I've been noticing a lot of talk against some of the new implementations of 1.9 pr3. Specifically, most of the hate (for lack of a better term) has been levied toward potions and enchanting. The arguments I tend to hear from people is that Minecraft isn't about "magic and sorcery," and that Notch is taking the game to a level that it never used to be.
But hold on a second; IS this true? Or HAVEN'T we been living in a world of fantasy this whole time? I want to look at a few things about Minecraft and see if maybe people are jumping the gun a bit. Some of this, honestly, is entirely speculative. At the very least I try to indicate where I am guessing about certain things.
The Planet The world which Minecraft takes place on (that is the Overworld) does not appear to be Earth. At the very least it is not Earth as we know it. The sun, for example, rises in the north and sets in the south. The planet is also composed entirely of specialized 3x3x3 foot blocks. Everything, from the people to the animals to the plant life, is cuboidal in nature.
There are three possibilities here.
This is Earth after some sort of cataclysmic event or apocalypse which, one way or another, altered the tilt of the planet clockwise 90 degrees, essentially similar to what happened to Uranus.
This is Earth but in some other dimension or universe; an alternate reality where the Earth is tilted at a different angle and life/the planet has evolved the way it has.
This is not Earth at all but some other planet which, of course, is entirely different from our reality and yet contains many similar aspects such as familiar (if not modified) animals, plant life, and materials.
There could be some combinations of this as well, like a planet in another dimension or something. At the very least we are looking at a post-apocalyptic Earth. At the most we're talking about a different planet/dimension all together. This is more sci-fi than fantasy, and yet plenty of fantasy takes place in alternate dimensions/entirely different planets where magic is common and embraced (World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, etc.).
Undead This planet, whatever it is, seems plagued by natural necromancy. Undead creatures in the form of zombies and skeletons are a common sight wandering the landscape, and this points directly to a magical origin.
It seems clear that these zombies are not infected creatures come from a virus or plague. The zombies do not infect the player when they damage him, a common element for magical or necromantic zombies such as those of Magic: The Gathering. Non-magical zombies, such as those of Left 4 Dead, Dawn of the Dead, World War Z, etc. tend to be creatures of science or biology and, again, infect those they attack with the zombie virus, turning them into zombies themselves.
The existence of animated skeletons, again a form of undead similar to zombies but also markedly different, points to a clear magical origin. Reanimated skeletons have almost always only appeared in works of fiction where a necromancer or necromantic magic has pulled strings; biological factors such as a zombie virus don't work on something that is literally only bones. The fact that these skeletons are able to walk around and attack is a testament to magic being common in this world.
And of course both of these undead are harmed by sunlight, which literally destroys them. A biological origin would be unlikely to cause this; you never see zombies in films just dieing because daylight came. However, this subversion to light (often as an "element" or power) and sunlight is a very common trait for necromantic creatures, which are raised by dark magic.
Whether this magic is manipulated and utilized by an individual or organization like a cult or powerful necromancer, OR it is a matter of natural forces raising individuals from death is unclear. Either way, magic is the simplest and most logical answer, particularly considering the characteristics these two creatures show.
Creepers Notch himself has described Creepers as being "crunchy, like leaves." This, combined with their general "earthy appearance" gives great credence to the theory that Creepers are literally nature fighting back. Essentially elementals, Creepers are created by nature magic, leaves and other natural forms coming together and taking the shape of the Creeper form we know. Natural minerals are also used in the process to give the Creeper an explosive attack.
The idea is that the very landscape itself is creating physical manifestations of its limited psyche to combat those who would do it harm, i.e. the player; hence the whole "and you call me the monster" creed which has been thrown around a few times. Creepers are nature's way of fighting back. They are the protectors of the land, created by the very land itself, and elementals by their very nature are magical. They are essentially ents or treants; just not in a form we often see, and a bit more direct in their methods of riding the world of man (or "the man" as it were).
The Nether 10-14 obsidian and some fire and suddenly a mystical portal opens to another dimension where great fire elementals roam, melancholy spiritual beings wander, and undead man-pigs reside. The Nether is nothing short of magical, especially considering its inhabitants. The very place is constructed of an almost organic substance which burns eternally, probably rich with magic. Ghasts and Zombie Pig-Men are immune to the damages of fire, and in the case of Ghasts have the ability to shoot flaming bombs from within themselves. Recent updates also introduced fire elementals in the Blazes and Magma Cubes, likely manifestations of the Nether itself (which is clearly given a fire-motif), similar to the idea of Creepers.
The process of creating a portal is itself highly reminiscent of a ritual or other "magic-item-creating" process, where supplies are brought together, arranged in a specific form, and somehow activated. And of course the portal is extremely magical in nature; rather than some sort of futuristic wormhole or dimensional gateway it seems to be an almost unholy teleportation device.
Endermen and the Ender Endermen seem almost to be inter-dimensional visitors, able to phase in and out of our dimension and their, the Ender. Honestly this could harken to a more scientific/futuristic motif, but the fact that they use the same kind of particle effects as a Nether portal suggests a similar, if not identical, teleportation ability. Where we as the player must construct enchanted gateways to teleport, and even then to do so in only one set "direction," Endermen can use this same magic inwardly and automatically, allowing them to phase into our world from theirs, phase around our world, and phase back to their world (which seems to be what Endermen now do during the daylight).
Endermen do not appear to be undead, since they are not actually damaged by sunlight. A more likely explanation, especially given the screenshots of the Ender we've seen so far, is that they are very nocturnal creatures, not necessarily dark or evil but certainly "of the night" or "of shadow." Thus they would of course attempt to flee from the sun and light of the day, eventually returning themselves back to their own world upon realizing that escape from that giant ball of fire is impossible. They may even be elementals in their own right (though there isn't a lot of evidence for this); simply elementals of darkness. Their vulnerability to water I have no concrete explanation for; it could be magical or it could be biological.
tl:dr
Undead creatures risen by necromancy. Nature elementals defending the wilderness from man. An entire realm of fire and spirits accessible only through a magic portal. Other-worldly creatures able to teleport at will and whom shun the sunlight. All of this screams "MAGIC" to me, and it only makes sense that the player, either newly lost or transported to this world, would eventually be able to harness this inherent property as we would harness dirt or wood. Potions and enchanting, after fighting undead and beating back elementals, seems a perfectly logical direction to take the game; if other things on this unknown planet can use magic, why can't I learn the ways?
Thanks. It's something I was thinking about particularly with all the naysayers lately; frankly we've always had magic in Minecraft in some capacity. We're just now being given the opportunity to USE that magic ourselves.
Thanks. It's something I was thinking about particularly with all the naysayers lately; frankly we've always had magic in Minecraft in some capacity. We're just not being given the opportunity to USE that magic ourselves.
I also forgot about the Slimes, which are of course heavily based of the Gelatinous Cubes from Dungeons and Dragons (and probably some other things from other sources). These aren't strictly magical, however, just like giant spiders aren't strictly magical. Fantastical, however, is definite.
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We dig dig dig dig dig dig dig in our mine the whole day through!
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what we like to do!
Interesting to see Occam's razor applied to a gaming discussion. And I for one agree with your assesment that mine craft is a magical world already. I actually enjoy that train of though, IE: Lemmi show ya magical freaks what a little science can do! As I drop a crapload of lit Tnt onto varies mob. You also forgot spiders which are grown to freakeshly large lengths which scientifically (under normal gravity) they cannot be at that size level.
Interesting to see Occam's razor applied to a gaming discussion. And I for one agree with your assesment that mine craft is a magical world already. I actually enjoy that train of though, IE: Lemmi show ya magical freaks what a little science can do! As I drop a crapload of lit Tnt onto varies mob. You also forgot spiders which are grown to freakeshly large lengths which scientifically (under normal gravity) they cannot be at that size level.
Ah yes that's the term; Occam's Razor. I couldn't remember what it was though I've heard the word before.
It's really a logical thing to do; how do you explain reanimated skeletons, zombies, portals to other dimensions, elementals, etc.? Magic. Then potions and enchantments pop up which do not challenge this "magical" train of thought and, actually, confirm it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We dig dig dig dig dig dig dig in our mine the whole day through!
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what we like to do!
This is quite possibly the best headcanon for Minecraft I have ever read.
The only thing I wonder about is the Creeper theory. If nature created creepers to destroy us because we're destroying nature, why would the creepers then be able to destroy the landscape--or the very nature they were born from? Perhaps this is what nature considers a price worth paying to be rid of us...
It's kind of cool, and allows one to mentally tie in the updates into actual game canon; not as code updates, but as us as a species learning more and more about our land. The world has always been magical, but it wasn't until now that humans (or whatever variant of humans/human-like creatures we play as) learned how to control that magic.
This is quite possibly the best headcanon for Minecraft I have ever read.
The only thing I wonder about is the Creeper theory. If nature created creepers to destroy us because we're destroying nature, why would the creepers then be able to destroy the landscape--or the very nature they were born from? Perhaps this is what nature considers a price worth paying to be rid of us...
It's kind of cool, and allows one to mentally tie in the updates into actual game canon; not as code updates, but as us as a species learning more and more about our land. The world has always been magical, but it wasn't until now that humans (or whatever variant of humans/human-like creatures we play as) learned how to control that magic.
I love the idea, and I agree with the Creeper idea as well; nature itself, though not a "thinking" entity, is set to get rid of us (the player) however it can, and if that means blowing us apart then so be it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We dig dig dig dig dig dig dig in our mine the whole day through!
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what we like to do!
But hold on a second; IS this true? Or HAVEN'T we been living in a world of fantasy this whole time? I want to look at a few things about Minecraft and see if maybe people are jumping the gun a bit. Some of this, honestly, is entirely speculative. At the very least I try to indicate where I am guessing about certain things.
The Planet The world which Minecraft takes place on (that is the Overworld) does not appear to be Earth. At the very least it is not Earth as we know it. The sun, for example, rises in the north and sets in the south. The planet is also composed entirely of specialized 3x3x3 foot blocks. Everything, from the people to the animals to the plant life, is cuboidal in nature.
There are three possibilities here.
Undead This planet, whatever it is, seems plagued by natural necromancy. Undead creatures in the form of zombies and skeletons are a common sight wandering the landscape, and this points directly to a magical origin.
It seems clear that these zombies are not infected creatures come from a virus or plague. The zombies do not infect the player when they damage him, a common element for magical or necromantic zombies such as those of Magic: The Gathering. Non-magical zombies, such as those of Left 4 Dead, Dawn of the Dead, World War Z, etc. tend to be creatures of science or biology and, again, infect those they attack with the zombie virus, turning them into zombies themselves.
The existence of animated skeletons, again a form of undead similar to zombies but also markedly different, points to a clear magical origin. Reanimated skeletons have almost always only appeared in works of fiction where a necromancer or necromantic magic has pulled strings; biological factors such as a zombie virus don't work on something that is literally only bones. The fact that these skeletons are able to walk around and attack is a testament to magic being common in this world.
And of course both of these undead are harmed by sunlight, which literally destroys them. A biological origin would be unlikely to cause this; you never see zombies in films just dieing because daylight came. However, this subversion to light (often as an "element" or power) and sunlight is a very common trait for necromantic creatures, which are raised by dark magic.
Whether this magic is manipulated and utilized by an individual or organization like a cult or powerful necromancer, OR it is a matter of natural forces raising individuals from death is unclear. Either way, magic is the simplest and most logical answer, particularly considering the characteristics these two creatures show.
Creepers Notch himself has described Creepers as being "crunchy, like leaves." This, combined with their general "earthy appearance" gives great credence to the theory that Creepers are literally nature fighting back. Essentially elementals, Creepers are created by nature magic, leaves and other natural forms coming together and taking the shape of the Creeper form we know. Natural minerals are also used in the process to give the Creeper an explosive attack.
The idea is that the very landscape itself is creating physical manifestations of its limited psyche to combat those who would do it harm, i.e. the player; hence the whole "and you call me the monster" creed which has been thrown around a few times. Creepers are nature's way of fighting back. They are the protectors of the land, created by the very land itself, and elementals by their very nature are magical. They are essentially ents or treants; just not in a form we often see, and a bit more direct in their methods of riding the world of man (or "the man" as it were).
The Nether 10-14 obsidian and some fire and suddenly a mystical portal opens to another dimension where great fire elementals roam, melancholy spiritual beings wander, and undead man-pigs reside. The Nether is nothing short of magical, especially considering its inhabitants. The very place is constructed of an almost organic substance which burns eternally, probably rich with magic. Ghasts and Zombie Pig-Men are immune to the damages of fire, and in the case of Ghasts have the ability to shoot flaming bombs from within themselves. Recent updates also introduced fire elementals in the Blazes and Magma Cubes, likely manifestations of the Nether itself (which is clearly given a fire-motif), similar to the idea of Creepers.
The process of creating a portal is itself highly reminiscent of a ritual or other "magic-item-creating" process, where supplies are brought together, arranged in a specific form, and somehow activated. And of course the portal is extremely magical in nature; rather than some sort of futuristic wormhole or dimensional gateway it seems to be an almost unholy teleportation device.
Endermen and the Ender Endermen seem almost to be inter-dimensional visitors, able to phase in and out of our dimension and their, the Ender. Honestly this could harken to a more scientific/futuristic motif, but the fact that they use the same kind of particle effects as a Nether portal suggests a similar, if not identical, teleportation ability. Where we as the player must construct enchanted gateways to teleport, and even then to do so in only one set "direction," Endermen can use this same magic inwardly and automatically, allowing them to phase into our world from theirs, phase around our world, and phase back to their world (which seems to be what Endermen now do during the daylight).
Endermen do not appear to be undead, since they are not actually damaged by sunlight. A more likely explanation, especially given the screenshots of the Ender we've seen so far, is that they are very nocturnal creatures, not necessarily dark or evil but certainly "of the night" or "of shadow." Thus they would of course attempt to flee from the sun and light of the day, eventually returning themselves back to their own world upon realizing that escape from that giant ball of fire is impossible. They may even be elementals in their own right (though there isn't a lot of evidence for this); simply elementals of darkness. Their vulnerability to water I have no concrete explanation for; it could be magical or it could be biological.
tl:dr
Undead creatures risen by necromancy. Nature elementals defending the wilderness from man. An entire realm of fire and spirits accessible only through a magic portal. Other-worldly creatures able to teleport at will and whom shun the sunlight. All of this screams "MAGIC" to me, and it only makes sense that the player, either newly lost or transported to this world, would eventually be able to harness this inherent property as we would harness dirt or wood. Potions and enchanting, after fighting undead and beating back elementals, seems a perfectly logical direction to take the game; if other things on this unknown planet can use magic, why can't I learn the ways?
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what we like to do!
I Was very Interested in the Necromancy idea.
Well done
Bennybennyforeva
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what we like to do!
I like/am indifferent to everything being added except dragons.
MAGIC POWER!!!
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what we like to do!
Ah yes that's the term; Occam's Razor. I couldn't remember what it was though I've heard the word before.
It's really a logical thing to do; how do you explain reanimated skeletons, zombies, portals to other dimensions, elementals, etc.? Magic. Then potions and enchantments pop up which do not challenge this "magical" train of thought and, actually, confirm it.
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what we like to do!
The only thing I wonder about is the Creeper theory. If nature created creepers to destroy us because we're destroying nature, why would the creepers then be able to destroy the landscape--or the very nature they were born from? Perhaps this is what nature considers a price worth paying to be rid of us...
It's kind of cool, and allows one to mentally tie in the updates into actual game canon; not as code updates, but as us as a species learning more and more about our land. The world has always been magical, but it wasn't until now that humans (or whatever variant of humans/human-like creatures we play as) learned how to control that magic.
Always open to critique and suggestions. (:
Always open to critique and suggestions. (:
I love the idea, and I agree with the Creeper idea as well; nature itself, though not a "thinking" entity, is set to get rid of us (the player) however it can, and if that means blowing us apart then so be it.
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what we like to do!