Latest News Article

[jasonwolf]

I love Minecraft and all the things it has, but while I see a lot of people hating where Minecraft is going I think they fell short on their “Adventure Update” I am NOT here to talk/discuss about RPG elements, current villages, or dimensions, though they may be mentioned, I am here about making Minecraft require travel.

How many of you build a house and just do everything in that one house? You might upgrade the house a bit, start a farm, and more, but how often do you go exploring?

The adventure update was meant to give us a reason to explore. So far they have added Villages, mines, and the stronghold to get us to explore, but what do they supply?

Villages are gaining much more as we speak, but don’t give us much more then we can get anywhere else.

Mines are great for helping us navigate underground, but don’t have anything too special to them, granted they are a big help when looking to make a mine cart track.

Stongholds only have one item specific to them, The End Portal, which if you are like me doesn’t matter. The End is a great thing for some players just not me.

Basically we can get all the things we want without going anywhere. I want that changed. Certain resources need to be Biome specific, and a few other tweaks need to be made to make the phrase “location, location, location” a key part of Minecraft.

With the expanding number of blocks for the game I suggest making certain pervious blocks have different versions for different biomes.

EX. Each log getting its own plank. (but recipes work just the same). this makes each log have a special worth for building. also I'd suggest that each log (or new trees) get a single special think.

Birch burns longer(it's bark is very flamable)
Oak drops more saplings then other trees.
Pine are used to tan leather( I think leather needs to be tanned. I'll make a new thread for this.)

New trees:
Yew: rarer then other trees. used to make longbows (yew is traditionally used for wooden bows)
Ironwood (yes its a real tree): stronger and more resiliant to damaging(creepers)

I’ll be honest I don’t have much, but I want to know how you think Mojang should go about making us want to leave our homes and explore the over world. If you have any idea of something you honestly want I swear to reply honestly with creative criticism and hope to discuss the best ones.

[Kliuyyyy]

Agreed! I have absolutely no urge to come out of my Minecraft house. I basically can get everything within 20-30 blocks of my house even if I do have to go out

[SharkMonster]

Yeah, ever since 1.8 come out (I think) they've been adding good stuff(Ex: Mooshrooms ,Mushroom Biomes) and Horrible bad stuff
(Ex: The End)(off topic here for a second: Whoa my text went OFF the text pad lol)
EDIT: In the End it's basically impossible to kill enderman without a mob if them  attacking you.

[Neospector]

SharkMonster, on 01 March 2012 - 01:22 AM, said:

EDIT: In the End it's basically impossible to kill enderman without a mob if them  attacking you.

I kind of assumed that was the point of having so many...
I mean, it's a boss battle room. You expected to waltz in and find 200 chickens in your path?

[Writr]

To be fair, I haven't actually played the regular adventure mode in some time (since before 1.8, basically). However, I have built around the new stuff for adventure maps as well as play on servers in creative, so I do at least have some idea.

For the most part, the recent updates - excluding the snapshots - have actually added a lot.  Biomes are larger, more expansive and spread out.  The mushroom biome is ridiculously elusive.  Dungeons can be a pain to find.  My point is - there are many good reasons to go out and go exploring, because more often than not it can take you awhile to see everything.

1.2 is going to add a lot - there will be jungles, villages will become vastly updated, and it looks like other things are being added, too (desert shrines, for example).  Mojang knows what its players want and is doing their best to accomplish it.  Remember, this is just a small team of less than a dozen - most gaming companies have a few hundred developers.  Jeb is doing this almost entirely on his own aside from the new AI guy.

[Hunter0697]

It wasn't a huge failure but they could have done a bit more but I can't wait for1.2 it hopefully won't be like 1.8

[jasonwolf]

Writr, on 01 March 2012 - 01:45 AM, said:

To be fair, I haven't actually played the regular adventure mode in some time (since before 1.8, basically). However, I have built around the new stuff for adventure maps as well as play on servers in creative, so I do at least have some idea.

For the most part, the recent updates - excluding the snapshots - have actually added a lot.  Biomes are larger, more expansive and spread out.  The mushroom biome is ridiculously elusive.  Dungeons can be a pain to find.  My point is - there are many good reasons to go out and go exploring, because more often than not it can take you awhile to see everything.

1.2 is going to add a lot - there will be jungles, villages will become vastly updated, and it looks like other things are being added, too (desert shrines, for example).  Mojang knows what its players want and is doing their best to accomplish it.  Remember, this is just a small team of less than a dozen - most gaming companies have a few hundred developers.  Jeb is doing this almost entirely on his own aside from the new AI guy.

I don't deny Mojang adding a lot of stuff, but nothing that forces you to leave your house to find. you can craft golems, villages still don't add anything too special (free loot isn't new or specific to villages), and jungles only added a mob and one block. Mushroom biomes don't have any special resources other then mushroom dirt.

Out of all of that the most those updates gave me was one block. one new log. whuhoo.

My point is I want to be able to go out and have to travel far to find something I will NEVER find without going out that far. I'm talking resources, new blocks, and special mobs (villagers don't do anything yet so they don't count. ocelots do).

Basically so far all the new content is asthetic. the majority of things just add a new area that can be right where you are, and then you have everything.

I feel players should have to go to the desert to get certain blocks, and then go to the tundra to get special resources, then go to the swamp to get some special mob drops all while living in the forest.

basically you must travel to create more things.

The only example I can think of atm is Blaze rods. to do brewing you have to find a nether stronghold and some blaze. Once you have blaze rods you can do something else to improve your life in the game.

[Geartooth]

The only things in Minecraft that I disagree with are the End, and the One log equals 4 plank Blocks deal.

The game doesn't need a whole bunch more crap like tanning leather to be a good game.
Any professor in college you ever meet will say that they like essays to be short, sweet and to the point.
Jeb is the professor in the college of Indie Game Making.

[camomatt]

Completely agreed. This game needs to give you a reason to travel rather than near pointless villages, mineshafts, and the end. Heck, I'd go as far as to say you can only grow certain trees in certain biomes just to prevent people from relying on only one location!

[jasonwolf]

Geartooth, on 01 March 2012 - 01:58 AM, said:

The only things in Minecraft that I disagree with are the End, and the One log equals 4 plank Blocks deal.

The game doesn't need a whole bunch more crap like tanning leather to be a good game.
Any professor in college you ever meet will say that they like essays to be short, sweet and to the point.
Jeb is the professor in the college of Indie Game Making.

Good point. (I just had to do a paper today ironically.) (also before I start: why do you dislike the current log mechanics? it's been that way since forever.)

I will admit being to the point is important, but there still needs to be some meat.  I absolutely hate the end and feel its not worth going to, and a lot of other things don't really need to be in minecraft, but I think that adding more work might be nice.

MORE WORK!? you must be thinking. yes more work. in the time it takes me to get to the nether I could barely watch an episode of FMA. I think players should progress slower, and dispersed resources would help that. the whole tanning thing would have a lot more point to it, but I didn't go into it since  thats not the point of this thread.

For now I'll leave it at it improves leather's strength and lets you use pelts from other animals(wolves and ocelots) for leather.

I also highly approve of that metaphor.

camomatt, on 01 March 2012 - 02:01 AM, said:

Completely agreed. This game needs to give you a reason to travel rather than near pointless villages, mineshafts, and the end. Heck, I'd go as far as to say you can only grow certain trees in certain biomes just to prevent people from relying on only one location!

well right now pines only grow in a certain forest. Yews would grow rarely in normal forests. Ironwood would grow on mountain sides.

[Worldsshrugged]

All I'm seeing is ? inside diamonds.

But you made a few good points.

Can you put water and lava in The End? I would test it myself in creative but I want to try it in legit survival first.

[Worldsshrugged]

Writr, on 01 March 2012 - 01:45 AM, said:

To be fair, I haven't actually played the regular adventure mode in some Dungeons can be a pain to find. My point is - there are many good reasons to go out and go exploring, because more often than not it can take you awhile to see everything. 1.2 is going to add a lot - there will be jungles, villages will become vastly updated, and it looks like other things are being added, too (desert shrines, for example).

Desert Shrines!?

[FireHawkDelta]

I think Minecraft needs more biome exclusive mobs, blocks, and still all look nice. Every biome is ugly but mountains, I need a reason to build my house anywhere else.

World generation has been keeping me out of survival recently, I just hate the current world generation. There's an ugly two block pond every fifty feet, half of the underground is caves, I can't walk ten feet without falling into a sinkhole, ravines appear at least once every two chunks, and either there is no ocean, or there is no mainland!

One thing to finally make riversides and swamps look good would be biome sand, it's ugly everywhere but deserts, it stands out like a purple troll face in a see of oranges.

[Neospector]

jasonwolf, on 01 March 2012 - 01:57 AM, said:

I don't deny Mojang adding a lot of stuff, but nothing that forces you to leave your house to find. you can craft golems, villages still don't add anything too special (free loot isn't new or specific to villages), and jungles only added a mob and one block. Mushroom biomes don't have any special resources other then mushroom dirt.

Out of all of that the most those updates gave me was one block. one new log. whuhoo.

My point is I want to be able to go out and have to travel far to find something I will NEVER find without going out that far. I'm talking resources, new blocks, and special mobs (villagers don't do anything yet so they don't count. ocelots do).

Basically so far all the new content is asthetic. the majority of things just add a new area that can be right where you are, and then you have everything.

I feel players should have to go to the desert to get certain blocks, and then go to the tundra to get special resources, then go to the swamp to get some special mob drops all while living in the forest.

basically you must travel to create more things.

The only example I can think of atm is Blaze rods. to do brewing you have to find a nether stronghold and some blaze. Once you have blaze rods you can do something else to improve your life in the game.

Golems and free loot aren't the only reason to find villages. Hell, one of the main points is to simply find one. Try, for example, keeping the villagers alive at night. And, rightfully so, villages are going to be improved greatly, maybe even to the point of trading.

One mob and one block is rather enough for now, in my opinion. A game isn't improved by "NEW STUFF MOAR STUFF MOAR NEW STUFF NAO" but by the quality of the items. One, super-fast mob with a sort of "reverse AI" (climbing trees and cliffs in an effort to avoid you), along with super-tall biome-specific trees and the ability to make these trees on your own (place four jungle sapplings next to each other in a square shape) is much better than 200 new, pointless ores.

And mushroom biomes are a lot more than mushroom dirt; for example, mushrooms grow at any light level on Mycelium. Mooshrooms spawn and allow for easy cultivation of mushroom stew. And, of course, it's fun to find. Yes, it should be improved, but it isn't that high on the "importance" list in my opinion.

A few things that do need improvement are existing biomes that may/may not be purely aesthetic. For example, oceans need to be made to be more than an endless expanse of water, and deserts need to be more than an endless expanse of sand (thank goodness for those desert wells).

So all in all, new blocks don't always mean better. Start thinking of ways to increase the "uniqueness" of biomes with a minimum usage of new blocks, and I'm full-game.

[EdenR]

You might have something there.  I'm still a pretty new player with one survival world (how people have time to look for new seeds and new worlds is beyond me), which I play on peaceful (don't want to be bothered with fighting bad guys--not my cup of tea).  Once I finish my castle in the next day or two), I plan to go exploring.  Iron is still rare to me, and I haven't found anything resembling gold, diamonds, lapiz lazuli, redstone, or anything like that (partly, I suppose, because I refuse to go anywhere near lava), or even a village.  I got lost in my world once and found a snow biome (which I had been hoping for).  I want to go back and find it again, maybe build an outpost there.

[MrLawless]

Okay. I think what you guys are forgetting is that the very nature of minecraft is not to give you a reason to go exploring but for you to create one for yourself. Minecraft is an infinite sandbox in which you can do whatever you wish so go do it! Maybe you need to find that perfect mountain for your castle or maybe you're looking for a nice place to hide your base, or you're hunting for strongholds to explore. Minecraft is a creative game for people that can create their own fun. If you really need help creating your own fun get some mods.

[JakeTehDracomancer]

Definately. Biome specific Resources (as well as Biome-specific Mobs, therfore Biome-specific Mob-drops) are definately needed.

[GorgeousTaylor]

Yeah, there is absolutely no reason to go explore in a world simulation game.
Might as well stay inside my virtual house, as I play this video game in my real house.

[jasonwolf]

Neospector, on 01 March 2012 - 05:14 AM, said:

Golems and free loot aren't the only reason to find villages. Hell, one of the main points is to simply find one. Try, for example, keeping the villagers alive at night. And, rightfully so, villages are going to be improved greatly, maybe even to the point of trading.

One mob and one block is rather enough for now, in my opinion. A game isn't improved by "NEW STUFF MOAR STUFF MOAR NEW STUFF NAO" but by the quality of the items. One, super-fast mob with a sort of "reverse AI" (climbing trees and cliffs in an effort to avoid you), along with super-tall biome-specific trees and the ability to make these trees on your own (place four jungle sapplings next to each other in a square shape) is much better than 200 new, pointless ores.

And mushroom biomes are a lot more than mushroom dirt; for example, mushrooms grow at any light level on Mycelium. Mooshrooms spawn and allow for easy cultivation of mushroom stew. And, of course, it's fun to find. Yes, it should be improved, but it isn't that high on the "importance" list in my opinion.

A few things that do need improvement are existing biomes that may/may not be purely aesthetic. For example, oceans need to be made to be more than an endless expanse of water, and deserts need to be more than an endless expanse of sand (thank goodness for those desert wells).

So all in all, new blocks don't always mean better. Start thinking of ways to increase the "uniqueness" of biomes with a minimum usage of new blocks, and I'm full-game.

I'll try and expand on this after classes.

first and foremost I'm not one for a ton of new ore. I think utility ores (like our current Coal and lapis) might be nice because they are not just another tool tier. also a large reason why I want more blocks is to make biomes more unique. I want each one to have it's own special resources you can't get elsewhere to make it worth while.

MrLawless, on 01 March 2012 - 05:47 AM, said:

Okay. I think what you guys are forgetting is that the very nature of minecraft is not to give you a reason to go exploring but for you to create one for yourself. Minecraft is an infinite sandbox in which you can do whatever you wish so go do it! Maybe you need to find that perfect mountain for your castle or maybe you're looking for a nice place to hide your base, or you're hunting for strongholds to explore. Minecraft is a creative game for people that can create their own fun. If you really need help creating your own fun get some mods.

Are you forgeting it's called SURVIVAL? the point of non-creative mode is to survive in the world. I'll admit I make my houses fancy and everything, but the point is to survive in the world alone.

And also that whole thing about mods at the end can be taken as "theres a mod for that". the rule against saying that is that these suggestions are for vanilla minecraft whether you like them or not is not up for debate.