Hi Alan, Have to laugh at that. I never played past the first one. Somehow, mothering and working and taking classes left me little time for play (or at least for play that did not include the kids and spouse).
Enjoyed the Heinlein quote. I just finished Starship Troopers on an Audible. Blast from the past. My favorite RAH quote is "Specialization is for insects."
As far as new ideas, playing with others is a huge help. I played on various servers and ended up starting my own whitelisted server just for family and friends. http://www.minecraftforum.net/ at the very top lists "big" servers with "big bucks" to spend on advertising. Unfortunately for us older types, they usually have lots of noise and options geared for "under 20's" that just doesn't work for us. http://www.minecraftforum.net/servers shows an actual list, and you can search by different tags to catch an interest.
Your BEST bet, however, is to get to know people on the forum and find kindred spirits and find out privately where *THEY* play. That gets you to a place where you already know someone and where you already share interests, and hopefully, play styles in common. If you have family playing, that's even better. My wife and I play together, sometimes just a LAN game between the two of us.
Also for new ideas, you should consider following HermitCraft on YouTube. You can't play on HermitCraft yourself. It is white-list, invitation only, but it is for well-known YouTube Minecraft players who are showing their creations on YouTube in a Survival Multi-Player (SMP) setting. I watch MumboJumbo, and his focus is on Redstone Builds as well as a few others. HermitCraft Season 5 started in April, so look on YouTube for "HermitCraft 5" and look for a specific YouTube channel where the person has content of interest to you. Follow them from the beginning of Season 5, see who they interact with, and perhaps watch those channels also.
This will give you fresh ideas of things to create within Minecraft, as well as help you decide what specific kinds of things you prefer to do. This will also feed back into what kind of server you should be looking to join. You will see a certain person, that "kindred spirit" you are looking for in the comments of the video. Where is *THAT* person playing? That is likely where you want to be.
The problem us "older folks" have is that the things that used to be important when we were under 20 really doesn't matter at this stage in the game of life, and some of the things that were irrelevant back then are seriously important now. I know how to swear. It doesn't impress me these days, and I really don't want to hear it. That affects what servers I would choose to play on. A big, busy server has too much noise in chat for my taste. I don't care for PVP. I don't want to grief or be griefed. With a list like that, my choice in servers to play with others starts to narrow quickly.
I hope you find the server you are looking for, and sources for ideas that keep Minecraft fresh for you. And I keep an eye on this thread if you have questions.
"I hope you find the server you are looking for, and sources for ideas that keep Minecraft fresh for you. And I keep an eye on this thread if you have questions. "
Thank you so much! There is so much to this Community stuff that I do get kind of overwhelmed. You are right about "what matters."
I have bookmarked this thread. I also found it again by navigating to it, so the stream of consciousness that I first swam in on seems to hold a steady course.
I got interested in MC in the first place when I stumbled across some videos on YouTube. A couple of series were very helpful, even though clearly played on an older version. They were Minecraft: Getting to the End by Mike Szczys and How to survive and thrive in Minecraft. The former of these was more serious, more clear and less silly. I was impressed with the way he developed the world and kept himself alive and focused. If he's not a teacher, he should have been! The "Survive and thrive" fellow was clearly enjoying his play very much, and showed a lot of useful thugs while staying a bit gooofy. I happen to like goofy, though.
I'm sure I'll find my way into some communities. I agree with you 100% on the things I don't want. Never heard of "griefing" before I joined this Forum, but the meaning is clear! I also appreciate the use of mostly correct spelling and punctuation - that dates me more than anything else. I am not very fluent in Textish - the only written language that the really young seem to know. Being something of a Luddite I got my first smart phone only about 2 years ago. Funny to be a professional IT person and claiming to be a Luddite!
I'm 47, I've been playing a wide variety of games since the 1980's. Of course, since I have three children ages 4 to 13, I can't always be playing shooters and other games with coarse language.
Most of my experiences have been solo, but I might like to check out Momcraft to see if the experience with the mostly 40+ demographic might be pleasant enough to pick up as a habit.
As YouTubers, Mumbo Jumbo (for Redstone) and Grian (for artistic building tips) are very polished and professional. I prefer their style of explaining things clearly and keeping the silly out of things. At times they can get goofy, but it is appropriate and in context.
I'm not so much a fan of LogDotZip, but I think he has more of a young audience that he caters to. In his video of MineCon last year, I think the sight of LogDotZip got one of his very young fans hyper-ventilating with excitement. I would have no shame in directing a *young* audience to LogDotZip, and I'm more accepting of his style now than when I first saw his videos. But there is a whole range of content and fresh ideas on YouTube, and usually when you find one particular channel you like, similar content and presentation styles will be offered as suggestions to check out.
If you can find enough close and personal friends playing Minecraft, people you *trust* to not do you harm, it's a great bonus to game play. I started a server with that in mind, migrated to a larger server, there was a parting of ways and I went back to hosting my own again. The longer I do this, the more "MC Realms" starts to look like a good option. I love the current provider I'm using, but if that business ever closed, I'm pretty confident at this point I'd just go with Realms and wash my hands of all the other noise. I might also migrate to another server, but after multiple "migrations", I'm very picky and careful. My view of a server is that it should be treated as a business, especially if it is an open public one. In far too many servers, the purpose of becoming "staff" is to flaunt your status, lording it over other mortals and lessor beings. And having to "migrate" from a server in a stinky situation like that becomes far more messy when you've brought friends and family over to it.
Good luck with the server you mentioned, @Rime! I think if I had to hunt for another, this message thread and its demographic would be a huge factor in what server I'd go to.
I got started gaming with Atari, ended up having both consoles in the end. Then bought their 600XL computer, and found Zork, though had trouble visualizing my way through the game. Then found a computer magazine, can't remember the name, which had programs for various games which could be inputted if a person had the right cartridge for the 600XL, which I did. Finally got my first Windows computer and found DOOM, Wolfinstien(SP) and a few others. It wasn't until I discovered Myst that I found the type of game I really liked. Then I discovered Minecraft a few years back, and played it off and on since--too much screen time bothers the eyes. I turned 66 this year, five years after retiring after 34 years with the same company. Miss the work, but not the garbage associated with it.
I took the time from running around exploring to build a rather nice structure--polishes nails on shirt--and have found another I'm in the process of making so that I can explore it without drowning; my method might work, or it might not. Any who, so much is left to explore, find, or drain from my imagination that I may be found hunched over the keyboard in a rather stiff state one day. :-)
I retired in April this year after 40 years with same company. I don't miss the work so much but I do miss the people. As someone said, I miss the clowns but not the circus.
I don't have to worry about retirement for a while yet. I would love the time to learn how to manage things like command block stuff, and maybe do a project. I get so exhausted after the 11 hr shifts I can't sit down to think, and then on the weekends I have so much "life" to catch up on it's hard to spend a few intense days and keep everything straight until the next session. I think it would be great to help get retired folks started with Minecraft where they can just play at their own pace, perhaps in God mode if they can't really deal with the mobs. We have one gentleman who fits that description on our server.
I was in your shoes for many years, so I sympathize fully. If I could find a realm or SMP server that was designed for retirees, I'd be happy. The problem is finding one. I'd even pay the Realm fees to join. But I'm not keen enough to take on administrative duties, so I'm probably SOL. I'm not seeing a lot of Forum activity from seniors, but maybe I'm not looking in the right place.
My ideal would be a modded survival world that allowed only one cheat: Switching in and out of spectator mode to fly about safely. Not even allow teleporting. Or something that does the same thing. I've been reading about command blocks, but haven't really dug into them yet.
It's 102 outside in my town right now. A great time to stay in the AC'd house and mine.
You should NEVER have to pay a "Realms Fee" unless and until YOU decide to run a server on Realms. All you need is an invite, and an invite should never cost you anything.
If you have a local community of friends and you can get them into Minecraft, you could run a server using Realms. There are command block mods you could use on Realms which can enhance the server and keep the admin responsibility down. When you are working with trusted and worthy friends, you will hopefully not have problems you have to "admin".
Depends on how old is old. I'm 40 this year and have only been playing for a bit. No server stuff just survival and creative. I was thinking it might be nice to join a server and group play a bit. Let me know if I'm old enough 😊
I am 21. Turning 22 this year, and I play Minecraft almost everyday and I love it. I have been playing since 2015 and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
I have a son and a daughter that are older than 42. I am 67
My kids are early 40's, too. Didja ever notice that today's grocery store "muzak" is comprised of 60s golden oldies? When I was a kid, grocery store muzak was 30s and 40s music toned down into 4/4-time string orchestra renditions, utterly bland and denatured. I wondered then if Stones songs would be butchered similarly when I got old.
Do you play in a realm? I'm still looking for a peaceful place. Romanq's advice was good, but I don't have any RLP* friends who play MC.
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Oh, this is a thread that makes me feel so comfortable and "at-home!" I retired early, because my government agency offered an attractive early-out package. I occasionally read that early retirement is not good for one's health, but I think that for me, the lessened job stress made a big positive difference. I have stayed active in civic life and volunteering, though, maybe that accounts for feeling good. I am not a gym member, but I force my husband to go walk with me some, most days. And I use YouTube videos like FitnessBlender and Yoga With Adriene a LOT for getting some physical movement into the day at home. (And when we get these hot, humid periods, there's a lot to be said for being able to work out without getting in and out of a hot car.)
I haven't looked into anything multiplayer, but I have 2 tween grandsons who play MC. I don't think I really want to join a server with them, though - boys that age seem (to me) to enjoy shooter games and I am miserable at that!
Anyone here use a standing desk? How do you make sure not to "veg out" behind a desk, playing games, now that you aren't "chained to a desk?" I struggle with that, especially because my elderly cat loves to climb on my lap and sleep (for hours!!).
I see lots of people with earbuds in at the grocery store - we didn't have that kind of option. It really does help avoid the distractions of some of the in-store marketing. (Though a lot of people are probably just on their mobile phones, chatting with family).
Just turned 50 here myself. Played text-based games on Apple IIs and had the Sears "Atari 2600" equivalent for my first gaming experiences when I was young. First online game was a multiplayer WWII flying game called "Fighter Ace" which I loved...I was hooked!
Got into MC a few years ago playing with my son...now he doesn't play and I still do...lol. Great game!
im still looking for a few older player to join me on my server... if your 20 and older and would like more info add me on the twitch app [ pjcminecraft ]
I'm 68, female, and started with Pong, as the sweetener for having to feed a friend's goldfish while they were on holidays. I have friends who met and married through Myst, and know children who probably wouldn't exist except for Myst bringing people together. I keep hoping to find a similar community in Minecraft. While age isn't necessarily accompanied by maturity, as an earlier poster observed, I think the times you're born into does shape the way you are as a person and I'm still hunting for a 40+ age server with maybe some people who play in the UTC+10, where I won't have to explain myself every time I reference the 1960's, or explain why I think hacking or griefing aren't amusing... While you can certainly play MC solo, I think it's also rewarding playing with, assisting, and learning from others.
I'm 68, female, and started with Pong, as the sweetener for having to feed a friend's goldfish while they were on holidays. I have friends who met and married through Myst, and know children who probably wouldn't exist except for Myst bringing people together. I keep hoping to find a similar community in Minecraft. While age isn't necessarily accompanied by maturity, as an earlier poster observed, I think the times you're born into does shape the way you are as a person and I'm still hunting for a 40+ age server with maybe some people who play in the UTC+10, where I won't have to explain myself every time I reference the 1960's, or explain why I think hacking or griefing aren't amusing... While you can certainly play MC solo, I think it's also rewarding playing with, assisting, and learning from others.
Greetings! I wish you luck in your endeavor.
Have you been introduced to the chat program, Discord? It is the most widely used "chat" program right now—much like IRC, ICQ, AoL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger of the past. Here is a link to the program's downloadable installation files: https://discordapp.com/download
If there is any hope of locating such a community, you will almost certainly need Discord to find it.
Again, good luck!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My short story-like journals; quick-and-easy reads:
Hi Alan, Have to laugh at that. I never played past the first one. Somehow, mothering and working and taking classes left me little time for play (or at least for play that did not include the kids and spouse).
Enjoyed the Heinlein quote. I just finished Starship Troopers on an Audible. Blast from the past. My favorite RAH quote is "Specialization is for insects."
"Specialization is for insects."
--Robert A. Heinlein See complete quote here.
Yes, new labels indicate participation as well as various other "milestone achievements". http://www.minecraftforum.net/account/titles will show you what yours are. http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/forums/forum-discussion-info/517685-current-member-title-list covers the details.
As far as new ideas, playing with others is a huge help. I played on various servers and ended up starting my own whitelisted server just for family and friends. http://www.minecraftforum.net/ at the very top lists "big" servers with "big bucks" to spend on advertising. Unfortunately for us older types, they usually have lots of noise and options geared for "under 20's" that just doesn't work for us. http://www.minecraftforum.net/servers shows an actual list, and you can search by different tags to catch an interest.
Your BEST bet, however, is to get to know people on the forum and find kindred spirits and find out privately where *THEY* play. That gets you to a place where you already know someone and where you already share interests, and hopefully, play styles in common. If you have family playing, that's even better. My wife and I play together, sometimes just a LAN game between the two of us.
Also for new ideas, you should consider following HermitCraft on YouTube. You can't play on HermitCraft yourself. It is white-list, invitation only, but it is for well-known YouTube Minecraft players who are showing their creations on YouTube in a Survival Multi-Player (SMP) setting. I watch MumboJumbo, and his focus is on Redstone Builds as well as a few others. HermitCraft Season 5 started in April, so look on YouTube for "HermitCraft 5" and look for a specific YouTube channel where the person has content of interest to you. Follow them from the beginning of Season 5, see who they interact with, and perhaps watch those channels also.
This will give you fresh ideas of things to create within Minecraft, as well as help you decide what specific kinds of things you prefer to do. This will also feed back into what kind of server you should be looking to join. You will see a certain person, that "kindred spirit" you are looking for in the comments of the video. Where is *THAT* person playing? That is likely where you want to be.
The problem us "older folks" have is that the things that used to be important when we were under 20 really doesn't matter at this stage in the game of life, and some of the things that were irrelevant back then are seriously important now. I know how to swear. It doesn't impress me these days, and I really don't want to hear it. That affects what servers I would choose to play on. A big, busy server has too much noise in chat for my taste. I don't care for PVP. I don't want to grief or be griefed. With a list like that, my choice in servers to play with others starts to narrow quickly.
I hope you find the server you are looking for, and sources for ideas that keep Minecraft fresh for you. And I keep an eye on this thread if you have questions.
Thank you so much! There is so much to this Community stuff that I do get kind of overwhelmed. You are right about "what matters."
I have bookmarked this thread. I also found it again by navigating to it, so the stream of consciousness that I first swam in on seems to hold a steady course.
I got interested in MC in the first place when I stumbled across some videos on YouTube. A couple of series were very helpful, even though clearly played on an older version. They were Minecraft: Getting to the End by Mike Szczys and How to survive and thrive in Minecraft. The former of these was more serious, more clear and less silly. I was impressed with the way he developed the world and kept himself alive and focused. If he's not a teacher, he should have been! The "Survive and thrive" fellow was clearly enjoying his play very much, and showed a lot of useful thugs while staying a bit gooofy. I happen to like goofy, though.
I'm sure I'll find my way into some communities. I agree with you 100% on the things I don't want. Never heard of "griefing" before I joined this Forum, but the meaning is clear! I also appreciate the use of mostly correct spelling and punctuation - that dates me more than anything else. I am not very fluent in Textish - the only written language that the really young seem to know. Being something of a Luddite I got my first smart phone only about 2 years ago. Funny to be a professional IT person and claiming to be a Luddite!
"Specialization is for insects."
--Robert A. Heinlein See complete quote here.
I'm 47, I've been playing a wide variety of games since the 1980's. Of course, since I have three children ages 4 to 13, I can't always be playing shooters and other games with coarse language.
Most of my experiences have been solo, but I might like to check out Momcraft to see if the experience with the mostly 40+ demographic might be pleasant enough to pick up as a habit.
As YouTubers, Mumbo Jumbo (for Redstone) and Grian (for artistic building tips) are very polished and professional. I prefer their style of explaining things clearly and keeping the silly out of things. At times they can get goofy, but it is appropriate and in context.
I'm not so much a fan of LogDotZip, but I think he has more of a young audience that he caters to. In his video of MineCon last year, I think the sight of LogDotZip got one of his very young fans hyper-ventilating with excitement. I would have no shame in directing a *young* audience to LogDotZip, and I'm more accepting of his style now than when I first saw his videos. But there is a whole range of content and fresh ideas on YouTube, and usually when you find one particular channel you like, similar content and presentation styles will be offered as suggestions to check out.
If you can find enough close and personal friends playing Minecraft, people you *trust* to not do you harm, it's a great bonus to game play. I started a server with that in mind, migrated to a larger server, there was a parting of ways and I went back to hosting my own again. The longer I do this, the more "MC Realms" starts to look like a good option. I love the current provider I'm using, but if that business ever closed, I'm pretty confident at this point I'd just go with Realms and wash my hands of all the other noise. I might also migrate to another server, but after multiple "migrations", I'm very picky and careful. My view of a server is that it should be treated as a business, especially if it is an open public one. In far too many servers, the purpose of becoming "staff" is to flaunt your status, lording it over other mortals and lessor beings. And having to "migrate" from a server in a stinky situation like that becomes far more messy when you've brought friends and family over to it.
Good luck with the server you mentioned, @Rime! I think if I had to hunt for another, this message thread and its demographic would be a huge factor in what server I'd go to.
I got started gaming with Atari, ended up having both consoles in the end. Then bought their 600XL computer, and found Zork, though had trouble visualizing my way through the game. Then found a computer magazine, can't remember the name, which had programs for various games which could be inputted if a person had the right cartridge for the 600XL, which I did. Finally got my first Windows computer and found DOOM, Wolfinstien(SP) and a few others. It wasn't until I discovered Myst that I found the type of game I really liked. Then I discovered Minecraft a few years back, and played it off and on since--too much screen time bothers the eyes. I turned 66 this year, five years after retiring after 34 years with the same company. Miss the work, but not the garbage associated with it.
I took the time from running around exploring to build a rather nice structure--polishes nails on shirt--and have found another I'm in the process of making so that I can explore it without drowning; my method might work, or it might not. Any who, so much is left to explore, find, or drain from my imagination that I may be found hunched over the keyboard in a rather stiff state one day. :-)
I retired in April this year after 40 years with same company. I don't miss the work so much but I do miss the people. As someone said, I miss the clowns but not the circus.
"Specialization is for insects."
--Robert A. Heinlein See complete quote here.
I don't have to worry about retirement for a while yet. I would love the time to learn how to manage things like command block stuff, and maybe do a project. I get so exhausted after the 11 hr shifts I can't sit down to think, and then on the weekends I have so much "life" to catch up on it's hard to spend a few intense days and keep everything straight until the next session. I think it would be great to help get retired folks started with Minecraft where they can just play at their own pace, perhaps in God mode if they can't really deal with the mobs. We have one gentleman who fits that description on our server.
I was in your shoes for many years, so I sympathize fully. If I could find a realm or SMP server that was designed for retirees, I'd be happy. The problem is finding one. I'd even pay the Realm fees to join. But I'm not keen enough to take on administrative duties, so I'm probably SOL. I'm not seeing a lot of Forum activity from seniors, but maybe I'm not looking in the right place.
My ideal would be a modded survival world that allowed only one cheat: Switching in and out of spectator mode to fly about safely. Not even allow teleporting. Or something that does the same thing. I've been reading about command blocks, but haven't really dug into them yet.
It's 102 outside in my town right now. A great time to stay in the AC'd house and mine.
"Specialization is for insects."
--Robert A. Heinlein See complete quote here.
You should NEVER have to pay a "Realms Fee" unless and until YOU decide to run a server on Realms. All you need is an invite, and an invite should never cost you anything.
If you have a local community of friends and you can get them into Minecraft, you could run a server using Realms. There are command block mods you could use on Realms which can enhance the server and keep the admin responsibility down. When you are working with trusted and worthy friends, you will hopefully not have problems you have to "admin".
I have a son and a daughter that are older than 42. I am 67.
Depends on how old is old. I'm 40 this year and have only been playing for a bit. No server stuff just survival and creative. I was thinking it might be nice to join a server and group play a bit. Let me know if I'm old enough 😊
I'm 47. Been playing like it's my job for 6 years. I am not the oldest person on my server.
Part of the attraction for me that minecraft offers is that is very much like the Dungeons and Dragons and Legos of my fantastic 70's childhood.
I am 21. Turning 22 this year, and I play Minecraft almost everyday and I love it. I have been playing since 2015 and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
My kids are early 40's, too. Didja ever notice that today's grocery store "muzak" is comprised of 60s golden oldies? When I was a kid, grocery store muzak was 30s and 40s music toned down into 4/4-time string orchestra renditions, utterly bland and denatured. I wondered then if Stones songs would be butchered similarly when I got old.
Do you play in a realm? I'm still looking for a peaceful place. Romanq's advice was good, but I don't have any RLP* friends who play MC.
Cheers
*Real Live People
"Specialization is for insects."
--Robert A. Heinlein See complete quote here.
Oh, this is a thread that makes me feel so comfortable and "at-home!" I retired early, because my government agency offered an attractive early-out package. I occasionally read that early retirement is not good for one's health, but I think that for me, the lessened job stress made a big positive difference. I have stayed active in civic life and volunteering, though, maybe that accounts for feeling good. I am not a gym member, but I force my husband to go walk with me some, most days. And I use YouTube videos like FitnessBlender and Yoga With Adriene a LOT for getting some physical movement into the day at home. (And when we get these hot, humid periods, there's a lot to be said for being able to work out without getting in and out of a hot car.)
I haven't looked into anything multiplayer, but I have 2 tween grandsons who play MC. I don't think I really want to join a server with them, though - boys that age seem (to me) to enjoy shooter games and I am miserable at that!
Anyone here use a standing desk? How do you make sure not to "veg out" behind a desk, playing games, now that you aren't "chained to a desk?" I struggle with that, especially because my elderly cat loves to climb on my lap and sleep (for hours!!).
I see lots of people with earbuds in at the grocery store - we didn't have that kind of option. It really does help avoid the distractions of some of the in-store marketing. (Though a lot of people are probably just on their mobile phones, chatting with family).
Just turned 50 here myself. Played text-based games on Apple IIs and had the Sears "Atari 2600" equivalent for my first gaming experiences when I was young. First online game was a multiplayer WWII flying game called "Fighter Ace" which I loved...I was hooked!
Got into MC a few years ago playing with my son...now he doesn't play and I still do...lol. Great game!
im still looking for a few older player to join me on my server... if your 20 and older and would like more info add me on the twitch app [ pjcminecraft ]
and i can go over the details
I'm 68, female, and started with Pong, as the sweetener for having to feed a friend's goldfish while they were on holidays. I have friends who met and married through Myst, and know children who probably wouldn't exist except for Myst bringing people together. I keep hoping to find a similar community in Minecraft. While age isn't necessarily accompanied by maturity, as an earlier poster observed, I think the times you're born into does shape the way you are as a person and I'm still hunting for a 40+ age server with maybe some people who play in the UTC+10, where I won't have to explain myself every time I reference the 1960's, or explain why I think hacking or griefing aren't amusing... While you can certainly play MC solo, I think it's also rewarding playing with, assisting, and learning from others.
Greetings! I wish you luck in your endeavor.
Have you been introduced to the chat program, Discord? It is the most widely used "chat" program right now—much like IRC, ICQ, AoL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger of the past. Here is a link to the program's downloadable installation files: https://discordapp.com/download
If there is any hope of locating such a community, you will almost certainly need Discord to find it.
Again, good luck!
My short story-like journals; quick-and-easy reads:
My Quest for Elytra Complete! (Pic Intense, End-Game Spoilers)
[Journal & Pics] After a Year and a Half, I Finally Found a Jungle
FrozenCore: Hardcore Death; 3/20/15 to 5/3/15; Eight Weeks on a Frozen World in Pictures