Minecraft

[Robert Maxwell]

One thing I think would be really cool is to allow people to upload structures they've built and then have an option in the game to randomly populate the landscape with them. I know it's already possible to import structures (.structure files?) but to have it done automatically and at random would add some interesting variety to the game.

Given its focus on online community, it seems like a no-brainer feature. Having some options for world generation would also be nice. Maybe checkboxes for what biomes you want to have, what kind you want to start out on, whether you want random structures, etc. That's probably my main gripe with the game: the lack of customizability. I assume that will happen eventually and I'd sure love to see it.

[Canadave]

^ Yeah, that would be great. I can see one of the problems with the idea of structures being the fact that so many are built in to "natural" features, though. Might be tough to export that cliffside home...

Also, it would definitely be great to have world customization options. I do find my exploration world to be a little less interesting now that the game is in Beta. Alpha worlds tended to be a little crazier, and thus a little more interesting, overall.

[Robert Maxwell]

There should be a "landscape insanity" slider for world generation. "Sane" produces worlds that are fairly realistic with reasonable transitions between biomes, no "floating mountains" or other weirdness. "Insane" produces worlds with continents in the sky, lava pouring out of rockfaces all over the place, impossibly large overhangs, deserts right next to ice, and other lunacy.

[Canadave]

^ I like it.

I imagine lava all over the place would get a bit annoying, though. On one world I started, on my first deep mining expedition, I was exploring a cave, and walked past a lava stream. Shortly thereafter, I was startled by a zombie, and while doing a panicky run backwards to give myself time to get out my sword, I ran right into the lava and burned to death. Lost all of the stuff I mined.

[Robert Maxwell]

Lava taught me the dangers of ever mining upward.

[Owain Taggart]

I'm actually preparing to build a large round tower. I don't know how high it will be, but I imagine it to be some kind of lookout point, and maybe if I'm successful with that, I'll build more of them around the world.

I've been talking with my friend who runs the server I'm on, and he started using one of the texture packs. This led me to talking about a feature the game could have for server runners in setting a texture pack as a default pack, to be downloaded to those who don't have it yet. It wouldn't be high-bandwidth considering once someone has it, they'll have it and it won't have to be downloaded again, and you usually have the same people returning, so it's not as if it lots of bandwidth would always be used. This more or less would allow servers to have custom texture sets that everyone would see and make servers feel distinct.

[Robert Maxwell]

Owain Taggart wrote:

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I'm actually preparing to build a large round tower. I don't know how high it will be, but I imagine it to be some kind of lookout point, and maybe if I'm successful with that, I'll build more of them around the world.

I've been talking with my friend who runs the server I'm on, and he started using one of the texture packs. This led me to talking about a feature the game could have for server runners in setting a texture pack as a default pack, to be downloaded to those who don't have it yet. It wouldn't be high-bandwidth considering once someone has it, they'll have it and it won't have to be downloaded again, and you usually have the same people returning, so it's not as if it lots of bandwidth would always be used. This more or less would allow servers to have custom texture sets that everyone would see and make servers feel distinct.

Ah, yes, exactly how the original Quake did things. As long as you just had custom sounds, models, and maps (and not custom code), the client would automatically download the required assets from the server. Oldies are goodies.

[XwarlokX]

After finding this thread a few months back I've been a minecraft fanatic! Granted I haven't done any insane projects like I've seen posted on the net, but I have been having quite a time building myself a castle and trying to work out how to get an indoor tree farm going.

And i've also learned never to dig straight down...there's lava down there! Resulted in two deaths trying to get all my gear back!

[Robert Maxwell]

XwarlokX wrote:

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After finding this thread a few months back I've been a minecraft fanatic! Granted I haven't done any insane projects like I've seen posted on the net, but I have been having quite a time building myself a castle and trying to work out how to get an indoor tree farm going.

And i've also learned never to dig straight down...there's lava down there! Resulted in two deaths trying to get all my gear back!

Yes, never dig straight down. Dig horizontally or diagonally, or jump side to side, but not straight down!

Indoor tree farms are pretty easy. Make a room at least eight blocks tall (enough clearance for the trees to grow), and put a layer of dirt blocks in the floor. Then, arrange torches/trees in this pattern:

Link

Go out and do something else, and when you come back there should be some trees grown. I usually just cut down the ones that have grown and leave the rest. I can typically clear the grown trees 3 or 4 times before I need to replant, since they don't all grow at once. You should easily pick up enough saplings to replant while you do this, too.

[TheGodBen]

XwarlokX wrote:

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After finding this thread a few months back I've been a minecraft fanatic!

I sincerely apologise to you and your loved ones.

And i've also learned never to dig straight down...there's lava down there! Resulted in two deaths trying to get all my gear back!

Also, never dig straight up as gravel/sand/creepers may be right overhead. My first death in the game was due to falling sand.


Anything new with Minecraft? I've not played since a couple of days after the squid update. I'm currently playing The Sims, which I haven't played in many years, and find that it's appealing to me for similar reasons as Minecraft; I grind away at boring activities for days on end in order to obtain shiny new things to put in my home. All it lacks is Creepers.

[Robert Maxwell]

TheGodBen wrote:

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I sincerely apologise to you and your loved ones.

Also, never dig straight up as gravel/sand/creepers may be right overhead. My first death in the game was due to falling sand.


Anything new with Minecraft? I've not played since a couple of days after the squid update. I'm currently playing The Sims, which I haven't played in many years, and find that it's appealing to me for similar reasons as Minecraft; I grind away at boring activities for days on end in order to obtain shiny new things to put in my home. All it lacks is Creepers.

The devs were apparently on a 2-week vacation, so nothing new right now. Still having fun with what's there, though.

[Reverend]

Robert Maxwell wrote:

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Yes, never dig straight down. Dig horizontally or diagonally, or jump side to side, but not straight down!

Indoor tree farms are pretty easy. Make a room at least eight blocks tall (enough clearance for the trees to grow), and put a layer of dirt blocks in the floor. Then, arrange torches/trees in this pattern:

Link

Go out and do something else, and when you come back there should be some trees grown. I usually just cut down the ones that have grown and leave the rest. I can typically clear the grown trees 3 or 4 times before I need to replant, since they don't all grow at once. You should easily pick up enough saplings to replant while you do this, too.

^Never occurred to me to try that. I just enlarged and expanded a natural crevasse then built a glass roof for it. I think using sunlight is far more appealing and even with all that glass you still probably use up less coal than the underground method.

That or find a nice flat open area, light it and and enclose it with a three block high fence to keep out the mobs at night. Either way digging out large underground chambers like that is a little too tedious for my taste.

[Robert Maxwell]

Reverend wrote:

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^Never occurred to me to try that. I just enlarged and expanded a natural crevasse then built a glass roof for it. I think using sunlight is far more appealing and even with all that glass you still probably use up less coal than the underground method.

That or find a nice flat open area, light it and and enclose it with a three block high fence to keep out the mobs at night. Either way digging out large underground chambers like that is a little too tedious for my taste.

This is Minecraft, I like all my cool shit to be underground!

[Owain Taggart]

Hah, I've encountered problems digging diagonally. There was this one time where there was no block underneath the one I had dug out and I fell right through a couple of levels. Luckily I didn't fall into lava! So, now whenever I dig, I'm extra careful to try to fix things by adding blocks to patch things up before I continue to dig. The absence of blocks can really screw you up if you're not paying attention. I had to have my friend bail me out and build an elevator (we use a mod on the server that allows it).


All I ever do is log in to the server to play anymore. I hardly play single-player anymore. It's fun to keep adding to stuff and see the world that someone else is also working in grow. My Friend has completely remodeled his area, including the spawn and added a completely new building, which is still part of the boardwalk/bridge, and I think we're growing into an interesting community.

His House


Spawn


New Building:

[XwarlokX]

I wouldn't call it much of a loss of my free time, because all I do lately is go to school and goof off on Minecraft. I have started another file up, and I have been experimenting a little bit. I've successfully built a literal tree house... as in I put a small cabin in the top of a tree. Keeps me sorta safe from mobs, and the view is breathtaking.

Been debating whether i want to build a house under water, or what my next move should be. I do know that on my original save file I'm going to take my fortress of solitude up into the clouds! But not much else has crossed my mind.