2b2t! One of the oldest and most notorious anarchy servers in minecraft, where anything goes. But among many of its unspoken rules, there was always one significant restriction that stands out till this day- the ban on elytras. Why was it banned? What did Hausemaster see in elytras that make it so dangerous to be left on the oldest anarchy server Minecraft? Today we will explore the timeline of the elytra on the server, the reasons it was banned, and what impact it had on the server during the time it was around.

Early History

Elytras were first introduced to 2b2t in the spring on 2016. But although they were added to 2b2t, the possibility of getting them was no easy feat, as all end portals travelling to the end from the overworld were destroyed by players, so only those who had accounts already in the end were able to get the elytras and bring them to the overworld. Some of the first elytras were obtained by a player named CainesLaw, who then distributed them to his friends back in the overworld. One of them is now a popular 2b2t historian youtuber, known as FitMC.

Soon after that, many players started using and adopting to the elytra(as during the time, Hausemaster had patched up boat fly, so players can no longer fly using the boat), learning of its game breaking potential of being able to travel vast distances without feelings of lag, and are able to use it as a escape method in dangerous cases, such as fleeing from spawn at (0,0) or fleeing from rushers and pvpers at the highways in the overworld, nether or end. It can also be used offensively against those who try to fly away from fights.

But it is also sometimes problematic as you can get stuck in flight animations due to lag, and removing your elytra during the mid air flight animation can lead to your death due to fall dmg from any height.

Ban Timeline of the Elytra

The first ban

Elytras allowed players to travel vast distances quickly, causing the server to load large chunks of the map at high speeds. One of the first players doing this exploit was a player named C1yd3i(aka, Clyde). This resulted in significant lag spikes and performance issues on 2b2t, which already experiences heavy server strain due to its long history and massive map size. Players keep speed loading chunks all around the world in order to drop the servers tps(ticks per second), causing the server to be more laggy and it also increases the file size for the 2b2t as new chunks are loaded in.

Combined with the unfair advantage given to players with elytras during pvp, Hausemaster decided to disable elytras in September 2017 temporarily in order to come up with a solution to fix elytras from speed loading chunks too quickly.

On 14th August, 2019, Hause patched elytras to where if you were moving above a certain speed, it simply wouldnt load the chunks you are currently in until you slowed or stopped moving at that speed. This benefited both hause and players who were trying to get away from rushers and pvpers as you dont load in new chunks, and at the same time you can fly away from any danger and not leave a trail of evidence by using the hack module New chunks.

Second Ban

Even with all the measures put in place by Hause, the server was still very laggy, as multiple players would load in new chunks ever day. 2b2t was always in a state of low tps, and the file size of the server continued to increase day by day by the gigabytes(GBs). 2b2t was almost unplayable during peak hours and everybody had a very laggy experience during 2019 to 2020.

With that, on September 3rd 2020, hause decided to Ban elytras again, only this time, Hause never told whether the exploit was being patched or not. Players also reported that attempting to use elytras on vanilla were causing glitches, like leaving them midair in the sky.

Conclusion

The elytra ban on 2b2t reflects the complex balancing act required to maintain an anarchy server with such a rich history. While elytras offered exciting new possibilities, they also introduced significant challenges related to gameplay fairness, server performance, and the preservation of 2b2t's chaotic, survival-oriented gameplay.

As of now, the ban remains in place, and it appears unlikely to be lifted anytime soon. However, in true 2b2t fashion, the debate over their place in the server’s future still goes on until this day, with some saying it had its benefits for exploration, and some that supports the ban.

Whether you agree with the ban or not, it’s clear that elytras have left an indelible mark on the server’s history and culture, sparking discussions that continue to resonate within the community.

Hope you enjoy this blog!