Minecraft Forums

http://mojang.com/2012/01/05/minecraft-snapshot-12w01a/

A changelog for the new 2012 snapshot of Minecraft 1.1 is showing that the terrain generator has been slightly fixed; beaches and varied hills are back as well as smooth biome color transitions! The 'world type' button also has a use, it lets you choose between super-flat and default generation. Seabeds and shallow lakes still have splotches, but beaches are definitely there. What do you think?

The full changelog

Beaches

Terrain is less flat

Smooth biome color transitions

Super-flat

Super-flat thickness

I took a look at a random world, and do the swamps ever look better! The water looked normal, and the grass isn't nearly as harsh in transition. It's awesome!
I can't wait to try out enchanting too.

Quote from Mattchew

I regenerated my currently world its been turned into a snow biome
It's ruined

You can still use your seed with the 'super-flat' terrain option for 1.0.0 worlds.

Edit: Super-flat generates a completely flat world that is four blocks thick, there is no option for 1.0.0 terrain.

Quote from Mattchew

Really? I thought super-flat just made a flat world, at least it did for me?

You are correct, my bad.

Oh yeah this update was just what I was hoping for!

Trees over deserts are fixed

Ugly swamps are fixed


I think ravines still need a little work (more rare), this is either two that generated next to each other or on that curves onto itself

And this one was just something I found amusing

I don't think it's perfect but it's a HUGE improvement over the 1.0 terrain generator

Updated with new pictures and subtitles. We still need a picture of gravel beaches in 12w01a, if they actually exist.

Removing the collision box from ladders is going to mess up a lot of mob farms (which, I believe is the intent).

In case I got that wrong- Can anyone think of another reason to make this particular change a priority amongst a sea of needed repairs?

On a happier note- I can't wait to check out the other (most welcome) changes.

I went in and had a look with my previous world. Unfortunately it started turning into a snow biome (wtf?)...
Then I decided to check out a newly generated world and I quite like how it is :biggrin.gif:
I'm hoping there aren't any major changes from the snapshot to a release as I liked what I saw.

As for the super flat worlds... Ultimate survival world >.<
No trees, no wood. Animals are there (so yay for food)... Other than that... Dirt home anyone?
Seriously now, It'll be great for creative mode to just build some interesting things or test out redstone contraptions :biggrin.gif:

Can't wait for a release :smile.gif:

Quote from Sironin

how will removing the collision box from ladders mess up mob farms?

Some folks used them to "extend" the usable space mobs see as walkable terrain in their mob farms. Glad I used signs for mine.

It still works for beans however, since Mob hitboxes are broken in SMP and mobs no longer move about unless the player is within 30-something blocks of the mob.

On another note- Anyone know what reduced randomness of enchantments actually means?

It's definitely improved, I think Savannah should be added back in like said in the above post^

Also I noticed trees drop apples now <3

Nice to see the occasional mountain outside extreme hills.

Maybe jeb will fix crappy sea floor next? :smile.gif:

The transitional area between old and new chunks doesn't seem as drastic as before. Indeed I have trouble seeing it at all in most places (except where a mountain was nearly sheared in half).

I'm so happy beaches are back! :biggrin.gif: Thank you Jeb for actually LISTENING to the community!!! :biggrin.gif:

Swamp transitions:




Awesome tree:

I found some sand with snow. :smile.gif: So far the terrain gen isn't a lot better, but it's a start! :smile.gif:

Here's a selection of pictures showing the new beaches and transitions:

http://imgur.com/a/yQziG

I found the link on Reddit.

It's better. It's not perfect. Taiga forests are WAY too common and shouldn't be fully packed with trees. Every snow biome I see is completely filled with pine trees, which leaves tree sized gaps in the snow all over the place and barely any large snow patches. The snow cover is ugly with the entire biome filled with trees.

I liked it better in 1.7 when the patches of pines were small, and the snow biome could form without the presense of tree growth or the tree growth was even more likely to be the normal tree. This variety is still missing from the game. Snow plains are still too rare and too huge.

Also the transition between these taiga forest biomes is very rough and doesn't transition well next to a swamp.

This transition is very odd. The snow stops at the edge of that beach.


Ummmmm?



This was a welcomed sight though.




The beaches make things look better. But they spawn in weird places sometimes. Every body of water doesn't need to have a beach attached to it.



It's not a serious issue, but it looks odd.




The terrain is better, but it still lacks variety in spots. The terrain and tree placements have gotten better, but biomes are still all of one thing. Forests still are all evenly densed with trees, there aren't bits of the forest that have open patches. The taiga forests are so dense that the snow layer arguably contains an equal amount of exposed grass as snow covered grass. That biome is still in dire need of attention IMO.

This is a step in the right direction.