Bukkit: It's time to say ...

Discussion in 'Community News and Announcements' started by EvilSeph, Aug 21, 2014.

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  1. Offline

    EvilSeph

    [​IMG]


    When we first set out to add our personal touch to what hMod offered the community 3 and a half years ago, none of us foresaw the success the Bukkit project would end up having. From a rocky start that wasn't of our own making (hMod suddenly disappeared without warning while we were just starting up the project, leaving us ill-prepared to fill the void left over), we stepped up to the challenge and managed to put together a usable, respectable alternative to other server mods. We even went so far as to improve on the Minecraft server itself. I can proudly and confidently say that Bukkit was and is a success: not only were we able to provide a platform for hundreds of thousands of Developers to build upon and make use of, we were also frequently providing our Server Admins with peace of mind knowing that the latest exploits and security holes were addressed in a timely and responsible manner.

    From the get go we were plagued with issues and obstacles we needed to overcome, one of which we were sadly unable to tackle despite our best efforts: the legal barrier of licensing and permission. When starting the Bukkit project and even getting involved with hMod before that, we all knew that our work - no matter how well-intentioned - fell into a dangerous legal grey area. As such, my first priority at the start was to do things right: contact Mojang to try and get permission to continue on with the project and discuss our licensing. Unfortunately, while we did get into contact with Mojang and managed to have a chat with Notch and Jeb themselves (who have said that they don't like our methods but understand that there isn't any alternative and are thus fine with what we were and are doing), we never did get an official meeting with their business side to get legally sound permission to continue as we were and were unable to sort out our licensing issues. To this day we find our project in limbo with a half-applied license some could argue is invalid and little power on our end to do anything about the situation.

    With that realisation came a nagging unease at the back of our minds that at any point in time Mojang could decide they didn't like what we were doing and shut us down - something we were all expecting for the first year or so of the project's life but, to our surprise, never occurred. Naturally, Mojang's conscious decision to not take action on our project gave us the confidence to continue on (something which I'm sure Server Admins out there can relate to given the recent, sudden and unexpected EULA enforcement) and we even later got further confirmation from Notch himself that we were and are allowed to keep proceeding as we always had.

    Fast forward to more recent times and Mojang have made the abrupt and sudden decision to start enforcing their EULA in an effort to quell the outlook of Minecraft being pay to win. While I can completely understand where they are coming from and support their mission to shut down pay to win servers, it's difficult to be supportive of their abrupt turn-around with enforcing rules they consciously decided not to enforce since the start of Minecraft. On top of this, there are also clauses - which it would be irresponsible of us not to be aware of - within the now suddenly enforced EULA that directly affect the Bukkit project.

    Most notably: "The one major rule is that you must not distribute anything we've made". While the EULA does go on to try and clarify what is meant by "anything we've made", I feel that it only serves to confuse the situation even more so. At the end of the day, it seems that Mojang can determine what is a "mod, plugin or hack" of their game on the fly and their recent abrupt turn-around on enforcing the EULA has us understandably worried. Couple this with the fact that it isn't legally viable or acceptable to enforce the EULA piecemeal and our future is clear.

    At this point in time, I think it's safe to say that it's no longer worth it for us to put up a fight when it comes to keeping Bukkit and modding alive. With large and significant changes coming in Minecraft 1.8 that we'll be hard pressed to provide support for and the lack of support from Mojang with updates since acquiring our original core team (Mojang used to provide us with mappings to speed up the update process), there is little motivation for us to continue limping on across various aspects of the project. From a project management standpoint, it's become increasingly difficult to find willing and able individuals to help out the project on a purely voluntary basis due to people losing interest in Minecraft or people looking for something more. Simply put, this was ultimately the final nail in the coffin.

    Nonetheless, no one can deny that we've had a fantastic run as a project. This is due in no small part to the support we received and continue to receive from both the Minecraft community and the many companies and organisations that have graciously chosen to support us with a ridiculous amount of resources, infrastructure and backing - far more than we could have ever asked for. No amount of words can adequately express the gratitude we have for all our sponsors who have supported us through our journey and ensured Bukkit had the infrastructure required to be the vast success it is today. To list all of what these sponsors have done for us would be a post equal in length to this one, so we will unfortunately need to keep it brief. We want to give huge shout-outs and thanks to: eXophase.com for getting us off our feet and hosting us at the start; Multiplay and Curse for swooping in and providing us with (emergency) hosting we continue to use to this day including dl.bukkit.org and our BukkitDev service; as well as AllGamer for providing us test servers whenever we needed a server to certify update and promoted builds or attempt to reproduce a bug report.

    Last, but definitely not least, we'd like to thank the many staff, both past and present, that have volunteered countless hours over the years. I am at a loss for words to express just how much these people have meant to the project and to myself. The core team who have constantly worked hard to update to every new Minecraft version, while adding in new API and improving the server itself. The BukkitDev staff who spend countless hours checking over the fantastic plugins our community creates. Our moderation staff keeping our forums orderly and safe for all people seeking out a great community to be a part of. Additionally, the many unsung people who have helped in various ways despite having no official title, simply because there was work to do. Finally, my administrators, who have tirelessly helped me keep the project functioning as a whole. I would especially like to thank TnT and mbaxter for sticking through it with me to the end, always ready to discuss an issue and provide me with advice.

    It's been a fantastic 3 and a half years of providing what we believe to be the absolute best modding platform for the wonderful Minecraft community to use. We really enjoyed seeing the amazing feats our many Developers and Server Admins achieved with the product we provided and continue to be amazed every day at the ingenuity our community shows. Thanks for everyone's continued support! It has and will continue to mean the world to us. Together we were able to provide a Minecraft server used by hundreds of thousands of servers out there (with our last Recommended Build having over 2.6 million downloads!), which is certainly something to be proud of and a great note to end on.

    This is the end, it's time to say goodbye. It's been an amazing run and we achieved much more than anyone thought was possible, even ultimately culminating in Mojang hiring our original core team. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and the Bukkit project has run its course, leaving me to make one final - incredibly difficult - decision to shut down the project I’ve poured 3 and a half years of my life into which means so much to me. We're no longer able to confidently distribute our modified versions of the Minecraft server and it is no longer smart for us to continue with our update process. Sadly, this means we will NOT be updating Bukkit nor CraftBukkit for Minecraft 1.8 and, since Minecraft 1.7.10 introduced the EULA enforcement, we will be placing the project under a code freeze for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, due to obvious legal reasons we will not be helping anyone else complete any updates nor sharing our methods despite any desire to the contrary. Although the project itself will essentially be no more, we'll continue to support our community, the forums, IRC and BukkitDev as long as we are able and as long as our partners support us with the resources and infrastructure to do so.

    As for us? Well, who knows? Maybe we'll find another game, program or project to be passionate about and we'll be back with a vengeance? Only time will tell, but I hope that we'll see you around the next passion-project of ours when it happens :)


    [lukegb]There's more to come on this. Please read this for more information about where we stand.[/lukegb]
     
  2. Offline

    7rory768

    Bukkit was great, sad it has to go. Had fun messing around with it

    R.I.P. Bukkit
     
  3. Offline

    JaguarJo

    It isn't dead, it's just going through a bit of a reorganization phase. No need to go digging a grave for it yet.
     
  4. Offline

    jonoaa

    Goodbye and thanks.
     
  5. Offline

    macboinc

    Wow, I don't where to start... :'(
    Why does this amazing part of Minecraft have to come to an end?
    This is/was a huge part of my life, and it is being taking from me?
    Wow, hopefully Spigot will keep updating.
    WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DO THIS? I AM SO ANGRY I'VE
    SPENT 90% ON MY MINECRAFT EXPERIENCE WITH BUKKIT.
    Yes, sadly, Minecraft is coming to end, I don't want it to, but sadly,
    Mojang has had it's time in the sun, but millions of people are quitting
    because of not having fun, and when Bukkit does get shutdown,
    95% of the servers are going to be screwed up, because like, every server uses Bukkit.
    Now, because of this, Minecraft is going to loose all of it's fame, and we will inherit a new
    videogame to play. I love Minecraft, I hope to never quit it, but with Bukkit shutting down,
    I think I will quit, or be on it rarely.

    Well,
    It was good collaborating with you guys, you really gave me
    alot of self-confidence and helped my future experience with my
    life. One last time,
    Thanks again, hope to see what the next 'big thing' (That's what she said) is!,

    Bye Bukkit :'( :mad:

    -Mac
     
  6. Offline

    Enzer

    Read the update that lukegb linked in the OP, Bukkit isn't dead, Mojang is insuring it lives on. ;)
     
  7. Offline

    DrPyroCupcake

    Like Enzer said BE SURE TO READ Lukegb's POST
     
  8. Offline

    Cliffordlittle

    If you guys need a Passion-Project... All i gotta say is STARBOUND.

    Please and Thank You [cake]
     
  9. Offline

    Jozeth

  10. Offline

    sablednah


    I do think that's funny ;)

    But I also do want to dispel the myth - the last 2-3 updates have involved major core code updates to facilitate the PluginAPI (which always causes complains that its not some new visible feature - can't please everyone!).

    So yaeh they are already sort of working on the API and quite alot of boring work ;)
     
    Skye and Jozeth like this.
  11. Offline

    BlueMustache

    Aikar
    I don't care who manages Bukkit really.
    As long as they are not a 6 year old.
    I just need bukkit updated, so I can continue making updates.
    What say you?
     
  12. Offline

    bastion

    I think they should kill the bukkit project so you cant have a server.
     
  13. Offline

    BlueMustache

    bastion
    Why?
    I just said that I care about bukkit. Not that I care who's running it.

    1. I don't have a server.
    2. I make plugin's out of the joy of my heart and the spirit of adventure.
    3. I make plugins because it is fun, and I am learning Java in the process.

    If Bukkit went down forever. So many lives would be affected. We are a family, no matter how far apart everyone is. Some do it for money, others don't. But I think a lot of people love this place. And we help each other gain better understanding how to do something. And a punk like you is not going to stop the momentum of such an awesome community.

    On Behalf of Most Bukkit Members,
    -Blue
     
  14. Offline

    bastion

    first of all, I am not a punk. second of all, bukkit is not going anywhere so dont get your panties in a bunch. third get a sense of humor for gods sake. Oh and you really shouldn't call people names its not really very nice.
     
  15. Offline

    BlueMustache

    bastion
    This is the internet.
    I cannot tell the tone of your voice, seeing as the fact that this conversation is text based.
    Ironically this being the internet, I have dry sense of humor.
    Also, I do not wear panties, and I was gonna use a stronger word than punk, but I didn't know if you were kidding or not.
     
  16. Offline

    CeramicTitan



    You do realise that now that this has happened the whole dynamic of Bukkit and CraftBukkit will change. It's disheartening to hear but its the truth and while the "Bukkit brand" does continue it will never be the same.
     
    Gamecube762, Metro1102 and Skye like this.
  17. Offline

    BlueMustache

    robot56 likes this.
  18. Offline

    Bonedon_Russian

    Thanks for all guys! I love us!
     
  19. Offline

    zachman338

    I just want to thank all the staff for everything they have done for the Bukkit community. But I'm sure Bukkit live on. I just can't believe this is goodbye. :( But I heard that some staff from Mojang are going to update it 1.8 right away! :D
     
  20. Offline

    bastion

    panties can be quite comfortable, you should try them sometime. I was actually kidding and should have added a snark tag at the end. sometimes I forget that.
     
  21. Offline

    Rydian

    bastion likes this.
  22. Offline

    ArsenArsen

    Is it over, or Mojang takes it over?
     
  23. Offline

    carter1519

    This is awful and ya i hope this is a cruel joke. First of all i would like to thank you bukkit for all you have done because it has been an awsome expirence. Also if Mojang your reading this what have you done!!. One day soon mincraft servers (on a large and even small scale) will be done because how are servers like minplex going to be able to survive with out bukkit. Well as of right now they can't.

    Ya is it over or is Mojang going to take over?

    EDIT by Moderator: merged posts, please use the edit button instead of double posting.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 9, 2016
  24. Offline

    DrSnikerFreak

    Thanks guys for making minecraft server easier for everyone to use. Your work will never be forgotten. I can't believe im saying this, but goodbye bukkit team. :'(
     
  25. Offline

    Enzer

    Bukkit is not gone. All that has happend is that EvilSeph has stepped down because he does not want to continue to do development on the project and TnT has retired from the project for personal family reasons.

    Mojang owns Bukkit and so EvilSeph does not have the permissions to just shut down the project completely. Since there is no head dev for Bukkit, Dinnerbone (who started Bukkit) will be stepping up to fill in the role EvilSeph left and make sure it is updated to 1.8.

    Future versions (MC 1.9 for example) are currently an unknown, it all comes down to when Mojang's official PluginAPI comes out and if anyone in the community wants to volunteer to take over for Dinnerbone. I am sure Mojang will make a comment when they are ready, but they have a lot on their plate with the launch of MC 1.8 on Sept 1st.

    Mojang hasn't done anything. The EULA does not apply to Bukkit, it hasn't for the past two and a half years because Mojang has owned Bukkit since then and thus as a property of Mojang, it ignores the EULA. As lukegb states in what he has linked in the OP and has been repeated multiple times throughout the thread, all that has happened is that EvilSeph has retired from the project, besides that Bukkit has not been shut down and Dinnerbone has made a statement saying he will update Bukkit to 1.8. No doom and gloom going on, Mojang has been protecting Bukkit's ability to exist for a long time now.
     
    ArsenArsen likes this.
  26. Offline

    carter1519

    Ok thats good and thanks for the reply. I wish he just said that instead of just saying well bukkits getting shutdown. Also my bad i didnt know until after i posted that Mojang owns bukkit. Atleast the project isnt discountinued because if it was then alot of servers just couldnt operate.
     
    racecar56 likes this.
  27. Offline

    CeramicTitan

    Instead of answering your question, I'm going to pose a question. If there is someone new at the helm of Bukkit, how do you think that will impact its future?
     
  28. Offline

    BlueMustache

    CeramicTitan
    Unknown.

    bastion
    It's ok.
    Bro hug? :cool:

    EDIT by Moderator: merged posts, please use the edit button instead of double posting.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 9, 2016
  29. Offline

    ArsenArsen

    Thanks a god... I almost Exploded, Bukkit Made Me Discover Coding,
    Before That, (open)
     
    bluej100 and BlueMustache like this.
  30. Offline

    McMhz

    It's sad to see you all go, but at least Bukkit will continue.
    (for now)
     
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