Welcome to jdrgaming.com Thursday, April 03 2025 @ 12:25 AM PDT
The latest release of Minecraft (1.12.2) addresses a few minor issues but doesn't add any new features.
The JDRGaming Minecraft server is now running version 1.12.2.
The Minecraft page on this site has been updated with the most recent information.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, all of the JDRGaming game servers will be unavailable on August 30.
A planned local power outage is expected to last from 8:30am to 6:30 pm on August 30. The outage will also affect this web site (jdrgaming.com).
I will post updates on the @JDRGamingStatus Twitter account as events unfold tomorrow.
UPDATE: As of 12:50pm PST, power has been restored and the server is back up. All game servers are back online.
A new version of Minecraft was released yesterday. As of this morning, the JDRGaming server is running Minecraft 1.12.1.
This is a bug fix release, but none of the changes are particularly interesting. The Minecraft page on this site has been updated with the details.
Some game companies understand that modding extends the life of a game, and embrace the idea. Others are somewhat less enlightened.
Take-Two Interactive, makers of the Grand Theft Auto series, recently sent a threat letter to the developers of a popular GTA4 modding tool called OpenIV. Lacking the resources to fight the threat, the OpenIV folks stopped distribution of the tool. Fans of the tool -- and the game -- are furious.
Dear idiots at Take-Two: this was a stupid move. You're going to lose far more business and consumer goodwill than you could ever hope to (somehow?) save by shutting down this tool. Here's a suggestion: stop letting your lawyers guide your business decisions.
You may have noticed that the GameTracker server banners at the top of the home page are only appearing sporadically in the last few days. This is apparently happening because GameTracker is currently the subject of a DDoS attack. Hopefully this will blow over within a few days.
You can temporarily fix the problem by navigating to the GameTracker web site.
I'm almost starting to feel sorry for the folks who make Denuvo, the widely-despised DRM (copy protection) software.
RiME developer Tequila Works said they wanted DRM because if the game was cracked it could mess up the experience, but they also said if the game was cracked they would release a version without Denuvo DRM. The game was almost immediately cracked, and Tequila Works now says they will make good on their promise, but also that the DRM was never their idea anyway.
The person largely responsible for cracking RiME described the excessive number of calls being made to the Denuvo protection just in the game's startup and loading screens. He speculates that complaints about the game's performance by paying customers were almost certainly related to these ramped up -- and, ultimately, fruitless -- efforts to prevent the game from being cracked.
Meanwhile, Denuvo itself was recently accused of using unlicensed software. In the world of DRM, this is known as 'stealing'. Denuvo's DRM uses code supposedly licensed from a company called VMProtect. But Denuvo's license was not sufficient for their use, and VMProtect went public. Denuvo must have had a little chat with VMProtect, because now the latter is saying "DENUVO GmbH had the right to use our software in the past and has the right to use it currently as well as in the future." Which is amusing, in that it allows for Denuvo having been improperly licensed for some amount of time in the past.
And finally, a hacking group known as 'SteamPunks' created a key generator that could potentially allow for very straightforward workarounds for any game protected by Denuvo. If it turns out to work as claimed, this is likely to put the final nail in Denuvo's coffin.
Java compatibility issues solved, Minecraft 1.12 is now running on the JDRGaming server.
As always, please let me know if you run into any new issues. Click About/contact in the menu above to begin.
Minecraft 1.12 was released on June 7. The announcement on minecraftforum.net describes this update as 'World of Color' because of changes to the game's colour palette. Here are some highlights for the new version:
Minecraft 1.12 is the first version of the game to require Java 8. If you only run the game client, you don't need to worry about this, because the game includes the required version of Java. If you run a Minecraft server, however, you'll need to upgrade to Java 8 if you're not running it already.
Before I can upgrade the JDRGaming Minecraft server to version 1.12, I have to upgrade the server's Java installation. That's proving to be more complicated than it should be, so the server upgrade is likely to be delayed a few days. You can still play on the JDRGaming server, but you'll need to configure your Minecraft client to run the previous version (1.11.2) to do that. Stay tuned.
At about 3am PST today (2017Jun01), my Internet Service Provider (Shaw) changed my WAN IP address. Again. This happens from time to time because of the type of service I use. I'm now considering switching to a service that provides a static IP address.
The IP address for all JDRGaming game servers is now 24.80.59.72. Server lists will gradually update, but you can usually hurry things along by clicking an 'update' or 'refresh' button in game clients.
I'll update the alerts at the top of the home page to show the new IP address.
If you have any trouble connecting, please use the 'report a problem' link below the TPU Status box.
Nintendo just can't stop shooting itself in the foot. In 2015, the company successfully prevented a fan from distributing a game he created (originally known as Zelda Maker) in response to Nintendo ruling out creating such a game itself. Unperturbed, that fan remade the game, staying clear of Nintendo's branding, and is now successfully selling that game as Legend Maker. Of course, everyone knows it's really Zelda Maker. Congratulations, Nintendo: your clumsy efforts to crush the spirit of one of your biggest fans has backfired, as usual.
I pay for TPU's hardware and jdrgaming.com hosting out of my own pocket (with help from some awesome friends). It's not a lot of money, but donations are appreciated!
