Minecraft Forums

Ziplines could be a quick way to get around a large base, or a treetop base; they could also be used to get down from a high cliff safely.. There are two modes in which they could be used: temporary or permanent. The origin must be at least five blocks above the destination, but a steeper drop results in higher speeds.

Any useful zipline starts with rope. To get rope, put nine string in the crafting bench. Each rope can span a maximum of thirty blocks, but in a permanent setup, multiple ropes can be strung together in series to create very long ziplines. This means each tripwire hook would be able to connect to two ropes at once, like so:

origin-----x-----x-----x----x-----destination

To ride the zipline, use a zipline hook, crafted using three planks and three iron ingots, in a recipe which can be seen below.

The temporary mode involves attaching the rope to an arrow (to attach the rope to the arrow, put them in a crafting bench together) and firing it at wherever you want to go. You then use the zipline hook to "zip" down the rope. This is a one-time use; the rope and arrow will fall (break) when you dismount. To dismount, right click on the arrow and you will drop.

The permanent mode uses tripwire hooks at either end in place of the arrow. Attaching the rope uses the same mechanics as attaching a tripwire line. Dismounting is likewise the same as for the other mode: right click the tripwire hook at the destination and you drop.

This is not to compete with the elytra; it's not flying (or even gliding), it's merely designed to be a quick way to get down from a height safely.

Support. Although I have one question.

How do you attach the zipline to an arrow/grappling hook? You never mentioned it.

Spaced it, lol. Put the arrow and the rope in a crafting bench (shapeless). For the tripwire hook, it's the same way you attach the string for a tripline (right-click string/rope on hook). I edited my post to reflect this oversight.

I'm afraid this doesn't fit properly into the gameplay of Vanilla MC. I think you should try to make a mod for it.

Why do you think it doesn't fit?

1. When making mock-up pictures for recipes or GUI's, always switch back to the default resource pack. I wouldn't have been able to tell that was iron if you hadn't said the recipe required it.

2. While it's a little out of the realm of Minecraft's theme, it's not too far out to ruin anything for any player, so I wouldn't say it doesn't fit Minecraft, as long as it isn't terribly complicated.

3. Is there a maximum length the zip line can be? Does there need to be a minimum drop angle (for example, can you create a zip line 200 blocks long but only one block in drop)?

Anyway, this looks like fun. I Support.

Quote from jdc997»

Is there a maximum length the zip line can be? Does there need to be a minimum drop angle (for example, can you create a zip line 200 blocks long but only one block in drop)?

Minimum 5-block drop, maximum 30-block span. So no ziplining from your observation tower at build level to your base a thousand blocks away. Although that would certainly be cool (and convenient), I was trying to keep it within the bounds of reality.

Quote from Badprenup»

Is the 30 blocks just horizontal distance across one axis, or does it take vertical distances and diagonal (going northwest instead of just north) into account as well? Can you even go diagonally or does the rope have to align on either the X or Z axis to the source block?

Also, if it doesn't take height into account, could you potentially make a zipline from height 255 to 0 over 5 blocks? That wouldn't make much sense.

I meant it to be strictly horizontal distance, regardless of the height drop (aside from the minimum five blocks). Restricting it to X or Z alignment only would lower its usefulness a bit (well, by half); I don't know how Minecraft handles diagonal geometry well enough to say definitively that 30 blocks straight horizontal is the same as 30 blocks diagonal, but I'd like it to also go diagonal.

Well, based on the rules I've outlined, you certainly could do that, and yes, that does seem more than a bit ridiculous. Perhaps there should also be a maximum drop. Let's say 30 blocks again. If the drop you need to negotiate is more than that, you can build several ziplines in a series (although that still wouldn't prevent people from making vertical lines by going down 30 and out 1 if they wanted. There really isn't a way to prevent that entirely though).

The second part is what I had in mind from the beginning.

How can I tweak it to make it feel more authentic for you?

Fair enough. (gun and cars...smh)

While not bad, it just kind of feels off to me. It might have something to do with how ziplines use linear diagonal movement in a game where rectilinear and parabolic movements are the norm.

Well you tried. I think you did a decent job representing your idea. Its just not necessary thanks to enderpearls.

Here's my main problem. You have a set max length, and a set minimum drop. I personally think the maximum length, if there is one, should be more like 300(for epic zipline amusement park fun) and require another rope item for every 10 blocks, and should have no minimum drop, but should work instead like minecarts, where they are bidirectional, except speed depends on the angle. If you are trying to go up, you would fall backwards. If you are going down at like 1 block for 150 blocks, you'd go very slowly, if at all. If you are dropping at 5 blocks per horizontal block, you'd go very fast. Et cetera.

Quote from kashoople»

Here's my main problem. You have a set max length, and a set minimum drop. I personally think the maximum length, if there is one, should be more like 300(for epic zipline amusement park fun) and require another rope item for every 10 blocks, and should have no minimum drop, but should work instead like minecarts, where they are bidirectional, except speed depends on the angle. If you are trying to go up, you would fall backwards. If you are going down at like 1 block for 150 blocks, you'd go very slowly, if at all. If you are dropping at 5 blocks per horizontal block, you'd go very fast. Et cetera.

I agree with this completely.

Quote from zeerelvalkyrie»

Well you tried. I think you did a decent job representing your idea. Its just not necessary thanks to enderpearls.

Enderpearls cause fall damage and it's hard to control where you end up, though. Really, the only thing the two have in common is that they're both travel devices.

Quote from kashoople»

Here's my main problem. You have a set max length, and a set minimum drop. I personally think the maximum length, if there is one, should be more like 300(for epic zipline amusement park fun) and require another rope item for every 10 blocks, and should have no minimum drop, but should work instead like minecarts, where they are bidirectional, except speed depends on the angle. If you are trying to go up, you would fall backwards. If you are going down at like 1 block for 150 blocks, you'd go very slowly, if at all. If you are dropping at 5 blocks per horizontal block, you'd go very fast. Et cetera.

Blame it on tunnel vision if you like, or a desire for practicality, but the amusement-park possibilities never even occurred to me. As for your purported horizontal line, what would you suggest as an equivalent to a powered rail? After all, unpowered minecarts are pretty frustrating to ride in, and a horizontal zipline with no movement isn't something people are going to want to use. Unless your idea about renewing ropes every some number of blocks could somehow act as a booster (but by what mechanism? magic?). This concept needs further thought.

Quote from Brendan1768»

Kinda support

What do you like and dislike about it?

The horizontal zipline would be horrible, which is why noone would make it. I personally don't have any clue what a good "powered rope" would be, but the main point of it being dependent on angle would be to give more freedom, as freedom is minecraft's specialty.