"Better Than Adventure" (BTA) is an extensive mod for Minecraft beta 1.7.3, bringing out regular updates attempting to create a more "finalized" version of beta Minecraft while also maintaining the look and feel of the game pre-adventure update. BTA works very different from other mods as it acts as more of a “fork” of Minecraft, than an addition to it. As of beta 1.7.6, As such, existing mods for beta 1.7.3 are not compatible with BTA. However, we are working hard to allow the community to make and publish their own mods for BTA specifically.
Beta 1.7.6 Overview Video
Introduction
Minecraft has changed a lot since its initial beta period in 2011. The game has grown substantially, and new features, mechanics and systems continue to be added even to this day. While this is all well and good, there are still players out there who don't enjoy the direction the game took post-release, or simply have nostalgia for beta minecraft and wish to return to a time without hunger, experience or enchantments with a few bells and whistles on.
Better Than Adventure is designed to appeal to these players who enjoy the simpler gameplay of the old beta versions of Minecraft, yet also want to try something new and exciting. Think of it as an "alternate universe" version of minecraft that attempts to maintain the look-and-feel of beta 1.7.3, while also keeping things fresh with new features and additions such as new blocks, biomes and quality of life improvements. Despite what the name implies, this mod isn't necessarily trying to offer something inherently better than modern Minecraft, just something different. Think of it as a long-lost branch of Minecraft, what could have been if Notch and Jeb took the game in a slightly different direction.
While BTA is designed mostly to appeal to older players who grew up with beta, the aim of the mod in general is simply to offer an alterate take on the game. So if you're just looking for something new to enjoy, try this mod out too. You may like it!
Check back for more updates!
Features and Changes
Technical Changes
Under the hood, BTA is very different from vanilla beta 1.7.3. The majority of existing bugs have been ironed out and fixed, and almost the entire game has been rewritten and optimised to make the development of new additions much, much easier. For example, the game’s implementation of McRegion has been rewritten to allow for 256 block-high worlds, the game now has native support for HD texture packs, and the block ID system has been overhauled to allow for thousands of blocks, instead of beta 1.7.3’s hard-limit of 256.
New Features and Gameplay Changes
BTA offers a plethora of new features and mechanics. The biggest of which is probably the new “seasonal cycle”.
Seasons
Minecraft worlds now cycle through 4 seasons, over a span of 28 days (7 days per season). These seasons provide an interesting spin on survival gameplay; as the seasons change and winter begins to fall, the game will become progressively more challenging. Crops start to grow less often, mobs spawn more frequently, and the nights will become longer. It is important you plan around the changing seasons, stocking up on resources to survive the cold winter
Revamped Beta World Generation
The iconic beta world generation has also been given a major touch-up in BTA. First and foremost, the sea-level has been risen to 128, which means 128 blocks of underground, and 128 blocks of overworld. This also means mountains can grow to twice the size they could than before, leading to even wackier terrain than normal.
Biomes have been changed too, they now generate at around twice the size they used to, meaning no more ugly micro-deserts. Existing biomes have also been touched up to make them more unique, for example, swamplands now spawn with fields of algae and mossy trees, and seasonal forests spawn groves of cherry trees that shine a bright pink in the spring.
We also added 3 new biomes as well, the meadow, a flat plains with heaps of flowers, the boreal forest, a warm taiga
with giant spruce trees, and the outback, a scorched red desert with groves of Eucalyptus trees and spinifex bushes!
Creative Mode
One thing that beta 1.7.3 and below did lack was a functioning creative mode where you can test out contraptions and plan builds in a world with infinite blocks and health. This has been added to BTA, however its not just a simple port of beta 1.8’s creative mode. We thought we’d try and improve on it by adding better flying controls, a more readable creative inventory, and a list of single player commands.
New Blocks
3 new types of stone with brick and cobbled variants (Basalt, Granite and Limestone), painted wooden planks in 16 different dye colours, dirt paths, fence gates, new slab and stair variants for existing blocks, coloured Redstone lamps and many, many more blocks to expand your building capabilities with. As well as that, BTA also adds new blocks for Redstone contraptions, such as retractable ‘spike traps’ that damage mobs when stepped on, ‘motion sensors’ that activate when mobs move past them, and ‘mesh blocks’ that allow items to pass through them, yet block off mobs and players.
Steel
Exploring the nether now has a purpose with the addition of steel, a refined form of iron, made from smelting iron bars in a blast furnace with a new nether-exclusive ore called “nether coal” that offers extremely high durability tools at the cost of being slightly slower at mining than diamond. It can also be used to make a rocket launcher???!!
The Guidebook
Because we understand that sometimes recipes can be difficult to discover, especially in modded games, we decided to add a “guidebook” accessed by pressing R in-game that tells you each of the recipes found in the game. However, this book works a little differently to how you’d expect…
The book starts with all the items blacked out, filling out each item once obtained by the player to maintain the sense of discovery for those who enjoy finding things out for themselves. It also offers as a completion objective for players who wish to fill out the book completely and “craft ‘em all”. (But alternatively if you just want to see the new recipes for yourself, try opening the book in creative)
The MultiMC update utility will allow you to automatically update/load the latest release of BTA without having to install a brand new instance from the forum page!
To install the utility, simply drag and drop that link onto your MultiMC instance list, then run it. It'll generate a managed instance of BTA, which you can then run to launch the mod.
Whenever the mod releases a new update you can just run the update utility again and it'll automatically upgrade your managed instance to the latest version! No more messing around with jar files, and all your saves, screenshots and settings will be in exactly the same place
Simply drag and drop the 'MultiMC instance' zip file into your MultiMC and it should appear on your instances screen. Alternatively, click "add instance" and "import from zip" then locate the file and click "OK"
Create a new instance, call it whatever you like, and click OK.
Click "versions" and choose b1.7.3.
Click on "Edit Instance" and then "Mods Repository"
Click on the "Better Than Adventure!" folder and choose the latest release
Click "load" and then play!
How to run the server jar
Simply run it like you would an exe. Warning, it will use the server.jar's host directory as a local directory meaning all the files it creates will be placed in whatever folder your jar is in! So try to put it in its own folder somewhere!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's Better than Adventure?
A: Welcome! Better than Adventure is a mod for Minecraft Beta 1.7.3. It was originally intended to add a few new features for a personalised experience, but has since grown into a full-fledged fork of Minecraft, adding dozens of new features for players to enjoy. Our philosophy is to add new gameplay that enhances and improves on the existing aspects of the game, without drastically changing the core experience. The question we like to ask ourselves is, "Would Mojang have added this to the vanilla game back in 2011?" If the answer is yes, it's probably a good candidate for BTA
Q: How can I get Better than Adventure?
A: The recommended method of playing BTA is via our handy MultiMC update utility, which you can find here!
To install the utility, simply drag and drop that link onto your MultiMC instance list, then run it. It'll generate a managed instance of BTA, which you can then run to launch the mod. The neat part is, whenever the mod releases a new update you can just run the update utility again and it'll automatically upgrade your managed instance to the latest version! No more messing around with jar files, and all your saves, screenshots and settings will be in exactly the same place
Q: What does this mod do?
A: Lots of things! We've added so much new stuff to this mod that it's honestly impossible to keep track of it all. A good place to start if you want to know everything is our update changelogs.
However, an experience we find a lot of people seem to enjoy is just going in blind and discovering new stuff as you play. We're always happy to answer any questions you might have on our Discord server, so feel free to join and ask!
There's also a recipe book called the Guidebook built into the game, which is bound to R by default. Recipes start blacked out, but progressively reveal themselves as you discover the items that comprise them. Don't be afraid to experiment!
Q: Who works on this mod?
A: The lead developer, founder, and benevolent dictator of BTA is me, aka @Mak#7981 over on Discord.
There's also, @jonkadelic;4422 - My handy co-developer.
Our overall organisation structure is pretty informal. We also have a few contributors who chip in with help and technical expertise and are very much appreciated.
Q: How can I help with this mod?
A: Thanks for the interest! There's a few ways you can help with BTA: firstly, if you're a programmer, feel free to ask us about becoming a contributor on our Discord, as we're always eager to get new people with different abilities and skillsets involved with development. Just be aware that the standards expected are pretty high, so we'll need to see some evidence of your ability before giving you access.
Secondly, if you're a texture artist, stick around! We pretty frequently ask the community for new textures, since there's a lot of talented people out there who can make far better art than we can. Thirdly, post suggestions in suggestion-discussion! We're always looking for new ideas to make the mod better.
If none of those things apply, spread the word! Tell your friends, partners, coworkers, or even strangers on the street about BTA. After all, the more the merrier!
Q: Is BTA compatible with other mods
A: Yes and no - BTA is only compatible with mods specifically made for it. Most mods you can think of will not work, as a lot of our optimizations means we have had to change/rewrite way too much of the codebase for anything else to be compatible. This means that until someone miraculously ports it over, you won't be able to play BTA with Aether, or BTA with Moon Mod, so on and so forth.
Q: Why can't I craft a Bed?
A: You can! The recipe is just a little different. In BTA, zombies drop cloth rather than feathers. The bed recipe requires 2 cloth and 1 wool, rather than 3 wool, like below:
Q: Can you backport <feature> from modern Minecraft?
Yes, we could if we wanted to, but that's not really our philosophy. If there's a feature from a later version we'd like to include in BTA, we ask ourselves how we can reinvent that feature in a way that still gets us there while also giving players a new experience.
For example, modern Minecraft features multiple different varieties of wooden planks, and so does BTA. However, in BTA ours come from giving the player the ability to dye oak planks, which gives them a fun new pastel color palette to play with.
Q: When's the next update coming out?
A: When it's ready. We used to give release dates for updates, but frankly it led to a lot of stress for us and a lot of disappointment for everyone else because we'd almost invariably miss those dates.
So now we just publish updates when we feel they're in a good enough place to go out, no matter how long it takes.
Contact
For any other assistance feel free to leave a comment below.
Fantastic work. It's really great to see that people are still giving love to older versions of the game, because really, it deserves it. The additions you've already brought in are really neat, and I can't wait to see where it goes next.
1.7.4_02_3 has been released! - This update is a server-side hotfix only. Client users do not need to update!
Changelog
+ Added death messages! Show off your skills to your friends
+ Added an /online command that prints out all online players, and their score
+ Added chat colours for readability. Currently random per logon but may be custom later on.
* Fixed a bug where the console would spam you with strings
* Fixed a bug where the blast furnace could not be crafted
Explore the dangerous new labyrinths, shoot arrows from your quiver to your heart's content, create redstone traps using the new Motion Sensor blocks, and more!
Download from the links above, or use our new dedicated BTA launcher linked below! (This launcher will automatically pull the latest release from our Github, meaning no more checking forum posts for updates!)
Sorry if I'm being stupid but.. How do I run the launcher? I open up the folder and there's nothing for me to launch.
Hi! You need to download the "Bta launcher v1.1" download link I posted in the comments. Its an executable jar file, so you just need to run it. Make sure you are not opening it with winrar or 7zip.
I started playing Minecraft in 2013, when 1.5 was current, so I never knew what it was like to play the game back in the Beta days. I thought it would be cool to try this out "blind" (meaning I don't know what features there are beforehand), so here's my thoughts so far after several hours of gameplay:
The good:
- Using bone meal to convert dirt to grass is a very good feature and ought to be in vanilla.
- Cows dropping lots of leather (at least right now, not knowing how it plays into the added tech progression/balance) appears to be a great decision. It makes leather armor actually worth crafting since it's so cheap.
- Is it just me or do leaves decay faster? It certainly feels that way, and I like it.
- Leaves breaking faster with an axe is a good quality of life change.
- Clay always dropping 4 balls is a good change considering there's no silk touch (that I know of).
- Moss being basically an all-sides grass cube is cool, and I like the touch of color it adds to the caves.
- I like that the score is shown in the pause screen. It gives a subtle sense of progression, and it never made sense that you only saw your score after you already died.
- The stone variants are nice. I like that each one has a different brick texture.
- I'm noticing slime particles drip from the ceiling in some areas. I'm going to take a guess and say that's a slime chunk indicator. If so, that's great and ought to be in vanilla.
- The lack of item entity grouping makes collecting items feel a lot more satisfying. I know that's just a Beta 1.7 thing, but I wanted to point it out anyway.
- Thanks for backporting path blocks.
- Thanks for backporting that 1.12 feature where items in your crafting grid get moved back into your inventory if you exit the UI. I see it only works with the 2x2 grid and not the crafting table, but still, an improvement is an improvement.
The mediocre:
- Breaking moss with a pickaxe feels wrong. Maybe make hoes do that instead, just like in vanilla? Or maybe just make shovels do it.
- Some of the stone variant textures feel a little too pale/bland, but maybe I'm just not used to them yet.
- I like the consistency with stone slabs and stone bricks, but I prefer the way vanilla stone bricks tile.
The bad:
- I really miss all the modern mouse/keyboard shortcuts in the inventory. If it's not too difficult to backport some of the modern functionality, please do so. I prefer to spend as little time as possible in inventory screens.
- Screenshots appear to not work when in fullscreen. I'm using the provided MultiMC instance, Java 8, and KDE Neon Linux.
- 3D anaglyph seems to be a bit broken, with things not lining up the way they should? Also, it seems like moving into an area doesn't render it properly? Then again, I have no clue if this was also broken in Beta 1.7.3.
- When harvesting wheat, it seems to drop zero seeds surprisingly often. I'm not sure if this was already part of Beta 1.7 or not, but I don't like it. I think you should always at least get back 1 seed when it's fully grown.
Other observations:
- I see that zombies drop cloth. I have no clue what that's used for, and I haven't been able to guess any recipes yet. It definitely makes more sense than feathers, though.
- No way to craft beds? Or has the recipe changed? I assume there must at least still be some way to set your spawnpoint, though?
- Diamonds are either super rare or non-existent, which makes me wonder what the next step is beyond iron tools.
- Apparently I can't light a nether portal either. I've heard something about nether coal, though, so I assume the Nether must be accessible somehow...
Would you say it's possible to discover most of the features without any outside help, or do I have to read the patch notes? Maybe you could provide an alternative changelog in the style of NSSS that hints at the features without giving everything away?
Things I miss from vanilla (in order of importance):
- Inventory shortcuts.
- Recipe book. Or even just some way to find recipes without having to look them up. In hindsight, it's truly ridiculous that Java Edition lacked a recipe guide for so long.
- Advancements to guide players into finding stuff. This goes hand in hand with the recipe book. If you've ever seen PiroPito's Minecraft series, you'll know how crucial the advancements and recipe book are to figuring stuff out without having to resort to a wiki or tutorial.
- The ability to put more than one porkchop in a furnace. Maybe there's an upgrade or something I haven't discovered yet that provides a solution, but it's really boring to have to swap porkchops in and out of a furnace.
- Beta 1.8 Bow mechanics. Machine gun bows are alright, but they have very limited range and don't feel very skillful.
- Sprinting. It's not just the speed I miss, but also the ability to do 3-4 block jumps. Parkour almost can't exist without it. But how to implement it in a Beta 1.7 style? Here's my idea: instead of being hunger-based, it could be armor-based. Players with leather (or no) armor could sprint just like in modern MC, but players with heavier armor like iron could not. Perhaps each piece of iron armor would reduce your sprinting speed by 25%, with a full set removing your ability to sprint entirely. That could add some strategy to armor selection and keep leather armor relevant in the later stages of the game.
- Horizontal logs.
- 1.9+ boat controls.
- 1.9+ rain sounds. Seriously, I forgot how obnoxious rain sounds used to be, and without separate volume sliders, all you can do to escape the noise is run inside/underground.
- The ability to rebind the change-camera control to something other than F5. I typically use the C key (which is way easier to reach), so it's annoying every time I try to press it and nothing happens.
Suggestions:
- I wanna be able to bonemeal sugar cane. For some reason this still isn't a thing in vanilla.
- You should be able to craft moss with cobblestone to make mossy cobblestone... or is that already implemented and I just haven't been able to guess the recipe?
Hey! Thanks for the feedback, its all been super helpful, and I'm very glad you're enjoying the mod! I'd like to go through it point by point if you don't mind, offering some thoughts or counterpoints to a couple of your critisisms, so here goes:
I see it only works with the 2x2 grid and not the crafting table, but still, an improvement is an improvement.
I actually didn't know about this, so thanks for the bug report! Will be fixed in a later version.
- I see that zombies drop cloth. I have no clue what that's used for, and I haven't been able to guess any recipes yet. It definitely makes more sense than feathers, though.
- No way to craft beds? Or has the recipe changed? I assume there must at least still be some way to set your spawnpoint, though?
I'm gonna let you do the math on this one.. ;p
- Diamonds are either super rare or non-existent, which makes me wonder what the next step is beyond iron tools.
- Apparently I can't light a nether portal either. I've heard something about nether coal, though, so I assume the Nether must be accessible somehow...
Diamond rarity hasn't changed at all, unless you're playing the 1.7.6 prereleases. But that is currently a bug and will be fixed in a later update. For now though, if you're on 1.7.5, you're just unlucky
As for your second point, I'm going to assume you're not filling in the corners. We've introduced variable portal sizes, and a downside of that is portal corners must be fully filled in now (However, as an alternative, you can make 4x3 portals now, which take up the same number of blocks as a portal with the corners cut off, so try that!)
Would you say it's possible to discover most of the features without any outside help, or do I have to read the patch notes? Maybe you could provide an alternative changelog in the style of NSSS that hints at the features without giving everything away?
I would say read the patch notes if you'd like to know everything the mod has to offer, however there are a number of seecret features we don't list in patch notes for players to discover themselves. In 1.7.6 though, we plan on adding a way of discovering new features yourself that I will go into further in a second..
The mediocre:
- Breaking moss with a pickaxe feels wrong. Maybe make hoes do that instead, just like in vanilla? Or maybe just make shovels do it.
Pickaxes breaking moss is a player convenience choice to be honest. Moss is only found underground and I think having to bring a hoe with you when you go mining seems a bit annoying.. Also moss is meant to be stone covered in moss, rather than a solid block of vegetation (This will be more obvious in 1.7.6 as we have modified the texture slightly)
- Screenshots appear to not work when in fullscreen. I'm using the provided MultiMC instance, Java 8, and KDE Neon Linux.
- 3D anaglyph seems to be a bit broken, with things not lining up the way they should? Also, it seems like moving into an area doesn't render it properly? Then again, I have no clue if this was also broken in Beta 1.7.3.
These are both vanilla 1.7.3 bugs, the first of which is related to the game running in an unexpected screen resolution. We plan to fix the first one whenever we can, but I'll be honest, fixing anaglyph isn't on the top of our priority list due to the very sparse use-case of it.
Things I miss from vanilla (in order of importance):
- Inventory shortcuts.
Planned for a future update. Probably 1.7.7.
- Recipe book. Or even just some way to find recipes without having to look them up. In hindsight, it's truly ridiculous that Java Edition lacked a recipe guide for so long.
- Advancements to guide players into finding stuff. This goes hand in hand with the recipe book. If you've ever seen PiroPito's Minecraft series, you'll know how crucial the advancements and recipe book are to figuring stuff out without having to resort to a wiki or tutorial.
Both of these are planned for future versions. The recipe book is a new addition in 1.7.6, and a revamped achievement system designed to guide players through the game is coming later on down the line. We really want to make mod features easier for players to work out on their own (mainly because I keep getting questions about crafting recipes in the Discord server ;D)
- The ability to put more than one porkchop in a furnace. Maybe there's an upgrade or something I haven't discovered yet that provides a solution, but it's really boring to have to swap porkchops in and out of a furnace.
- Beta 1.8 Bow mechanics. Machine gun bows are alright, but they have very limited range and don't feel very skillful.
- Sprinting. It's not just the speed I miss, but also the ability to do 3-4 block jumps. Parkour almost can't exist without it. But how to implement it in a Beta 1.7 style? Here's my idea: instead of being hunger-based, it could be armor-based. Players with leather (or no) armor could sprint just like in modern MC, but players with heavier armor like iron could not. Perhaps each piece of iron armor would reduce your sprinting speed by 25%, with a full set removing your ability to sprint entirely. That could add some strategy to armor selection and keep leather armor relevant in the later stages of the game.
We plan on adding an upgraded furnace specifically for bulk-cooking food later down the line, as well as a buffed movement speed system similar to what you described below, where armour types dictate how fast your top speed is. So stay tuned for those. As for 1.8 bow mechanics... I'll think about it. Its a little tough when there's people who enjoy both systems so if we do add 1.8 bows, they'll probably be a new weapon..
Suggestions:
- I wanna be able to bonemeal sugar cane. For some reason this still isn't a thing in vanilla.
That's a great idea! I never even thought about it, but I'll get right onto implementing that!
- You should be able to craft moss with cobblestone to make mossy cobblestone... or is that already implemented and I just haven't been able to guess the recipe?
There is a way to create mossy variants through the moss blocks, but it works a little differently to usual..Spoiler below if you'd like to know how it works:
Moss spreads to nearby blocks in a light level of 5 or less. Try placing cobblestone next to a moss block and see what happens ;D
Shameless plug but a member of our community discord server has done a Jappa texture pack! Feel free to join up you're interested(Also the Discord is the best place to offer feedback, bug reports and suggestions as its the place we check on the most often)
Thanks again for your great feedback! We plan to get 1.7.6 out within the month so I hope you enjoy that too when it rolls around! Also as a side note: I noticed your shoutout on the NSSS forum page so thanks for that too ;D
This is a gourmet mod. The stone brick textures are all very good too, although the dark ones feel a few % too dark?
I always lament the lack of 'moveable' or 'mechanical' blocks in Minecraft. Have you considered adding magnets that can push and pull iron/gold blocks and players with said armour from a distance? A source of mining or mixing gunpowder would be nice, too. Maybe gunpowder can be put inside a dispenser to increase its firing range? Lighting a fire next to a dispenser with gunpowder inside = cannon!
This update is big. Really big. I'm honestly surprised we pulled it off but 1.7.6 is finally released, featuring all new seasons, overhauled terrain generation, bigger worlds, new blocks and more!
Download link above!
If you find any bugs or have any questions about installing or updating, please report them to our Discord server where we can discuss them with you! Thanks!
Overview
"Better Than Adventure" (BTA) is an extensive mod for Minecraft beta 1.7.3, bringing out regular updates attempting to create a more "finalized" version of beta Minecraft while also maintaining the look and feel of the game pre-adventure update. BTA works very different from other mods as it acts as more of a “fork” of Minecraft, than an addition to it. As of beta 1.7.6, As such, existing mods for beta 1.7.3 are not compatible with BTA. However, we are working hard to allow the community to make and publish their own mods for BTA specifically.
Beta 1.7.6 Overview Video
Introduction
Minecraft has changed a lot since its initial beta period in 2011. The game has grown substantially, and new features, mechanics and systems continue to be added even to this day. While this is all well and good, there are still players out there who don't enjoy the direction the game took post-release, or simply have nostalgia for beta minecraft and wish to return to a time without hunger, experience or enchantments with a few bells and whistles on.
Better Than Adventure is designed to appeal to these players who enjoy the simpler gameplay of the old beta versions of Minecraft, yet also want to try something new and exciting. Think of it as an "alternate universe" version of minecraft that attempts to maintain the look-and-feel of beta 1.7.3, while also keeping things fresh with new features and additions such as new blocks, biomes and quality of life improvements. Despite what the name implies, this mod isn't necessarily trying to offer something inherently better than modern Minecraft, just something different. Think of it as a long-lost branch of Minecraft, what could have been if Notch and Jeb took the game in a slightly different direction.
While BTA is designed mostly to appeal to older players who grew up with beta, the aim of the mod in general is simply to offer an alterate take on the game. So if you're just looking for something new to enjoy, try this mod out too. You may like it!
Check back for more updates!
Features and Changes
Technical Changes
Under the hood, BTA is very different from vanilla beta 1.7.3. The majority of existing bugs have been ironed out and fixed, and almost the entire game has been rewritten and optimised to make the development of new additions much, much easier. For example, the game’s implementation of McRegion has been rewritten to allow for 256 block-high worlds, the game now has native support for HD texture packs, and the block ID system has been overhauled to allow for thousands of blocks, instead of beta 1.7.3’s hard-limit of 256.
New Features and Gameplay Changes
BTA offers a plethora of new features and mechanics. The biggest of which is probably the new “seasonal cycle”.
Seasons
Minecraft worlds now cycle through 4 seasons, over a span of 28 days (7 days per season). These seasons provide an interesting spin on survival gameplay; as the seasons change and winter begins to fall, the game will become progressively more challenging. Crops start to grow less often, mobs spawn more frequently, and the nights will become longer. It is important you plan around the changing seasons, stocking up on resources to survive the cold winter
Revamped Beta World Generation
The iconic beta world generation has also been given a major touch-up in BTA. First and foremost, the sea-level has been risen to 128, which means 128 blocks of underground, and 128 blocks of overworld. This also means mountains can grow to twice the size they could than before, leading to even wackier terrain than normal.
Biomes have been changed too, they now generate at around twice the size they used to, meaning no more ugly micro-deserts. Existing biomes have also been touched up to make them more unique, for example, swamplands now spawn with fields of algae and mossy trees, and seasonal forests spawn groves of cherry trees that shine a bright pink in the spring.
We also added 3 new biomes as well, the meadow, a flat plains with heaps of flowers, the boreal forest, a warm taiga
with giant spruce trees, and the outback, a scorched red desert with groves of Eucalyptus trees and spinifex bushes!
Creative Mode
One thing that beta 1.7.3 and below did lack was a functioning creative mode where you can test out contraptions and plan builds in a world with infinite blocks and health. This has been added to BTA, however its not just a simple port of beta 1.8’s creative mode. We thought we’d try and improve on it by adding better flying controls, a more readable creative inventory, and a list of single player commands.
New Blocks
3 new types of stone with brick and cobbled variants (Basalt, Granite and Limestone), painted wooden planks in 16 different dye colours, dirt paths, fence gates, new slab and stair variants for existing blocks, coloured Redstone lamps and many, many more blocks to expand your building capabilities with. As well as that, BTA also adds new blocks for Redstone contraptions, such as retractable ‘spike traps’ that damage mobs when stepped on, ‘motion sensors’ that activate when mobs move past them, and ‘mesh blocks’ that allow items to pass through them, yet block off mobs and players.
Steel
Exploring the nether now has a purpose with the addition of steel, a refined form of iron, made from smelting iron bars in a blast furnace with a new nether-exclusive ore called “nether coal” that offers extremely high durability tools at the cost of being slightly slower at mining than diamond. It can also be used to make a rocket launcher???!!
The Guidebook
Because we understand that sometimes recipes can be difficult to discover, especially in modded games, we decided to add a “guidebook” accessed by pressing R in-game that tells you each of the recipes found in the game. However, this book works a little differently to how you’d expect…
The book starts with all the items blacked out, filling out each item once obtained by the player to maintain the sense of discovery for those who enjoy finding things out for themselves. It also offers as a completion objective for players who wish to fill out the book completely and “craft ‘em all”. (But alternatively if you just want to see the new recipes for yourself, try opening the book in creative)
Changelogs available on our Tumblr.
Download
Auto-Updating
Download MultiMC Update Utility (Recommended!)
Latest (1.7.6.2_02)
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Client Jar
Download: Server jar
Older:
1.7.6.2_01
Download: MultiMC Instance (Recommended!)
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
1.7.6.2
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
1.7.6.1
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
1.7.6_01
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
1.7.6
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
1.7.5_01
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
1.7.5
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
1.7.4_02_3
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
1.7.4_02
Download: Server jar
1.7.4_01_1
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
1.7.4_01
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
Installation
Installation: MultiMC Update Utility
The MultiMC update utility will allow you to automatically update/load the latest release of BTA without having to install a brand new instance from the forum page!
Installation: MultiMC Instance
Installation: Betacraft Mod Repo
How to run the server jar
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's Better than Adventure?
Q: How can I get Better than Adventure?
A: The recommended method of playing BTA is via our handy MultiMC update utility, which you can find here!
To install the utility, simply drag and drop that link onto your MultiMC instance list, then run it. It'll generate a managed instance of BTA, which you can then run to launch the mod. The neat part is, whenever the mod releases a new update you can just run the update utility again and it'll automatically upgrade your managed instance to the latest version! No more messing around with jar files, and all your saves, screenshots and settings will be in exactly the same place
Q: What does this mod do?
A: Lots of things! We've added so much new stuff to this mod that it's honestly impossible to keep track of it all. A good place to start if you want to know everything is our update changelogs.
However, an experience we find a lot of people seem to enjoy is just going in blind and discovering new stuff as you play. We're always happy to answer any questions you might have on our Discord server, so feel free to join and ask!
There's also a recipe book called the Guidebook built into the game, which is bound to R by default. Recipes start blacked out, but progressively reveal themselves as you discover the items that comprise them. Don't be afraid to experiment!
Q: Who works on this mod?
A: The lead developer, founder, and benevolent dictator of BTA is me, aka @Mak#7981 over on Discord.
There's also, @jonkadelic;4422 - My handy co-developer.
Our overall organisation structure is pretty informal. We also have a few contributors who chip in with help and technical expertise and are very much appreciated.
Q: How can I help with this mod?
A: Thanks for the interest! There's a few ways you can help with BTA: firstly, if you're a programmer, feel free to ask us about becoming a contributor on our Discord, as we're always eager to get new people with different abilities and skillsets involved with development. Just be aware that the standards expected are pretty high, so we'll need to see some evidence of your ability before giving you access.
Secondly, if you're a texture artist, stick around! We pretty frequently ask the community for new textures, since there's a lot of talented people out there who can make far better art than we can. Thirdly, post suggestions in suggestion-discussion! We're always looking for new ideas to make the mod better.
If none of those things apply, spread the word! Tell your friends, partners, coworkers, or even strangers on the street about BTA. After all, the more the merrier!
Q: Is BTA compatible with other mods
A: Yes and no - BTA is only compatible with mods specifically made for it. Most mods you can think of will not work, as a lot of our optimizations means we have had to change/rewrite way too much of the codebase for anything else to be compatible. This means that until someone miraculously ports it over, you won't be able to play BTA with Aether, or BTA with Moon Mod, so on and so forth.
Q: Why can't I craft a Bed?
A: You can! The recipe is just a little different. In BTA, zombies drop cloth rather than feathers. The bed recipe requires 2 cloth and 1 wool, rather than 3 wool, like below:
Q: Can you backport <feature> from modern Minecraft?
Yes, we could if we wanted to, but that's not really our philosophy. If there's a feature from a later version we'd like to include in BTA, we ask ourselves how we can reinvent that feature in a way that still gets us there while also giving players a new experience.
For example, modern Minecraft features multiple different varieties of wooden planks, and so does BTA. However, in BTA ours come from giving the player the ability to dye oak planks, which gives them a fun new pastel color palette to play with.
Q: When's the next update coming out?
A: When it's ready. We used to give release dates for updates, but frankly it led to a lot of stress for us and a lot of disappointment for everyone else because we'd almost invariably miss those dates.
So now we just publish updates when we feel they're in a good enough place to go out, no matter how long it takes.
Contact
For any other assistance feel free to leave a comment below.
Please submit bug reports or suggestions to our Github issues page.
Alternatively join our Discord server for more frequent updates on the project, as well as access to exclusive snapshots and development builds.
Notes
Special thanks to Jonkadelic for being a very helpful co-developer.
Special thanks to the members of our Discord server for their help bug-testing releases, providing textures and suggestions.
looks cool
gamign
1.7.4_02 has been released! Check the changelog above.
Download Links:
Download: MultiMC Instance
Download: Betacraft
Download: Server jar
Fantastic work. It's really great to see that people are still giving love to older versions of the game, because really, it deserves it. The additions you've already brought in are really neat, and I can't wait to see where it goes next.
1.7.4_02_3 has been released! - This update is a server-side hotfix only. Client users do not need to update!
Changelog
+ Added death messages! Show off your skills to your friends
+ Added an /online command that prints out all online players, and their score
+ Added chat colours for readability. Currently random per logon but may be custom later on.
* Fixed a bug where the console would spam you with strings
* Fixed a bug where the blast furnace could not be crafted
Download
Click here
Restored my old account just to tell you how awesome this idea is! Keep going and don’t give up! This mod has such great potential!
Beta 1.7.5 has been released!
Trailer:
Explore the dangerous new labyrinths, shoot arrows from your quiver to your heart's content, create redstone traps using the new Motion Sensor blocks, and more!
Download from the links above, or use our new dedicated BTA launcher linked below! (This launcher will automatically pull the latest release from our Github, meaning no more checking forum posts for updates!)
Download
BTA Launcher
Download Server
Server Jar
Beta 1.7.5_01 has been released!
Just a minor patch to fix some existing bugs and bring a very slight nerf to the golden quiver.
Changelog:
Bug fixes:
Download
BTA Launcher
MultiMC
Betacraft
Download Server
Server Jar
Hey, Here's a new video that I just saw in Minecraft. Check it out. Link Removed
Sorry if I'm being stupid but.. How do I run the launcher? I open up the folder and there's nothing for me to launch.
My Youtube Channel
Hi! You need to download the "Bta launcher v1.1" download link I posted in the comments. Its an executable jar file, so you just need to run it. Make sure you are not opening it with winrar or 7zip.
Winrar always wants me to open it. How do I run it without opening it?
My Youtube Channel
Ok so I managed to get it running but everytime I try to log in, it gives me this error: java.lang.NullPointerExecption
My Youtube Channel
Hi, are there plans to make the dedicated launcher compatible with Microsoft Accounts?
I started playing Minecraft in 2013, when 1.5 was current, so I never knew what it was like to play the game back in the Beta days. I thought it would be cool to try this out "blind" (meaning I don't know what features there are beforehand), so here's my thoughts so far after several hours of gameplay:
The good:
- Using bone meal to convert dirt to grass is a very good feature and ought to be in vanilla.
- Cows dropping lots of leather (at least right now, not knowing how it plays into the added tech progression/balance) appears to be a great decision. It makes leather armor actually worth crafting since it's so cheap.
- Is it just me or do leaves decay faster? It certainly feels that way, and I like it.
- Leaves breaking faster with an axe is a good quality of life change.
- Clay always dropping 4 balls is a good change considering there's no silk touch (that I know of).
- Moss being basically an all-sides grass cube is cool, and I like the touch of color it adds to the caves.
- I like that the score is shown in the pause screen. It gives a subtle sense of progression, and it never made sense that you only saw your score after you already died.
- The stone variants are nice. I like that each one has a different brick texture.
- I'm noticing slime particles drip from the ceiling in some areas. I'm going to take a guess and say that's a slime chunk indicator. If so, that's great and ought to be in vanilla.
- The lack of item entity grouping makes collecting items feel a lot more satisfying. I know that's just a Beta 1.7 thing, but I wanted to point it out anyway.
- Thanks for backporting path blocks.
- Thanks for backporting that 1.12 feature where items in your crafting grid get moved back into your inventory if you exit the UI. I see it only works with the 2x2 grid and not the crafting table, but still, an improvement is an improvement.
The mediocre:
- Breaking moss with a pickaxe feels wrong. Maybe make hoes do that instead, just like in vanilla? Or maybe just make shovels do it.
- Some of the stone variant textures feel a little too pale/bland, but maybe I'm just not used to them yet.
- I like the consistency with stone slabs and stone bricks, but I prefer the way vanilla stone bricks tile.
The bad:
- I really miss all the modern mouse/keyboard shortcuts in the inventory. If it's not too difficult to backport some of the modern functionality, please do so. I prefer to spend as little time as possible in inventory screens.
- Screenshots appear to not work when in fullscreen. I'm using the provided MultiMC instance, Java 8, and KDE Neon Linux.
- 3D anaglyph seems to be a bit broken, with things not lining up the way they should? Also, it seems like moving into an area doesn't render it properly? Then again, I have no clue if this was also broken in Beta 1.7.3.
- When harvesting wheat, it seems to drop zero seeds surprisingly often. I'm not sure if this was already part of Beta 1.7 or not, but I don't like it. I think you should always at least get back 1 seed when it's fully grown.
Other observations:
- I see that zombies drop cloth. I have no clue what that's used for, and I haven't been able to guess any recipes yet. It definitely makes more sense than feathers, though.
- No way to craft beds? Or has the recipe changed? I assume there must at least still be some way to set your spawnpoint, though?
- Diamonds are either super rare or non-existent, which makes me wonder what the next step is beyond iron tools.
- Apparently I can't light a nether portal either. I've heard something about nether coal, though, so I assume the Nether must be accessible somehow...
Would you say it's possible to discover most of the features without any outside help, or do I have to read the patch notes? Maybe you could provide an alternative changelog in the style of NSSS that hints at the features without giving everything away?
Things I miss from vanilla (in order of importance):
- Inventory shortcuts.
- Recipe book. Or even just some way to find recipes without having to look them up. In hindsight, it's truly ridiculous that Java Edition lacked a recipe guide for so long.
- Advancements to guide players into finding stuff. This goes hand in hand with the recipe book. If you've ever seen PiroPito's Minecraft series, you'll know how crucial the advancements and recipe book are to figuring stuff out without having to resort to a wiki or tutorial.
- The ability to put more than one porkchop in a furnace. Maybe there's an upgrade or something I haven't discovered yet that provides a solution, but it's really boring to have to swap porkchops in and out of a furnace.
- Beta 1.8 Bow mechanics. Machine gun bows are alright, but they have very limited range and don't feel very skillful.
- Sprinting. It's not just the speed I miss, but also the ability to do 3-4 block jumps. Parkour almost can't exist without it. But how to implement it in a Beta 1.7 style? Here's my idea: instead of being hunger-based, it could be armor-based. Players with leather (or no) armor could sprint just like in modern MC, but players with heavier armor like iron could not. Perhaps each piece of iron armor would reduce your sprinting speed by 25%, with a full set removing your ability to sprint entirely. That could add some strategy to armor selection and keep leather armor relevant in the later stages of the game.
- Horizontal logs.
- 1.9+ boat controls.
- 1.9+ rain sounds. Seriously, I forgot how obnoxious rain sounds used to be, and without separate volume sliders, all you can do to escape the noise is run inside/underground.
- The ability to rebind the change-camera control to something other than F5. I typically use the C key (which is way easier to reach), so it's annoying every time I try to press it and nothing happens.
Suggestions:
- I wanna be able to bonemeal sugar cane. For some reason this still isn't a thing in vanilla.
- You should be able to craft moss with cobblestone to make mossy cobblestone... or is that already implemented and I just haven't been able to guess the recipe?
- Have you considered making a texture pack in the style of the 1.14+ textures? I hacked one together by combining the BTA textures with https://www.planetminecraft.com/texture-pack/village-amp-piston-1-14-textures-backport-to-beta-1-7/, and I think it looked pretty neat.
Wish placing blocks directionally was easier? Check out this suggestion!
Hey! Thanks for the feedback, its all been super helpful, and I'm very glad you're enjoying the mod! I'd like to go through it point by point if you don't mind, offering some thoughts or counterpoints to a couple of your critisisms, so here goes:
I actually didn't know about this, so thanks for the bug report! Will be fixed in a later version.
I'm gonna let you do the math on this one.. ;p
Diamond rarity hasn't changed at all, unless you're playing the 1.7.6 prereleases. But that is currently a bug and will be fixed in a later update. For now though, if you're on 1.7.5, you're just unlucky
As for your second point, I'm going to assume you're not filling in the corners. We've introduced variable portal sizes, and a downside of that is portal corners must be fully filled in now (However, as an alternative, you can make 4x3 portals now, which take up the same number of blocks as a portal with the corners cut off, so try that!)
I would say read the patch notes if you'd like to know everything the mod has to offer, however there are a number of seecret features we don't list in patch notes for players to discover themselves. In 1.7.6 though, we plan on adding a way of discovering new features yourself that I will go into further in a second..
Pickaxes breaking moss is a player convenience choice to be honest. Moss is only found underground and I think having to bring a hoe with you when you go mining seems a bit annoying.. Also moss is meant to be stone covered in moss, rather than a solid block of vegetation (This will be more obvious in 1.7.6 as we have modified the texture slightly)
These are both vanilla 1.7.3 bugs, the first of which is related to the game running in an unexpected screen resolution. We plan to fix the first one whenever we can, but I'll be honest, fixing anaglyph isn't on the top of our priority list due to the very sparse use-case of it.
Planned for a future update. Probably 1.7.7.
Both of these are planned for future versions. The recipe book is a new addition in 1.7.6, and a revamped achievement system designed to guide players through the game is coming later on down the line. We really want to make mod features easier for players to work out on their own (mainly because I keep getting questions about crafting recipes in the Discord server ;D)
We plan on adding an upgraded furnace specifically for bulk-cooking food later down the line, as well as a buffed movement speed system similar to what you described below, where armour types dictate how fast your top speed is. So stay tuned for those. As for 1.8 bow mechanics... I'll think about it. Its a little tough when there's people who enjoy both systems so if we do add 1.8 bows, they'll probably be a new weapon..
That's a great idea! I never even thought about it, but I'll get right onto implementing that!
There is a way to create mossy variants through the moss blocks, but it works a little differently to usual..Spoiler below if you'd like to know how it works:
Moss spreads to nearby blocks in a light level of 5 or less. Try placing cobblestone next to a moss block and see what happens ;D
Shameless plug but a member of our community discord server has done a Jappa texture pack! Feel free to join up you're interested (Also the Discord is the best place to offer feedback, bug reports and suggestions as its the place we check on the most often)
Thanks again for your great feedback! We plan to get 1.7.6 out within the month so I hope you enjoy that too when it rolls around! Also as a side note: I noticed your shoutout on the NSSS forum page so thanks for that too ;D
This is a gourmet mod. The stone brick textures are all very good too, although the dark ones feel a few % too dark?
I always lament the lack of 'moveable' or 'mechanical' blocks in Minecraft. Have you considered adding magnets that can push and pull iron/gold blocks and players with said armour from a distance? A source of mining or mixing gunpowder would be nice, too. Maybe gunpowder can be put inside a dispenser to increase its firing range? Lighting a fire next to a dispenser with gunpowder inside = cannon!
Damn, this mod goes far deeper than I though
I found a motion sensor
Unfortunately, it stays active despite being motionless... A bug or a misleading name?
That sounds like a bug, how did you approach it..? do you have a picture?
BTA 1.7.6 has been released!
Overview Trailer
This update is big. Really big. I'm honestly surprised we pulled it off but 1.7.6 is finally released, featuring all new seasons, overhauled terrain generation, bigger worlds, new blocks and more!
Download link above!
If you find any bugs or have any questions about installing or updating, please report them to our Discord server where we can discuss them with you! Thanks!