Mothlight Studio is entering Minecraft’s event and SMP scene with a new content creator server. We were lucky enough to talk to the owner of the studio, Ashbydnd, about their new project!
Attention all bookworms! Mothlight’s first project is a custom SMP called MAZE:Rebirth, which – as you may have guessed if familiar with the franchise – takes inspiration from popular dystopian book series “The Maze Runner”.
“The story follows Thomas, who wakes up in a mysterious place known as The Glade,” Ashby explains of the source material, “which is connected to a vast and dangerous labyrinth. As the novel progresses, Thomas uncovers the secrets of the maze and fights to find a way to escape. It’s such an interesting concept. Just imagine you wake up in an unknown world with no memories of your past life, and the only thing you know is that there is a maze around you.”
Whilst certainly inspired by this franchise, this new SMP will feature a completely original story. “It’s entirely distinct from The Maze Runner,” Ashby says. “It’s set in a separate world with its own unique lore, characters, and narrative, ensuring a fresh and independent experience. I always say to read the original source material something is based off of, but in all fairness you don’t need to know it to get the most out of MAZE:Rebirth.”
The SMP will mainly focus on the storyline, with the main plot already planned out. “My main goal is to craft a compelling story while providing content creators with engaging material to share,” Ashby says. “As a content creator myself, I love storytelling and want to bring that joy to other creators and their communities, allowing them to experience the excitement of being part of a narrative.”
However, there is also a unique twist in the game mechanics. “When a player dies, they have the option to return as a ghost and haunt the living,” Ashby explains. “This allows them to interact with active players by causing hallucinations, creating a more immersive and unsettling experience – which in our opinion really suits the SMP’s whole vibe.”
The SMP will also come with some custom monsters for the players to face. “I’m most excited about our creature design!” Ashby enthuses. “We have an incredible artist, Furg, working on it. He also contributed to the original Maze Runner SMP. We can’t be more pleased to have him creating some truly amazing monsters that I can’t wait to share with the world.”
While the content certainly sounds like it’ll be a treat, making the SMP – like with any server – hasn’t come without its challenges. “One of the biggest challenges has been making this SMP distinct from the original Maze Runner SMP, which I also worked on,” Ashby says. “We want to ensure that this new project stands out on its own, and isn’t seen as simply a rehash of the previous one.”
“Balancing that with the complexities of building the server, such as managing dress codes and character rules, has proven to be difficult. It’s tough to maintain consistency with all the details, and sometimes addressing rule violations can feel uncomfortable, as it feels like I’m undermining the creators’ work.” This attention to detail is however important, as narrative coherence and consistency can elevate a story-driven project like this one massively. Ashby’s eye for detail is a promising sign the SMP – and future of Mothlight – is in capable hands. Mothlight plans to produce events for creators and their communities, ranging from civilization events to SMPs – with the possibility of a MAZE:Rebirth sequel already being considered.
MAZE:Rebirth is set to launch on Saturday 5th April, and last for 3-4 weeks, depending on how the story unfolds. The SMP will be broadcast by the participating content creators, primarily on Twitch.
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