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| One of RDF’s projects |
In a game where the philosophy is not “why” but rather “why not” some people are going to take it to the extreme. Sailing the far uncharted waters of the ocean of “screw it, we’ll do it anyway” are the members of the Redstone Development Foundation (RDF), and they’re manning the helm far over the distant horizon of sanity.
The group here seeks to utilise the in-game primitive electronic system known as Redstone and push it to far beyond what it was meant for. Rather than using it for the intended purpose of wiring simple traps and alarms, the RDF has decided instead to replicate all the digital electronics known to man.
This is only a minor hyperbole. They are not consciously attempting to do this, but at their current pace they will eventually emulate every component that can be replicated using Redstone, which is a fair amount of your local electronics catalogue. Their list of accomplishments so far is long and impressive, and only a fraction of it has been recorded on their YouTube channel. Some of the more salient accomplishments are a programmable 3D printer, an ASCII word processor with a 11-character display, a 21 x 21 pixel monitor, The Sims 2D, complete working Monopoly with an electronic bank (in progress), Pac Man, Snake and too many awesome others.
Of course, this doesn’t sound too impressive when you stand it up and compare it with what has been done in the Wiremod add on for Garry’s Mod, but when you consider that this has been done in Minecraft with the equivalent of valve-state electronics in a buggy, laggy Java engine, you realise not only is it is a completely different ballpark, but they’ve hit it right out of the stadium.
The clan’s pace and accomplishments have had them receive numerous accolades in the form of “Digital Diamonds”, a semi-weekly featuring on the official Minecraft forum’s front page. To date, they have won at least a half dozen, although one member admits that they’ve lost count.
Given that the RDF was formed sometime in January this year, (a decade in Internet terms) the clan is still wonderfully healthy. Not only are the admins quick and responsive to the 250+ members, they also host a dedicated 24/7 server for these crazy creations. Recently opened was a dedicated “school” server where members who are a little rusty on certain topics can be taught the ropes by senior members. Hell, these guys are so large and so dedicated, they’ve even opened their own private forum for the growing member numbers.
For new members, the process is a little daunting for application. Hopefuls must submit either samples of their work to demonstrate a solid grasp of Redstone principals, or a one-hour trial in which they must build something to display their proficiency.
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| All credit to Minecraft for creating whole new communities |
If they are successful, they then go on to a rank of builder, which gives them a plot of land on the server and some basic permissions.
After having spent some time in the server, a builder becomes a foreman, and supervises other players on larger projects they control and design.
And of course, after proving themselves to be knowledgeable and not an arsehole (because this is the Internet after all), they are eligible to be inducted as admin after a round of voting at the next meeting.
It is also important to note that a lot of the members of the RDF aren’t just in it for the games they can re-create within another game, they are semi-serious electronics buffs doing this to see exactly how far they can push the game’s system, whilst having a lot of fun in the progress. An often toted motto is “There are no limits for those who see no limits”, and considering what they’ve done I would say that they are trying just that.
The RDF embodies that crazy Minecraft spirit we all know of. When that little voice that says “I could build a full scale Enterprise in here…” the RDF is the kind of voice that replies “That’s awesome! Get the pics!”
– Zane M
