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my little lad is 8yrs old and spends every spare minute on minecraft. he's recently moved to multiplayer & generally it's fine. people are nice, helpful friendly etc, there's the occasional language thing in the chat display but he knows those words, know he shouldn't say them (yet).
but tonight (& i'm getting this 2nd hand from his angry mother, and him who isn't that bothered) someone managed to change his username in the 'chatbox', to 'ilikec**k'. he didn't understand, but told his mother who went bananas. i don't know at the mo whether this is the standard chat/command display or some other chat mod the server may have been running.
turns out the server was called 'do whatever' so probably something he needs to avoid. he's not daft, he'll stay off servers we tell him to, and i really don't want to strip his server list down & lockdown the servers.dat file, so trying to work out if maybe multiplayer is too risky at his age
i guess what i'm asking is, probably a few things...
- is this possible in the normal command/chat display? changing username? is it an admin-only function?
- is it common, or just the kind of thing that might happen on a no-rules server that hints at 'do whatever'.
- anything else you regulars can share with a worried dad
bit of background, i'm a dad but not newbie, i'm a relic of the original UT and the onine carnage from those days.
thanks to anyone who can offer help or advice on this.
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Hi there.
I'd hate to say this, but on servers like those, most of the admins run rampant with their abilities, basically creating a lawless society for gamers with their likemindedness.
Changing a player's username is a command granted by Bukkit's plugin feature. Bukkit being a form of server software. Unfortunately, for players not given a rank akin to a Moderator or Admin, it's not possible to have the username changed back. Keep in mind this username change is only for that particular server, so there is no actual change on the account.
In my own opinion, I really would recommend a server with enforced rules, as those are usually quite safe for children and friendly as well. It is perfectly fine for your son to immerse himself within the multiplayer aspects of Minecraft, as it is quite a sociable, enjoyful and creative experience, but it is important (almost necessary) to do this in a secure environment.
And another little tip: try to involve yourself with what your son does too. If he's got a new creation of his to show you, take a peek and prehaps reward him for his efforts. Motivation is the greatest and most important aspect of creativity.
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thx for the speedy reply, so /nick is available to standard users? not just admin? - tbh, that's probably just part of the issue, someone could just as easy msg with something similar.
i think i'll probably strip his server list to the few he plays a lot that i know are pretty safe (skytopia, adoncraft) then trust him enough to play safe, then ask before he adds a new one.
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thanks also SkYaRa - i think involvement is key, i generally have little choice, pc is downstairs and he does love sharing his creations, and we have nightly ritual of installing mods & watching the youtube vids he's found and dumping them on his ipod.
is it easy to identify whether a server has enforced rules? that would be a great way of vetting a server. gonna do a bit of reading up on commands etc.
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Most server that have some form of enforced rules will try to make you know that they do. Either they will have a rules page on their website, or when you first log into the server you will be in a room with rules and restrictions written on signs.
Also servers such as these would probably have some form of kind person who would offer you help when you first join.
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Be on the outlook for people with some sort of moderator rank. Depending on their attitude, it can be a possible determining factor of the server's overall attitude towards their rules and players. Happy players makes for a happy community.
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Suggestion, did your son say anything that might have made them angry? And also if you want to turn of chat go to options, multiplayer setting and you will see chat keep clicking until it says "off". Hope this helps thus I have been called that took though I am older -.-
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thanks for all the replies; he's now happy on a few servers where there's no griefing so reckon they'll be ok.
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well your son is always welcome to join the World of Minecraft server as the staff here does watch what the users say and do, as well as there are a few members that will also help to keep the server friendly and swear free
WoM Coins: 8985
Basically, that server was running modified server software, most likely Bukkit and the Essentials plugin. They then used the command /nick to change his nickname ONLY on that server.
To me, that server does not sound like a good server or is child friendly and generally probably would happen on a no rules server. Since the majority of people use Bukkit and the Essentials plugin it could be common but I don't see it happen a lot.