I am excited to announce a new milestone for the kingdom! I’ve established a new goal tied to our paid membership count that, once unlocked, will benefit all members—as long as we maintain the minimum number.
If we reach 25 paid members who remain citizens of the kingdom for at least a month, I will set up a dedicated, peaceful role-play Minecraft server for all Knight and Duke members and staff to enjoy alongside me! This will come complete with a custom modpack specifically designed for this server.
Why have I set this specific milestone of twenty-five paid members? A server, especially one designed to host at least twenty-six people (members plus staff), is not cheap to run. Achieving this level of dedicated support will guarantee that the server does not drain my pocketbooks and ensures it can be consistently run, maintained, and upgraded in the future as required.
When I say peaceful role-play, I mean server members will not have to contend with hostile mobs. Your membership tier will also help determine your role within the kingdom, but rest assured, everyone will have equal opportunities and a great experience. Critically, there will be no pay-to-win features, and we will not use loot boxes. Instead, we’ll use Lootr chests instead of the standard Minecraft chests in generated structures, ensuring everyone who discovers them gets their own unique, guaranteed loot. The complete server rules will be clearly set and posted in a new, dedicated Discord channel so everyone knows exactly what is expected.
This milestone represents the future of Swagnilla Ice and is completely within our grasp! Every single paid membership is a vital step toward bringing this custom Minecraft server to life. If you are currently a Peasant member, consider upgrading to the Knight tier for only $5 a month, or the Duke tier if you want access to the private beta testing channel. Let’s work together to gain those first 25 members and unlock this exciting new world for the kingdom!
In this episode of Creative Engineering, Swag builds a magnificent library in the style of a classic Greek Temple! Inside this beautiful structure, he installs the powerful Advanced Enchanting Infuser, surrounds it with the perfect number of bookshelves for max enchanting power, and includes plenty of chiselled bookshelves for storing enchanted books that he’ll fish up in a future episode.
Don’t forget to submit your questions for the Q&A segment where we’ll be celebrating one year of Creative Engineering together! Post your question in the YouTube comments, use the contact form, or submit it in a blog comment (Swagnilla Ice membership required – no payment needed for a Peasant membership). All submissions must be received by Friday, December 12th at 3 pm MST.
We consider Christmas as the encounter, the great encounter, the historical encounter, the decisive encounter, between God and mankind. He who has faith knows this truly; let him rejoice.
Before we get to the rankings, you need to know how I judge these jobs. The BAT Scale is my own unofficial system, which evolved from simply assigning letters (B, A, or T) as misery popped up. If a job started or progressed to a T, it was time to leave.
Now, the system rates every job factor from 1 (Totally fine) to 10 (Absolutely catastrophic). The scores for B, A, and T are calculated independently, and simply add up to a final score out of 30.
The letters also represent a common escalation, but remember the crucial rule: A high T-score can kill a job right off the bat, regardless of the B and A scores.
B is for Boring (The Tedium Factor)
This score measures how mind-numbing the core tasks of the job are.
Low Score (1-3): The work is varied, challenging, or involves engaging interaction. You check the clock and you’ve somehow lost two hours.
High Score (8-10): The work is soul-crushing in its repetition. Time slows to a geological pace.
A is for Annoying (The Nuisance Factor)
This score tracks all the persistent, petty irritations that drain your energy.
Low Score (1-3): Minor office noises or a slight chill. Totally manageable.
High Score (8-10): This is where you find the frustrating environmental factors, broken or inadequate tools, and high-pressure monitoring.
T is for Terrible (The Disaster Factor)
This score is the most critical, measuring genuine risk and psychological distress.
Low Score (1-3): Safety protocols are clearly followed, management is reasonable, and you feel zero sense of dread coming in.
High Score (8-10): This score spikes when safety is ignored, when management is actively hostile, or when the job causes massive stress or anxiety. Even if a job is not boring or annoying, a high score here is an instant dealbreaker. A 10 here is my personal red flag.
🥵 Case Study 1: The Heat Exhaustion Disaster (28/30)
This job highlights the necessity of the Terrible score… This past summer, I took an assignment that started with sweeping a dusty road in the sun and moved to vacuuming a subfloor with a broken machine inside the un-tiled swimming pool room which had lots of windows.
The Scores
B is for Boring: 9/10. Extreme physical and mental tedium from sweeping a dusty road followed by subfloor vacuuming.
A is for Annoying: 9/10. This was fueled by intense heat and the dust, compounded by the constant struggle of using a broken vacuum cleaner. The glare and heat trapped by the numerous windows amplified the discomfort. Everything felt like a fight.
T is for Terrible: 10/10. The work conditions—sweeping a road in the intense heat and then working in that sun-drenched, glassed-in room—resulted in symptoms close enough to heat exhaustion that I knew I couldn’t risk returning.
The Verdict
The combined 28/30 score is a catastrophe. I took the next day off to recover. When I contacted the agency after work that day to pick up my pay, I informed them that I would only accept assignments from the manager I trust (the one I am currently working for). The BAT Score confirmed the instinct: When the Terrible score maxes out at 10, it is my personal red flag, and I visited the agency in person to decline any further assignments at that specific site. The risk simply isn’t worth it.
🍍 Case Study 2: The Pineapple Sorting Workout (17/30)
This warehouse assignment from two years ago is a textbook mid-range score that was miserable in the moment but proved structurally sound.
The Scores
B is for Boring: 6/10. The work was repetitive, but the need to quickly identify and sort three different types of pineapple mixed in the truck prevented the job from being completely brain-numbing.
A is for Annoying: 8/10. High physical strain from constantly lifting heavy cases of cans onto pallets. Rest periods naturally occurred while waiting for one of the multiple pallet jack operators to return to my door, which kept this score from hitting the max.
T is for Terrible: 3/10. The warm break room, the quick job duration, and the unintentional rest periods created by the high volume of work and limited pallet jack availability meant stress and physical danger were kept low.
The Verdict
The total score of 17/30 shows a job that was tolerable because the low T factor (3/10) compensated for the high B and A scores. It was physically taxing and repetitive, but since my health and safety were fortuitously protected by the way the warehouse was run, it earned a passing grade.
🌞 Case Study 3: The Low-Score Utopia (6/30)
This job is the gold standard—a rare find in temporary assignments, and one I told my agency I would definitely return to.
The Scores
B is for Boring: 1/10. I was consistently kept busy and got to learn something new almost every day.
A is for Annoying: 2/10. The job lacked a break room, but the weather most days was nice enough that eating outside was a pleasure and not a hardship.
T is for Terrible: 3/10. This score was kept low by excellent management. The guys in charge planned carefully, explained in detail, and worked alongside us. The risk was managed proactively: when it rained, we usually got to go home early, and even high-risk tasks like climbing the ladder were secured.
The Verdict
The combined 6/30 score is the best-case scenario. It proves that a job can be safe, engaging, and worth returning to. This assignment was the perfect counterpoint to the high-score disasters.
🏁 Conclusion: The BAT Score Verdict
The BAT Scale isn’t just about rating misery; it’s about protecting your time and health. As a temporary worker, you need a quick system to judge whether a job is worth your effort.
Job Example
BAT Score
Key Takeaway
The Heat Exhaustion Disaster
28/30
The T score is non-negotiable. A maxed-out 10 in Terrible instantly signals a permanent decline to the agency.
The Pineapple Sorting Workout
17/30
High B and A scores are tolerable, but only if the T score is low and the workplace offers some unintended relief.
The Low-Score Utopia
6/30
Proactive, engaged management is the key to a low score. This creates a great environment that I would definitely return to.
When a job scores high, especially in the T for Terrible category, let your agency know in-person you won’t return. You will not regret your decision!
In this thrilling episode of Creative Engineering, Swag takes his builds to the next level by upgrading his tools and acquiring a Netherite Jetpack and an Extendo-Grip from Create. Watch as he showcases the incredible possibilities these new additions bring to his Minecraft creations. Don’t miss the next episode for more amazing builds and innovative ideas in this exciting series!
The annual savings event is here! From Black Friday through Cyber Monday, you can save on the first month of my paid membership tiers if you go the monthly support route.
Use the discount code BlackFridayCyberMonday at checkout to get these massive savings:
Knight: Save $2 on your first month (usually $5/month).
Duke: Save $25 on your first month (usually $150/month).
You will still receive all the incredible benefits of your chosen tier—including full access and a sign in my Minecraft worlds—when you use the code.
This sale is a fantastic opportunity to join the Swagnilla Ice community and directly support my work.
Don’t wait! This special event ends at 12 AM MST on Tuesday, December 2nd.
🔥 The Netherite Factory is FINISHED! In this episode of Creative Engineering, I put the finishing touches on the ultimate automation project: turning Netherite Fragments into full Ingots! Watch as I use a powerful combination of Create, Integrated Dynamics, and Functional Storage to make the process seamless and completely automatic.
Kingdom News! To celebrate the launch, I’m running a special, ONCE-A-YEAR sale for the first month on the paid Swagnilla Ice membership tiers! This is the only sale I run all year, and it starts this Friday! Keep an eye on the blog for the official announcement post and use code: BlackFridayCyberMonday to join the kingdom at a discount!
👋 Welcome to the debut episode of The Power Up Notes!
The Power Up Notes debut! We cover Valve’s new Steam hardware trio, the latest Proton update for Linux gaming, and why you should switch OS!
This month, host Swagnilla Ice breaks down the biggest news impacting your open-source gaming rig. We dive into Valve’s ambitious move to create an entire Linux gaming ecosystem, explain how the new Proton update boosts performance, and analyze why a tool like VeraCrypt is essential for all creators.
➡️ Focusing on the latest news in the gaming and Linux world to keep you powered up!
— // MUSIC & ATTRIBUTION //
Intro Music: News Theme by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
All other music (Allemande, Far Away, Dinner Chimes, Call to Statesmanship, Officers Call) is used under the YouTube Audio Library License (No Attribution Required)
