Minecraft

[Robert Maxwell]

Biome data isn't stored in chunks, but rather generated as a function of the level seed and coordinates. So, if you wipe out part of your existing map using an editor, new chunks should be generated using the new logic and, presumably, the new biome system.

 

[Itisnotlogical]

And more 1.8 news...RIVERS!

http://media.minecraftforum.net/content/images/2011/08/rivers.jpg

And Notch's response: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112364-Notch-Challenges-Bethesda-to-Lawsuit-Deathmatch

I read that. Glad Mojang is giving the issue the seriousness it deserves.

That's odd, because just yesterday I was really jonesing for some good old-fashioned Quake action. Maybe I'll be selected to be part of Mojang's team, in which case they're doomed. (I must be the only one who played that game for the single-player )

 

[TheGodBen]

Notch has said that the adventure update isn't close to being complete yet so he's planning on splitting it into two releases with 1.8 being released next week. He also said that NPCs haven't been created yet (though NPC villiages are in), he only has some of the biomes coded into the new terrain generator, and XP doesn't have a use yet. Seems weird to release the update in that state, hopefully he'll have all the biome types coded in by next week.

 

[Cutter John]

Thats great news, since honestly I'm more interested in Endermen, rivers, giant mushrooms, etc, than I am the adventure aspects. If I wanted NPC's and levelling up I'd have bought an RPG.

Hopefully it'll reinvigorate the community.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Does that mean new biomes or just a different way biomes will be generated due to new features?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

The way they'll be generated has been changed substantially, which will affect new chunks. In addition, there is one new biome type (the one with giant mushrooms.)

 

[TheGodBen]

I think Notch said he had 6 biomes coded now, 7 if you include rivers. There's mountains, plains, forests, deserts, oceans and I presume the last biome is snow (although I couldn't see any snow biomes in the videos from PAX). Notch said that he wanted to add swamps and rainforests but he didn't say if he'd have time to add them to 1.8 or if they'd be added later.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Oh ok, that's awesome. I look forward to seeing the interesting landscapes that will be formed. Swamps would be interesting. Wonder if there'd be anything like alligators in them lol.

 

[Itisnotlogical]

Damn, next week? I'll only have a few days of mostly-unrestricted play until school starts back up again in my district. I volunteer to plant Enderman traps in and around the town for the zoo. Assuming they can't detect players through glass, because then we'd have a bunch of hostile block-stealing mobs in the middle of town

 

[Cutter John]

Damn, next week? I'll only have a few days of mostly-unrestricted play until school starts back up again in my district. I volunteer to plant Enderman traps in and around the town for the zoo. Assuming they can't detect players through glass, because then we'd have a bunch of hostile block-stealing mobs in the middle of town

Only problem though, would they eventually burrow their way out of their cage?

 

[Owain Taggart]

That's a good question. I think we'll have to see how they behave first before doing deciding anything.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

My girlfriend clued me in to this: http://kotaku.com/5835043/notch-gives-us-a-tour-of-the-ever+expanding-radical-minecraft-18-update

Has a video showing the current state of 1.8. Looks pretty cool!

 

[Itisnotlogical]

It depends on how intelligent and purposeful they are when they steal blocks. If they just aimlessly take blocks for the hell of it, I should be fine just dropping them in a pit with a glass block on top and a tunnel leading to the exhibit, which will probably be pretty deep underground just in case.

 

[Owain Taggart]

That does look pretty cool. I'm encouraged to see that the towns actually look quite elaborate.

 

[TheGodBen]

It depends on how intelligent and purposeful they are when they steal blocks. If they just aimlessly take blocks for the hell of it, I should be fine just dropping them in a pit with a glass block on top and a tunnel leading to the exhibit, which will probably be pretty deep underground just in case.

I read somewhere that they pick up blocks randomly, but they lay them down in a geometric pattern. They're also supposed to be very rare and they take damage in water.

 

[Cutter John]

Cool beans. Thanks for the vid Robert.

Love the 'om, nom nom' animation.

 

[Itisnotlogical]

What caught my attention was the stackable food. It's already an important game item, it's pretty bamboozling that they made it so you can only carry as many as you have free inventory spaces.

 

[Owain Taggart]

It might be a developer mode, but did anyone see the inventory? Looked like a new inventory system with a scrollbar, which might mean we can carry more.

 

[TheGodBen]

What caught my attention was the stackable food. It's already an important game item, it's pretty bamboozling that they made it so you can only carry as many as you have free inventory spaces.

That was for game balance. Food was essentially a health pack and the ability to carry hundreds of health packs with you wherever you go would have pretty much made you invincible, especially since there was no delay between eating. Now that food no longer directly translates into health it is possible to stack food items without making adventuring too easy.

It might be a developer mode, but did anyone see the inventory? Looked like a new inventory system with a scrollbar, which might mean we can carry more.

That's the new creative mode. When you start a new world you can choose between survival and creative and your inventory in creative mode contains with every item. Here's a list of the new items people found in there:

http://i.imgur.com/s8gNd.png

 

[Itisnotlogical]

I'm excited about the glass panes. Should make windows look more like windows, and less like giant blocks of glass stuck into the wall