It's Back! - That's right, it's back after being lost to the abyss! Unfortunately, due to GDPR laws in Europe that came into effect last year and my failure to allow MCF to store my data, my original account along with the thread for this challenge was deleted. However, I have decided to bring it back to life from an archived web file because of the popularity it had - over 450,000 views and 2,300+ posts made by players sharing their progress! I'm still hugely appreciative of all the people who took their time to try the challenge and share their feedback since 2011 and, as a lasting thanks, here's the thread for you to enjoy it all over again (or for the first time).
v2.0.0
A New Beginning - The challenge has been brought back in part - i.e. Normal difficulty from the Normal Mode (re-named to Nostalgia Mode). This is to allow for some changes I have in mind for the future, if there is still interest. If you wish to play using any of the other difficulties, please refer to the archive link at the bottom of the thread.
Background
I was browsing the forums in attempt to find some challenges to try out and couldn't seem to find many and all the challenges i saw had a similar theme: "You have 1 day to gather materials then you can't return to the surface ever again"
I then came across the 10,000 BN Challenge (Found here) and was refreshed by its originality, though it was slightly lacking boundaries and goals. It gave me inspiration to come up with my own challenge in an attempt to improve on the linked challenge and incorporate my own ideas too, it is an attempt to be a quite realistic (in terms of limitations and requirements) challenge.
So, without further ado, here is my 'City Construction Challenge':
Lore
The rich king of the wastelands ruled tyrannically over the people with an iron fist, taxing the citizens more than they could dream to afford and threatening to slaughter them if they came up a penny short. He starved his people so that he could hold feasts for himself and his fat lords, caring little for the poor villagers who feed his endless stomach. The people have grown fed up of grueling work in a place with no hope or future in sight, you must flee this barren hell with whoever has the courage to leave and find a way to live for yourself.
You have been travelling for months, escaping from the old world filled with corruption and injustice, in search of a new paradise, where you can start afresh and create your own kingdom.You will become a ruler among those you brought with you, but can you cope with the pressure and survive in the wild?
Nostalgia Mode
A copy of one of the original challenge modes from the legacy thread. This Mode will send you back!
Lore Cont.
Notch has surely blessed us all, we have stumbled upon new land far away from the wastelands of the Mad King. The grass here is greener and wildlife roams freely in the lush meadows. The land is very fertile and could easily support your new settlement.
You have finally escaped the wrath of the King in the wastelands, now all you must do is stay alive. Perhaps you can finally start a new life that is so much more successful than before...
Guidelines
Your challenge is to create a city, progressing through the stages one by one, reaching the next stage once all of the requirements are met. During the challenge there are some guidelines that should be followed for the best playing experience. Some should be followed throughout the challenge (see immediately below) whereas others only apply to certain stages:
- Mine shafts must be at least 3x3 areas (except in naturally generated caves)
- If you find a bucket, you may use it regardless of the stage you are in.
- Any NPC constructs do not count towards requirements, but you may use anything you find (e.g. If you find a smelter, you can use it... however if you are still in stage 1 you cannot craft more smelters)
- Raw food and zombie flesh does not count towards item requirements (but may still be eaten)
- Use at least 'Easy' game difficulty
- Do not cheat at any point in this challenge
- Post your progress on this thread (optional)
Stage 1: Foundations
"I hear them in the night"
Restrictions:
- You may only use wooden tools
- You cannot use any stone (including sandstone) collected for any reason (building, creating items etc.)
- You may only create/use items which ingredients can be gathered with the allowed tools or your hands (but no stone items, as stated before).
Requirements to advance:
Buildings
- You must own at least 1 dwelling to live in, made from any material allowed and it must be safe to sleep in.
- The dwelling must contain:
- A front door
- A living area
- A Bedroom with at least 1 bed, must be a separate room with a door or on a separate floor.
- A bed for each player participating, must be in a dwelling.
- A fenced off (or otherwise protected), working wheat farm that must have at least 5 wheat per person participating (1 person needs 5 wheat growing, 2 need 10 wheat etc.)
Items
- 1 stack of 64 planks (or the equivalent in wood) per person participating
- 5 items of edible food per person (This may be any combination of edible foods)
You may construct multiple houses, but each must contain at least: a front door, living area and a bedroom.
If you have met all the requirements, you have advanced to the next stage!
Stage 2: Building on Foundations
"Let us build upon what we have begun"
Restrictions:
- You may use only wooden or stone tools.
- You cannot use any iron collected for any reason (building, creating items etc.) however it may be smelted if desired.
- You may only create/use items which ingredients can be gathered with the allowed tools or your hands (but no iron items, as stated before).
Requirements to advance:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
- At least 1 community structure must be constructed (excluding town hall and stage 1 structures).
- A town hall must be constructed, which must contain:
- A front door
- A meeting room
- A town treasury
- At least 1 other room (can be empty)
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 1 stack of cobble/stone per player
- 10 items of edible food per person
- Stone Sword
- Stone Pickaxe
- Stone Shovel
- Stone Axe
- Stone Hoe
- Stack of 64 torches
Stage 3: Thriving
"We have learnt to survive, now let us learn to thrive"
Restrictions:
- No gold/diamond tools
- You cannot use any gold/diamond for any reason.
- You may only create/use items which ingredients can be gathered with the allowed tools or your hands (but no redstone, gold or diamond items, as stated before).
Requirements to advance:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
- A well (infinite water source)
- A controlled tree farm within the town walls
- At least 1 new community structure must be built (e.g. library, inn, baths/pool house etc.)
- A mine shaft, at least 20 blocks deep
- A surrounding wall, watchtowers or other fortification:
Wall: A wall must surround all Market District Structures. It must be safe from monsters at any point within the walls (except mob farms etc.) and must include at least 1 gate to get in/out of the district.
Watchtowers: 1 Watchtower for every side (North, East, South, West) of the district which is exposed (e.g. If your town has a large cliff behind it, 3 watchtowers are required) with a minimum of 2 watchtowers are required as well as a bell tower in the centre of the market.
- Paths must be created linking the town hall to each community building and a gate (if owned).
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 1 stack of cobble/stone per player
- 10 items of edible food per person
- A bucket
- Steel Sword
- Steel Pickaxe
- Steel Shovel
- Steel Axe
- Steel Hoe
- Stack of 64 torches
- Leather Helmet
- Leather Chest Plate
- Leather Leggings
- Leather Boots
Stage 4: Growth
"We shall become a prosperous City!"
Restrictions:
- Only 1 diamond tool/weapon (per player) can be owned at once but cannot be shared between players.
Requirements to advance:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
A City Hall (may be upgraded from town hall) which contains:
- A front door
- A meeting room
- A town treasury
- At least 2 offices
- At least 2 floors
As well as:
- A cathedral or other large religious building.
- At least 2 defensive turrets/towers must be built on/near your walls (If you have walls)
- At least 2 more community structures (making 3 in total) must be built.
- A fenced off (or otherwise protected), working wheat farm that must have at least 10 (as opposed to 5) wheat per person participating
- A mine shaft that goes down to level 20 or lower.
- A sea port (if feasible) with at least 1 pier and boat (item or building) OR a stable if sea port is not possible
- Paths must be created linking the city hall to each new community building and the sea port/stable.
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 15 items of edible food per person
- A bucket
- Steel Sword
- Steel Pickaxe
- Steel Shovel
- Steel Axe
- Steel Hoe
- Steel Helmet
- Steel Chest Plate
- Steel Leggings
- Steel Boots
- Compass
- Clock
Stage 5: A Kingdom, At last!
"We shall become the most successful civilization known to man!"
Restrictions:
- None
Requirements to advance (to bonus stage) or complete challenge:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
A Castle/stronghold that must contain:
- A throne room
- A well protected treasury
- A feast hall
- At least 1 Grand bedroom
- A dungeon with hostile mobs
- A prison
- A surrounding moat/ditch/wall
- A barracks
- A monument/statue commemorating the founding of your kingdom.
As well as:
- At least 2 more community structures (making 5 in total) must be built.
- An outlying village (same requirements as stage 1, but for only 1 person)
- A nether portal (if enabled)
- Paths must be created linking the city hall to each new community building.
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 20 items of edible food per person
- Minimum 10 diamonds
- Saddle (for the royalty to ride their trusty steeds, naturally)
- Compass
- Clock
- Any Diamond Tool
- Steel/Diamond Helmet/Diamond Helmet
- Steel/Diamond Chest Plate/Diamond Chest Plate
- Steel/Diamond Leggings/Diamond Leggings
- Steel/Diamond Boots/Diamond Boots
- Gold Helmet (The King/Queen's Crown) (Insane)
- Gold Chest Plate (The King/Queen's Armour)
- Gold Leggings (The King/Queen's Armour)
- Gold Boots (The King/Queen's Armour)
Bonus Stage: Rule the World!
"Because being the king of a realm just ain't good enough."
Restrictions:
- None
Requirements to complete:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
- Create at least 1 mega-structure ('mega-structure' being defined by yourselves)
- Create a hostile mob farm
- Create a friendly mob farm
- Build an outpost underwater
- Create a ship (building) fit for a king!
- Build a village in the nether, safe from threat. (if enabled)
- Build a village in the sky, completely separated from the ground (except for access points)
- Post pictures of your kingdom here!
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 25 items of edible food per person
- A stack of diamonds
- A stack of gold
- A Saddle
- A cake (or it may be placed somewhere)
- Diamond Pickaxe
- Diamond Axe
- Diamond Sword
- Diamond Hoe
- Diamond Shovel
- Diamond Helmet
- Diamond Chest Plate
- Diamond Leggings
- Diamond Boots
- Compass
- Clock
- 1 cake for each week you've spent on the challenge
- Gold Helmet (The King/Queen's Crown)
- Gold Chest Plate (The King/Queen's Armour)
- Gold Leggings (The King/Queen's Armour)
- Gold Boots (The King/Queen's Armour)
Tips
- Plan well in advance for the best result.
- Struggling for food? Try fishing or growing mushrooms.
- When considering where to build your kingdom, think about what you're going to need to do: Unless you find a bucket in a dungeon, you'll need to build near water for a farm. Also, it's recommended to build in a flat open area so that you don't need to do too much Terra-forming to build your structures such as walls.
- Try incorporating other ideas or religions, such as ArchbuS's 'Cubeaism' religion
- Check out the Community section for other challenges like this!
Summary
I hope that you enjoy the challenge, please be sure to give it a go and give me feedback and updates on how you do. Remember, the guidelines are not set in stone so you don't have to follow them by the letter!
Any suggestions? Please let me know because I am sure I can improve this challenge with your help. Also, I may have made some errors copying over the old thread and some details may not be up to date with the current version of Minecraft, so please let me know if that is the case.
I will update with some ideas I have for the future of the challenge soon...
9
The City Construction Challenge
News Updates
It's Back! - That's right, it's back after being lost to the abyss! Unfortunately, due to GDPR laws in Europe that came into effect last year and my failure to allow MCF to store my data, my original account along with the thread for this challenge was deleted. However, I have decided to bring it back to life from an archived web file because of the popularity it had - over 450,000 views and 2,300+ posts made by players sharing their progress! I'm still hugely appreciative of all the people who took their time to try the challenge and share their feedback since 2011 and, as a lasting thanks, here's the thread for you to enjoy it all over again (or for the first time).
v2.0.0
A New Beginning - The challenge has been brought back in part - i.e. Normal difficulty from the Normal Mode (re-named to Nostalgia Mode). This is to allow for some changes I have in mind for the future, if there is still interest. If you wish to play using any of the other difficulties, please refer to the archive link at the bottom of the thread.
Background
I was browsing the forums in attempt to find some challenges to try out and couldn't seem to find many and all the challenges i saw had a similar theme: "You have 1 day to gather materials then you can't return to the surface ever again"
I then came across the 10,000 BN Challenge (Found here) and was refreshed by its originality, though it was slightly lacking boundaries and goals. It gave me inspiration to come up with my own challenge in an attempt to improve on the linked challenge and incorporate my own ideas too, it is an attempt to be a quite realistic (in terms of limitations and requirements) challenge.
So, without further ado, here is my 'City Construction Challenge':
Lore
The rich king of the wastelands ruled tyrannically over the people with an iron fist, taxing the citizens more than they could dream to afford and threatening to slaughter them if they came up a penny short. He starved his people so that he could hold feasts for himself and his fat lords, caring little for the poor villagers who feed his endless stomach. The people have grown fed up of grueling work in a place with no hope or future in sight, you must flee this barren hell with whoever has the courage to leave and find a way to live for yourself.
You have been travelling for months, escaping from the old world filled with corruption and injustice, in search of a new paradise, where you can start afresh and create your own kingdom.You will become a ruler among those you brought with you, but can you cope with the pressure and survive in the wild?
Nostalgia Mode
A copy of one of the original challenge modes from the legacy thread. This Mode will send you back!
Lore Cont.
Notch has surely blessed us all, we have stumbled upon new land far away from the wastelands of the Mad King. The grass here is greener and wildlife roams freely in the lush meadows. The land is very fertile and could easily support your new settlement.
You have finally escaped the wrath of the King in the wastelands, now all you must do is stay alive. Perhaps you can finally start a new life that is so much more successful than before...
Guidelines
Your challenge is to create a city, progressing through the stages one by one, reaching the next stage once all of the requirements are met. During the challenge there are some guidelines that should be followed for the best playing experience. Some should be followed throughout the challenge (see immediately below) whereas others only apply to certain stages:
- Mine shafts must be at least 3x3 areas (except in naturally generated caves)
- If you find a bucket, you may use it regardless of the stage you are in.
- Any NPC constructs do not count towards requirements, but you may use anything you find (e.g. If you find a smelter, you can use it... however if you are still in stage 1 you cannot craft more smelters)
- Raw food and zombie flesh does not count towards item requirements (but may still be eaten)
- Use at least 'Easy' game difficulty
- Do not cheat at any point in this challenge
- Post your progress on this thread (optional)
Stage 1: Foundations
Restrictions:
- You may only use wooden tools
- You cannot use any stone (including sandstone) collected for any reason (building, creating items etc.)
- You may only create/use items which ingredients can be gathered with the allowed tools or your hands (but no stone items, as stated before).
Requirements to advance:
Buildings
- You must own at least 1 dwelling to live in, made from any material allowed and it must be safe to sleep in.
- The dwelling must contain:
- A front door
- A living area
- A Bedroom with at least 1 bed, must be a separate room with a door or on a separate floor.
- A bed for each player participating, must be in a dwelling.
- A fenced off (or otherwise protected), working wheat farm that must have at least 5 wheat per person participating (1 person needs 5 wheat growing, 2 need 10 wheat etc.)
Items
- 1 stack of 64 planks (or the equivalent in wood) per person participating
- 5 items of edible food per person (This may be any combination of edible foods)
You may construct multiple houses, but each must contain at least: a front door, living area and a bedroom.
If you have met all the requirements, you have advanced to the next stage!
Stage 2: Building on Foundations
Restrictions:
- You may use only wooden or stone tools.
- You cannot use any iron collected for any reason (building, creating items etc.) however it may be smelted if desired.
- You may only create/use items which ingredients can be gathered with the allowed tools or your hands (but no iron items, as stated before).
Requirements to advance:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
- At least 1 community structure must be constructed (excluding town hall and stage 1 structures).
- A town hall must be constructed, which must contain:
- A front door
- A meeting room
- A town treasury
- At least 1 other room (can be empty)
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 1 stack of cobble/stone per player
- 10 items of edible food per person
- Stone Sword
- Stone Pickaxe
- Stone Shovel
- Stone Axe
- Stone Hoe
- Stack of 64 torches
Restrictions:
- No gold/diamond tools
- You cannot use any gold/diamond for any reason.
- You may only create/use items which ingredients can be gathered with the allowed tools or your hands (but no redstone, gold or diamond items, as stated before).
Requirements to advance:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
- A well (infinite water source)
- A controlled tree farm within the town walls
- At least 1 new community structure must be built (e.g. library, inn, baths/pool house etc.)
- A mine shaft, at least 20 blocks deep
- A surrounding wall, watchtowers or other fortification:
Wall: A wall must surround all Market District Structures. It must be safe from monsters at any point within the walls (except mob farms etc.) and must include at least 1 gate to get in/out of the district.
Watchtowers: 1 Watchtower for every side (North, East, South, West) of the district which is exposed (e.g. If your town has a large cliff behind it, 3 watchtowers are required) with a minimum of 2 watchtowers are required as well as a bell tower in the centre of the market.
Other ideas can be found here: http://en.wikipedia....ification
- Paths must be created linking the town hall to each community building and a gate (if owned).
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 1 stack of cobble/stone per player
- 10 items of edible food per person
- A bucket
- Steel Sword
- Steel Pickaxe
- Steel Shovel
- Steel Axe
- Steel Hoe
- Stack of 64 torches
- Leather Helmet
- Leather Chest Plate
- Leather Leggings
- Leather Boots
Stage 4: Growth
Restrictions:
- Only 1 diamond tool/weapon (per player) can be owned at once but cannot be shared between players.
Requirements to advance:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
A City Hall (may be upgraded from town hall) which contains:
- A front door
- A meeting room
- A town treasury
- At least 2 offices
- At least 2 floors
As well as:
- A cathedral or other large religious building.
- At least 2 defensive turrets/towers must be built on/near your walls (If you have walls)
- At least 2 more community structures (making 3 in total) must be built.
- A fenced off (or otherwise protected), working wheat farm that must have at least 10 (as opposed to 5) wheat per person participating
- A mine shaft that goes down to level 20 or lower.
- A sea port (if feasible) with at least 1 pier and boat (item or building) OR a stable if sea port is not possible
- Paths must be created linking the city hall to each new community building and the sea port/stable.
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 15 items of edible food per person
- A bucket
- Steel Sword
- Steel Pickaxe
- Steel Shovel
- Steel Axe
- Steel Hoe
- Steel Helmet
- Steel Chest Plate
- Steel Leggings
- Steel Boots
- Compass
- Clock
Stage 5: A Kingdom, At last!
Restrictions:
- None
Requirements to advance (to bonus stage) or complete challenge:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
A Castle/stronghold that must contain:
- A throne room
- A well protected treasury
- A feast hall
- At least 1 Grand bedroom
- A dungeon with hostile mobs
- A prison
- A surrounding moat/ditch/wall
- A barracks
- A monument/statue commemorating the founding of your kingdom.
As well as:
- At least 2 more community structures (making 5 in total) must be built.
- An outlying village (same requirements as stage 1, but for only 1 person)
- A nether portal (if enabled)
- Paths must be created linking the city hall to each new community building.
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 20 items of edible food per person
- Minimum 10 diamonds
- Saddle (for the royalty to ride their trusty steeds, naturally)
- Compass
- Clock
- Any Diamond Tool
- Steel/Diamond Helmet/Diamond Helmet
- Steel/Diamond Chest Plate/Diamond Chest Plate
- Steel/Diamond Leggings/Diamond Leggings
- Steel/Diamond Boots/Diamond Boots
- Gold Helmet (The King/Queen's Crown) (Insane)
- Gold Chest Plate (The King/Queen's Armour)
- Gold Leggings (The King/Queen's Armour)
- Gold Boots (The King/Queen's Armour)
Bonus Stage: Rule the World!
Restrictions:
- None
Requirements to complete:
- All building requirements from previous stages.
Buildings
- Create at least 1 mega-structure ('mega-structure' being defined by yourselves)
- Create a hostile mob farm
- Create a friendly mob farm
- Build an outpost underwater
- Create a ship (building) fit for a king!
- Build a village in the nether, safe from threat. (if enabled)
- Build a village in the sky, completely separated from the ground (except for access points)
- Post pictures of your kingdom here!
Items
Treasury must contain:
- 25 items of edible food per person
- A stack of diamonds
- A stack of gold
- A Saddle
- A cake (or it may be placed somewhere)
- Diamond Pickaxe
- Diamond Axe
- Diamond Sword
- Diamond Hoe
- Diamond Shovel
- Diamond Helmet
- Diamond Chest Plate
- Diamond Leggings
- Diamond Boots
- Compass
- Clock
- 1 cake for each week you've spent on the challenge
- Gold Helmet (The King/Queen's Crown)
- Gold Chest Plate (The King/Queen's Armour)
- Gold Leggings (The King/Queen's Armour)
- Gold Boots (The King/Queen's Armour)
Tips
- Plan well in advance for the best result.
- Struggling for food? Try fishing or growing mushrooms.
- When considering where to build your kingdom, think about what you're going to need to do: Unless you find a bucket in a dungeon, you'll need to build near water for a farm. Also, it's recommended to build in a flat open area so that you don't need to do too much Terra-forming to build your structures such as walls.
- Try incorporating other ideas or religions, such as ArchbuS's 'Cubeaism' religion
- Check out the Community section for other challenges like this!
Summary
I hope that you enjoy the challenge, please be sure to give it a go and give me feedback and updates on how you do. Remember, the guidelines are not set in stone so you don't have to follow them by the letter!
Any suggestions? Please let me know because I am sure I can improve this challenge with your help. Also, I may have made some errors copying over the old thread and some details may not be up to date with the current version of Minecraft, so please let me know if that is the case.
I will update with some ideas I have for the future of the challenge soon...
Good luck, Settler!
Community
To be Updated...
-------------------------------------------------------------
Lovingly restored from:
https://web.archive.org/web/20170912005658/http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/minecraft-discussion/survival-mode/297932-the-city-construction-challenge