Add Early Winter 2024 post (#142)

Co-authored-by: TheShadowOfHassen <94244235+TheShadowOfHassen@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: rubenwardy <rw@rubenwardy.com>
Co-authored-by: MisterE <mistere123.coding@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: grorp <gregor.parzefall@posteo.de>
Co-authored-by: GreenXenith <24834740+GreenXenith@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: 6 people

.vscode/settings.json

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-			"pattern": "_posts/2022-11-04-November.md"
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-			"scheme": "vscode-vfs",
-			"pattern": "_posts/2023-02-16-January.md"
-		},
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-			"scheme": "file",
-			"pattern": "_posts/2023-03-12-February.md"
-		},
-		{
-			"language": "markdown",
-			"scheme": "file",
-			"pattern": "_posts/2023-04-00-March.md"
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 }

_posts/2024-01-29-January.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Early Winter in Minetest (16)"
+contributors:
+  - MisterE
+  - GreenXenith
+  - rubenwardy
+  - Zughy
+  - jordan4ibanez
+  - Bituvo
+  - Apercy
+  - BuckarooBanzay
+  - jdiego
+  - grorp
+  - Luatic
+description: >
+  Improvements are made to graphics, the Lua API, and the user interface. We present the winners of the 2023 Game
+  Jam along with other cool mods. A new core developer joins the team, and we look forward to FOSDEM 2024!
+tags:
+  - last_month
+image: /static/blog/2024_January/header.png
+
+# forum_topic: https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=29889
+
+# pulls: https://github.com/minetest/minetest/pull
+gallery_apercy:
+- src: /static/blog/2024_January/vwbug.jpg
+  caption: Lovebug 🪲
+- src: /static/blog/2024_January/savoia.jpg
+  caption: Savoia S.21 from "Porco Rosso"
+- src: /static/blog/2024_January/ww1plane.jpg
+  caption: WWI planes
+gallery_BlEx:
+- src: /static/blog/2024_January/better_details.png
+  caption: Better details page
+- src: /static/blog/2024_January/featuredschems.png
+  caption: Featured schematics
+- src: /static/blog/2024_January/login_options.png
+  caption: More login options
+gallery_temple_details:
+- src: /static/blog/2024_January/Mortuary_Temple_of_Ramesses_III_at_Medinet_Habu_2.png
+  caption: '"Egyptian Temple", interior'
+- src: /static/blog/2024_January/Mortuary_Temple_of_Ramesses_III_at_Medinet_Habu_3.png
+  caption: '"Egyptian Temple", front wall'
+---
+
+{{ page.description }}
+
+<!-- more -->
+
+- [Engine News](#engine-news)
+- [2023 Game Jam Winners](#2023-game-jam-winners)
+- [Mods News](#mods-news)
+- [Art and Builds](#art-and-builds)
+- [Other News](#other-news)
+- [FOSDEM 2024](#fosdem-2024)
+- [Contributing to Minetest](#contributing-to-minetest)
+
+## Engine News
+
+### New Core Developer
+
+The community welcomes longtime community member Lars Müller (aka Luatic, appguru(eu), LMD) ([Github](https://github.com/appgurueu),
+[ContentDB](https://content.minetest.net/users/LMD/)), as the newest Core Developer! He has made
+[many contributions](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/commits?author=appgurueu) to documentation and entities, is
+currently assisting the effort to [introduce the modern glTF model format](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/pull/14234),
+and is working on [a PR to allow specific entities to be hidden from players](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/pull/13987).
+
+### Improved Touchscreen Support
+
+With SDL2 recently being set as the [default rendering backend](https://github.com/minetest/irrlicht/pull/209),
+progress on better integration of gamepads and touchscreens can easily move forward.
+[Grorp's PR](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/pull/14146) to enable mouse and touchscreen input on any device paired
+with [work by okias](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/pull/14075) to switch between the two while playing marks
+another great step towards universal input support.
+
+### Entity Animation Improvements
+
+Lars M. has [extended the capabilities of armature bones](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/pull/12388), allowing
+mods to set individual bone position, rotation, and scale, with optional relation to defined animations and
+interpolation over time. This will finally allow game developers and modders to implement smoother entity animations in Lua.
+
+### God Rays Shader
+
+x2048's [god rays](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepuscular_rays) shader was
+[adopted by lhofhansl](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/pull/13881) and merged into the development version of
+Minetest 5.9.0. Similar to dynamic shadows, game developers can choose to enable
+[the new lighting API features](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/blob/40bf88ac7483084c3ba9b77004c36c6f62ed05ca/doc/lua_api.md?plain=1#L8086)
+to allow god rays in their games. Players must enable both bloom and volumetric lighting in their settings to utilize
+the new shader.
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/volumetric.png" caption='Volumetric lighting in Minetest Game' %}
+
+### Touchscreen Tap Inputs
+
+Many items are used by holding the place button (right mouse by default), such as
+bows and shields from MineClone2. Until [PR #14087 by grorp](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/pull/14087), these
+items did not work on touchscreens. With the PR merged, game and mod developers can determine which action a given item
+performs on a long or short tap. The PR also changes the default touchscreen punch behavior to a short tap, improving
+the Minetest combat experience and bringing it closer to other mobile voxel games.
+
+
+## 2023 Game Jam Winners
+
+[The 2023 Game Jam](https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?t=29957) was held in December with the theme "Unexpected".
+Contestants were given three weeks to make games from scratch and submit them to ContentDB. After the community ranked
+their favorite submissions on the new [Game Jam Site](https://jam.minetest.net), the winners emerged.
+
+### 1st Place: Citadel by Irevol
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/Citadel.png" caption='The ruins of the citadel' %}
+
+Weave through the past and future in the 4-dimensional parkour puzzle game
+[Citadel](https://content.minetest.net/packages/_Irevol_/citadel/) by [Irevol](https://content.minetest.net/users/_Irevol_/).
+You are a daring explorer searching the ruins of an ancient citadel. You find mysterious runes which allow you to
+navigate space and time and unearth the secrets and treasures of the citadel.
+
+### 2nd Place: The Velvet Crystal by Regulus
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/velvet_crystal.png" caption='The mission begins' %}
+
+Recover the lost crystal and bring light back to the world in [The Velvet
+Crystal](https://content.minetest.net/packages/regulus/regulus_mtgamejam_2023/) by [Regulus](https://content.minetest.net/users/regulus/),
+a parkour game with a twist. Use your wand to perform stunts and help you navigate the castle. Gather information from
+voiced NPCs and defeat the final boss to recover the velvet crystal.
+
+### 3rd place: The Unexpected Gambit by NO11
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/gambit.png" caption='Your move' %}
+
+Are you a chess lover? [The Unexpected Gambit](https://content.minetest.net/packages/NO11/the_unexpected_gambit/) by [NO11](https://content.minetest.net/users/NO11/) will keep you on your toes with crazy moves that come at unexpected moments. Experience a very polished implementation of
+a classic game with interesting twists in The Unexpected Gambit.
+
+### Honorable Mentions
+
+Thank you to everyone who participated in the game jam and congratulations to the winners! We hope all the participants
+continue to improve their games to become polished player experiences and great showcases of what Minetest can do.
+Here are some other interesting projects that emerged from the 2023 jam.
+
+#### MineOS
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/mineos.png" caption='It can even run Boom!' %}
+
+[MineOS](https://content.minetest.net/packages/jordan4ibanez/mineos/) by [jordan4ibanez](https://content.minetest.net/users/jordan4ibanez/)
+is an astonishing demo, especially for those familiar with Minetest's GUI capabilities. MineOS implements a polished
+graphical operating system with retro sound effects and animations and includes several windowed apps to play with,
+including a 3D [DOOM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_(franchise))-like shooter. It was certainly unexpected.
+
+#### Shadow Forest
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/shadowForest.png" caption='The Shadows are coming!' %}
+
+[Shadow Forest](https://content.minetest.net/packages/Wuzzy/shadow_forest/) by [Wuzzy](https://content.minetest.net/users/Wuzzy/)
+is a polished role-playing game where you fill the shoes of the Wizard of Light (and his trusty Light Crystal companion).
+Your quest is to rid the forest of the invading Shadows. Collect resources, level up your skills, and use your Staff of
+Light to defeat the Shadows. Read more about [the making of Shadow Forest on Wuzzy's website!](https://wuzzy.codeberg.page/games/makingof_shadow_forest/)
+
+#### Air Game by wsor4035
+
+*This section intentionally left blank.*
+
+
+## Mods News
+
+### Vehicles from Apercy
+
+{% include figure_gallery.html items=page.gallery_apercy %}
+
+[APercy](https://content.minetest.net/users/apercy/) continues his line of quality vehicles in Minetest! His latest work
+introduces a Volkswagen Beetle to his [Automobiles Pack](https://content.minetest.net/packages/apercy/automobiles_pck/),
+the [Savoia S2.1 biplane](https://content.minetest.net/packages/apercy/savoia_s21/)
+from the 1992 Japanese animated film [_Porco Rosso_ (Studio Ghibli)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porco_Rosso), and a
+[World War I airplane combat mod](https://content.minetest.net/packages/apercy/ww1_planes/).
+
+### TypeScript For Minetest
+
+[jordan4ibanez](https://content.minetest.net/users/jordan4ibanez/) has created custom
+[TypeScript type definitions for Minetest](https://github.com/jordan4ibanez/forgotten-lands/blob/23def382ab8acd30e8bdd840705439dda1d894fc/minetest-api.d.ts)
+to use with [the TypeScriptToLua transpiler](https://typescripttolua.github.io/). He is developing and using it with his project
+[ForgottenLands](https://github.com/jordan4ibanez/forgotten-lands), written almost entirely in TypeScript.
+
+### BlockExchange
+
+{% include figure_gallery.html items=page.gallery_BlEx %}
+
+The [Blockexchange project](https://content.minetest.net/packages/BuckarooBanzay/blockexchange/) by [BuckarooBanzay](https://content.minetest.net/users/BuckarooBanzay/) has undergone a few rewrites and enhancements to improve the overall user experience. Blockexchange now
+supports logging in with ContentDB, features schematics on the homepage, supports [CDB Collections](https://content.minetest.net/collections/)
+and markdown on detail pages, and sports a new, faster interface. Check out the new features at <https://blockexchange.minetest.ch>.
+
+
+## Art and Builds
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/Mortuary_Temple_of_Ramesses_III_at_Medinet_Habu.png" caption='"Egyptian Temple" by jdiego, built using references of the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu' %}
+{% include figure_gallery.html items=page.gallery_temple_details %}
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/colorland.png" caption='"Colorlandia server spawn" by dibesfer' %}
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/digilines_comp.png" caption='"Ventilated computer with several commands executed on its large screen" by Bituvo. Find on the "Eden Lost" server at station "Computer" under travelnet "Thresher" at spawn' %}
+
+## Other News
+
+### Minetest at Events in Italy
+
+In late 2023 Minetest was featured at several conventions around Italy thanks to [Zughy](https://content.minetest.net/users/Zughy)
+and his sponsor Italian Linux Society. Zughy demonstrated Minetest and gave talks at several events, from underground
+videogame festivals like _Zona Warpa_ to free software events like [_MERGE-it_](https://merge-it.net/) (you can watch
+one of the talks in Italian [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBZoPYleoX4)). In December,
+Zughy also presented a workshop in Empoli, Italy where participants learned how to create minigames from scratch using
+[arena_lib](https://content.minetest.net/packages/Zughy/arena_lib/). It doesn't look like these events are going to stop
+any time soon, so what's next? FOSDEM!
+
+## FOSDEM 2024
+
+Minetest will be among [several stands](https://fosdem.org/2024/news/2023-11-20-accepted-stands-fosdem-2024/) at
+[FOSDEM 2024](https://fosdem.org/2024/)! FOSDEM is the largest free and open-source software conference in Europe and
+will be held on February 3rd and 4th in Brussels, Belgium. The Minetest booth will be showing off the engine and
+community content, giving out stickers and goodies, and introducing visitors to the platform!
+
+If you happen to be in the area, come say hi!
+
+{% include figure.html src="/static/blog/2024_January/minetest_at_freenode_live_2018.jpg" caption='Minetest at Freenode Live in 2018' %}
+
+## Contributing to Minetest
+
+Want to contribute to Minetest but don't know where to start? Start with
+[these simple issues](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22),
+or help fix the [most annoying bugs]((https://github.com/minetest/minetest/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3ABug+label%3A%22High+priority%22))
+for the community!
+
+Want to add a feature, but you're not sure if it will be accepted? Have a look at
+the [roadmap](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/blob/master/doc/direction.md) or choose [an issue with the "Supported by core dev" label](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22Supported+by+core+dev%22)!
+
+Are you a professional artist or UI designer? Help us make our main menu more
+appealing and [help create an identity for Minetest](https://github.com/minetest/minetest/issues/6733)!