Introducing Our New Name

[noob101]

Nope, sorry, don't like it. Gimme back my good old Minetest. It feels like you cut off its roots, its amazing history and development.

[Kilarin]

My first observation: I feel sorry for the devs. For 14 years? there have been people complaining about the name "MineTest." Now they finally change it and, of course, we can expect 14 more years of people complaining about the name luanti. :D

I think Luanti sounds nice. We lose the problem of having "Test" in the name. And we get some separation from the idea of just being a Minecraft clone.

Of course, everyone complaining about the problem of losing the "history" of the name are at least partially correct. MineTest was easy to remember. People will have a bigger struggle to find Luanti if they are googling for something like Minecraft. BUT, the devs appear to have done an excellent job of rerouting everything so that MineTest searches route directly to Luanti.

I think the positives of the new name outweigh the negatives.

AND, perhaps the most important point, I think this will help separate the engine from the games. I think what we really want is for gamers to focus on the specific games available that run on the Luanti platform. THAT is what they should find when googling. And then once they have downloaded Luanti so they can play a specific game, they will realize there are lots of OTHER games available as well.

Luanti the voxel gaming platform shouldn't have any trouble being promoted to the kind of people interested in modding and creating games. And people searching for games should find youtube videos and forum posts about those games that intrigue them (which just happen to run on Luanti)

[RokeJulianLockhart]

Of course, everyone complaining about the problem of losing the "history" of the name are at least partially correct. MineTest was easy to remember. People will have a bigger struggle to find Luanti if they are googling for something like Minecraft. BUT, the devs appear to have done an excellent job of rerouting everything so that MineTest searches route directly to Luanti.

I affirm this. Many a time, a search for minetest would be auto-corrected to Minecraft, so I'd have to utilize "Minetest" instead.

[Mathias]

Luanti is interesting name. Based on previous replies I am hoping mods will be programmed in C++ in future!

[wziard]

> My first observation: I feel sorry for the devs. For 14 years? there have been people complaining about the name "MineTest." Now they finally change it and, of course, we can expect 14 more years of people complaining about the name luanti. :D

You can't really win. Anyhoo congratz people on the new name. people will get used to it I think.

[RokeJulianLockhart]

Based on previous replies, I am hoping mods will be programmed in C++ in future!

What are they currently programmed with?

[Blockhead]

Updates to the renaming:

2025-01-23: Luanti's presence on GitHub has been moved to a new organisation, luanti-org. Any links to e.g. minetest/minetest now point to luanti-org/luanti, among all the peripheral projects like ContentDB, serverlist, minetestmapper (not renamed luanti-mapper).

2025-01-30: The IRC channels #minetest and #minetest-dev have now been renamed to #luanti and #luanti-dev respectively. IRC clients joining the old names will now be redirected to the new channels. The IRC logs website now show logs those two channels, plus archives for the old names. The IRC logging website is still canonically irc.minetest.net for now, with the luanti domain acting as a redirect.

Per celeron55, these renaming changes, while they seem drawn out, are being done as celeron55 can spare the time and inclination.

[DragonWrangler1]

Based on previous replies, I am hoping mods will be programmed in C++ in future!

What are they currently programmed with?

Lua.

[DragonWrangler1]

Luanti is interesting name. Based on previous replies I am hoping mods will be programmed in C++ in future!

We have a few thousand mods out there made of Lua. A change like this will break EVERY one of them, and as someone who's made a few of those. I definently can't agree with changing the modding to C++

[RokeJulianLockhart]

Luanti is interesting name. Based on previous replies I am hoping mods will be programmed in C++ in future!

We have a few thousand mods out there made of Lua. A change like this will break EVERY one of them, and as someone who's made a few of those. I definently can't agree with changing the modding to C++

I presume because Lua is sandboxed by default? Irrespective, Mathias, why the suggestion? You've not provided rationale.

[RajMahal]

It's finally time. After years of deliberation, Minetest is finally ready to adopt a new identity and prove it has moved beyond its original purpose. We can finally move past the "mining" and the "testing" and focus on making this platform the best it can be.

https://blog.minetest.net/2024/10/13/In ... -New-Name/

After some time away from minetest, I returned to find the name changed.

I saw Luanti and only noticed ANTI.

Really people, you change the name to include "ANTI".
It seems to me that using such a name is counter productive, regardless of the context.

Say what you want, but minetest doesn't spell ANTI.
If nothing else, think about what others' will see before changing a name in order to "Prove" something.

On a positive note, I can discontinue the pattern of incompatible mods at every update by simply ending updates with minetest 5.9.1,
.
I would suggest others do the same and make mods usable to 5.9.1 and no further.
(Nevermind, 5.7.0 is a better option, still comes with minetest pre-installed...easier for other users)

Ending updates and allowing development of mods that actually work may have been the best part of the name change.
The engine updates always killing excellent mods was the problem, not the name of the program.

[Blockhead]

It's finally time. After years of deliberation, Minetest is finally ready to adopt a new identity and prove it has moved beyond its original purpose. We can finally move past the "mining" and the "testing" and focus on making this platform the best it can be.

https://blog.minetest.net/2024/10/13/In ... -New-Name/

After some time away from minetest, I returned to find the name changed.

I saw Luanti and only noticed ANTI.

Really people, you change the name to include "ANTI".
It seems to me that using such a name is counter productive, regardless of the context.

Say what you want, but minetest doesn't spell ANTI.
If nothing else, think about what others' will see before changing a name in order to "Prove" something.

On a positive note, I can discontinue the pattern of incompatible mods at every update by simply ending updates with minetest 5.9.1,
.
I would suggest others do the same and make mods usable to 5.9.1 and no further.
Ending updates and allowing development of mods that actually work may have been the best part of the name change.
The engine updates always killing excellent mods was the problem, not the name of the program.

Disclaimer: The following are my personal opinions and I am not acting an any official capacity representing Luanti. I am not a core developer. Posts made in this topic prior to this one were from before I was promoted to moderator to help delete spam.

"I refuse to update because of a name change" is an extremist and unpractical viewpoint. If you're not getting anything out of later updates, it's for your own lack of trying to find out what's in them, or your own apathy towards updates that don't directly aid your own project's goals. But since you've been away so long, maybe it will suit you to not have to update anything when you return from your next hiatus. This isn't something virtuous though, it's just turning a mountain into a molehill. Minecraft Forge mods break EVERY single update, and people just carry on, but when this project happens to make one TINY little change that causes something relatively unimportant like windows going opaque until you change one line of code per node, then suddenly people are up in arms.

The engine developers are quite sensitive to NOT breaking mods frequently. Most changes are quite easy to fix. Point me to any mod that has been "killed" by recent versions and I guarantee you I can fix it relatively quickly.

[RajMahal]

"I refuse to update because of a name change" is an extremist and unpractical viewpoint.

Did you just call me an "anti-Luanti" extremist? (sarcasm).

I must say,, however, not updating beyond 5.7 is actually a very practical solution for me and motivates me to perhaps finally contribute to some mod updates using my less-than-ideal programming skills..

Im sure Im not the only one who understands the obsolescence of mods when updating LuANTI.

[wsor4035]

"I refuse to update because of a name change" is an extremist and unpractical viewpoint.

Did you just call me an "anti-Luanti" extremist? (sarcasm).

I must say,, however, not updating beyond 5.7 is actually a very practical solution for me and motivates me to perhaps finally contribute to some mod updates using my less-than-ideal programming skills..

Im sure Im not the only one who understands the obsolescence of mods when updating LuANTI.

same as blockhead disclaimer

why stop in going back versions at 5.7, i hear that 0.4.x is so great /s

[LMD]

The rename is orthogonal to our ongoing but for practical reasons not absolute commitment to backwards compatibility.

Minetest had the explicit goal of being a general voxel game platform long before the name was updated to reflect this. This is not a "developer identity crisis" as you insinuate.

Rather, it seems players who never understood what Minetest is are now complaining that what they never had is being taken away from them.

Your anger is misdirected.

[Blockhead]

I must say,, however, not updating beyond 5.7 is actually a very practical solution for me and motivates me to perhaps finally contribute to some mod updates using my less-than-ideal programming skills..

Im sure Im not the only one who understands the obsolescence of mods when updating LuANTI.

Well, just know that if you ever want to update later, the longer you leave it, the longer it will take to get up to date. There is always help to do that if you ask here, Matrix (shudders) Discord, Reddit and so on, so you don't need to struggle on your own. You can even build from source and change the name back on your version if you so desire.

[Eris]

[...]I would suggest others do the same and make mods usable to 5.9.1 and no further.
(Nevermind, 5.7.0 is a better option, still comes with minetest pre-installed...easier for other users)

Ending updates and allowing development of mods that actually work may have been the best part of the name change.
The engine updates always killing excellent mods was the problem, not the name of the program.

Nice try, anti-Luanti troll: nice veiled critique, nice innocent sounding suggestion, that totally wouldn't kill mod development in the short term, too. /s

[Linuxdirk]

There are even people out there wholeheartedly sticking to version 0.4.x (and calling it 4.x) and denying all of the awesome and great improvements since then.

[DragonWrangler1]

It's finally time. After years of deliberation, Minetest is finally ready to adopt a new identity and prove it has moved beyond its original purpose. We can finally move past the "mining" and the "testing" and focus on making this platform the best it can be.

https://blog.minetest.net/2024/10/13/In ... -New-Name/

After some time away from minetest, I returned to find the name changed.

I saw Luanti and only noticed ANTI.

Really people, you change the name to include "ANTI".
It seems to me that using such a name is counter productive, regardless of the context.

Say what you want, but minetest doesn't spell ANTI.
If nothing else, think about what others' will see before changing a name in order to "Prove" something.

On a positive note, I can discontinue the pattern of incompatible mods at every update by simply ending updates with minetest 5.9.1,
.
I would suggest others do the same and make mods usable to 5.9.1 and no further.
(Nevermind, 5.7.0 is a better option, still comes with minetest pre-installed...easier for other users)

Ending updates and allowing development of mods that actually work may have been the best part of the name change.
The engine updates always killing excellent mods was the problem, not the name of the program.

When I saw the name change, I too noticed the anti in luanti. However do you know the meaning behind the name ?

https://blog.luanti.org/2024/10/13/Intr ... -New-Name/

Now. I'm not really a fan of the name itself, but I get the idea and the reasoning, and I respect the choice of the devs who decided on it.

Now as for the incompatible mods. We haven't had major breakages in quite a few years. Most of the problems that occur in mods are so simple you could literally fix them in like 5 minutes.

As for the suggestion of modders stopping development above 5.9.1... If that happened it would very badly hurt the minetest community. Think of the new users that luanti would get on higher versions only to see a boring game engine that has almost nothing. I get you're not pleased with the name, but that is a truly selfish suggestion.

Now. For the final part about the engine updates killing mods.. I have a question for you. Are you a modder ? Most issues in mods come from the normal updates that the developers do, like previously stated. The developers are very cautious when introducing a change that would break mods.

Now. My final note is, Don't try to punish others just because you don't like something. Far too often I've seen cases like this. If you don't like the versions past 5.9.1 then that's fine, but don't try to punish those of us that want to move onward. I mean no disrespect or unkindness with this. I am merely stating my opinion, based on cases like this I've seen in the past.

[Johnny Joy]

It's the kind of a name that a modder might love. I'm not sure that is a better name that gives personality to the game, though.

I know it is too late, but if you ever want to rethink the name, I think Adravox has a nice ring.

[Johnny Joy]

Nope, sorry, don't like it. Gimme back my good old Minetest. It feels like you cut off its roots, its amazing history and development.

jjb jhere from Xanadu. If I am honest, feel that the branding had been there and was well known. A name change does not put me off, but I have to admit I would be hard-pressed to find a less appealing name, to me at least. So, I just asked ChatGPT to get a hopefully objective view of the situation.

I need an objective opinion about name change for a video game. Minetest is to be renamed, and the idea is to name it Luanti. How does this new name stack up from a game brand and identity standpoint?

ChatGPT said:

From a branding and identity standpoint, changing the name of Minetest to Luanti presents several considerations:
Pros:

Uniqueness:

Luanti is a distinctive and original name, which can help the game stand out in search results and branding efforts.

Its uniqueness may make it easier to trademark and protect legally.

Flexibility:

As a name, it doesn’t immediately suggest a specific genre or style, which could be an advantage if the game wants to expand beyond its current scope.

Modern & Fresh:

It feels modern and has a sleek, almost elegant phonetic quality.

Cons:

Loss of Established Identity:

Minetest already has brand recognition, particularly within the open-source and voxel-based gaming communities. Switching names could potentially alienate existing users who have emotional or practical ties to the original name.

Lack of Meaning or Association:

Luanti doesn't convey what the game is about. While that can be good for flexibility, it also makes it harder to build a clear mental association for new players.

The name doesn't evoke voxel-based worlds, creativity, or building, which are core aspects of the game.

Pronunciation & Memorability:

The name Luanti is relatively easy to pronounce but may not be immediately memorable. Its simplicity could also work against it, making it feel generic unless heavily branded.

SEO and Marketing Concerns:

If the name doesn't have a clear meaning or association with the game, it could be harder to market and optimize for search engines.

Suggestions for Improvement:

To maintain some brand continuity, it might be worth considering a hybrid approach, such as Minetest Luanti during the transition phase.

Another approach is to associate the name with a particular lore or world within the game, giving it more meaning and making it stick in people’s minds.

Consider adding a tagline or subtitle to clarify the game’s identity.

[Blockhead]

The name Luanti is relatively easy to pronounce but may not be immediately memorable. Its simplicity could also work against it, making it feel generic unless heavily branded.

That's pretty funny considering the debate over pronunciation that we've had

SEO and Marketing Concerns:

If the name doesn't have a clear meaning or association with the game, it could be harder to market and optimize for search engines.

While you might have to jog an (especially an out-of-date) LLM to get it to output code by calling it Minetest, SEO has been great for me so far. The search engines know by now that Luanti is strongly related to Minetest.

To maintain some brand continuity, it might be worth considering a hybrid approach, such as Minetest Luanti during the transition phase.

"formerly Minetest" occurs in several places, so this is already in practice.

Sorry, I don't find that ChatGPT has anything to add here, and no more objectivity either.

[RokeJulianLockhart]

I don't find that ChatGPT has anything to add here, and no more objectivity either.

Likewise. Don't consult an LLM when you can use your noggin to get quicker and better results.

[Johnny Joy]

The name Luanti is relatively easy to pronounce but may not be immediately memorable. Its simplicity could also work against it, making it feel generic unless heavily branded.

That's pretty funny considering the debate over pronunciation that we've had

SEO and Marketing Concerns:

If the name doesn't have a clear meaning or association with the game, it could be harder to market and optimize for search engines.

While you might have to jog an (especially an out-of-date) LLM to get it to output code by calling it Minetest, SEO has been great for me so far. The search engines know by now that Luanti is strongly related to Minetest.

To maintain some brand continuity, it might be worth considering a hybrid approach, such as Minetest Luanti during the transition phase.

"formerly Minetest" occurs in several places, so this is already in practice.

Sorry, I don't find that ChatGPT has anything to add here, and no more objectivity either.

I wanted to share something I recently reserved: Adravox.org. Adventure and Voxel inspire the name, and I chose it because it’s one of the few relevant domains that has never been taken. I did some research, and it appears to have no negative associations.

I would be happy to donate the domain if the Luanti project is interested in using it. My original plan was to use it for a series of servers with a federated login system and limited shared inventory under that name. However, I think the name Adravox could also apply well to Luanti.

To share the idea, here’s a tagline I had in mind:
Adravox: Explore. Build. Thrive.

Please feel free to contact me if you're interested. I’m happy to support the project however I can!

[RokeJulianLockhart]

Even if Adravox or myriad alternative names were theoretically superior, Luanti can't feasibly rebrand for at least another few years yet.