Category Archives: Gaming and Technology

Level Up Your Status: How VIPs Will Shape Our Community’s Future

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Greetings everyone! I have something quite exciting to introduce to you today: a new rank on Discord that will later transition to the community website when I shut down the Discord server and Fourthwall store in favor of the community website’s features. This rank is called VIP and you should know what that stands for already, but for those new to the acronym it means Very Important Person. Later in this post, I’ll explain how you can get this rank for yourself (but it’s not easy!).

On the Discord server, VIP status lets you stand out with a colored nickname and an exclusive VIP tag when online. But the true power of VIP comes from free access to the Supporters Area—a space packed with exciting perks! Inside, VIPs can enjoy private chats, behind-the-scenes livestreams (once I have enough Full Members consistently), interactive Q&A sessions via Stages, exclusive images, and polls. And if you’re a gamer, there’s something extra: early access to beta versions of the Minecraft modpacks I’m developing—giving you the chance to explore new content before anyone else.

One of the goals for the community website is to expand the VIP experience, offering even more perks—including exclusive discounts. While the Fourthwall store doesn’t currently support free ranks, moving to our own platform will unlock new possibilities!

When the transition happens, VIPs will retain all their existing benefits—but to keep your status, you’ll need to verify your identity on your new community website profile. On top of the previous perks, VIPs will receive special discounts on most shop items (except memberships—sorry, no one gets a discount on those, even as gifts!). The VIP discount will be slightly higher than Full Members’, giving you even more savings.

But that’s not all! VIPs will also get exclusive arcade tournaments to compete in, along with other future perks still in the works. Keep an eye on the community website’s blog section (which this blog will transition into) for updates as new benefits roll out!

You might be eager to grab VIP status for yourself—but hold your horses! This isn’t just handed out—it’s earned. If you want the prestige and perks that come with VIP, you’ll need to actively contribute to the community.

For now, I’ll personally be awarding this rank on Discord to those who consistently engage—whether it’s posting regularly, participating in discussions, or interacting with my YouTube channel through comments and community posts (yes, I do check if you’re subscribed!).

Once we transition to the community website, a dedicated committee within the company I’m founding will take over the process, granting VIP status once a year while revoking it for serious violations of community standards.

So what does being active really mean? It’s all about consistent participation—whether it’s chatting on Discord, commenting on videos, engaging with blog posts, or making meaningful contributions to discussions.

So if you really want VIP status and all the perks that come with it, start engaging now—earn it through genuine participation and become part of something exclusive!

Download The Land of Peace Modpack for Minecraft 1.20.1 Today!

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Exciting news, everyone—The Land of Peace is now officially available to the public! After months of dedication, fine-tuning, and passionate creativity, I’m thrilled to share this experience with all of you.

But there’s one change I want to highlight: Instead of hosting this project on CurseForge, I’ve decided to offer The Land of Peace through Google Drive. This decision comes after reevaluating CurseForge’s policies, which no longer align with my approach to modpack distribution and community engagement. As a result, I’m also considering moving my other packs from CurseForge to my new Public Modpacks folder on Google Drive.

This transition is meant to offer a smoother, more flexible experience for everyone interested in my projects, ensuring accessibility without restrictions I no longer agree with. Just download the pack and import the zip file to the launcher of your choice and you’ll be able to start your adventure after that!

Download this pack now for Minecraft 1.20.1 (with NeoForge) and get started today on your own town-building adventure!

Thank you for your continued support, and I can’t wait for you all to explore The Land of Peace! Let me know your thoughts, and stay tuned for updates on my other packs.

Important Update About My Video Music Choices

Aside

Suno has recently changed its policy, requiring a paid subscription to use its generated music commercially. Unfortunately, this new rule doesn’t apply retroactively—meaning any music I created before subscribing isn’t covered. Since I want to avoid any risk of demonetization, I’ll be switching to other music that I can use freely and without worry. It’s frustrating, but I’m committed to keeping my content accessible and safe!

Thanks for your support as I make this transition. If this policy shift frustrates you too, consider reaching out to Suno and sharing your thoughts!

Streaming Schedule Update: What to Expect

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Greetings everyone!

In today’s blog post, I’d like to explain how my streaming schedule is going to look. I’ve chosen this schedule to allow my YouTube series to catch up to my livestreaming world for the Creative Engineering modpack, partly so that I won’t forget what I’ve learned in my livestream world when I record a new episode, and partly so that I don’t become bored with it too easily. I’ve chosen different themes for each day I will go live when I can, and I have an announcement later about Saturdays, so please read on.

Let’s start off by discussing that weekday streams are dependant on a couple of things being satisfied:

  1. I must have the day off work (ie. I must not have been offered a shift and accepted it) OR
  2. I must work a morning shift AND
    1. I must work 4 hours or less AND
    2. I must start by 8 am.

If either set of conditions is met, I will stream that weekday – but I also must not have released a video on YouTube that morning (so no livestreams Monday, Wednesday, or Friday). The weekday streams will start around 8 or 9 am America/Edmonton time. I appreciate your understanding as I juggle work, livestreaming, and creating content—it means so much to me!

With that clearly explained, I can now explain the theme for Tuesdays going forwards: Retro Gaming Tuesday. This means I will be playing games like Mario Party 7, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, and other Nintendo titles that I own via emulation on my PC (which is completely legal as I actually own the games themselves), using my controller instead of a standard Nintendo one. I love playing these old games and I hope to share my enthusiasm for them with you on Tuesdays going forwards – don’t forget I have a Mario Party 7 Party Map to finish and one final vs CPU map to beat!

Thursdays are going to be “OpenTTD Thursdays” from now on folks! You got that right – I’ll be working on growing my transportation empire in this game – I got until 2050 before my current game ends and I want to have a blast doing so with you folks! From building larger and larger railway networks, to building new highways and airports, this is gonna be epic! I love watching my company grow and ensuring that I don’t hit bankruptcy is part of the fun – what good or fun is a large company if it’s not profitable?

Saturdays are gonna be “Modded Minecraft Saturdays” where we dive into the world of modded Minecraft together – I’ll mainly be streaming from my Creative Engineering streaming world, but maybe I’ll switch it up in the future – I do have a Minecolonies settlement that I’d love to show off live to you all – and if either my Banished or Factorio series ends before the other (most likely the scenario that will happen), I’ll start a new streaming world in my Peaceful Mekanism modpack! Due to real-life situations, I may not always go live on Saturday – if so, I’ll be sure to announce it via social media – so consider following me there! Be sure to not miss a second of the action – you’ll probably regret it if you do! I should also mention that if I get enough viewers concurrently when I am live, I will consider making the first Saturday of each month “Community Saturday” instead where we’ll be playing “Golf With Your Friends” or “Quiplash” together for fun and laughs!

Finally before I let you go today, I’d like to mention that I have set up a second store with FourthWall. You can find merch there with discounts for Tier 3 Twitch subs and members there – you can support me via merch, memberships, or via simple donations in this store! The membership gives you a discount in the store as well as access to the Supporter Area of my Discord as a “Full Member” there – don’t forget, that’s where you can help me beta-test modpacks before they are released to the public on CurseForge! Your support allows me to keep producing content and livestreams that we can all enjoy together. It means the world to me and helps keep this community thriving! Did you know that any purchases you make in my shop will appear as alerts whenever I’m live? It’s a fun way to show your support and get recognized in real time!

Until the next time I post here, may God bless all of you!

Goodbye Pyramid, Hello Display Sign

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Dear readers,

It is time to say goodbye to the Pyramid of Support. It was cumbersome at best and took a while to get started on any new world. I am also never in the mood to do sandstone block square pyramid math to figure out if the pyramid has the right number of blocks on it, due to people unfollowing and un-subscribing to my channels making it more complex than it needed to be.

Fear not, my faithful supporters – your support is not in vain and you will still be rewarded for milestones. Instead, say hello to the much more efficient Supporters Sign powered by Create’s Display Board! With simple name tags that can updated in any anvil, updating the numbers is easy, and the math is simple – just addition of the two channels separate totals to get my total supporters number!

Milestones will still be celebrated by the posting of signs – so please help me get to 500 Twitch followers and 75 YouTube subscribers – they are the next two big milestones I want to achieve – and it would be awesome if we did so sooner rather than later!

Another bonus of switching to the Display Board for visually showing the totals is that next season, I will be automating it with the ComputerCraft:Tweaked mod and it’s Create addon. Yes, I will have to learn Lua between seasons (sorry, but I’m not gonna learn it on-stream), but it will reduce the work I have to do once I get it setup correctly.

I’ll be able to do more automation next season with this computer mod in the pack as well as the changes I’ve got planned for season two of Creative Engineering on both YouTube and Twitch! I will not give you any hints as which mods are staying and which mods are going and getting replaced as I want to keep that close to my chest until I am ready to start putting together the season two modpack.

Overall the Creative Engineering modpack for season one was designed for a classic flat Minecraft world, where you would need to treat every resource you could get your hands on as precious. Season two will be returning to regular world generation, and so you can guess how this might effect my choice of mods for it. I will say that Villager life and happiness will be one of the focuses of season two, but how that will affect the modpack is still in the air.

In conclusion, the move from the Pyramid of Support to the Supporters Sign represents a step toward simplicity and efficiency, both for now and as we head into the future with new tools and plans. I’m excited about what’s to come with season two of Creative Engineering—new challenges, creative opportunities, and the chance to grow this community even further.

Thank you for your continued support—it truly means the world to me. Let’s hit those next milestones together and keep building something amazing!

My Modpacks: Updates, Insights, and Future Steps

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In this week’s blog post, I’m diving into my modpacks: what they are, their current status, and when you can expect to download and play them yourself. Just to clarify, all of my modpacks are currently designed for Minecraft 1.20.1.

Before I explain my modpacks, let me explain the three statuses of modpacks and what each one is:

  • Alpha: Active development of the modpack – no private or public releases
  • Beta: Released for private testing on my Discord server (must be a Ko-fi Full Member or Twitch Subscriber to access the files and reports area), with bug fixes after they are reported. Lasts for six months.
  • Public: Released to CurseForge for anyone to download and play. Updates if game-breaking bugs are found.

My first modpack is called Peaceful Mekanism, and it is designed to help the player learn the Mekanism mod in Peaceful mode. There are no mods which do things that the Mekanism mod can do itself, even if they are late-game. It is currently in Alpha. It will be released for Beta-testing after I do a full YouTube series on it, probably after my Factorio series ends, as it will likely be completed before my Banished series is done. If you’re interested in joining the beta testing or following the development journey, make sure to check out my Discord and YouTube channels for updates!

The next modpack is called The Land of Peace and it is focused around the Minecolonies mod with ProjectE assisting (maining to provide resources that have no limit). The task of the player is to build a settlement into a thriving town in Peaceful mode. With its emphasis on creating a peaceful, thriving town, this modpack offers a unique and relaxing gameplay experience for those who enjoy building and strategizing without the pressure of hostile mobs. It is currently in Beta, although the files on the Discord don’t match what I’m currently testing as I reverted to the Beta 1.0 release with some small changes. It will be released to the public in about three months time.

My final modpack is called Creative Engineering and it’s in Alpha. This modpack is for the first season of the YouTube series of the same name, and will be changing between seasons. It will be entered into Beta after the end of the current season. Season one’s modpack is focused around surviving on a classic flat world with the assistance of mods in Peaceful mode. As the world is just four blocks deep, mining is out of the question in this modpack, and thus you will have to follow a similar process to a skyblock world, except without the fear of falling into the void to your death. Stay tuned for updates as the season unfolds and this modpack evolves in preparation for Beta!

As you can tell, I have three very different modpacks currently under development. I have not listed here the two modpacks that are already available to the public on CurseForge as they were for an earlier version of the game. I enjoy coming with new concepts for modpacks and if you have an idea, I’d love to read your idea in the comments! There are a few limitations to what I add to my modpacks like an emphasis on avoiding magic and preferring technology, and that they must be playable in Peaceful mode, so please keep that in mind when suggesting an idea. I’m looking forward to reading your ideas and exploring new possibilities together!

Why An Authorized Pokemon Mod for Minecraft is Needed

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I enjoy Minecraft (well, modded at least, but you get the point). I also enjoy Pokémon—I remember playing one of the handheld games as a child. I won against the Elite Four and the Champion on my GameBoy Color, and I enjoyed playing the version that was set in the Orre region, though I never finished it. Imagine if you could enjoy aspects of Pokémon in Minecraft safely and legally—what adventures could you come up with, and what sorts of battles you could have, both against wild Pokémon and in multiplayer, against other trainers! You could build your own Pokémon center—make it as big as you wanted, as long as you had the materials! You could maybe even challenge gyms that spawned in villages and earn a unique reward when you won—or even a badge toward a bigger battle with the ultimate reward. The possibilities would be nearly endless!

The history of unauthorized Pokémon mods goes back a few years. The first unauthorized Pokémon mod, Pixelmon, did not have a good reputation with the community at large due to hidden code that allowed the developers to shut down servers that didn’t follow their rules—not Mojang’s or The Pokémon Company’s, but theirs. Due to this, and their use of copyrighted materials such as sounds and images, the developers were sent a cease and desist letter from Mojang in 2017, which they complied with. However, the mod has been revived several times since then by others after the base code was leaked. Pixelmon Reforged, Pixelmon Generations, and Cobblemon are three more unauthorized Pokémon mods for Minecraft, but sooner or later, I bet that Nintendo and/or The Pokémon Company will move to shut them down to protect their intellectual property, which they need to do in order to safeguard it.

I believe there is a way to get an authorized Pokémon mod for Minecraft. Yes, monetization is a factor that would appeal to Nintendo and The Pokémon Company (as they are both driven by profit), but I don’t think it should be the key aspect. Instead, an authorized mod would help their companies stay relevant and open Pokémon up to people who have never heard of the anime, games (both card and video), or manga. There could even eventually be a Pokémon World Championship tournament like there was in the anime—imagine seeing someone acknowledged as the best player of the game! Right now, this is impossible with the mods not being authorized. Additionally, an authorized mod could be trusted by the community to not have malicious code that would harm your game, and it would be compatible with the version it was designed for.

Personally, I will only ever support an authorized version of Pokémon as a mod for Minecraft and not include it in my Minecraft video series until this is accomplished. This aligns with my goals of making my content both family-friendly and ethical. I use tools like the YouTube Audio Library and Content ID to ensure that I am compliant with copyright at all times in my productions. If I’m uncertain about whether or not I can include something, I keep it out. For example, I encountered issues with copyright using Pretzel Rocks for my livestreams to provide background music, so I decided to stop using it. I’d rather use the normal Minecraft music (which I know is safe to use) than deal with the hassle of copyright claims on my livestream VODs. I have chosen in the past not to post videos when they went against these principles, and I will do so again in the future—you can count on it!

Once again, I call for an authorized Pokémon mod for Minecraft—just imagine the possibilities and how it could extend the shelf life of both games with such support! An official mod would not only ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for players but also foster a thriving community of Pokémon and Minecraft fans. It would open up new creative and competitive opportunities, from building intricate Pokémon-themed structures to participating in epic battles and tournaments. By supporting an authorized mod, we can encourage Nintendo and The Pokémon Company to collaborate with Mojang and bring this dream to life. Together, let’s advocate for a mod that respects intellectual property, enhances our gaming adventures, and paves the way for even greater innovations in the future. Join me in this call to action, and let’s make our voices heard!

Introducing the Pyramid of Support

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Hey everyone,

I’m thrilled to share a project that I’ve been working on in Minecraft: a solid square pyramid made entirely out of sandstone, with each block representing one of my amazing Twitch followers or YouTube subscribers. 🎉

This Pyramid of Support symbolizes the foundation you all have helped me build. Every block stands for someone who has believed in me, watched my content, and engaged with the community.

Building this pyramid has been a labor of love, and seeing it take shape has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a testament to the incredible journey we’ve had together, from the first subscriber to the newest follower. We’re also getting so close to our first milestone of 500 supporters, which makes this project even more special!

Thank you for being part of this adventure. Your support means the world to me, and I couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you. Here’s to many more blocks and many more adventures! (And yes, it will keep on growing for every new Twitch follower and YouTube subscriber I get. My hope is that it grows so big, it’ll touch the build height limit!)

Stay awesome,
Swagnilla Ice (Nathan Pinno)

Behind the Scenes: Crafting Engaging Content for YouTube and Podcasts

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Hi everyone,

Creating family-friendly content for YouTube and Podbean is a process I truly enjoy each week. Let me take you behind the scenes and show you how I craft each type of content.

I’ll start by explaining the process behind my gaming videos first, as they are easier for me to explain. When starting a new series, I first decide which game to play. The next step is to choose whether to play the game in its vanilla form or with mods. If I opt for modded gameplay, I select the mods that will enhance the experience. For games like Minecraft, this can be an evolving decision if bugs pop up along the way.

The next step is to play the game while recording my gameplay and commentary using OBS. I utilize a dedicated Recording scene setup and have a key combination to start and stop recording seamlessly. Any reactions you hear from me are genuine and captured live during gameplay; I don’t edit the sound afterward. To avoid any copyright issues, I turn off the game’s in-game music before I start recording.

I then import the recorded video into Wondershare Filmora, where I add a title screen and sometimes an ending scene as well. I take a screenshot for the YouTube thumbnail and, if needed, add transitions to keep the video as smooth as possible. I then decide on what music to add, where it should go in the video, and what edits are needed for each track—such as reducing the volume and adding fade-ins or fade-outs.

Next, I decide on the episode’s title and export the video using Filmora’s built-in system to export it as an MP4 file. This MP4 file is what I upload to YouTube, with the screenshot becoming the YouTube thumbnail. While the video is being exported, I determine the YouTube description, appending a set of links for uniformity. I make sure to schedule any new uploads for the proper date at 4 am MST, while also adding the proper YouTube parts (subscribe and suggested video at the end, and perhaps a card with the series if it’s not the first episode).

Now that I’ve explained how I create each new gaming episode for YouTube, let me switch gears and explain how I write and record each new podcast episode, as the process is quite different.

The first thing I do is decide what topic I want to talk about in the podcast. This is easier if I am doing a series, as I either have a fixed set of episodes I want to research, write, and record, or at least a limited number of topics to choose from.

The next step is to search on Google for information about the topic I’m covering that week. I aim to pick at least two or three different sources to ensure a well-rounded understanding. This allows me to write the episode in my own words after comprehending the topic thoroughly.

I then proceed to write the topic using both OpenOffice Writer and Microsoft Copilot. I write out a paragraph at a time and ask Copilot for help improving it for flow. In fact, as I am writing this blog post, I am using Copilot to ensure you understand me clearly.

Finally, I proceed to record the episode using Audacity. I use headphones during recording to ensure that sounds from the speakers are not picked up by the microphone, allowing my voice to be heard clearly. After recording, I use Audacity to export the file as an MP3, adding metadata such as track name, recording artist, genre, track number, album name, and year. I then use Copilot to help me craft the episode description when I upload it to Podbean on Sunday.

As I currently cannot schedule podcast episodes on Podbean, I manually publish each one on Sunday morning. This is why they don’t come out at the same time each week and sometimes get published on Monday morning instead. I make sure to set the episode name, description, and duration in minutes and seconds. Once I get the funds to upgrade my subscription, I’ll start scheduling my podcast episodes as well. After publishing each episode, I share it on social media, and it is automatically added to my YouTube podcast feed.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my content creation process for both YouTube and podcast episodes. I hope you found it insightful and informative. If you enjoy my content and would like to support my work, please consider becoming a supporter on Ko-fi. Your support helps me continue creating family-friendly content and improving my setup. Every little bit helps and is greatly appreciated. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me!

Ko-fi Updates: Games, Gadgets, and More

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Hey everyone! I’m excited to share some important updates with you today. We’ll be covering changes on my Ko‑fi page, the new games I’ll be able to play after switching to the Linux distro Linux Mint, and a future project for my YouTube channel that I’d love your help with. So, let’s dive into the changes first!

The biggest change here is the removal of the jug of milk (or any food) references for donations. Now, you can simply choose a preset amount or enter how much you’d like to donate as a one-time contribution and click the donate button to proceed to the payment page.

Another significant update is the return of membership tiers, which are straightforward. The first tier, called the Tip Jar, is available for at least one Canadian dollar (though you can pledge more if you prefer). This tier offers the satisfaction of supporting me and a block with a sign in my Minecraft worlds. The type of block varies based on the length of your membership. For more details, check out the “Signs, Blocks, and You – Rewards from Swagnilla Ice” video below the donation panel.

The second tier, called Full Membership, costs at least five Canadian dollars a month. In addition to the Tip Jar benefits, you’ll gain access to the Supporters Area of my Discord, where you’ll be acknowledged as a Ko‑fi Member. This area features access to my beta modpacks, exclusive live streams, and tech talks amongst the features you will be able to enjoy. You’ll also enjoy exclusive polls and posts here for your viewing pleasure.

Next, I would like to focus on my computer and the changes happening soon. I’m planning on switching to the Linux distro Linux Mint (with the Cinnamon desktop) after the current seasons of Factorio and Banished are completed (whether I win or lose). However, this switch means I won’t be able to play all of the games in my Steam library. The following games will still be available after the switch: Minecraft, OpenTTD, AdVenture Capitalist, Basement, Big Pharma, Cities: Skylines, Empire TV Tycoon, Factorio, Game Dev Tycoon, Golf With Your Friends (community streams potential here), Kerbal Space Program, Kingdoms and Castles, Knights and Merchants, Masterplan Tycoon: Foundations, Megaquarium, Oxygen Not Included, Quiplash (great for community streams), Rise of Industry, Robocraft, Software Inc, Stardew Valley, Super Indie Karts, Surviving Mars, Train Fever, Transport Fever, and Tropico 2: Pirate Cove.

I know I’ll be able to mod Minecraft and Factorio, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do the same for Stardew Valley—I’m hoping that will be the case. I’ve also got games on my Steam wishlist that I’ve ensured are compatible, but I won’t spoil the surprise by listing them here!

In the near future, I’d like to create a video for my YouTube channel that’s focused on technology rather than games, although my Creative Engineering series on YouTube and my Twitch livestreams helped inspire the idea. The video will explore the power of nature versus man’s engineering feats, and I’ll need help to bring it to life.

To make this project a reality, I’ll need people to help with deeper research on the topic, someone to edit the script once I’ve written it, and someone to storyboard the video. Additionally, I’ll need individuals to record video footage both on the ground and with drones, as well as people to ensure the sound is perfect and that the right music is chosen for various sequences. I may also need someone to co-narrate and host the video with me.

With this support, I can focus on directing and producing the video, ensuring it reaches its full potential. However, this is a long-term project, as I currently cannot afford to dedicate the necessary time to it. If I receive enough financial support to cover my bills and groceries, I’ll be able to focus on projects like this one. If you like this idea and want to contribute, consider becoming a member and/or joining my Discord to stay in the loop about projects like this one.

Thank you all for your continuous support and enthusiasm. Your contributions make it possible for me to keep creating and sharing content that I love. If any of the changes, updates, or future projects resonate with you, consider becoming a member, joining my Discord, or simply staying tuned for more exciting updates. Your involvement means the world to me, and I look forward to sharing more of this journey with you. Until next time, stay curious and keep exploring!