Map 11 is 3 years old, that's just over 1,000 days--or 92,700 Minecraft days. While not the longest living map, with Map 10 setting a 1,200 day record, Map 11 has set the largest player count by far with about 7,500 unique players. That's a 260% increase in the numbers of players from Map 10, which had 2,066 unique players.

Although earlier maps had a completely different nature to them, given how FroobWorld was starting to define itself (which you can read more about in Froobynooby's interview...), Map 11 does definitely measure up to how long Maps 8 and 9 lasted.

So, was Map 10 an anomaly, or a new trend for FroobWorld maps? One thing is for sure, the age of a map can't be a certain determiner of if it's time to move on. 

On the 9th of August, Mojang released an article detailing "the future of Minecraft's development."

"We know that you want new Minecraft content more often, which is why we’re changing our feature development rhythm. Instead of providing one free update during the summer, as we’ve done in the past, we’ll now be releasing a number of free game drops throughout the year. These game drops will vary in size and will bring you features to explore more frequently."
- Mojang

In the article, Mojang goes on to say that their developers will also be focusing on long-term initiatives "to ensure we continue to evolve Minecraft long into the future". 

Past comments from staff on the nature of FroobWorld map updates have said things along the lines of "if there's a big enough update we'll update the map" (please note that this is an oversimplification). But if these updates are getting smaller and smaller, how will this affect what's prioritized by staff in deciding when it's time for Map 12?

We don't know, and if we were to claim that we did we wouldn't be telling the truth. We have our own opinions as to whether we believe it's time for Map 12, but we'll get to that later...

In late October, we released our November Questionnaire: a series of questions on relevant issues to Froobians, open for anyone to complete. 

We received 21 responses: 10 from Veterans; 8 from Trusted; and 3 from Staff.

Here's some of the opinions we got back from you:

Please note that 1 = strongly agree while 5 = strongly disagree.

Direct quotes won't be included in this section of the article, but if you're interested in the November questionnaire results, then please check out [[this article]] which covers the results in greater detail and has a full list of written responses, too!

There were key themes which emerged through the answers given to one of the long questions on the questionnaire: "What are your thoughts on Map 11 (and moving to Map 12)? You can write as much/as little as you like."

Here is an overview of these themes (or lack thereof:

1. Difference of opinion in the timing of the move: should it be at next major Minecraft update or at the beginning of 2025?

2. Ample notice should be given (≥ 1 month) to allow players to wrap up projects.

3. Several players feel burnt out, however this splits into two groups: those who want a new map and those who feel attached to Map 11's community and established builds despite recognizing the need for change.

4. Transition anxiety/concern over the switch leading to the loss of friends, builds or a particular community atmosphere. 

5. Newer players/those who joined mid-map tend to be more enthusiastic about starting fresh.

6. Archiving the old map is seen as extremely necessary to reducing apprehension. 

7. Many respondents mentioned a hope for a larger map. 

8. Many respondents feel that Map 12 could reinvigorate engagement in the server's social dynamics and collaborative projects.

9. Many respondents expressed their trust in the server’s staff and their ability to manage the transition thoughtfully. 

When I began planning for this article, I felt strongly that it was time to move to Map 12 (this is Olivia writing). The original title for this post was something a little bit less neutrally toned than 'Is It Time for Map 12?'...

So when we got the questionnaire results back I was pretty shocked. I had assumed that the belief held by the vast majority of the server was that it was in fact time for Map 12, which looking back now seems a little bit silly. 

For a mixture of reasons (such as finding new projects I'm enjoying working on and feeling less burnt out, but also by reading the thoughts of those who responded to the survey) I have changed my opinion on the question of this article. I believe that Map 12 should be somewhere in the vague, distant future but it ultimately is not time for Map 12 now. 

Whether or not you agree with me, I hope that you have found this outline of some of the reasons for whether or not it is time for a map update useful. 

In writing this piece, The Froobian Times does not wish to in any way criticize the views or actions of staff. Statements in this article--with the exception of statistics--are the opinions of The Froobian Times' writers, and should not be read as an official path or indication for a map re-set. 

The writers of this article, Olivia and Jaron, do not want to add to a sense of fear that a map change is imminent--we have no way of knowing this. Our advice is to keep on playing as though there will be no map change.