MCParks

Background#

MCParks builds real-world theme parks in Minecraft a 1:1 scale, complete with working rides, shows, and attractions. With over 450,000 unique guests and 150+ volunteer Cast Members, MCParks boasts recreations of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando Resort, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Busch Gardens Tampa, Knotts Berry Farm, and Give Kids the World Village.

Our volunteer Cast Member team is primarily comprised of teenagers for whom this is their first experience working collaboratively with a team. They’re split into several teams:

Imagineers#

Imagineers work to construct the parks and resorts of the server. They leverage satellite imagery on Google Earth, blueprints, photos, videos, and more combined with precise measuring and trigonometry to ensure that our parks are properly built to a 1:1 scale (every block in Minecraft corresponds to one cubic meter in real life). Everything from the rides, paths, restaurants, shops, and even bathrooms are painstakingly layed out for accuracy’s sake, and we’re always updating our parks in an effort to stay up-to-date and to-scale.

Technicians#

Not only do we boast authentic looking parks and resorts, but our attractions and shows feel authentic as well. That’s where our Technicians come in. Our techs ensure that our rides function just as realistically as they look by exploiting Minecraft’s game mechanics using open-source software and state-of-the-art custom software. Every Audio-Animatronic, firework, script, and show effect is true-to-life!

Guest Relations#

Our Guest Relations team is dedicated to the same four keys that guide Cast Members in Disney’s real Parks: safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency. They’re our frontline team that makes sure our Guests are enjoying their stay. Between answering questions about our offerings, helping out in times of trouble, facilitating games and events, to just being someone to talk to in the game’s chat, our GR’s are sure to brighten up any Guest’s day!

Domain-Specific Programming Languages#

As part of my work for MCParks, I’ve created multiple domain specific programming languages for volunteers with limited programming knowledge to create in-game effects and experiences:

Achievables is a system that can be used to define Achievements, Daily Challenges, Quests, and other things that players can “achieve” in a video game-like setting. It also boasts a Groovy-based programming language called BIGAL (BigAl’s Integrated Groovy Achievement Language) that allows you to define Achievables (with other metadata necessary to define an Achievement) in a human-readable and version-controllable format.

We use Achievables on MCParks to power Daily Challenges and Achievements.

ShowScript defines a programming language that allows console commands and other actions to be scheduled to run at specified timecodes.

The technicians on MCParks use ShowScript to make our fireworks shows, theatre attractions, ambient effects, and to schedule effects to run on our rides.

Responsibilities#

• Led the technical, product, and community strategy for a Minecraft theme park recreation server with 450,000+ unique guests and 150+ volunteer staff, creating accurate in-game representations of the world’s leading theme park properties and a vibrant, wholesome community
• Architected a scalable plugin ecosystem that enables complex player-facing features, including audio to be played in a web browser
• Created and maintains open source programming languages that allow volunteer teens new to programming to create in-game attractions, fireworks shows, achievements/quests/content for players to complete, and more.
• Performed systems administration for several bare metal Linux systems and an identity directory of 100+ users accessing a mix of custom-build and selfhosted open source internal tooling
• Led budgeting, finances, and procurement of the server, including arranging charity donations for budget surpluses
• Manages the community of several thousand monthly active guests, including live in-game events, monthly public Discord calls detailing progress, and using telemetry and player behavior data to iterate on design and engagement strategies while promoting a wholesome, safe atmosphere for younger guests
• Onboarded and mentored a distributed team of volunteer developers, designers, community managers, many of whom are working creatively on a team for the first time in their lives. Encourages skill and career development for 150+ teen volunteers across disciplines