Pre-Beta Patch 1.81

Hey everyone! In v1.81 we have a huge list of updates to share with you. This list includes: Bug fixes, a new website, a new store, and lots more!...

Before we get started, note that our website is in BETA, and freshly out of the oven! So, expect bugs and please report them on Discord!

Server Updates:

- We've patched a lot of bugs.
- We changed the Queue channel size to 1.
Now only 1 player can join a server at a time. (This change is for now while we monitor and benchmark the performance, this value will be increased later!)
- AFK Limbo is back online, with a lot of improvements in AFK detection. + Server redirecting works smoother and bypasses the Queue system.
Now macros and bots are detectable, with the use of captchas. You also won't have to wait in queue if you return from AFK.
- Play Time value is fixed and now calculates your total playtime across all servers.
Queue screen time and AFK duration is not included in your total play time.
- NEW Prototype Lobby map.
- NEW Main Lobby map.
- We updated The Void map.
- NEW "The Apocalypse" map!
- We realized that Minecraft server addresses are generally split into 2 groups of MC.SERVER and PLAY.SERVER and some players remember the PLAY.SERVER subdomain easier. So, now you can connect to our servers with both:
MC.GCNETWORK.NET
and
PLAY.GCNETWORK.NET

Store Updates:

- We updated our store. (Live Now, but not accepting payments!)
- Updated the theme and the layout.
- New graphics and Icons to display items on our store.
- New packages and items available! (We will share more detail when the store becomes active!)
- New and improved organization method for store items.
- New Rank Names, Icons, Tags, and Prefixes.
- New perks and permissions for all ranks.
- Now you can claim your giveaways or prizes through our checkout page.
- We now accept over 46 different payment methods on our store. (Including manual transfers or E-Transfer.)
- New fraud-prevention tools are in place.
- You can now purchase items on our store from in-game with the use of a New premium currency called "Prime Shards"
Prime Shards are not craft-able or obtainable in-game and can only be purchased on our store.
- Our store is now synced with the network status to avoid any miscommunication between our servers and our store.
If servers are in Maintenance mode, our Store will also enter Maintenance mode.
If there are purchases made within 30 mins of the Maintenance period, they are refunded automatically. (Refunded amount may take up to 3-5 business days to appear in your account.)

Website Updates:

- We updated our databases and core systems.
- Email address are updated with a more secure approach to mail servers.
- New No-Reply Email address.
- We've begun looking for partners more seriously.
- We are now using third-party tools to hasten the development of our website and everything else overall.
- As you might have seen we have updated the theme and layout of our website, let us know your thoughts in the comments below! :)
- You can create an account with your Minecraft username on our website.
This will enable you to sync your in-game stats with the website, view leaderboards, receive support, comment under announcements/polls, and IF  we make a Forums platform in the future, you can use your account to create posts, receive feedback, and share your thoughts!
 Account Registration is currently paused because we still need to review and finalize some legal documents like a terms of service and privacy policy, rules, etc.
- Our new website is mostly functional but not finished by any means! We are still working and actively adding features and fixing bugs.
- We have merged all of our websites into one. (This one!)
This includes: Main website, Support Desk, FAQ, Contact and Business Inquiries, and our store.
- Our old FAQ is now our wiki.
- Our new Help Center now has answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)!

Staff Opportunities:

- We are working on our staff applications and we will update our Jobs and Careers page as soon as we are ready!
So keep an eye out for opportunities to join our team!

Third-Party Maps:

- We know that we are always behind schedule and keep missing deadlines, and to be honest, a big part of our time is spent on making maps, so instead starting today, we will be using pre-built maps built by a third-party builder team, so we can offer you a variety of maps to play on, as well as pick up the pace in the actual development and implementation of our services and games.

Minigame Updates:

- We've started working on a new series of minigames popularly featured in CubeCraft, HiveMC, Mineplex, and MCC (Minecraft Championship) Most of these games are recognizable and familiar, but they all have their own little G C Network twist! :D
- x6 New PvP Arenas
- x7 New Skywars Maps
- x3 New BuildIT! Maps
- We updated and optimized BuildIT's Lobby map. No more layers of glass to simulate fog, cause that was really laggy for some players.
- We've rebuilt the Arcade Games Lobby!

Game Mode Updates:

- Overall Performance is enhanced greatly with the use of pre-rendered chunks, proximity entities, and a more optimized async task handling for our systems.
- Now entities including NPC's are despawned if there isn't a player within the rendering range. Tagged entities will be saved, don't worry! (Ex: your tamed/named pets/animals/mobs) // On game mode servers the despawning of entities will run a few more checks and if all come out positive, a timer will start before the entities despawn.
- Skyblock Lobby map is updated!
- New SMP HUB map available!
- The Prisons Game Mode is now playable.
- x5 Prison Mine themes available.
- New Creative Game Mode!
- A brand new Creative Lobby is available!
- Deep Space received a massive update!
- We've rebuilt the Deep Space Lobby!
- Space Station Game Mode nested under Deep Space will now be available as a Skyblock Island Upgrade.

Modded Games Updates:

- We are working on a Base-Version for the Modded Hub.
- We've added a download space to our website, where you can easily download modpacks from. (As of now, there are no modpacks available for download!)
- With the recent security breaches and concerns, we've set up preventive tools and measures both in our modpacks and our servers.

PLANNED UPDATES:

- 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) on our website.
- Customization options for your profile on our website.
- Happy Hour integration between our website and servers. (Increased luck, and rewards for a limited duration.)
- Improving Database connection times and responsiveness to our website requests.
- Replay Recording. Helps with detecting cheaters, and better support player reports or Ban-Appeals.
- Add ViveCraft Support for Latest Version.
- Add SimpleVoiceChat mod compatibility.
+ More!...

BONUS UPDATE DETAILS:

As announced on our Discord Server... There is a Bonus Announcement about the servers going back online for Pre-Beta Testing.
We will not share a date yet, but we can say they will be back online Soon!...
Though there are some systems that you will not be able to experience during the Pre-Beta Testing.
Here's a list things that you should not expect to see in the Pre-Beta:
- New Lobby Maps
- Modded Hub
- ViveCraft Compatibility
- Bedrock Cross-Play
- Profile Customizations
- Vote Rewards
- Full game shops
- Shards
- Battle Pass
- The full Apocalypse map
- Beyond the base barrier in The Void
- Lobby-Switching
- Performance Settings
- Majority of our Game Modes and Minigames.

Thank you for understanding, and for your continuous support! ❤
- Without you we wouldn't be motivated enough to keep working on this project.