The reason for why it is the way it is right now... is that items laying around generate lag... try spamming items non-stop for a while and u will notice how much more lag you can generate in your chunk.
But I do agree that the timer for retrieving your items on death is pretty short.
Considering most times u are trying to run back naked with a trail of monsters behind you.
When a player dies, there is nowhere near an adequate amount of time allowed for somebody to recover their dropped items.
It needs to be changed, death in minecraft happens far too randomly to not account for this.
That can definitely be frustrating. its also frustrating when you accidentally knock a tile out from under you and its Not only do you die but all your items get disintegrated.
However, I do not agree that items should only disappear after an extreme amount of time.
Part of survival mode is learning to carry only what you need. There are going to be many times where you are going to have o' crap moments and die in a really bad area. Whether that area is super far from your spawn or in a lava pit. If the duration for item decay is super long, well it takes out the risk vs reward factor completely. Do I keep mining in this area and load up on all this good ore I am finding risking possible death and losing items, or do I take what I have back to my base now and waste time coming back a second time? Its a decision you have to make, and I think decisions like that are what make the game fun.
The reason for why it is the way it is right now... is that items laying around generate lag... try spamming items non-stop for a while and u will notice how much more lag you can generate in your chunk.
But I do agree that the timer for retrieving your items on death is pretty short.
Considering most times u are trying to run back naked with a trail of monsters behind you.
500 items in an area = send buffer overflow.
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Ah, I was wondering why all my friend's items vanished only moments after he died. Lost a good minecart that way...
I know "survival" is supposed to mean "survival," but I don't see why SMP should have its rules be different than in single player survival. If the dropped items generate lag, okay, I understand why the despawn time is so fast from a technical point of view, but just saying "be more careful" is hardly a fix.
It discourages you from running into a mine and dropping 5 stories to your death because you weren't careful. The fact that you get some time is better than nothing, and infact is rather considerate when I notice I'm playing survival.
There's a difference between being careful and risk avoidant to the point where you're barely playing the game.
Remember this is a game before all other things.
I don't mind the unpredictability of the game, however punishing people for unforseen circumstances as it stands is much too harsh.
Yes, there probably are some very obsessive compulsive people out there who carry around a chest or make frequent trips to and from one on a consistent basis, but the simple fact of the matter is that it's monotonous as ****, and daytime is much too short to be screwing around in that fashion to get anything done.
I've probably played minecraft for most of a month, and am probably not as seasoned as some of the other people on here. But I don't see items dropping on death as a problem. It's the fact that I am very careful not to get killed.
I don't think it's that hard to avoid death. You need to remember that you are carrying some of your stuff and your tools with you and you should be very careful not to get them lost with this in mind. If you are just running off at night after monsters with a sword, you are most likely going to get killed. It's better that you defend your castle mainly from the battlements at night, this way you are close to your home and you can easily get your stuff.
If you are in a cave you should use some of the materials that you mined to create stations and assault points, or even gates to keep the fight in your favor. You can make them out of dirt it doesn't matter. But this way you won't be surrounded by an army of monsters. On that note, strategy and caution are your friends.
tl;dr, Use your head, this isn't doom.
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I am a creator. This makes me infinitely greater and more useful than any war lover.
Again, I'll reiterate that death in minecraft unless you're obsessively risk avoidant is far too random.
If I wanted to play creative mode I would. I don't really understand why people feel the need to chime in with these sorts of idiotic comments.
Obviously I like survival mode, I simply don't believe that forcing you to adopt obsessive behaviors or avoid risk entirely is FUN.
Get it?
actually no. When I play survival I play with the knowledge that I could lost my stuff at any time. So I play very cautiously. On the vanilla server i play on I have only died once. And even then I was able to run back and get my stuff.
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Quote from mjcabooseblu »
Muncher is right, listen to him, he can cure the blind and make paraplegics walk.
It needs to be changed, death in minecraft happens far too randomly to not account for this.
that's still no excuse.
There should be at least one day/night cycle's worth of time to recover dropped goods.
But I do agree that the timer for retrieving your items on death is pretty short.
Considering most times u are trying to run back naked with a trail of monsters behind you.
That can definitely be frustrating. its also frustrating when you accidentally knock a tile out from under you and its Not only do you die but all your items get disintegrated.
However, I do not agree that items should only disappear after an extreme amount of time.
Part of survival mode is learning to carry only what you need. There are going to be many times where you are going to have o' crap moments and die in a really bad area. Whether that area is super far from your spawn or in a lava pit. If the duration for item decay is super long, well it takes out the risk vs reward factor completely. Do I keep mining in this area and load up on all this good ore I am finding risking possible death and losing items, or do I take what I have back to my base now and waste time coming back a second time? Its a decision you have to make, and I think decisions like that are what make the game fun.
500 items in an area = send buffer overflow.
That's why you store a chest full of stuff at or near the spawn point for easy access and armoring up.
I know "survival" is supposed to mean "survival," but I don't see why SMP should have its rules be different than in single player survival. If the dropped items generate lag, okay, I understand why the despawn time is so fast from a technical point of view, but just saying "be more careful" is hardly a fix.
mad?
Go play creative.
QFT
There's a difference between being careful and risk avoidant to the point where you're barely playing the game.
Remember this is a game before all other things.
I don't mind the unpredictability of the game, however punishing people for unforseen circumstances as it stands is much too harsh.
Yes, there probably are some very obsessive compulsive people out there who carry around a chest or make frequent trips to and from one on a consistent basis, but the simple fact of the matter is that it's monotonous as ****, and daytime is much too short to be screwing around in that fashion to get anything done.
Some people don't have all day to play this game.
Remember that.
Oh god, more fallacious logic.
God, how old are you?
Again, I'll reiterate that death in minecraft unless you're obsessively risk avoidant is far too random.
If I wanted to play creative mode I would. I don't really understand why people feel the need to chime in with these sorts of idiotic comments.
Obviously I like survival mode, I simply don't believe that forcing you to adopt obsessive behaviors or avoid risk entirely is FUN.
Get it?
I don't find it that random, get yourself some diamond armour and sword, keep a well stocked larder of ham steaks, try not to go out at night.
another one is to avoid digging the floor out from under yourself... that's not risk avoidant, it's common sense.
Finally, if you want to keep your gear more safe, keep some of it in a chest so it doesn't disappear when you die
I don't think it's that hard to avoid death. You need to remember that you are carrying some of your stuff and your tools with you and you should be very careful not to get them lost with this in mind. If you are just running off at night after monsters with a sword, you are most likely going to get killed. It's better that you defend your castle mainly from the battlements at night, this way you are close to your home and you can easily get your stuff.
If you are in a cave you should use some of the materials that you mined to create stations and assault points, or even gates to keep the fight in your favor. You can make them out of dirt it doesn't matter. But this way you won't be surrounded by an army of monsters. On that note, strategy and caution are your friends.
tl;dr, Use your head, this isn't doom.
MineScience - viewtopic.php?f=25&t=166560
Dragonator - viewtopic.php?f=25&t=141803
Sand Skiffs - viewtopic.php?f=25&t=233346
actually no. When I play survival I play with the knowledge that I could lost my stuff at any time. So I play very cautiously. On the vanilla server i play on I have only died once. And even then I was able to run back and get my stuff.
No me this has never been a problem. Anyplace where I'm far enough away that I can't get back in 5 minutes the chunk unloads and stops the timer