Expansion Update:

Here are all the current updates that have been released so far:

The first part of the Expansion update was the introduction of the server partners. Yes, those pink guys that y'all have been seeing on discord recently. These server partners are heads from other servers that MCME are now working with, and NO this is not a merge with any other servers, for more information read this: ~Server Partners~

The next part to the Expansion update is the Promotion programme, this is about making a Promotion for MCME that can be used to promote the server, hence the name promotion, for more information read here:

~Promotion Program~

Next up is the Realism guides! This is the 3rd part to the Expansion update, this is about creating a guide for players to follow to ensure uniformity and quality. For more information read here:

~Realism Guides~

And last(for now) but by no means least is the Instructor programme, this program is the biggest and most unique part of the Expansion update, this programme allows Artist+ to become an instructor due to their leadership, loyalty and building experience, for more information about this programme read here:

~MCME Instructor~

Ship Build

The ship build at /warp shipplots is ongoing, currently focusing on small cargo ships for DA and the surrounding area. The plot build is only open to Aritst+ at the moment but more is coming soon! If you haven’t built ships before or you’re a little out of practice @BWOT and @didi will be around to help you through! There is a set style so be sure to look at the example and the other ships being built.

BWOT has made a plot which has all the technical aspects you need to follow in order to have a plot. Didi has also set up a board on top of the area for the ship build, so if you do want to build a ship; make sure to tell him or BWOT. BWOT or didi will give you details of a ship (richness level, sail color and blocks they would like you to use). BWOT’s plot will show you how to mark that you're done, when you are make sure to message didi or BWOT and they’ll check your ship, accept it and copy!

For a little more advice check out the original post: https://www.mcmiddleearth.com/threads/ship-building.4589/

Become a Patreon

Everyone, we would love to see some donations to benefit the community! Go to the donations tab at the top of the page!

Looking for Texturers

Calling out to all texturers! We need more people to make the new 32 px textures! So if any of yall are interested contact BWOT on discord or the forums (usually he replies).

If you have not textured before that's okay, contact me and eventually with practise and a bit of guidance you will get better. This can be done by any rank, so if you want to help the server and are not at a building rank on the server this could be your chance.

Looking for experienced builders to revamp Builder School

BWOT here again looking for experienced builders, so that I can form a team with the objective of revamping the builder school. It is going to work with a program which will be released soon by the staff team. However it is not fully ready and still needs a bit more time to plan. Be ready though for some new things.

Keralis Video Release / Spring Events

Because we will be receiving a whole lot of new players when Keralis’s video releases; we will be having some Spring Events: possibly including a new project led by @ooitsbirdo Please stay tuned to announcement as there are some exciting things coming up.


Report by Henry

In other News we have the promotion of @iiARIAii and @Lord_Rafox to are now part of the Bois in Blue (I, Henry, came up with that right now). I'm sure these players will come in handy as Guides when the new tidal wave of droogs attacks after a certain youtuber publishes a tour video of our server! With this expansion of the Guide rank, perhaps Guides will become a more relevant rank and have a large impact on new players experiences as they join the server. To apply for guide, just fill out an application on the forums according to the application format. This is certainly a very needed rank at the moment, though a ‘certain’ head designer might prefer if you go for artist, but it's up to you!

We also, unfortunately, have a couple of resignations from staff, including those of @Miiil from the Enforcement team and @Wodleth from the Designer team. Thank you very much for all you have done and we hope to still see you in the future.

@BizarreMelon has been re-promoted to Artist. Congratulations to him, and we hope to see many others join the Purple Legion. Fill out an application on the forums to become an artist.

We also have an addition to the staff team with @awaywind, now an enforcer. We hope you do well in monitoring the server and keeping a good environment for everyone.



Now as it will become a custom we have two interviews; the “First Impressions Interview” and the “Meet the Regulars Interview”. Super will be interviewing a new adventurer about their experience on MCME. But on this edition of the Times, I (awaywind), will be interviewing our regular. Our regular this edition is our beloved new beloved Head designer, and yes this is a Big Waste Of Time, BWOT!

Interview with @BWOT

Question 1: How did you find MCME?
The question should be how did MCME find me . In all seriousness I found MCME through Planet MineCraft, when searching Middle Earth Servers.

Superlolster: How did MCME find you, sometimes I wonder how big your ego can get . I wish I could be more like you

Question 2: What was your experience like as an Adventurer?
It was pretty boring to be honest, for the first couple of times on the server as I went in the middle of the day when no one was on. However, I think it was the third time joining a job was running with Brazen_Helm and I joined it and didn’t know what to do. Apparently it was for making roads but I decided to make a farm. He kicked me from the job as that wasn’t what I was supposed to do but he kept the farm He then recommended me to become artist and so I asked him to promote me, not knowing the application process, he then brought me to themebuild and showed me everything. The theme at the time was The Prancing Pony. I never finished it and so did the next one, which I also didn’t finish. Finally with the themebuild of Cair Andros I was able to finish one plot and applied. I was quickly told by Finrod it looked really bad .

Superlolster: Wait, so once you were as bad a builder as me, I’m shook :O Nah.. you were never a bad builder, don't worry Finrod was wrong

Question 3: What made you want to become an Admin?
Two months into Designer and one month into taking over the Times from Smaug. I realized that progress was slowing down and so therefore wanted to take even a bigger role in MCME.

Superlolster: Basically, you wanted to see how quickly you could out rank everyone.

Question 4: What is your favorite thing about being an Admin?
I really love that red name color… so sexy . But, if you really want to know it’s being able to be connected to all parts of the community.

Superlolster: Sorry to break the news, you still are not sexy.

Question 5: Where is your favorite place on MCME?
Methrast for sure, I loved that city and how there were armorstand people (which I think now have been removed). It set the pathway for the Dol Amroth we have now.

Question 6: Who is your favorite character in LOTR or the Hobbit?
I am going to not choose one from these books and pick Morgoth. I mean, most powerful valar, can’t get better than that. From LOTR I would pick Gandalf, today they call him Wiz Khalifa and from the Hobbit I would pick Bilbo Swaggins. You see Gandalf went to the wrong Bilbo in the Hobbit. It was never supposed to be Baggins but his cousin Swaggins.


Superlolster: You only like him because he is powerful and you want are to be powerful, smh. You are so smart and I wish I was like you

First Impressions Interview

This is this week's “First Impressions Interview”, by BWOT and LegoCellist. This week's new player is @Chrematist. Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions!

Question 1: How did you find the server?
Knowing that I'm a big fan of both JRR Tolkien and Minecraft, a friend recommended that I check the server out.

Question 2: What were your impressions of the community on the server when you first joined?
Everyone is so helpful and friendly, unlike other servers I've experienced. I am looking forward to participating in projects in the future.

Question 3: What was your impression of our finished projects; Minas Tirith and the Shire?
WOW! Everyone has done a fantastic job of recreating Tolkien's world, down to Frodo's footsteps, which I have enjoyed following. The Glittering Caves and Isengard are my two favorites and I'm still trying to find all the Ents. I must add that just as impressive to me is the recreation of an ancient salt mine. Whoever designed and built that .... kudos to them.

LegoCellist: Isn't that you, @greglas2?

Question 4: What was your impression of our current projects such as Dol Amroth, Moria and technically Mordor?
I'm very interested in the building process and am learning a lot by watching things take shape. It is ambitious and somewhat insane in its scope… that’s all the better!

Question 5: So overall what was your impression of MCME ?
First impressions are important and you've done a good job. I am looking forward to becoming involved in the community, learning how to be a better builder and taking part in helping to create a truly monumental world.

Thank you again @Chrematist!



So we got some good ones as always. Make sure you show some special recognition towards the winners of the week! They’ve presented exemplary displays of our server’s creative potential! Give a hand to these winners!

MEDIA OF THE WEEK:
This time, the Media of the Week award goes to… *pause for dramatic effect* @Lindolas with his amazing picture of Dol Amroth with the caption: “Kjol's bathhouse.” Please give him a round of applause!



THEME-BUILD OF THE WEEK:
This edition we will still have two winners as that means one for each week and therefore thembuild. For the themebuild of last week, Chamber of Thór we have drumroll… No one. Yes I (super) said it, there is NO winner for the Themebuild, now do you guys and girls out there see why I ask in every times for people to do a Theme Build. Now the Times doesn’t have one for last week. GG!

Now for the winner of the FFA Vineyard Theme Build…. It’s @UrmelAusDemIce. He did a magnificent job in creating this theme-build so congrats to him!



Guess who’s back, it’s me Super! Back at it again complaining to the rest of MCME about themebuilds. As you have seen there was only one themebuild winner this week, Congrats again @UrmelAusDemIce. No one, apart from one or two people, did The Great Chamber of Thór themebuild, but if I am completely honest they were not done very well and were still in very early stages. So please everyone, do you all want to see Theme builds like this. So please, I’m mainly talking to aspiring artists, commoners and adventurers. Please try and work on a Theme Build!

**Note from BWOT**: Apply to artist Urmel


FREEBUILD OF THE WEEK:
This week’s feature freebuild is make by our resident Fish, you know who I (super) mean… Its @Credoo. @Credoo made a pretty awesome ship that you can all go and visit at /warp Creship. Congrats on this awesome build!




Themed Build
Theme: Orthanc
Resource Pack: Rohan
Duration: Project Build: 3 weeks
Link: #13/18 - [Project Build] Orthanc


MCME Audiobook
The Audiobook, hosted by @TI_020601 is taking a break as TI has now completed reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and refuses to read the Silmarillion as it is “too boring” therefore the Audiobook will not continue on Saturdays unless announced otherwise in this thread: The New Audio Book.



Sarn Ford
Sarn Ford is a stone ford on the river Baranduin, by the far southern borders of the Shire. It is guarded by the Rangers of the North, however, they were driven away by the Ringwraiths on 22nd September T.A. 3018. Here is an image of Gandalf crossing the ford:




EXPLORER ACTUALLY EXCITED BY DISCOVERY OF NEW INVASIVE SPECIES

A new species has been discovered in the forests of Ossiriand encroaching on the territory of the Laiquendi.

“This was completely unexpected!” enthused discoverer Finrod Felagund, better known as the ruler of Nargothrond despite his reputation as an amateur explorer and musician. “I was wandering around the springs of Thalos and saw fires, and had to go check it out because usually no one around here is stupid enough to light fires. And bam, what do you know, there they were!”

According to Felagund, the new species appears bipedal in stature and patriarchal in structure. Its members exhibit most semblances of sentience, including the use of clothing to signify rank, the ingenuity to make anything into weapons, and enough avarice to clout one another over the head for a bit of well-polished rock.

“And an appreciation of music, which really cinches it,” Felagund said. “So even if they don’t look much like us, they act like us! I’m calling them the Atani.”

Atani, plural of the Quenya Atan, means “Second People,” and in the Eldarin scheme of creation, signifies that Felagund’s new species are being hailed as children of Eru beneath only the Elves themselves. Felagund’s Khazad neighbors are alleged to have sent several politely-worded inquiries inquiring as to their own rank in this schema, and how it might affect trade with Nargothrond.

“Not that we’re complaining about being the children of Mahal, you understand,” a Khazad spokesdwarf offered, on severe condition of anonymity. “But if these new buggers can claim better prices for whatever it is that they’re coming around selling, we want to know.”

Little progress has been made determining what Felagund’s Atani are doing in Ossiriand, but Felagund himself remains optimistic.

“Music is supposed to be the one true language, right?” he said. “So there’s hope yet. I mean, they liked mine!”

Felagund played the Atani his renditions of the Noldor’s Greatest Hits, minus the Noldolantë, while seated around their campfire.

Written by RaisinCaiin and saliache for the ‘Tater’, Beleriands finest news source!


Howdy folks, just want to let you guys know that we do have multiple platforms that represent MCME. One of those being Twitter! If you have an account, make sure to follow MinecraftMiddleEarth (@MCMiddleEarth) | Twitter for some additional content revolving around the community!

For those of you without Twitter, fear not!!! We are also represented on Facebook! Like us here: Minecraft Middle-Earth

Now, make sure you give us a diamond on Planet Minecraft! The more popular this thing is, the more help we receive Minecraft Middle Earth Minecraft Server



Artist
Building is one of the fundamental parts of Minecraft Middle Earth, and it is done by the the amazing Artists on the server. Many times we are asked how can I build and we have an answer for you: Become an Artist! Working on all the new projects with Designers and Foremen while furthering your building skills in this community is something all Artists get to take part in!

Does this sound like something that you would like to do? You can apply for Artist/ today on the forums! The Designers and current Artists will work with you and help you on your journey.

Guide
Sometimes building can be hard, something you don’t understand or sometimes you think you want to do different. But how can you do something different on a build server? Become a Guide! There are many things other than building that help the server:

As a guide, you are the face of MCME! Without the rank of guide, we don’t attract nearly as many new players and those responsibilities are shifted onto busier shoulders. We are here to keep people interested and make MCME as fun as possible without distracting the focus of the server. Think that sounds like something you would want to do?

Just click Guide and apply today!



Time to close another Edition of The Times! We are on the doorstep of a huge turning point in MCME history. After 7.5 years of being a project, we are finally starting on Mordor. With that, we have also recently recorded a tour with Keralis! This will be a huge time for MCME and it’s all hands on deck! You will have noticed a lot of rank changes and updates and I hope these inspire the lot of you to advance in the MCME community too! Q knows we’re gonna need it