.

The path for me, on a Mac, is minecraftedu/minecraft/mods and minecraftedu/minecraft/customnpcs. If you see those folders, you should be able to add whatever you need to the mods folder and re-launch the game.

There's nothing wrong with making the folders yourself, though.




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Joel Solomon

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May 29, 2013, 11:47:53 AM5/29/13
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Okay, I got the game to load, and it's looks AMAZING! I couple more questions:
1. Do I need to specifically load "mods" and "texture packs" for Humanities before starting multiplayer?
2. The "travel" dialogue box is empty. Did I miss something to get kids to "jump" to different places?
3. Do I need to "reset" any settings after playing Humanities to go back to getting kids to start the Tutorial World?

I'm learning something new every day, so thanks for bearing with me through this setup process.


On Tuesday, May 28, 2013 9:38:44 PM UTC-6, Eric wrote:

Diane Main

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May 29, 2013, 12:51:51 PM5/29/13
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Hi Elfie,

I think it had to do with the server restarting and perhaps a file getting corrupted when that happened.

Do I need to stop the server, replace the file, and then restart the server?

Thanks,
Diane

Diane Main

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May 29, 2013, 12:58:08 PM5/29/13
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Sigh.  All the signs are still blank.  Any ideas?

Matt Coia

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May 29, 2013, 1:17:33 PM5/29/13
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R
eload the entire map fresh?  Or is there student work on there that needs to be saved?


On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 12:58 PM, Diane Main <dian...@gmail.com> wrote:
Sigh.  All the signs are still blank.  Any ideas?

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Eric

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May 29, 2013, 1:37:40 PM5/29/13
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Copy the attached file over your own signLocations_en.ini file in the savedworlds/WorldofHumanities2013/MCEdu/ folder. That should fix it.
signLocations_en.ini

Eric

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May 29, 2013, 1:40:43 PM5/29/13
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Yes, you need to go to options in the game, and then texture packs. Select the one you like that you downloaded - Small, Medium, or Large. Medium works well with almost all computers.

What travel dialogue box? You need open up the teleporter tab in your teacher controls once the world is loaded. Or you can click on a teleporter block (there's one in the Treehouse not far from spawn). Then you can access all the sites.

You shouldn't have to reset anything to go back to your tutorial world. The installed mods should not affect it in any way. In fact, you can enjoy the minimap with it now!

Rick M

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May 29, 2013, 1:44:05 PM5/29/13
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Joel,

1. Do I need to specifically load "mods" and "texture packs" for Humanities before starting multiplayer? - There are a few different questions in there, I think. Have you installed the Servertool? That's how you'll start a Multiplayer server, and the mods do need to be loaded on the server before other players can connect to the server. The clients (the player's MinecraftEdu installation) also needs the mods before they can successfully connect to the server. I'm pretty sure Eric's instructions cover the texture pack information - which is another way of me saying "I don't remember exactly" :)

2. The "travel" dialogue box is empty. Did I miss something to get kids to "jump" to different places? - Did you log in as a student? I think the students need to discover the locations before they can teleport there? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. 

3. Do I need to "reset" any settings after playing Humanities to go back to getting kids to start the Tutorial World? No, but if you make changes to WoH you want to preserve, save the map in the Servertool before quitting. 

Diane Main

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May 29, 2013, 2:05:41 PM5/29/13
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Yay!  Signs are fixed!  Thanks, Eric.  I was copying and pasting into the wrong location.

Matt Coia

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May 29, 2013, 2:05:51 PM5/29/13
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Joel,

I think it might serve you well to spend some time playing "basic" minecraft.  That will help you get used to controls and menus before you jump into a complex world like WoH.  Simply start the servertool from the launcher and create a new map (you have a few choices to pick or just random) and then start the client from the launcher...then play!  No mods to worry about or anything.  You obviously don't have to do that but it might help the learning curve.

Matt


Diane Main

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May 29, 2013, 2:10:56 PM5/29/13
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Joel,

What Matt said, and I highly recommend the tutorial world that comes with MCEdu.  It was how both my son and I learned how to play, and then how most of my students (high schoolers who had never even seen Minecraft before) learned how to play, get around, and work cooperatively in the game before I intro'd them to WWoH.

Happy Gaming!
Diane
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Joel Solomon

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May 29, 2013, 2:32:30 PM5/29/13
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Thanks. I've played the Tutorial World, and got stuck in "Dig and Build" and "Shapes" sections. Here are some issues that have arisen:

1. How do you stack blocks more than 2-3 high? Both students and myself got stuck on how to place blocks more than 2 high. Do you jump and place? Are is easier to stack certain blocks than others?
2. The mice in our lab are a mix of old Apple one-button mice and some new generic 2-button mice. Kids were having trouble when it says "right click" even though I told them to "control-click" instead. Do you recommend a different key to configure instead of using two hands to control-click?

Thanks....

David H. Crawford

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May 29, 2013, 2:38:39 PM5/29/13
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Started up our first World of Humanities class today with a group of 7 students from our Middle School.

I'm sure there will be questions to follow.   At first glance the students are psyched!

Matt Coia

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May 29, 2013, 2:38:11 PM5/29/13
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I think it's almost essential to have 2 button mice for this.  

Stacking is just a matter of: 1. jumping and placing or 2. Placing and climbing up and placing more. or 3. fly in creative mode and place.  All should stack the same except sand and gravel which will both fall due to gravity if there is not a block underneath them.


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Rick M

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May 29, 2013, 3:22:11 PM5/29/13
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Agree with Matt on both points. The question about how to place blocks more than 2 or 3 blocks high is a great problem-solving exercise for your students. It'd be interesting to see what they come up with :)

I use scaffolding if I need to build high in the air in Survival mode. On my daily commute, I play a Survival world, and I've built a house around 30 blocks high, all by using dirt blocks as scaffolds. I also do a lot of the 'jump and place below me' method. It's my elevator to high-level roof work. One neat trick when you're building high in the air; crouch-move prevents you from falling off the edge of a block. Except on stairs, which I found out the hard way from my roof. Luckily I fell inside the house, not all the way to the ground. You're able to move all the way to the edge of a block and place blocks under you to continue a high-level scaffold parallel to the ground.

Here's a picture of the house, from far away. I think you can see a little scaffold sticking out from the right side of the roof.

Inline image 1




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sunsetHouse.png

Eric

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Jun 3, 2013, 5:05:15 PM6/3/13
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I've been busy adding some new stuff with what little free time I've had lately - link blocks and even a huge in-game quiz that will grant special "elite" access to areas! I will have a lot more time in about a week, and I definitely plan on releasing the next version before the next school year begins.
Thanks....
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ShaneA

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Jun 3, 2013, 5:36:21 PM6/3/13
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Can't wait to see it Eric.

Still exploring the last version.

Meghan Kearns

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Jun 5, 2013, 12:14:17 PM6/5/13
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Sounds great! The building their own civilization that you suggested was a great idea, thanks!

Thanks....

Eric

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Jun 14, 2013, 11:09:16 AM6/14/13
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Does anyone want to give my new "Ultimate World of Humanities Quiz" a try? It's an 85-question quiz I made to allow students access into the "Elite Tower", and tests your knowledge of everything covered in the world.

Thanks....

dedicatedx

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Jun 14, 2013, 11:19:10 AM6/14/13
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Yes Please!

Sent from my iPhone
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Eric

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Jun 14, 2013, 12:32:13 PM6/14/13
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Here you go! Please DO NOT share the code word at the end if you manage to get 100% - it's used to allow students access into a special area of the world in the next update. Yes, it is super hard - it's supposed to be! See how good of a score you can get. Some of the questions are from stuff that is in the new updated version of the world, so some of the information needed to get 100% isn't in the world yet - like the images from the 360-degree panoramas, for example. Good luck!



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