I can't decide whether deserts are one of my most favorite biomes or one of my least favorite ones. What do others think?
What I like:
A desert offers an unobstructed view of the surroundings, so I can see mobs from a distance.
The sandstone villages trimmed with terracotta look nice.
I get lots of sand = glass
Paths I make across deserts look really nice, especially at night. I use clusters of bamboo along the path and they look great silhouetted against the sky and are visible at a great distance.
It's fun to build an oasis (but I have to lug all the material from somewhere else).
What I don't like:
My main gripe: I hate that sand falls and the ground is very unstable. The thing I hate most is when I place a torch on the sand and the ground collapses beneath me, dumping me in some underground cave and giving me a heart attack. It is also harder to secure villages because cave-ins occur everywhere.
The issue with unstable ground isn't an issue for me since back in 1.6.4 caves and ravines can't cut through sand or sandstone, leaving an interesting looking ceiling of sandstone stalactites (example); in TMCW I allow them to cut through any block but they turn sand above them into sandstone (as did Mojang when they first added this feature in 1.8, after I did, later removing the sandstone), and similarly the patches of sand that generate underwater (after terrain/caves are generated) generate sandstone over air so caves under oceans are completely dry aside from the usual springs (IMO, 1.13 made ocean biomes totally pointless by making all caves filled with water).
As far as the biome itself goes, I mainly see them as adding some variation to a world which is otherwise mostly grass and/or trees, same for biomes like mesas (or my own modded biomes, which includes underground biomes in the form of sandstone caves in deserts, more recently expanded to go all the way down to bedrock; many of the biomes I've added in an upcoming update are "desert/mesa-type" biomes, as opposed to "grassy/forest-type" biomes). I do use quite a lot of glass to build my bases but I've never had any trouble finding enough from bodies of water around spawn so deserts aren't really necessary for a source of sand (you'd be surprised at how much sand generates underwater, even this base only used about half the sand in the lake in front of it, not including more outside the rendering. Unless there is a desert close to spawn, or along the path to a stronghold, I only find them long after I build my base since I otherwise only explore while caving, including my current world).
The lack of wood or passive mobs (none in 1.6.4, though a developmental version of TMCW has rabbits, but also no stone, as there is only sandstone underground, unless you make a cobblestone generator) also isn't an issue since there is always a different biome a few minutes away (unless you are on Large Biomes, and even then the spawn search algorithm tries to find a grassy biome; the only time I've ever spawned in a desert was in an oasis biome in TMCW's version of "Desert M" in a test world, which doesn't really count either way since it has trees and animals).
I'm pretty sure the desert is one of my least favourite biomes, it doesn't have any necessarily interesting features and compared to the other biomes it doesn't seem as unique! The sand above your head when your caving occasionally falls on top of you, and considering the noob I am, the chances of my dying from that are pretty big, haha.
I will admit the mods based of the desert gives it a whole new glow and attraction. I believe Mojang could do so many more things with the desert, and i'm considerably disappointed that the desert will not be receiving an update in 1.15. The Nether update sounds great, and probably needs and update as much as the desert does but I still wish the desert received an update.
The building blocks overall are really useful for building. They flow smoothly with many other blocks, especially stone brick, and there are endless possibilities with sand with redstone contraptions! I'm not much of a 'redstoner' but i've experimented with sand contraptions, and please take my word for it it's awesome.
Again, the desert has it's pros and cons but i still dislike it compared to all of the other biomes. This is my opinion so please don't judge me, hahaha.
Desert is easily in my top three favorite biomes, along with Flower Forest and Mushroom Island. I like all three for the same reasons, they come with a kind of peaceful serene feeling that I don't get in most other biomes.
I like how open and vast the desert can be and the sand is both visually pleasing and it sounds nice when you move around on it. It could use a bit more content but what biome couldn't?
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Desert is easily my favorite biome for establishing a home village. The key is to find a desert village near other resources. The reason I like deserts best for villages is that they allow for an easy view of the entire village making buildings and villagers easy to find. The new frozen villages my become a second favorite for the same reason. I simply hate having villagers and buildings hidden by trees, or even tall grass. I typically plant a perimeter of trees around the village, (always Acacia, the best looking tree in Minecraft, and they look very much in place in the desert biome) and I make a pen for livestock and carpet it with grass blocks.
Beyond that, deserts are also great for overland travel as they allow for mostly unobstructed movement. Traveling through forest on horseback is a major PITA and tall grass is a nuisance when on foot.
Seaside villages are always ideal but within a 100 blocks or so is OK. My current home village borders plains and a small patch of forest on one side, (supply of wood plus the source for my livestock pen), and mesa, (more wood from mines, plus easy iron, coal and gold).
The only thing I really don't like about desert is the dull color of any planted grass or trees but it's a minor drawback.
I can't decide whether deserts are one of my most favorite biomes or one of my least favorite ones. What do others think?
What I like:
A desert offers an unobstructed view of the surroundings, so I can see mobs from a distance.
The sandstone villages trimmed with terracotta look nice.
I get lots of sand = glass
Paths I make across deserts look really nice, especially at night. I use clusters of bamboo along the path and they look great silhouetted against the sky and are visible at a great distance.
It's fun to build an oasis (but I have to lug all the material from somewhere else).
What I don't like:
My main gripe: I hate that sand falls and the ground is very unstable. The thing I hate most is when I place a torch on the sand and the ground collapses beneath me, dumping me in some underground cave and giving me a heart attack. It is also harder to secure villages because cave-ins occur everywhere.
There is no wood!
There are no cows or sheep!
Cacti look like Creepers.
It's like a love-hate relationship.
The issue with unstable ground isn't an issue for me since back in 1.6.4 caves and ravines can't cut through sand or sandstone, leaving an interesting looking ceiling of sandstone stalactites (example); in TMCW I allow them to cut through any block but they turn sand above them into sandstone (as did Mojang when they first added this feature in 1.8, after I did, later removing the sandstone), and similarly the patches of sand that generate underwater (after terrain/caves are generated) generate sandstone over air so caves under oceans are completely dry aside from the usual springs (IMO, 1.13 made ocean biomes totally pointless by making all caves filled with water).
As far as the biome itself goes, I mainly see them as adding some variation to a world which is otherwise mostly grass and/or trees, same for biomes like mesas (or my own modded biomes, which includes underground biomes in the form of sandstone caves in deserts, more recently expanded to go all the way down to bedrock; many of the biomes I've added in an upcoming update are "desert/mesa-type" biomes, as opposed to "grassy/forest-type" biomes). I do use quite a lot of glass to build my bases but I've never had any trouble finding enough from bodies of water around spawn so deserts aren't really necessary for a source of sand (you'd be surprised at how much sand generates underwater, even this base only used about half the sand in the lake in front of it, not including more outside the rendering. Unless there is a desert close to spawn, or along the path to a stronghold, I only find them long after I build my base since I otherwise only explore while caving, including my current world).
The lack of wood or passive mobs (none in 1.6.4, though a developmental version of TMCW has rabbits, but also no stone, as there is only sandstone underground, unless you make a cobblestone generator) also isn't an issue since there is always a different biome a few minutes away (unless you are on Large Biomes, and even then the spawn search algorithm tries to find a grassy biome; the only time I've ever spawned in a desert was in an oasis biome in TMCW's version of "Desert M" in a test world, which doesn't really count either way since it has trees and animals).
TheMasterCaver's First World - possibly the most caved-out world in Minecraft history - includes world download.
TheMasterCaver's World - my own version of Minecraft largely based on my views of how the game should have evolved since 1.6.4.
Why do I still play in 1.6.4?
I'm pretty sure the desert is one of my least favourite biomes, it doesn't have any necessarily interesting features and compared to the other biomes it doesn't seem as unique! The sand above your head when your caving occasionally falls on top of you, and considering the noob I am, the chances of my dying from that are pretty big, haha.
I will admit the mods based of the desert gives it a whole new glow and attraction. I believe Mojang could do so many more things with the desert, and i'm considerably disappointed that the desert will not be receiving an update in 1.15. The Nether update sounds great, and probably needs and update as much as the desert does but I still wish the desert received an update.
The building blocks overall are really useful for building. They flow smoothly with many other blocks, especially stone brick, and there are endless possibilities with sand with redstone contraptions! I'm not much of a 'redstoner' but i've experimented with sand contraptions, and please take my word for it it's awesome.
Again, the desert has it's pros and cons but i still dislike it compared to all of the other biomes. This is my opinion so please don't judge me, hahaha.
Have a great day, all!
When life gives you lemons you:
Make lemonadeNah you squeeze them in someone else's eye!Desert is easily in my top three favorite biomes, along with Flower Forest and Mushroom Island. I like all three for the same reasons, they come with a kind of peaceful serene feeling that I don't get in most other biomes.
I like how open and vast the desert can be and the sand is both visually pleasing and it sounds nice when you move around on it. It could use a bit more content but what biome couldn't?
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For me the deserts are just another biome. I like to explore the deserts though.
Marv
Desert is easily my favorite biome for establishing a home village. The key is to find a desert village near other resources. The reason I like deserts best for villages is that they allow for an easy view of the entire village making buildings and villagers easy to find. The new frozen villages my become a second favorite for the same reason. I simply hate having villagers and buildings hidden by trees, or even tall grass. I typically plant a perimeter of trees around the village, (always Acacia, the best looking tree in Minecraft, and they look very much in place in the desert biome) and I make a pen for livestock and carpet it with grass blocks.
Beyond that, deserts are also great for overland travel as they allow for mostly unobstructed movement. Traveling through forest on horseback is a major PITA and tall grass is a nuisance when on foot.
Seaside villages are always ideal but within a 100 blocks or so is OK. My current home village borders plains and a small patch of forest on one side, (supply of wood plus the source for my livestock pen), and mesa, (more wood from mines, plus easy iron, coal and gold).
The only thing I really don't like about desert is the dull color of any planted grass or trees but it's a minor drawback.