EULA and what it means to Famcraft

[RubensCherub]

 There has been a great deal of discussion about the EULA and what it will mean for servers like ours. We would like to take this opportunity to explain and clarify, and help the Famcraft community understand what all the EULA entails.

What does EULA mean?

EULA stands for End User License Agreement.



Since when did we "agree" to anything!?

 When the server was set up, the EULA was agreed to. You agreed to the same things when you installed Minecraft on your computer :O
 
  Most of the time, when you install any software, you will be expected to agree to the EULA of that particular product. You know all that stuff you skip really quick when you are in a hurry to install stuff? Clicking "I agree" and then "next" lol. Yep, it's usually in there somewhere.



How dare Mojang come up with all this brand new EULA stuff to hurt servers!

 This one is simple, they didn't. First of all, this stuff isn't new. And they didn't do anything to hurt anyone. The EULA has always been in place, possibly with minor updates here and there, as needed. The EULA exists to protect their product.

 The EULA it's self is not new. All that is new is Mojang's clarification of it. And they did not even have to do that. They did that to help servers be able to follow the rules.

 Think of it kind of like if Famcraft always had the rule "No spam." But we never actually explained how we define "spam" here on Famcraft. You might be breaking the rules, and not even know it! D: But at /spawn, and on the forum, there are examples of "spam". And at the end of the rule wall at spawn, there is a [Lift Down] with even more details about the rules
 This is what Mojang has done for us. They have given us more details about their rules. This is a GOOD thing. It matters to us to follow the rules. Knowing what is expected of us helps us do that.

 And.. think about it, if you came up with a great product, game or idea, you would want to protect it too. We're happy Mojang is protecting its software. We all enjoy this game, and it's nice to see a good company profit from their work.
 



Well, okay then, but where can I read this EULA we all agreed to?
 
Right here: https://account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula



So what happens now? Will Famcraft crash and burn?

 Nope! Famcraft will be right here, same as always. The only difference will be the donation system, and possibly some other small/good in game changes.




 But, but... I'm scared of change. Can you at least give me an example of what you mean by in game changes?


 Well.. okay, since you asked nicely. Some changes are... most donor items will become available for purchase in game with Famcoins :O These items will be expensive, so to help you save up, we may make minor changes like 500 coin /back for everyone! (that has always been a donor perk at $30!) Not until Aug 1st! lol. But yes, not all changes are scary. Some changes are just plain good.
 




So, what's the bad news then? I thought this was a bad thing?


This is only a bad thing if we make it a bad thing- which, we won't. The main thing about this that will take a little getting used to is the fact that absolutely no picks, armor, or tools of any kind, and no non-cosmetic permissions or perks like /fly will be available for cash donations. They will be available for Famcoins, in game- but they will be expensive.




Famcoins only? Expensive? I don't  get very much playtime. I may never be able to afford some of the more expensive perks.

Don't worry! Famcraft is fun without any extra frills at all. The items and perks are fun to think about, and something nice to work towards, but not having those items will not make Famcraft any less fun. We still have a lot of great things to do here, and a wonderful community to interact with. We hope you'll continue to make the most of your time on the server.




Okay, I understand everything so far. But what exactly did Mojang say that has us making all these changes?

 In reply below, we will post exactly what Mojang said. Mojang's words will be in black text. What those words mean to us here at Famcraft will be in red text, to help make things easier to see and understand.

[RubensCherub]

 This info in black text is directly from Moang's website. The info in red text is how this applies to Famcraft.

Let’s talk server monetisation!
by Owen on June 12, 2014

Hello!

Let’s get one thing clear: we love it when Minecrafters host servers. Tiny or massive, running vanilla or modded Minecraft, we think they’re all great. Playing with friends in persistent worlds is awesome. Everyone knows that.

Over the past week there’s been lots of discussion about Minecraft servers and your right to monetise them. Legally, you are not allowed to make money from our products. There has been one exception to this rule so far – Minecraft videos. We’re about to make a second exception – Minecraft servers.

Hosting servers can be expensive. We want to give hosts a way to cover their costs. That said, we don’t want our players to be exploited or to have a frustrating time unless they pay. The following rules, which may be tweaked at a later date, have been created with these points in mind.

You are allowed to charge players to access your server
So long as the fee is the same for all players, you are allowed to charge for access to your server. You are not allowed to split your playerbase into paying, and non-paying users, nor can you restrict gameplay elements to different tiers of player.

Basically, if you’re charging for access to your server, you are selling a “ticket” and there can only be one type of ticket, regardless of how much people are willing to spend.


 This means Famcraft would technically be allowed to charge players to join and play on the server- BUT Famcraft has always been FREE, and always will be 100% FREE for all players to join and play on. <3



You are allowed to accept donations
You are allowed to accept donations from players. You can thank them publicly or in-game, but can’t give preferential treatment for donating. You are not allowed to restrict gameplay features in an attempt to make money.

 This means players can still donate actual irl currency to the server as often as they like, just not for non-cosmetic in game items as we have offered in the past.
 It also means donors must be treated the same as non-donors, which has always been the case on Famcraft.
 The part about not-restricting gameplay features means we can't do anything crazy, like keep you from placing water unless you donate. But honestly, we would never do anything like that anyhow, of course, lol. That's just silly.


You are allowed to provide in-game advertising or sponsorship opportunities
You are allowed to put adverts in your Minecraft worlds to help with costs. Used within reason, adverts and sponsorship can be appropriate ways to fund a server.

This means if a company or individual was offering a product for sale, we could place banners, signs or recurring messages advertising these products in game, on your screen, in exchange for real life monetary funding from the company/person.
 This is not something we would consider. We will not spam you all with advertisements for a few dollars a month.



You are allowed to sell in-game items so long as they don’t affect gameplay
We don’t mind you selling items in game, but they must be purely cosmetic. Pets, hats, and particle effects are OK, but swords, invincibility potions, and man-eating pigs are not. We want all players to be presented with the same gameplay features, whether they decide to pay or not.

There is one exception to this rule – capes! We have a lot of fun making cool capes for extra-special members of our community and Minecon attendees. We’d like to keep them as exclusive as possible. So, yeah, no capes please, even if you’re giving them away for free.

 This means, we can offer you all pretty things that are nice to look at, as rewards for irl money donations. This includes things like dark green names, nick names, hats and statues at spawn. Even things like pets would be allowed. We are looking into some other cool things, too. It just can not be anything that directly effects gameplay, like tools, armor, or useful commands. And of course, as per Mojang's wishes, no capes.



You cannot charge real-world cash for in-game currency
We don’t mind in-game currencies which are earned through playing, but you are not allowed to sell them for real-world cash. Remember – if the stuff you sell affects gameplay, we’re not cool with it.

This one is pretty simple. We absolutely can not sell you Famcoins, for cash.  You will never be able to donate irl money for in game currency. All Famcoins must be earned, won, or otherwise obtained via in game methods only.




Don’t pretend to be us. Provide your customers with loads of info
If you do decide to monetise your server, you must clearly state that the purchase is not associated with Mojang, declare who the money is going to, and provide a purchase history and contact details. You should also check the legality of selling digital items in your specific region.


Umm. This means we have to say we are Famcraft, the server you play on, and not Mojang.. the company that develops/sells Minecraft. We really kinda hope this has been clear all along.. lol



Thanks for reading!
As I hope you’ve noticed, these rules are making attempts to prevent Minecraft servers becoming “pay-to-win.” We hate the idea of server hosts restricting Minecraft’s features to players who have already bought our game! It seems really mean.

We’re hoping that these rules will give hosts opportunity to continue creating awesome Minecraft worlds, and for our players to enjoy them without being forced to spend.

I’m sure we’ll get loads of questions about this subject over the next few days. I’ll prepare a follow-up post once I’ve gathered your queries.

Have a good day!

Owen – and your buddies at Mojang.

[RubensCherub]

 Apparently, Mojang's initial post, as seen above spurred a lot of questions from servers and players everywhere! So Mojang offered this follow-up FAQ to help us all out.

 Same deal here, Mojang's text is in black text, and how it effects us here at Famcraft will be in red text.


Let’s talk server monetisation – the follow-up Q+A

Hello!

Thanks for all the questions you’ve sent over regarding last week’s EULA post. It’s a lively topic.

A group of Mojangstas met this morning to discuss the most common questions we received over the weekend. The following post is the result of that discussion.

Though we’re happy to clarify, most of these points were mentioned in last week’s explanation of the EULA. Please give it a read before diving into this more detailed Q+A.

 

Are any servers exempt to the EULA?
No. It affects all servers and players equally.

Yep, Famcraft is effected, same as all other servers.



Do server hosts have a grace period to implement changes to their servers?
Yes. All servers must comply with the EULA by August 1st, 2014.

Famcraft will be fully compliant on August 1, 2014, as per Mojang's wishes.



Can I charge for access to my server?
Yes. How players join a server is up to you. Single entrance fees or subscriptions are both allowed.

 Again, this means Famcraft would technically be allowed to charge players to join and play on the server- BUT Famcraft has always been FREE, and always will be 100% FREE for all players to join and play on. <3




How often am I allowed to charge players to access my server?
You can charge players as regularly as you like. You can even charge for timed access if you think it’s the best way to monetise your server.

This makes no difference to Famcraft, we would never change yall for giving us the pleasure of your company.



What counts as a server? Are proxies one big server, or lots of smaller ones?
A server is something a user connects to with their client. The user is on a different server when they leave one and manually join another (in the multiplayer screen). Virtual servers and proxies make no difference; to the client it’s the same server.

 This basically means if you are looking for loopholes so you can say your server is not really a server, you're out of luck. No loopholes. This does not effect Famcraft- We are a server, and proud to be one! We are not looking for loopholes, lol. 


Can I charge access to a specific part of my server, such as a minigame or world?
No, you cannot charge for any part of a server. Only the access. Once on a server, all players must have the same gameplay privileges. You may make a different server which features “premium” areas, and charge for access to that server instead, but the benefits cannot carry between servers.

This means, you can not be asked to donate to gain access to certain areas of a server, like a creative area, or in our case, like EnderEstates. It means these areas will need to be available to everyone, non-donors included, by some means. Therefore, access to EnderEstates will be made available for purchase, in game, with Famcoins! Be warned, the price will be quite high.



So can I charge for my minigames or mods?
Yes, so long as all players on your server have access to the features.

 This means if we added another server for mini-games/mods, we could charge actual money for access to it, if we chose to. The benefits would be only on that server. This is not something Famcraft would have any interest in doing. We don't currently plan to ask our players to pay for access to any part of any Famcraft server.



Can I offer a limited trial period for all users?
Yes. So long as both trial and paying users have access to the same gameplay features during the trial, we’re cool with it.
 
This does not effect us. As we will not be charging for anything, there is no need for a free trial, lol.



Can I give paying users priority access to my server?
Yes, but you cannot restrict gameplay elements to specific users.

 This has no effect on us. You may have seen this trick other places. A server has "x" amount of spots available for players. When donor wants to log in, if the server is "full" a non-donor can be kicked off the server to make space for the donor.  D: That's not very friendly! Don't worry, we won't be doing anything like that here.



Does the EULA still apply for access to user-created mods?
Yes. It doesn’t make a difference who made the mods, or how they were implemented onto your server. All mods require Minecraft to run. You are not allowed to charge for Minecraft features which affect gameplay.

This means we can not reward donators with gameplay effecting features provided by a third party mod/plugin. For example, a backpack plugin that extends your inventory allowing you to carry twice the items of non-donors would not be allowed. 



What do you mean by “hard currency” compared to “soft currency”?
Hard currency is real money or anything that can be converted into real money, including Bitcoins. Soft currency is available in-game only, and has no real-world value. The restrictions in the EULA only apply to hard currency; you may unlock things in-game with soft currency.

Hard currency = real life money. Soft currency = Famcoins. We can not allow you to use real money to purchase any features that directly effect gameplay. We can allow you to use in game Famcoins to purchase these types of features. We cannot sell you Famcoins for real money.



Can I sell “kits” for hard currency if I provide a balanced alternative for non-paying users?
If the “kits” contain gameplay-affecting features they are not allowed. Gameplay balance is not relevant to the EULA. If the items included in the kit are purely cosmetic, you can charge real money/hard currency.

  On Famcraft, this means things like /kit torch, which allows donors to purchase 64 torches for 1000 Famcoins, will be available for all players thru Famcoin purchases made in the game.
 It also means if we came up with a special kit, that ONLY provided items with cosmetic effects, and did not effect gameplay directly, we could charge actual money for those kits.



My server features a currency that you can earn through gameplay, but which can also be bought for hard currency. Is that OK?
Soft currencies that are earned in-game are fine, but you cannot sell in-game currency for hard currency. Hybrid/dual currency systems are not allowed.

Again, we can not, and will not sell, trade or give Famcoins for irl cash. All Famcoins must be acquired thru gameplay on the server or by Famcraft hosted server/forum competitions or giveaways.



Can I sell boosters, which provide faster gold gain, XP, or other in-game resources for hard currency?
No – boosters, item generators, and all other features that affect gameplay are not allowed.

 So yeah, we can't sell you features of a plugin that gives you super jump, doubles your xp, or quadruples your fortune while mining. We can not give any donation rewards that provide any major game play advantage over other players. Seems fair enough.



So how do I make real money from selling cosmetic items?
You can sell cosmetic items for hard currency directly or allow players to fund an “account” specific to your server. It’s up to the host of the server to decide how this works. Remember that capes are the exception to this rule – you are not allowed to give them away or sell them.

 This means we can still reward irl money donators with things such as:
*Dark green names
*The ability to purchase nicknames with 100k in game currency
*/hat
*Statues at the spawn area
 Because all of these things are cosmetic, and do not have an effect on actual gameplay. We will not be selling these cosmetic perks for Famcoins in game. These cosmetic effects will only be available by actual monetary donation, this is allowed by the Mojang EULA.



Can I sell ranks on my server?
Yes. Ranks are allowed so long as any perks gained are cosmetic. Coloured names, prefixes, special hats etc. are fine.

To be VERY clear, this does NOT include staff ranks. This would be ranking systems that were only based on color, nicknames, prefixes, hats, and other strictly cosmetic things. Famcraft does not have any interest in offering this sort of ranking system as we find it confusing for players.
 All ranks/colors on Famcraft will remain the same, with the one exception that players who purchase donorshop access and other previously donor-only perks with Famcoins will have their lime green name placed in round brackets, like this (Playername) so the Admin team will be able to tell at a glance which players get discounted/free world edit services.



Can users purchase something that affects the entire server, such as a temporary XP boost?
Yes, but everyone who can access the server must be able to use the feature, regardless of whether they purchased it or not.

This means, if we wanted to, we could offer some kind of temporary  boost or benefit at a certain donation goal. Even if only a few players donated, once the goal was met every player on the server would have access to the benefit or feature. We would not  give the benefit only to the players who donated.


Can I award all players with a gameplay feature if I reach a donation goal within a time period?
Yes, so long as all players receive the benefit regardless of who donated then it’s OK.

Again, this would mean we could set a monetary goal of some sort that had some cool donations related reward. Once the goal was achieved, we would need to offer that reward to ALL players, not just the ones that donated.
 
 For example, let's say Famcraft were to set a goal of $200 for a month. At the end of the month, if we hit that $200 goal, we would have a separate, creative server for the last weekend of that month (In addition to keeping the survival server up, of course).

 Even if only one or two players donated to the server, and they hit the $200 goal all by themselves, then EVERY Famcraft player would be able to join in and play on the creative server So like a nice big community effort.



Can I charge for access to server commands?
Yes, as long as their effects are purely cosmetic. Commands that affect gameplay, such as a command to fly, cannot be sold for hard currency.

This explain why we can reward donors with  /hat which is a cosmetic effect, but not /fly, which provides a gameplay feature.




If all players get access to a feature such as a plot of land, can I sell access to multiple plots for hard currency?
No – that would be a gameplay affecting change, so it’s not allowed. All player who access your server must have the same gameplay features offered to them. The same rule applies to items, such as potions.

 This does not effect Famcraft, but this basically just states, once more that we can not make anything available to donors, that we do not make available to non-donors.
 
 The example here  uses plots. This is similar to saying Famcraft can't give every player one Precious Stone as their only way to protect land, then sell additional Precious Stones for money, allowing donators to claim more land than non-donators. As you might have guessed, we would not have done this sort of thing anyhow.


How should servers deal with users who have already spent hard currency on features that affect gameplay?
Users may keep the perks they’ve paid for on the condition that the same perks are available to other players on the server (directly or purchasable using soft currency). It’s up to the server host to decide how to compensate users for previous transactions.

This means, in order for Famcraft to be EULA complaint, we will need to offer all the same items we have used for donor rewards over the years, for Famcoins, our in game currency.

 No donator will lose ANY perk he or she has already been rewarded with. No donor will lose items they have not yet claimed from past donations.

 After August 1st, 2014, all players will have the option of purchasing donorshop access with Famcoins. At this time, donorshop access will no longer be available for cash donations.
 
Once a player has purchased access to the donorshop, they will have access to AdminShops for the other previously-donation-only items, and will be able to purchase permission related previously-donation-only such as DeathChest or /Fly by contacting an Admin and having the appropriate amount of Famcoins available. Again, prices for previously-donation-only items/permissions will be quite high. We do not want to be misleading here.
 
 Famcraft making all these items/perks available for our in-game soft currency, Famcoins, will make us fully EULA compliant, allowing donors to safely keep all their perks without question.

 

Phew. That was a long one. Thanks for reading everybody!

Owen – and the Mojangstas

[RubensCherub]

Please direct any questions/comments/concerns to our EULA discussion thread here:
http://u.famcraft.com/56