That ravine doesn't look deep enough to pose a significant threat to villagers (in terms of fall damage), so your librarian may already have been low on health. But yes, villager pathfinding is indeed quite troublesome and physical barriers are often the only practical way of overcoming this, even if they are visually unappealing.
Risk and loss management is definitely an important skill in survival. When I first attempted a nether fortress, I was almost expecting death to occur thanks to my minimal combat experience. I didn't bring much more than iron armor and stone tools, and the decision ended up saving hours of work. With how much progress you've made in terms of equipment, it probably saved you even more.
When a warden spawns, your warning levels don't immediately wear off (i.e. if you trigger another shrieker right after summoning one, another one spawns). It takes 10 minutes for each warning level to wear off, assuming you don't trigger a shrieker in that time. But it's nice to see that you've gradually developed a strategy to try to prevent this from happening.
Yesterday, another anomaly occurred. A weaponsmith from the village made his way into the old trading hall. This is not a problem, but it is very strange. This trading hall was built immediately after the basement workshop and is the second oldest building in this world. Of course, I made changes to its design, but the last time was in the summer, and the changes only affected the internal rooms. The fence hasn't been altered for several months. I carefully examined the perimeter and found a place where you could squeeze through between the wooden fence and the wall edge. It's strange that this didn't cause any problems before.
Had there been changes to the pathfinding algorithm? I only found a message about a bug fix in 1.21.9:
MC-295841 – Interactive collision check path is broken.
My technical knowledge is not sufficient to understand if that was the cause.
This is just a guess, but the bug you listed seemed to mainly affect performance and the physical ability of an entity to interact with blocks (like activating pressure plates) rather than their actual movement pattern.
If the gap has existed for a long time and the villager never went through it until now, they've perhaps stopped being attracted to their original workstation or bed, and is therefore seeking another one? I've observed this happen when a villager cannot access their station due to an obstruction, thus causing them to lose interest in it and wander around in a larger radius to search for another one.
Theoretically, it is possible. If the algorithm relied on a buggy function for a long time, fixing the bug could lead to unexpected side effects. But you are right, this is just a guess. And without delving into the code (which I am not going to do), it would be irresponsible to make any statements.
Upon thinking, I do not exclude my own inattention. The trading hall was built a short distance from the village. The recent reconstruction of the village has further reduced this distance. I notice that the villagers are wandering where they didn't appear before. Most likely, this is the reason for the breach of isolation. And until the trading hall was fully configured, I might not have noticed that they were climbing through a hole in the fence.
This episode will once again focus on farming. You may remember that a huge quarry was formed at the Sand outpost due to sand mining. I partially filled it with slate and cobblestones from branch mining. I planned to just put down a layer of dirt and plant trees. But since I'm planting trees, why not make a farm here?
Oops, looks like I have guests. Apparently they were on their way to some festival. Three patrols appeared in this area during construction.
It might seem strange that I'm building a tree farm so far from home. But it so happens that near my home base there's only a very beautiful flower forest. We'll visit it soon. Even if I replant saplings in place of the felled trees, it will lead to a decrease in species diversity, since I most often grow birch. So, when, after escaping from the Nether, I found a sandy beach next to a mixed forest, I decided it would be a good place to harvest several types of resources at once.
I'm researching farm designs in the internet and I don't like any of them. It seems that fully automated farms use TNT Duper. Maybe I'll try it someday, but in the of long-term world, the main farm has to be “legal”. I'm going with a semi-automatic farm with a hopper minecart. I'll have to chop down trees manually, but the minecart will collect the saplings and sticks.
Photos of the construction process:
I usually grow birch trees as “technical” trees. But soon I will need pine saplings, so I want to propagate them. The final touch on this location: I am build a boat dock, remov the red concrete, and return a small amount of sand to its place.
I continue to work on the farm for a while. The farm is functioning as expected, but the planting area is insufficient. I have to take breaks while waiting for the seedlings to grow. I will have to dig up the hill to expand the farm. But not in this session. I take a few stacks of logs, four stacks of saplings, and return home.
Next up are flower farms. I've already built tulip farms. Tulips are a beautiful flower for decorating village streets and small flowerbeds. But for working in the wild, creating pseudo-natural lawns and decorating riverbanks, we are need other flowers.
I'm going to build a lily of the valley farm. By the way, it's my favorite flower. You may know that the conditions for generating lilies of the valley are different from those for tulips and other flowers. Lilies of the valley don't always regrow in the same place where they were generated when the world was created. In my first world, I was unpleasantly surprised when my lily of the valley farm started producing dandelions. But if you find a lawn where lilies of the valley and cornflowers grow naturally, you can use it for your farm. I found such a lawn while exploring the flower forest and tested it with bone meal.
So, we're heading to the flower forest. Here are my old tulip farms: three plots under one roof. Pure functionality, no aesthetics!
The farms were built early in the game when my main priority was saving resources. There's still a subtle aesthetic here: despite the large area, the low buildings are almost completely camouflaged by trees and barely noticeable in the forest. I did replace some of the planks with mossy bricks, though; it looked even worse before.
The lily-of-the-valley meadow is conveniently located precisely north of the tulip farm, so even I won't get lost.
Wow! I forgot there were hares here.
And here are the lilies of the valley.
I'm leveling the area and building the farm according to the tutorial:
The pistons push the blocks. Under the note block, cobblestones are replaced by dirt. The observer registers the change in the note block's tone and pushes the pistons again, creating a rattle. Under the ground are a bone meal dispenser and two observers. One registers the movement of the dirt, and the other activates the dispenser.
The farm is ready. All that's left is to decorate the greenhouse. There's no need for camouflage here.
This is almost the final version. I didn't have enough glass for the dome. I put sand in the furnace, sit on my horse, and ride to the next site.
Now it's allium's turn. There are allium lawns in the flower forest, but they are all far from home base. However, I recently discovered a small allium lawn near the Old Transfer Station. It's strange that I only noticed it now: it's close to the road but hidden behind a pile of snow. Ironically, this place is much further away than the flower forest, but it's much more conveniently located: close to the road and shelter.
This mini-project requires more work than the lily-of-the-valley farm due to the terrain: there's a snowdrift nearby and several narrow, deep ravines. The animals got stuck in one of them (sorry for the screenshot quality, it was very cramped).
In gratitude for saving me, I got kicked in the rear several times. Where did that goat appear from? I thought they only appeared in the mountains.
After leveling the site, I sprinkle bone meal on it to determine the most advantageous location for the farm. It seems that regardless of the location, the farm will be mixed: allium + wildflowers (Port Town is visible in the distance.).
Ouch! That goat again...
A little work and the farm is ready.
The last mini-project in this episode is a blue orchid farm. We go home to pick up building materials and head to the swamp through the Nether tunnel.
This farm is located on the outskirts of Swamp Village, so I'm devoting a little more attention to decorating and improving the path from the church to the farm.
In addition to building farms, I do a lot of small household chores: I fill in holes, work in the mine, etc. In the next episode, we will find out why I need so many decorative plants.
Having a farm for nearly all the common flower types sure is convenient. I like that you try to tailor the aesthetics of each of the farms to the corresponding flower(s), even the structures don't fit in with the natural surroundings.
That little snowdrift is a "snowy slopes" biome (indicated by the full snow blocks), and it's one of the mountain biomes where goats can spawn in, alongside jagged and frozen peaks.
Can you use bone meal on a flower in Java to get more of that flower? I think it may only be Bedrock that you can do that, but I'm not sure if that was brought to Java.
In gratitude for saving me, I got kicked in the rear several times. Where did that goat appear from? I thought they only appeared in the mountains.
They technically do. Look at the snow nearby. The altitude you're at, the unlikelihood of it being a frozen region biome (snow anywhere else equals mountainous biome), and the presence of a goat implies that's a mountainous biome, as goats can spawn in snowy ones.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
Can you use bone meal on a flower in Java to get more of that flower? I think it may only be Bedrock that you can do that, but I'm not sure if that was brought to Java.
In Java, bone meal can only be directly applied to double flowers (roses, peonies, lilacs, etc.), which causes a copy of that flower to drop.
Applying bonemeal to single flowers is only possible in Bedrock (doing so won't cause a copy to drop, but instead generate more of that flower within a 7x7 area). In Java, single flowers can be generated by bonemealing the grass in their respective biomes and in the correct patches (the specific coordinates within said biome where a certain flower can be post-generated, which is dependent on a "gradient"). Hence, farms for different flowers must be built in different biomes.
Yes, breeding tall flowers (as well as pink petals and wildflowers) on Java is much easier than small flowers. For small flowers, you need to find a biome where these flowers grow, apply bone meal to the grass, remove tall grass, and repeat. Farms automate this process, but must be built in different biomes. Finding a suitable location for a lily of the valley farm is especially complicated. A sign of a suitable location is the coexistence of lilies of the valley and cornflowers.
A sign of a suitable location is the coexistence of lilies of the valley and cornflowers.
Flower forests are divided into regions where different flower types can grow (in terms of both natural and post-generation), and those regions form a specific gradient whose order is the same regardless of the seed. The cornflower and lily regions are adjacent to each other in the gradient, as shown below.
The size of the concentric regions are influenced by altitude in Java, so lily regions are more commonly found in areas with elevational change.
The title is not entirely accurate. We will not be working on the roads themselves, but on the shoulders. This episode turned out to be somewhat chaotic, as construction was interrupted by problems in the trading hall.
When I was doing my geographical review, I noticed many places that are begging to be built up or at least decorated.
Here, for example, is this hole in the cherry grove.
This is a good spot for a small lake. I explore the caves; they're shallow. I found quite a bit of coal and a tiny bit of iron ore. I seal the holes with cobblestone, add a few blocks of glowstone, and fill them with water. I use kelp, which has a remarkable property of "growing" a water source.
When the lake was full, I collected the excess kelp. It was bigger than a large chest! I'm putting it to dry.
I plant flowers and breeding bees.
I hid almost a hundred glowing pumpkins in the cherry tree crowns.
Work has to be interrupted due to an unexpected problem in the trading hall. We discussed this earlier in the comments, but I didn't give enough details. I went in to buy a shovel and met an extra weaponsmith there. And he's not a novice, but an apprentice. It seems he came from the village where I sometimes traded. But how? And why now?
The trading hall has been in existence since April. It was built immediately after the basement workshop and is the second oldest building in this world. The last changes were made after the librarians relocating more than two months ago. And at that time, I did not touch the fence.
I scan the perimeter. It looks like he squeezed through this gap:
Continuing my inspection, I encounter this strange gathering:
An fletcher from the trading hall, a fisherman from the village, an unemployed man from who knows where. Let's say the weaponsmith squeezed through the crack, but how did the fletcher get out? That crack is inaccessible from below. This problem is much worse: I've already lost my best librarian and I don't want the tragedy to repeat itself.
After checking the gap, I realized I could reach it by walking along the edge of the stairs outside the railing. I could do that, but I've never seen villagers do that kind of parkour. If that's the problem, I can fix it. Aesthetics aside, safety is more important!
I'm installing a few extra fences and bars. It looks terrible, and I'm not even sure it will help.
I wait until nightfall and lock the "legal" traders in their rooms. Along the way, I discover another illegal immigrant. The next day, I lure the fugitives onto boats, and a "Happy Ghast" taxi takes them home.
Now it's time to deal with this gang. There are four of them already? Where did the weaponsmith come from? I took him home and made sure he had a job. Okay, everyone get in the boats (or rather, rafts). The fisherman bids a touching farewell to the fletcher. If I did everything right, they won't see each other again.
It took me a some while to figure it all out (and I'm still not totally sure). It seems like the problem isn't the software update, like I first thought, but the village expansion. The trading hall is essentially an isolated street on the edge of the village. When it was built, the village was very small and almost empty. But now both the area and the population have grown significantly. Walking through the meadow, free villagers began to venture further than before and discovered a gap that no one had used before. In addition, they began to wander into the artificial waterfall. The flow of water carries them down, and they cannot climb back up. I need to put a fence on top and make a passage underneath.
And then they infuriated me. While I was repairing the fence, another villager fell into the waterfall. I got tired of pulling them out, so I chopped him up. I try to avoid violence against villagers and non-hostile mobs, but sometimes I just don't have enough patience. I regret giving in to my emotions...
Since I'm already dealing with the trading hall, I'll do one more job. I decided to take the librarian from Port Town. He offered me Power IV for 47 emeralds. Not nearly as good as Unbreaking III for 19, but it might come in handy too.
On my way to Port Town on the ghast, I took this screenshot of the renovated cherry orchard.
Having dealt with the villagers, I return to work. The next mini-project will be this valley near the Old Transfer Station. It will be an axolotl reservation.
You may have noticed that I use a lot of bricks. Where I live, it is one of the traditional and commonly used building materials. But this means that I extract a lot of clay, destroying the spawning sites of axolotls. I relocate them to ponds, but this cannot always be done quickly. In my village pond, there are already nine of ones, and an attempt to release the axolotls into a natural lake led to a fight with drowneds, with casualties on both sides. The poor creatures have to wait weeks in a bucket until I find a suitable place for them.
A special water body could be the solution to the problem. And this puddle is just right. It is large enough, there are no drowneds here, and it is halfway between the lush cave and the home.
Most of the pond is one meter deep. I remember (thanks, Staricle!) that this is not enough for axolotls to find their way. I deepen the middle of the lake, fill in a couple of underwater ravines, and plant flowers and cane. I don't know if it's important for axolotls to have water sources rather than streams here. Just in case, I plant kelp in the deep areas and then remove it.
While the kelp is growing, I will take care of this small valley. I'd like to see a pasture here, but unfortunately, there are no animals. The surrounding hills are full of horses and cows, and there is even a goat (that same one). But there aren't any down below. A peculiarity of pathfinding?
I'll still build a shepherd's hut here and plant some sunflowers.
The kelp has filled the lake, and I'm clearing it away. Now we can release the first axolotls.
^ The shack on the right side of the picture is the Old Transfer Station.
Now it's a lake near the Clay outpost.
I really like the lake, but the birch tree looks out of place here. A steep bank covered with pine trees would be much better. That's why I collected spruce seedlings in the previous episode. I cut down the birch trees, leaving the stumps. I'm terrible at making things look natural, so I leave the stumps to mark where the trees used to be. I wait until the leaves have completely fallen and plant spruce trees in place of the stumps. I plant several tall spruce trees on the hills.
I'm building a boat pier and planting firefly bushes. Red sweet berry bushes would fit in nicely here, but I haven't found any taiga yet. Oh well, I'll make do with red mushrooms.
^ Not all seedlings have sprouted yet.
Now the roads between the outposts look much better. I liked these places before, but now the world looks more inhabited. It's as if no one is there now, but people visit these places, use boats, sit by campfires, etc.
During the work, I periodically return home for materials and tools. On my next visit to the trading hall, I notice an unemployed man there. At first, I thought someone had climbed over the fence again, but then I remembered seeing a child here earlier. I decided that I had miscounted the beds after the librarians relocation. But now I've checked: there's no mistake. However, there was a vacant bed in the Book Trade Chamber for some time after the librarian's death. Perhaps this was the bed the misguided villagers were trying to reach? At the beginning of the game, the trading hall next to the natural village seemed like a good idea, but now it's causing confusion. There are no free beds now, so there shouldn't be any new problems. I decided not to do anything and just watch.
A small improvement to the auto farm: I installed an autocraft for dried kelp blocks – a result of dredging work.
In breaks between construction, I do short sessions of branch mining. Usually, it's a relaxing but not very exciting activity. But this time, I make two interesting discoveries. One of the tunnels ends in a small crack-like cave. I notice iron ore in the depths, set up torches, and see raw iron blocks among the tuff. Ore vein! When I found the first ore vein, I only poked at it a little, but even then I was happy with the yield. Now I know how rich these deposits can be. I carefully dig out all the tuff. I find other ores in the cave and tunnel. I used Fortune III and compressed the extracted ores into blocks:
Plus a lot of tuff and deep slate.
The other tunnel turns out to be very long. It takes me hundreds of blocks away and ends in a stunning cave with a lava floor and sculk on the walls. I don't have any plans yet, but if I ever need a lot of obsidian, I know where to find it.
By the way, in the next update, we will see much more lava.
I never would have thought to turn that first cave area into a small lake.
Villagers can and will find their way out if they have a way. In my experience, stairs next to fences that they they can get on top of are especially prone to this. I had a staircase, and not even a tall one, with fence railings. Instead of walking down the short staircase and around the corner, they were jumping atop the fence and falling (taking fall damage and eventually dying). I had to redesign it to accommodate that. Temporarily, I made the "railing" a "fence wall" which was not ideal, and eventually I redesigned it entirely to prevent them from being able to fall.
While the kelp is growing, I will take care of this small valley. I'd like to see a pasture here, but unfortunately, there are no animals. The surrounding hills are full of horses and cows, and there is even a goat (that same one). But there aren't any down below. A peculiarity of pathfinding?
I think you're aware of this, but in Java, passive mobs really only spawn during new chunk creation, as opposed to spawning and despawning randomly like hostile mobs. They can spawn randomly, but the cap is so low that it almost always prevent sit from occurring.
So if none spawned down there, and you're not in the area for a long time(and with a high enough simulation distance), it's unlikely any will populate the area.
And yes, mobs do have a bias for higher ground due to certain reasons I don't remember. I think they also have a bias for the Northwest direction. You would notice this in old versions before the village changes if you had a physically large village. This was supposedly changed, but this bias seems to (at least partially) remain in my experience. Bees are a good example. Villagers will fully populate a village now though because they claim beds and workstations, and then stay around them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
Hidden lighting is definitely useful in denser/busier environments where physical structures like lampposts are less desirable. I sometimes do this in manual tree farms by placing jack-o-lanterns beneath carpets in the ground, which ensures the light level is sufficient for tree growth without creating any obstructive nuisances.
Drowned only spawn in oceans, rivers and dripstone caves. You often find small bodies of water which aren't part of (or do not contain) any of these biomes, indicated by a lack of underwater vegetation and fish. Thus drowned can never spawn in them regardless of light level or depth.
Your axolotl pond is nice, and it really makes me wish lily flowers were a thing. The cactus flowers are an excellent substitute but unfortunately cannot be placed on top of lily pads without commands, and even that involves complicated procedures with armor stands.
The artificial lakeside forest is a great example of what a revamped taiga biome should look like: varied tree height and a balanced mixture of spruce and pine trees. It's visually appealing from a distance, and I imagine relatively easy to navigate, without overdoing things. In a similar vein, I'm not against the idea of the game generating occasional copses of trees of a different variety to those in the surroundings. Minor additions can greatly help improve the authenticity of world generation.
Your axolotl pond is nice, and it really makes me wish lily flowers were a thing. The cactus flowers are an excellent substitute but unfortunately cannot be placed on top of lily pads without commands, and even that involves complicated procedures with armor stands.
That reminds me of one of the first mods I used during the times of 1.6 called Better Grass and Leaves. The primary reason I used it was because it made the leaves bushy, but it also "added" cat tails in water that was one block deep, coral in oceans, and flowers on top of some lily pads, among other things. These things weren't actually added to the world and didn't exist, but rather they were visual only. I loved it. Sadly, it never updated to 1.7, but a mod named Better Foliage began here and it was a spiritual successor of sorts to it. I also used that for a while.
In more recent version, resource packs themselves gained functionality to replicate offering bushy leaves.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
And yes, mobs do have a bias for higher ground due to certain reasons
A long time ago, an enderman released my cows from their pen. I bred the remaining ones and left the runaways alone. They wandered around the farm for a while, then disappeared. I assumed they had perished somehow. However, I recently discovered a small herd on one of the snow-covered mountains nearby. Could these be my runaways?
That's why I gave up on the idea of bringing animals to that valley: if I let them wander around, they'll just run off to the hills anyway.
I'm not against the idea of the game generating occasional copses of trees of a different variety to those in the surroundings. Minor additions can greatly help improve the authenticity of world generation.
Perhaps my perceptions of biomes are distorted by the fact that I play Large Biomes. But I wouldn't mind seeing more diverse forests. You previously wrote about gradients in flower forests. Perhaps applying this idea to the generation of tree species and, maybe, small patches of swampy terrain would make the forest landscape much more interesting. Although it is difficult to estimate the impact of such changes on gameplay.
A long time ago, an enderman released my cows from their pen. I bred the remaining ones and left the runaways alone. They wandered around the farm for a while, then disappeared. I assumed they had perished somehow. However, I recently discovered a small herd on one of the snow-covered mountains nearby. Could these be my runaways?
It's possible, although I wouldn't be able to say for certain.
I'd say it's likely though since the chances of them dying to natural causes should be low.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
It's time for another break from construction. If you remember, I recently discovered a Nether fortress near my main entrance to the Nether. I want to explore it while I can remember where it is.
Like all my glorious feat, this adventure begins with construction. Since I have poor navigate and often die, I need safe passage to the fortress. I haven't yet decided whether to build it in the Nether or the Overworld. The Nether is certainly closer, but the road to the Overworld can always come in handy. I decided to grab some cobblestone, go to the fortress, and decide on the spot.
I grab the flint, a bundle of spare obsidian, a compass, and lodestone, and head to the portal in the Factory basement.
I find an old screenshot with coordinates and walk through a warped and crimson forests. Hoglins attack me:
I retreat, and those fat monsters get stuck between the trunks. I return to deal with them. Piglins with crossbows rush to my aid. I nearly hit one with my sword. I need to be careful, otherwise the holins won't be my main problem.
I finally found the entrance to the fortress. It's a closed corridor in the nehterrack. Blaze looms at the far end of the corridor. And only now did I remember about the potion of fire resistance!
I quickly block off the end of the corridor with cobblestones and build a portal. Where will it lead me?
Wonderful!!!
It looks like this is the northeastern part of the flower forest. I check the coordinates. 2000+ blocks from home. It's a so far. I'll check Chunkbase later. A road in this direction would be useful in the long term. But right now, there's no point in wasting time on it. Of course, I could have calculated this in advance using the Nether Fortress coordinates. I need to practice multiplying by 8.
However, this place is too good to be ignored. And I need a respawn point. So, the temporary base will be in the Overworld, and the road will be in the Nether.
I return to the Nether and begin building a cobblestone road. But a ghast looms in the distance, and I don't have a potion of fire resistance. I stop building and return home for building materials and potions.
Here is my shelter.
Here I can rest, heal, and brew potions. If necessary, there is enough space here for additional chests. There is a water source in the niche between the portal and the chests. I later put a gate in front of the portal to keep zombie piglins from entering the house.
Now it's time to take care of the road.
Most of the road is simply fenced off with cobblestone fences. This is enough to keep me from getting lost and falling into the lava. Where I saw ghasts, I put up copper bars. Part of the road runs through a tunnel. By the way, I tried out the copper tools. They are very convenient for working in netherrack: faster than stone, cheaper than iron, and an accidental swing of the pickaxe won't cut through an entire cave, as is the case with a diamond pickaxe.
While I'm building the road, the game updates to 1.21.11. This broke the Trimmable Tools datapack I was using to easily distinguish between Fortune and Silk Touch pickaxes. It only affects two items, but I use them a lot and don't want to lose QoL or give up updates. I could switch to the corresponding mod, but it hasn't been updated since 1.21.8, and I've been playing a lot on 1.21.10. After digging around on the internet, I installed the Tool Trims datapack. But now I have another problem. The previous datapack used trims for armor, while this one introduces four new items. It must be found in treasure chests, and it is unclear how long this will take to do. Well, I resorted to cheating again. The datapack supports commands intended for testing. One of them creates a whole stack of trims of each type. I execute this command, keep one trim for myself, and discard all the rest. Then I duplicate the trim using diamonds. I consider this cheating acceptable, as I am replacing broken items that I previously obtained honestly.
We return to the Nether. I run back and forth along the new road several times, picking up excess building materials and bringing in diorite, glass, and glowing pumpkins. I'm going to use the same tactic as in the first Nether fortress: divide the fortress into small segments and gradually clear them. I wondered why other players considered the fortress so dangerous if even I could clear it. Then I realized that I wasn't so much conquering as building up the fortress.
I finally enter the fortress. It will be amusing if the adventure turns out to be shorter than the preparation for it.
This fortress is not like the one I explored in the spring. It was generated in a netherrack rock. This both complicates the exploration and makes it less dangerous at the same time. Here's what my tactics look like:
Diorite barriers at intersections delay wither skeletons. Glass panels protect against fire charges. Diorite and glowing pumpkins make navigation easy. In case of a panic escape, grinning mugs will point the way to the shelter.
It seems I have a problem:
I begin to carefully build a cobblestone bridge. But why? I have fire resistance potions. I climb up the lava and plug the hole from which it's pouring.
I quickly found both spawners. They were in adjacent corridors.
I built a blocking structure according to the instructions from the wiki, but single blades still appear.
The only thing I missed was you. I got ready to play tennis, but ghast showed no interest and flew off to do his own thing.
And here are the warts.
The fortress turned out to be quite rich. There are two spawners, two wart gardens, and, it seems, six chests with horse armor and other junk. I collected 62 fire rods, 26 magma creams, and 0 skulls. This disappoints me a little. I got much more in the first fortress. Perhaps it's because I was inexperienced and spent much more time there. The architecture of the fortress may also be a factor. It seems to me that there are fewer mobs in the closed tunnels than on the open balconies of the first fortress.
I decided to stay a little longer and dismantle a few rooms in order to obtain nether bricks. Working inside the netherrack rock seems relatively safe. I chop down brick walls, occasionally distracted by mobs that appear nearby. I get some more rods and magma cream. Once, I accidentally punched a hole in the ceiling and three wither skeletons fell on me. Fortunately, they jumped one after the other, not all at once.
But you're probably thinking, did I tumble into lava this time? The answer is - of course, yes!
Working in closed corridors is deceptively safe. I didn't notice the hole in the floor and plopped right into a lake of lava. Fortunately, this time I didn't forget my potion of fire resistance. I safely climb out of the lava. But how do I get back to the fortress? From here, I can't see the hole I fell through. I try to climb up, but the narrow corridor of the fortress in the thick netherrack is not easy to find. I carefully examine the shores of the lake, hoping to see the supports of the fortress. They are visible in the screenshot above, but after a few turns, I lost sight of them. Instead, I saw my torch. So, I had already been here?
The torch is installed at the end of some old tunnel. It branches into several passages, but they all lead nowhere and end in various lava lakes. Now I am completely lost and can no longer find the place where I fell. It's unpleasant, but not scary. I have the coordinates of the fortress and a lodestone compass leading to the home portal, and there are enough supplies and spare materials for pickaxes and torches in the Ender chest. I turn on the F3 screen and start making my way through the netherrack.
There were a few minor hiccups along the way. Once, I accidentally punched a lava pocket. Then I started mining gold without noticing a piglin behind me. I dealt with it quickly, but forgot to take screenshots.
The tunnel crosses several small wastelands. In one of them, I see a portal. Perhaps this is the exit of the ruined portal I explored on one of my expeditions?
No. This is clearly a player-built portal. Savannah and ocean? I don't remember this place at all. Maybe I should continue into the overworld? I check the coordinates. 2600+ in both directions. It's so far. I spend the night near the portal and return to the Nether.
But where did this portal appear from? The only thing I could remember was the spring expedition to find the piglins. I wanted to try out the stasis chamber (I never managed to set it up). I needed soul sand, which I wanted to trade with the piglins. Now there's a large gang of piglins hanging out in the warped forest near my home portal. But for some reason, I didn't see them back then. At that time, I was terrified of the Nether. I moved chaotically through tunnels and wastelands, not even trying to figure out where I was. Besides, there was no easy lodestone recipe available at the time. After finding the piglins and making the exchange, I immediately fled through the emergency portal. It seems I passed under the fortress without noticing it. This explains why I keep stumbling upon abandoned tunnels that lead nowhere. Well, or Herobrine.
I continue my way through netherrack.
Only later did I realize I'd placed the torches incorrectly. Out of habit, I'd placed them on the right side (the screenshot was taken while looking back). But this tunnel is the return way, so the torches should be on the left; that would make it easier to find my way if I got lost again. Well, it was too late to fix it now.
Finally!
At last, I can rest in a safe shelter.
I unload my inventory, brew potions, and return to the fortress. I continue mining nether bricks. I surround the cleared rooms with diorite walls, leaving observation windows to spot mobs.
I was planning on working a little longer, but the chests in the shelter are already filled with nether bricks, etc. It's time to end this adventure. Here are the most valuable loot:
Plus a large chest of nether bricks and half a chest of netherrack.
I bid farewell to the lovely little house on the mountainside. My best memories of this adventure are of relaxing in the safe shelter at the entrance to the formidable Nether Fortress.
I'll be coming back here again to replenish my supplies of nether bricks or potion ingredients.
Perhaps the main result of this adventure is that I overcame my fear of the Nether. This dimension is still a dark and uncomfortable place, but I am no longer afraid to stray more than ten steps away from the portal.
Hoglins used to be one of my concerns too when traversing crimson forests, but I've learnt that placing a warped fungus on the ground will cause them to retreat. Even then, staying on the treetops is safest unless the terrain makes it difficult.
The copper railings will blend in well with the warped forest once they oxidize ... speaking of which, I'm surprised copper can oxidize in the Nether in the first place (this isn't the case in Bedrock).
It is unfortunately very difficult to fully eliminate naturally spawning (non-spawner) blazes as you'll need to ensure that every valid spawning block either has a light level greater than 12 or is covered by unspawnable blocks like slabs.
If a fortress is in a warped forest or soul sand valley, blazes and wither skeletons will spawn far more frequently because fewer mobs spawn outside, thus the mob cap won't be reached as quickly.
Hoglins used to be one of my concerns too when traversing crimson forests, but I've learnt that placing a warped fungus on the ground will cause them to retreat.
Wait, it does!? I never knew that.
I used to try and avoid hoglins. They're not really a major threat on their own (few things in Minecraft are, though), but since the crimson forest can be tight and the nether can be full of drops, combined with the knockback they do while being relatively durable, avoidance is typically safer. The babies will hit and then immediately retreat before engaging again.
This was one unexpected area where I found that my preferred approach would differ in Bedrock. For whatever reason, they felt so mindless to deal with with in that version (especially if you have the knockback enchantment, though this isn't necessary) due to the differences in the combat system. I eventually found that I could stand stationary in one spot and just spam attack in their direction (even if multiple were attacking at once!) and it would resolve itself every time, and almost every time I never even got hit once. I wasn't having to time attacks, and I wasn't having to try and block or even move to avoid being hit.
I've been staying home for a while, doing chores. I've discovered another section of the Ore vein. It looks like they're parts of the same vein, which I'm accessing from different directions. My iron supply has increased by 52 blocks in one mining session.
On the way back from the mineshaft, I noticed a visual effect that I hadn't noticed before. The rails in the distance look blurred. Was I just not paying attention before, or is this a change introduced in 1.21.11?
I went to the Sand outpost to replenish my sand supplies for a new project. It was a short work trip, nothing special.
The new project I have in mind requires careful planning. I am not going to build a road to the new construction site. This means that I will not be able to quickly replenish my supplies and bring forgotten materials. Everything I need must be taken at once. Fortunately, Happy Ghast is capable of carrying a huge load. I carefully compile a list, filling an entire page of my notebook (yes, it's an old-fashioned paper notebook). I know what materials I want to use, but I can't estimate the exact quantities yet. I've probably forgotten something, and I'll need to make an extra trip, but I'd like to get by with just one.
I load building materials into chests on rafts. It reminds me of construction pallets on a real construction site. I catch an unemployed in the trading hall (I mentioned him in episode 27) and another one in the village. They are to become the patriarchs-ancestors of the new settlement.
I'm hooking up the boats to the Happy Ghast. While I'm fiddling with the leads and boats, evening is falling, but everything is ready for the flight, and I don't want to wait until the morning. Let's go!
As darkness falls, we fly westward. We reach our destination at dawn. We wait for sunrise in the sky, watching the zombies burn below.
And here is our destination:
I found this valley at the summer and thought it would be a good place for a lost settlement. I didn't feel like doing a winter theme back then, but now's the perfect time.
So, the valley is framed by a high mountain range to the south (not visible from this angle) and relatively gentle snow-covered slopes on the other sides. The western part of the valley is relatively flat, which will be convenient for construction. In the eastern part, we have a small area of flower forest, a waterfall, pumpkins, and even a lava lake. Of course, I will have to remove some of the trees, but the flower forest must be preserved. After studying the landscape, I decided that the settlement would be asymmetrical. The center with the square, town hall, and townhouses will be on the western side, and the cottages and farm will be scattered throughout the valley. The main material will be colored concrete. I want the bright colors of the valley to contrast with the white-gray snow-covered slopes.
We land. While I survey the valley, deciding where to build, evening falls and the only disadvantage of this place becomes apparent: the mountains block the view of the sunset. Before night falls, I must ensure the safety of the patriarchs:
First, I set up the farming area and put several beds in the farmer's house. I want the population to grow while I'm busy with construction, but I don't want the villagers to cause accidents on the construction site. In the past, I've had several incidents where I accidentally hit a villager with a brick in front of a golem.
Now I need to ensure the safety of the future settlement. I don't want anyone to freeze in the powder snow. I walk around the entire perimeter of the valley, digging out blocks of dirt so that a 2-block-high cliff remains, and then I just spam torches around the entire perimeter. After that, I put on my leather boots, climbed the mountain slope, and dragged all the horses into the valley. I obsidianize the lava lake. I don't want anyone to accidentally fall into the lava.
Evening is falling, and I go to see how the patriarchs are doing.
Oh, the first local native has appeared in the village! I check the farm and see that several farmlands have been trampled. And then I make a mistake. I wanted to hoe the farmlands while the villagers were asleep. I rummage through my chests looking for a hoe, when suddenly — Bang! — my temporary camp turns into this:
And here I make my second mistake. I should have gone to bed immediately and dealt with my belongings in daylight. Instead, I feverishly make chests and haphazardly stuff scattered items into them.
The situation is getting complicated. While I'm dealing with the zombie, a second creeper appears. I try to knock it away with my sword, but it collides with the zombie and explodes. It did almost no damage to me, but it significantly deepened the pit. While I'm dealing with the zombie and jumping in the pit, the time for things to disappear expires and I finally go to sleep.
In the morning, I sort through my supplies. I saved almost three chests of items. But there were also losses: glass panes, oak planks, a couple of stacks of sand, etc. And where are my sea lanterns, which I collected with such difficulty? Fortunately, they were found in the Ender chest. After making sure that the most valuable resources were saved, I calmed down and began to fill in the hole.
I level the site for the future settlement and begin building the mayor's mansion. It will be two stories high. As soon as the lower floor is ready, I set up a temporary base there. Now I can finally sort the building materials, which were frantically scattered across the chests after the creeper explosion.
The mayor's mansion is ready.
Well, almost. I don't have enough materials for the interior. Alongside the construction work, I am compiling a list of materials for the second trip. To my surprise, it is almost as long as the initial list.
The village population is growing. The farm hostel is completely full. I put two more beds outside — that was a tragic mistake. Soon a cat runs past me — it means the game already perceives this territory as a village.
I am building a church and several small houses, and suddenly I run out of nether bricks. I quickly make some approximate calculations on paper. I took 9 stacks and used no more than 5 — where are the other 4? Probably in the same place as half of my sand and glass supply — they disappeared during the creeper incident. A week ago, this would have been a big disappointment. But now I have a large supply of nether bricks and the ability to quickly gather even more. I just need to go to my home base. After thinking for a while, I decided to delay the trip and focus on interior design and landscaping. Perhaps some other materials will be in short supply.
And then catastrophe has occurred!
I visit the farm again and find it completely empty! Not a single person. I check the backup — there were villagers in the last game session. Is this some kind of strange bug after the game update? But surely such a dangerous bug would be known about. After thinking about it, I decided that my decision to put beds outside the house was to blame. The place is fenced in and lit up. But apparently, the zombies somehow got to the villagers. I play on Normal difficulty, which means there is a 50% chance of zombification. If one of the villagers was zombified, he could kill the others. Later, I became convinced that this was indeed what had happened. I checked the logs and found many messages saying “Villager was killed by zombie” and “Villager was killed by villager-zombie.”
How am I supposed to populate the village now? The opportunity to become a zombie doctor seems tempting. I have a brewing stand for the church, but I didn't take any ingredients or golden apples. However, there are several villages on this map. I mark all the villages I find on the map. I make a boat, call a ghast, and head to the nearest village.
It is a small and rather dangerous village. It is nestled between an snow-covered mountain peak and several steep cliffs. It needs to be repaired, but now is not the time for that. I park my boat by the bell and catch two leatherworkers. I go to the leather workshop. I decide to take one cauldron and put the rest back in the same place. However, the leatherworkers have not lost their profession. Is there another workshop in the village? No. Perhaps they don't lose their profession if they are in a boat? It doesn't matter. I can breed them, and their child will become a farmer.
I kidnap the leatherworkers and return to the valley. Will that village be able to restore its population? Considering the powder snow and ravines, it is threatened with extinction. Well, I saved two people.
I am settling the leatherworkers on the farm. Of course, I removed the outdoor beds and installed additional fencing. For now, I am still responsible for the farmer's duties.
A couple of days later, I noticed that one of the leatherworkers had retrained as a farmer, and now the whole family was running around the farm. I hope they have better luck.
I'm going to work a little longer and then go home to restock. This is what the valley looks like now:
I replenish my supplies and return to the valley. Along the way, I have another idea. We recently discussed in the comments the fate of my cows, which got away with the help of an Enderman. There is no proof, but I believe they climbed the neighboring mountain. At least, the herd appeared there after the stray cows left my base. I still feel responsible for them. Besides, I already saved the horses — why not save the cows? I put on my leather boots, grab the leads, attach a boat with supplies to the ghast, and head for that mountain.
I hope the cows have better luck than the villagers.
I am starting to build a townhouse and realize that I made a mistake in the layout. I didn't leave space for the stairs, and now they are blocking the mayor's window. I tried to rebuild the stairs several times, but if there is no space, nothing will work. I really dislike rebuilding finished structures, but in this case, I'll have to do it. The best solution would be to demolish the church and move it to a small plateau on the northwestern edge of the valley. This will free up space for the townhouse and the town square.
I am dismantling and rebuilding a church and constructing a townhouse. I spent a long time working on the roof, and it still turned out a little crooked. I will leave it as it is, but in the next similar project, I will simply abandon symmetry.
All the living quarters are ready. Now I can let the villagers out of the farm. While they're getting settled in the village, I'll work on the decorations.
The former lava lake is turning into a pond with axolotls:
I am setting up the public area and, of course, the most significant winter decoration. Now it is time for me to move out of the mayor's mansion. I am packing up my trunks and finishing the interior of the mansion.
Hall and work office:
Library:
One of their living rooms. All living quarters have simple interiors, but the mayor's mansion is the most detailed.
Here are several views of the valley from different angles.
I install the bell, and the villagers gather to celebrate Christmas and New Year:
That ravine doesn't look deep enough to pose a significant threat to villagers (in terms of fall damage), so your librarian may already have been low on health. But yes, villager pathfinding is indeed quite troublesome and physical barriers are often the only practical way of overcoming this, even if they are visually unappealing.
Risk and loss management is definitely an important skill in survival. When I first attempted a nether fortress, I was almost expecting death to occur thanks to my minimal combat experience. I didn't bring much more than iron armor and stone tools, and the decision ended up saving hours of work. With how much progress you've made in terms of equipment, it probably saved you even more.
When a warden spawns, your warning levels don't immediately wear off (i.e. if you trigger another shrieker right after summoning one, another one spawns). It takes 10 minutes for each warning level to wear off, assuming you don't trigger a shrieker in that time. But it's nice to see that you've gradually developed a strategy to try to prevent this from happening.
Yesterday, another anomaly occurred. A weaponsmith from the village made his way into the old trading hall. This is not a problem, but it is very strange. This trading hall was built immediately after the basement workshop and is the second oldest building in this world. Of course, I made changes to its design, but the last time was in the summer, and the changes only affected the internal rooms. The fence hasn't been altered for several months. I carefully examined the perimeter and found a place where you could squeeze through between the wooden fence and the wall edge. It's strange that this didn't cause any problems before.
Had there been changes to the pathfinding algorithm? I only found a message about a bug fix in 1.21.9:
My technical knowledge is not sufficient to understand if that was the cause.
Sorry for my English, I use Google Translate.
This is just a guess, but the bug you listed seemed to mainly affect performance and the physical ability of an entity to interact with blocks (like activating pressure plates) rather than their actual movement pattern.
If the gap has existed for a long time and the villager never went through it until now, they've perhaps stopped being attracted to their original workstation or bed, and is therefore seeking another one? I've observed this happen when a villager cannot access their station due to an obstruction, thus causing them to lose interest in it and wander around in a larger radius to search for another one.
Theoretically, it is possible. If the algorithm relied on a buggy function for a long time, fixing the bug could lead to unexpected side effects. But you are right, this is just a guess. And without delving into the code (which I am not going to do), it would be irresponsible to make any statements.
Upon thinking, I do not exclude my own inattention. The trading hall was built a short distance from the village. The recent reconstruction of the village has further reduced this distance. I notice that the villagers are wandering where they didn't appear before. Most likely, this is the reason for the breach of isolation. And until the trading hall was fully configured, I might not have noticed that they were climbing through a hole in the fence.
Sorry for my English, I use Google Translate.
26 Forestry and Floriculture
This episode will once again focus on farming. You may remember that a huge quarry was formed at the Sand outpost due to sand mining. I partially filled it with slate and cobblestones from branch mining. I planned to just put down a layer of dirt and plant trees. But since I'm planting trees, why not make a farm here?
Oops, looks like I have guests. Apparently they were on their way to some festival. Three patrols appeared in this area during construction.
It might seem strange that I'm building a tree farm so far from home. But it so happens that near my home base there's only a very beautiful flower forest. We'll visit it soon. Even if I replant saplings in place of the felled trees, it will lead to a decrease in species diversity, since I most often grow birch. So, when, after escaping from the Nether, I found a sandy beach next to a mixed forest, I decided it would be a good place to harvest several types of resources at once.
I'm researching farm designs in the internet and I don't like any of them. It seems that fully automated farms use TNT Duper. Maybe I'll try it someday, but in the of long-term world, the main farm has to be “legal”. I'm going with a semi-automatic farm with a hopper minecart. I'll have to chop down trees manually, but the minecart will collect the saplings and sticks.
Photos of the construction process:
I usually grow birch trees as “technical” trees. But soon I will need pine saplings, so I want to propagate them. The final touch on this location: I am build a boat dock, remov the red concrete, and return a small amount of sand to its place.
I continue to work on the farm for a while. The farm is functioning as expected, but the planting area is insufficient. I have to take breaks while waiting for the seedlings to grow. I will have to dig up the hill to expand the farm. But not in this session. I take a few stacks of logs, four stacks of saplings, and return home.
Next up are flower farms. I've already built tulip farms. Tulips are a beautiful flower for decorating village streets and small flowerbeds. But for working in the wild, creating pseudo-natural lawns and decorating riverbanks, we are need other flowers.
I'm going to build a lily of the valley farm. By the way, it's my favorite flower. You may know that the conditions for generating lilies of the valley are different from those for tulips and other flowers. Lilies of the valley don't always regrow in the same place where they were generated when the world was created. In my first world, I was unpleasantly surprised when my lily of the valley farm started producing dandelions. But if you find a lawn where lilies of the valley and cornflowers grow naturally, you can use it for your farm. I found such a lawn while exploring the flower forest and tested it with bone meal.
So, we're heading to the flower forest. Here are my old tulip farms: three plots under one roof. Pure functionality, no aesthetics!
The farms were built early in the game when my main priority was saving resources. There's still a subtle aesthetic here: despite the large area, the low buildings are almost completely camouflaged by trees and barely noticeable in the forest. I did replace some of the planks with mossy bricks, though; it looked even worse before.
The lily-of-the-valley meadow is conveniently located precisely north of the tulip farm, so even I won't get lost.
Wow! I forgot there were hares here.
And here are the lilies of the valley.
I'm leveling the area and building the farm according to the tutorial:
The pistons push the blocks. Under the note block, cobblestones are replaced by dirt. The observer registers the change in the note block's tone and pushes the pistons again, creating a rattle. Under the ground are a bone meal dispenser and two observers. One registers the movement of the dirt, and the other activates the dispenser.
The farm is ready. All that's left is to decorate the greenhouse. There's no need for camouflage here.
This is almost the final version. I didn't have enough glass for the dome. I put sand in the furnace, sit on my horse, and ride to the next site.
Now it's allium's turn. There are allium lawns in the flower forest, but they are all far from home base. However, I recently discovered a small allium lawn near the Old Transfer Station. It's strange that I only noticed it now: it's close to the road but hidden behind a pile of snow. Ironically, this place is much further away than the flower forest, but it's much more conveniently located: close to the road and shelter.
This mini-project requires more work than the lily-of-the-valley farm due to the terrain: there's a snowdrift nearby and several narrow, deep ravines. The animals got stuck in one of them (sorry for the screenshot quality, it was very cramped).
In gratitude for saving me, I got kicked in the rear several times. Where did that goat appear from? I thought they only appeared in the mountains.
After leveling the site, I sprinkle bone meal on it to determine the most advantageous location for the farm. It seems that regardless of the location, the farm will be mixed: allium + wildflowers (Port Town is visible in the distance.).
Ouch! That goat again...
A little work and the farm is ready.
The last mini-project in this episode is a blue orchid farm. We go home to pick up building materials and head to the swamp through the Nether tunnel.
This farm is located on the outskirts of Swamp Village, so I'm devoting a little more attention to decorating and improving the path from the church to the farm.
In addition to building farms, I do a lot of small household chores: I fill in holes, work in the mine, etc. In the next episode, we will find out why I need so many decorative plants.
Sorry for my English, I use Google Translate.
Having a farm for nearly all the common flower types sure is convenient. I like that you try to tailor the aesthetics of each of the farms to the corresponding flower(s), even the structures don't fit in with the natural surroundings.
That little snowdrift is a "snowy slopes" biome (indicated by the full snow blocks), and it's one of the mountain biomes where goats can spawn in, alongside jagged and frozen peaks.
Can you use bone meal on a flower in Java to get more of that flower? I think it may only be Bedrock that you can do that, but I'm not sure if that was brought to Java.
They technically do. Look at the snow nearby. The altitude you're at, the unlikelihood of it being a frozen region biome (snow anywhere else equals mountainous biome), and the presence of a goat implies that's a mountainous biome, as goats can spawn in snowy ones.
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
If you're having performance concerns with Minecraft, I hope this may prove useful.
A retrospective of the most important game to me (or, a try to stay awake while I never stop talking about something challenge).
In Java, bone meal can only be directly applied to double flowers (roses, peonies, lilacs, etc.), which causes a copy of that flower to drop.
Applying bonemeal to single flowers is only possible in Bedrock (doing so won't cause a copy to drop, but instead generate more of that flower within a 7x7 area). In Java, single flowers can be generated by bonemealing the grass in their respective biomes and in the correct patches (the specific coordinates within said biome where a certain flower can be post-generated, which is dependent on a "gradient"). Hence, farms for different flowers must be built in different biomes.
Yes, breeding tall flowers (as well as pink petals and wildflowers) on Java is much easier than small flowers. For small flowers, you need to find a biome where these flowers grow, apply bone meal to the grass, remove tall grass, and repeat. Farms automate this process, but must be built in different biomes. Finding a suitable location for a lily of the valley farm is especially complicated. A sign of a suitable location is the coexistence of lilies of the valley and cornflowers.
Sorry for my English, I use Google Translate.
Flower forests are divided into regions where different flower types can grow (in terms of both natural and post-generation), and those regions form a specific gradient whose order is the same regardless of the seed. The cornflower and lily regions are adjacent to each other in the gradient, as shown below.
The size of the concentric regions are influenced by altitude in Java, so lily regions are more commonly found in areas with elevational change.
27. Wayside work
The title is not entirely accurate. We will not be working on the roads themselves, but on the shoulders. This episode turned out to be somewhat chaotic, as construction was interrupted by problems in the trading hall.
When I was doing my geographical review, I noticed many places that are begging to be built up or at least decorated.
Here, for example, is this hole in the cherry grove.
This is a good spot for a small lake. I explore the caves; they're shallow. I found quite a bit of coal and a tiny bit of iron ore. I seal the holes with cobblestone, add a few blocks of glowstone, and fill them with water. I use kelp, which has a remarkable property of "growing" a water source.
When the lake was full, I collected the excess kelp. It was bigger than a large chest! I'm putting it to dry.
I plant flowers and breeding bees.
I hid almost a hundred glowing pumpkins in the cherry tree crowns.
Work has to be interrupted due to an unexpected problem in the trading hall. We discussed this earlier in the comments, but I didn't give enough details. I went in to buy a shovel and met an extra weaponsmith there. And he's not a novice, but an apprentice. It seems he came from the village where I sometimes traded. But how? And why now?
The trading hall has been in existence since April. It was built immediately after the basement workshop and is the second oldest building in this world. The last changes were made after the librarians relocating more than two months ago. And at that time, I did not touch the fence.
I scan the perimeter. It looks like he squeezed through this gap:
Continuing my inspection, I encounter this strange gathering:
An fletcher from the trading hall, a fisherman from the village, an unemployed man from who knows where. Let's say the weaponsmith squeezed through the crack, but how did the fletcher get out? That crack is inaccessible from below. This problem is much worse: I've already lost my best librarian and I don't want the tragedy to repeat itself.
After checking the gap, I realized I could reach it by walking along the edge of the stairs outside the railing. I could do that, but I've never seen villagers do that kind of parkour. If that's the problem, I can fix it. Aesthetics aside, safety is more important!
I'm installing a few extra fences and bars. It looks terrible, and I'm not even sure it will help.
I wait until nightfall and lock the "legal" traders in their rooms. Along the way, I discover another illegal immigrant. The next day, I lure the fugitives onto boats, and a "Happy Ghast" taxi takes them home.
Now it's time to deal with this gang. There are four of them already? Where did the weaponsmith come from? I took him home and made sure he had a job. Okay, everyone get in the boats (or rather, rafts). The fisherman bids a touching farewell to the fletcher. If I did everything right, they won't see each other again.
It took me a some while to figure it all out (and I'm still not totally sure). It seems like the problem isn't the software update, like I first thought, but the village expansion. The trading hall is essentially an isolated street on the edge of the village. When it was built, the village was very small and almost empty. But now both the area and the population have grown significantly. Walking through the meadow, free villagers began to venture further than before and discovered a gap that no one had used before. In addition, they began to wander into the artificial waterfall. The flow of water carries them down, and they cannot climb back up. I need to put a fence on top and make a passage underneath.
And then they infuriated me. While I was repairing the fence, another villager fell into the waterfall. I got tired of pulling them out, so I chopped him up. I try to avoid violence against villagers and non-hostile mobs, but sometimes I just don't have enough patience. I regret giving in to my emotions...
Since I'm already dealing with the trading hall, I'll do one more job. I decided to take the librarian from Port Town. He offered me Power IV for 47 emeralds. Not nearly as good as Unbreaking III for 19, but it might come in handy too.
On my way to Port Town on the ghast, I took this screenshot of the renovated cherry orchard.
Having dealt with the villagers, I return to work. The next mini-project will be this valley near the Old Transfer Station. It will be an axolotl reservation.
You may have noticed that I use a lot of bricks. Where I live, it is one of the traditional and commonly used building materials. But this means that I extract a lot of clay, destroying the spawning sites of axolotls. I relocate them to ponds, but this cannot always be done quickly. In my village pond, there are already nine of ones, and an attempt to release the axolotls into a natural lake led to a fight with drowneds, with casualties on both sides. The poor creatures have to wait weeks in a bucket until I find a suitable place for them.
A special water body could be the solution to the problem. And this puddle is just right. It is large enough, there are no drowneds here, and it is halfway between the lush cave and the home.
Most of the pond is one meter deep. I remember (thanks, Staricle!) that this is not enough for axolotls to find their way. I deepen the middle of the lake, fill in a couple of underwater ravines, and plant flowers and cane. I don't know if it's important for axolotls to have water sources rather than streams here. Just in case, I plant kelp in the deep areas and then remove it.
While the kelp is growing, I will take care of this small valley. I'd like to see a pasture here, but unfortunately, there are no animals. The surrounding hills are full of horses and cows, and there is even a goat (that same one). But there aren't any down below. A peculiarity of pathfinding?
I'll still build a shepherd's hut here and plant some sunflowers.
The kelp has filled the lake, and I'm clearing it away. Now we can release the first axolotls.
^ The shack on the right side of the picture is the Old Transfer Station.
Now it's a lake near the Clay outpost.
I really like the lake, but the birch tree looks out of place here. A steep bank covered with pine trees would be much better. That's why I collected spruce seedlings in the previous episode. I cut down the birch trees, leaving the stumps. I'm terrible at making things look natural, so I leave the stumps to mark where the trees used to be. I wait until the leaves have completely fallen and plant spruce trees in place of the stumps. I plant several tall spruce trees on the hills.
I'm building a boat pier and planting firefly bushes. Red sweet berry bushes would fit in nicely here, but I haven't found any taiga yet. Oh well, I'll make do with red mushrooms.
^ Not all seedlings have sprouted yet.
Now the roads between the outposts look much better. I liked these places before, but now the world looks more inhabited. It's as if no one is there now, but people visit these places, use boats, sit by campfires, etc.
During the work, I periodically return home for materials and tools. On my next visit to the trading hall, I notice an unemployed man there. At first, I thought someone had climbed over the fence again, but then I remembered seeing a child here earlier. I decided that I had miscounted the beds after the librarians relocation. But now I've checked: there's no mistake. However, there was a vacant bed in the Book Trade Chamber for some time after the librarian's death. Perhaps this was the bed the misguided villagers were trying to reach? At the beginning of the game, the trading hall next to the natural village seemed like a good idea, but now it's causing confusion. There are no free beds now, so there shouldn't be any new problems. I decided not to do anything and just watch.
A small improvement to the auto farm: I installed an autocraft for dried kelp blocks – a result of dredging work.
In breaks between construction, I do short sessions of branch mining. Usually, it's a relaxing but not very exciting activity. But this time, I make two interesting discoveries. One of the tunnels ends in a small crack-like cave. I notice iron ore in the depths, set up torches, and see raw iron blocks among the tuff. Ore vein! When I found the first ore vein, I only poked at it a little, but even then I was happy with the yield. Now I know how rich these deposits can be. I carefully dig out all the tuff. I find other ores in the cave and tunnel. I used Fortune III and compressed the extracted ores into blocks:
Plus a lot of tuff and deep slate.
The other tunnel turns out to be very long. It takes me hundreds of blocks away and ends in a stunning cave with a lava floor and sculk on the walls. I don't have any plans yet, but if I ever need a lot of obsidian, I know where to find it.
By the way, in the next update, we will see much more lava.
Sorry for my English, I use Google Translate.
I never would have thought to turn that first cave area into a small lake.
Villagers can and will find their way out if they have a way. In my experience, stairs next to fences that they they can get on top of are especially prone to this. I had a staircase, and not even a tall one, with fence railings. Instead of walking down the short staircase and around the corner, they were jumping atop the fence and falling (taking fall damage and eventually dying). I had to redesign it to accommodate that. Temporarily, I made the "railing" a "fence wall" which was not ideal, and eventually I redesigned it entirely to prevent them from being able to fall.
I think you're aware of this, but in Java, passive mobs really only spawn during new chunk creation, as opposed to spawning and despawning randomly like hostile mobs. They can spawn randomly, but the cap is so low that it almost always prevent sit from occurring.
So if none spawned down there, and you're not in the area for a long time(and with a high enough simulation distance), it's unlikely any will populate the area.
And yes, mobs do have a bias for higher ground due to certain reasons I don't remember. I think they also have a bias for the Northwest direction. You would notice this in old versions before the village changes if you had a physically large village. This was supposedly changed, but this bias seems to (at least partially) remain in my experience. Bees are a good example. Villagers will fully populate a village now though because they claim beds and workstations, and then stay around them.
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
If you're having performance concerns with Minecraft, I hope this may prove useful.
A retrospective of the most important game to me (or, a try to stay awake while I never stop talking about something challenge).
Hidden lighting is definitely useful in denser/busier environments where physical structures like lampposts are less desirable. I sometimes do this in manual tree farms by placing jack-o-lanterns beneath carpets in the ground, which ensures the light level is sufficient for tree growth without creating any obstructive nuisances.
Drowned only spawn in oceans, rivers and dripstone caves. You often find small bodies of water which aren't part of (or do not contain) any of these biomes, indicated by a lack of underwater vegetation and fish. Thus drowned can never spawn in them regardless of light level or depth.
Your axolotl pond is nice, and it really makes me wish lily flowers were a thing. The cactus flowers are an excellent substitute but unfortunately cannot be placed on top of lily pads without commands, and even that involves complicated procedures with armor stands.
The artificial lakeside forest is a great example of what a revamped taiga biome should look like: varied tree height and a balanced mixture of spruce and pine trees. It's visually appealing from a distance, and I imagine relatively easy to navigate, without overdoing things. In a similar vein, I'm not against the idea of the game generating occasional copses of trees of a different variety to those in the surroundings. Minor additions can greatly help improve the authenticity of world generation.
That reminds me of one of the first mods I used during the times of 1.6 called Better Grass and Leaves. The primary reason I used it was because it made the leaves bushy, but it also "added" cat tails in water that was one block deep, coral in oceans, and flowers on top of some lily pads, among other things. These things weren't actually added to the world and didn't exist, but rather they were visual only. I loved it. Sadly, it never updated to 1.7, but a mod named Better Foliage began here and it was a spiritual successor of sorts to it. I also used that for a while.
In more recent version, resource packs themselves gained functionality to replicate offering bushy leaves.
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
If you're having performance concerns with Minecraft, I hope this may prove useful.
A retrospective of the most important game to me (or, a try to stay awake while I never stop talking about something challenge).
A long time ago, an enderman released my cows from their pen. I bred the remaining ones and left the runaways alone. They wandered around the farm for a while, then disappeared. I assumed they had perished somehow. However, I recently discovered a small herd on one of the snow-covered mountains nearby. Could these be my runaways?
That's why I gave up on the idea of bringing animals to that valley: if I let them wander around, they'll just run off to the hills anyway.
Perhaps my perceptions of biomes are distorted by the fact that I play Large Biomes. But I wouldn't mind seeing more diverse forests. You previously wrote about gradients in flower forests. Perhaps applying this idea to the generation of tree species and, maybe, small patches of swampy terrain would make the forest landscape much more interesting. Although it is difficult to estimate the impact of such changes on gameplay.
Sorry for my English, I use Google Translate.
It's possible, although I wouldn't be able to say for certain.
I'd say it's likely though since the chances of them dying to natural causes should be low.
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
If you're having performance concerns with Minecraft, I hope this may prove useful.
A retrospective of the most important game to me (or, a try to stay awake while I never stop talking about something challenge).
28 Nether Fortress
It's time for another break from construction. If you remember, I recently discovered a Nether fortress near my main entrance to the Nether. I want to explore it while I can remember where it is.
Like all my glorious feat, this adventure begins with construction. Since I have poor navigate and often die, I need safe passage to the fortress. I haven't yet decided whether to build it in the Nether or the Overworld. The Nether is certainly closer, but the road to the Overworld can always come in handy. I decided to grab some cobblestone, go to the fortress, and decide on the spot.
I grab the flint, a bundle of spare obsidian, a compass, and lodestone, and head to the portal in the Factory basement.
I find an old screenshot with coordinates and walk through a warped and crimson forests. Hoglins attack me:
I retreat, and those fat monsters get stuck between the trunks. I return to deal with them. Piglins with crossbows rush to my aid. I nearly hit one with my sword. I need to be careful, otherwise the holins won't be my main problem.
I finally found the entrance to the fortress. It's a closed corridor in the nehterrack. Blaze looms at the far end of the corridor. And only now did I remember about the potion of fire resistance!
I quickly block off the end of the corridor with cobblestones and build a portal. Where will it lead me?
Wonderful!!!
It looks like this is the northeastern part of the flower forest. I check the coordinates. 2000+ blocks from home. It's a so far. I'll check Chunkbase later. A road in this direction would be useful in the long term. But right now, there's no point in wasting time on it. Of course, I could have calculated this in advance using the Nether Fortress coordinates. I need to practice multiplying by 8.
However, this place is too good to be ignored. And I need a respawn point. So, the temporary base will be in the Overworld, and the road will be in the Nether.
I return to the Nether and begin building a cobblestone road. But a ghast looms in the distance, and I don't have a potion of fire resistance. I stop building and return home for building materials and potions.
Here is my shelter.
Here I can rest, heal, and brew potions. If necessary, there is enough space here for additional chests. There is a water source in the niche between the portal and the chests. I later put a gate in front of the portal to keep zombie piglins from entering the house.
Now it's time to take care of the road.
Most of the road is simply fenced off with cobblestone fences. This is enough to keep me from getting lost and falling into the lava. Where I saw ghasts, I put up copper bars. Part of the road runs through a tunnel. By the way, I tried out the copper tools. They are very convenient for working in netherrack: faster than stone, cheaper than iron, and an accidental swing of the pickaxe won't cut through an entire cave, as is the case with a diamond pickaxe.
While I'm building the road, the game updates to 1.21.11. This broke the Trimmable Tools datapack I was using to easily distinguish between Fortune and Silk Touch pickaxes. It only affects two items, but I use them a lot and don't want to lose QoL or give up updates. I could switch to the corresponding mod, but it hasn't been updated since 1.21.8, and I've been playing a lot on 1.21.10. After digging around on the internet, I installed the Tool Trims datapack. But now I have another problem. The previous datapack used trims for armor, while this one introduces four new items. It must be found in treasure chests, and it is unclear how long this will take to do. Well, I resorted to cheating again. The datapack supports commands intended for testing. One of them creates a whole stack of trims of each type. I execute this command, keep one trim for myself, and discard all the rest. Then I duplicate the trim using diamonds. I consider this cheating acceptable, as I am replacing broken items that I previously obtained honestly.
We return to the Nether. I run back and forth along the new road several times, picking up excess building materials and bringing in diorite, glass, and glowing pumpkins. I'm going to use the same tactic as in the first Nether fortress: divide the fortress into small segments and gradually clear them. I wondered why other players considered the fortress so dangerous if even I could clear it. Then I realized that I wasn't so much conquering as building up the fortress.
I finally enter the fortress. It will be amusing if the adventure turns out to be shorter than the preparation for it.
This fortress is not like the one I explored in the spring. It was generated in a netherrack rock. This both complicates the exploration and makes it less dangerous at the same time. Here's what my tactics look like:
Diorite barriers at intersections delay wither skeletons. Glass panels protect against fire charges. Diorite and glowing pumpkins make navigation easy. In case of a panic escape, grinning mugs will point the way to the shelter.
It seems I have a problem:
I begin to carefully build a cobblestone bridge. But why? I have fire resistance potions. I climb up the lava and plug the hole from which it's pouring.
I quickly found both spawners. They were in adjacent corridors.
I built a blocking structure according to the instructions from the wiki, but single blades still appear.
The only thing I missed was you. I got ready to play tennis, but ghast showed no interest and flew off to do his own thing.
And here are the warts.
The fortress turned out to be quite rich. There are two spawners, two wart gardens, and, it seems, six chests with horse armor and other junk. I collected 62 fire rods, 26 magma creams, and 0 skulls. This disappoints me a little. I got much more in the first fortress. Perhaps it's because I was inexperienced and spent much more time there. The architecture of the fortress may also be a factor. It seems to me that there are fewer mobs in the closed tunnels than on the open balconies of the first fortress.
I decided to stay a little longer and dismantle a few rooms in order to obtain nether bricks. Working inside the netherrack rock seems relatively safe. I chop down brick walls, occasionally distracted by mobs that appear nearby. I get some more rods and magma cream. Once, I accidentally punched a hole in the ceiling and three wither skeletons fell on me. Fortunately, they jumped one after the other, not all at once.
But you're probably thinking, did I tumble into lava this time? The answer is - of course, yes!
Working in closed corridors is deceptively safe. I didn't notice the hole in the floor and plopped right into a lake of lava. Fortunately, this time I didn't forget my potion of fire resistance. I safely climb out of the lava. But how do I get back to the fortress? From here, I can't see the hole I fell through. I try to climb up, but the narrow corridor of the fortress in the thick netherrack is not easy to find. I carefully examine the shores of the lake, hoping to see the supports of the fortress. They are visible in the screenshot above, but after a few turns, I lost sight of them. Instead, I saw my torch. So, I had already been here?
The torch is installed at the end of some old tunnel. It branches into several passages, but they all lead nowhere and end in various lava lakes. Now I am completely lost and can no longer find the place where I fell. It's unpleasant, but not scary. I have the coordinates of the fortress and a lodestone compass leading to the home portal, and there are enough supplies and spare materials for pickaxes and torches in the Ender chest. I turn on the F3 screen and start making my way through the netherrack.
There were a few minor hiccups along the way. Once, I accidentally punched a lava pocket. Then I started mining gold without noticing a piglin behind me. I dealt with it quickly, but forgot to take screenshots.
The tunnel crosses several small wastelands. In one of them, I see a portal. Perhaps this is the exit of the ruined portal I explored on one of my expeditions?
No. This is clearly a player-built portal. Savannah and ocean? I don't remember this place at all. Maybe I should continue into the overworld? I check the coordinates. 2600+ in both directions. It's so far. I spend the night near the portal and return to the Nether.
But where did this portal appear from? The only thing I could remember was the spring expedition to find the piglins. I wanted to try out the stasis chamber (I never managed to set it up). I needed soul sand, which I wanted to trade with the piglins. Now there's a large gang of piglins hanging out in the warped forest near my home portal. But for some reason, I didn't see them back then. At that time, I was terrified of the Nether. I moved chaotically through tunnels and wastelands, not even trying to figure out where I was. Besides, there was no easy lodestone recipe available at the time. After finding the piglins and making the exchange, I immediately fled through the emergency portal. It seems I passed under the fortress without noticing it. This explains why I keep stumbling upon abandoned tunnels that lead nowhere. Well, or Herobrine.
I continue my way through netherrack.
Only later did I realize I'd placed the torches incorrectly. Out of habit, I'd placed them on the right side (the screenshot was taken while looking back). But this tunnel is the return way, so the torches should be on the left; that would make it easier to find my way if I got lost again. Well, it was too late to fix it now.
Finally!
At last, I can rest in a safe shelter.
I unload my inventory, brew potions, and return to the fortress. I continue mining nether bricks. I surround the cleared rooms with diorite walls, leaving observation windows to spot mobs.
I was planning on working a little longer, but the chests in the shelter are already filled with nether bricks, etc. It's time to end this adventure. Here are the most valuable loot:
Plus a large chest of nether bricks and half a chest of netherrack.
I bid farewell to the lovely little house on the mountainside. My best memories of this adventure are of relaxing in the safe shelter at the entrance to the formidable Nether Fortress.
I'll be coming back here again to replenish my supplies of nether bricks or potion ingredients.
Perhaps the main result of this adventure is that I overcame my fear of the Nether. This dimension is still a dark and uncomfortable place, but I am no longer afraid to stray more than ten steps away from the portal.
Sorry for my English, I use Google Translate.
Hoglins used to be one of my concerns too when traversing crimson forests, but I've learnt that placing a warped fungus on the ground will cause them to retreat. Even then, staying on the treetops is safest unless the terrain makes it difficult.
The copper railings will blend in well with the warped forest once they oxidize ... speaking of which, I'm surprised copper can oxidize in the Nether in the first place (this isn't the case in Bedrock).
It is unfortunately very difficult to fully eliminate naturally spawning (non-spawner) blazes as you'll need to ensure that every valid spawning block either has a light level greater than 12 or is covered by unspawnable blocks like slabs.
If a fortress is in a warped forest or soul sand valley, blazes and wither skeletons will spawn far more frequently because fewer mobs spawn outside, thus the mob cap won't be reached as quickly.
Wait, it does!? I never knew that.
I used to try and avoid hoglins. They're not really a major threat on their own (few things in Minecraft are, though), but since the crimson forest can be tight and the nether can be full of drops, combined with the knockback they do while being relatively durable, avoidance is typically safer. The babies will hit and then immediately retreat before engaging again.
This was one unexpected area where I found that my preferred approach would differ in Bedrock. For whatever reason, they felt so mindless to deal with with in that version (especially if you have the knockback enchantment, though this isn't necessary) due to the differences in the combat system. I eventually found that I could stand stationary in one spot and just spam attack in their direction (even if multiple were attacking at once!) and it would resolve itself every time, and almost every time I never even got hit once. I wasn't having to time attacks, and I wasn't having to try and block or even move to avoid being hit.
"'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!"
If you're having performance concerns with Minecraft, I hope this may prove useful.
A retrospective of the most important game to me (or, a try to stay awake while I never stop talking about something challenge).
29. Snowy Valley
I've been staying home for a while, doing chores. I've discovered another section of the Ore vein. It looks like they're parts of the same vein, which I'm accessing from different directions. My iron supply has increased by 52 blocks in one mining session.
On the way back from the mineshaft, I noticed a visual effect that I hadn't noticed before. The rails in the distance look blurred. Was I just not paying attention before, or is this a change introduced in 1.21.11?
I went to the Sand outpost to replenish my sand supplies for a new project. It was a short work trip, nothing special.
The new project I have in mind requires careful planning. I am not going to build a road to the new construction site. This means that I will not be able to quickly replenish my supplies and bring forgotten materials. Everything I need must be taken at once. Fortunately, Happy Ghast is capable of carrying a huge load. I carefully compile a list, filling an entire page of my notebook (yes, it's an old-fashioned paper notebook). I know what materials I want to use, but I can't estimate the exact quantities yet. I've probably forgotten something, and I'll need to make an extra trip, but I'd like to get by with just one.
I load building materials into chests on rafts. It reminds me of construction pallets on a real construction site. I catch an unemployed in the trading hall (I mentioned him in episode 27) and another one in the village. They are to become the patriarchs-ancestors of the new settlement.
I'm hooking up the boats to the Happy Ghast. While I'm fiddling with the leads and boats, evening is falling, but everything is ready for the flight, and I don't want to wait until the morning. Let's go!
As darkness falls, we fly westward. We reach our destination at dawn. We wait for sunrise in the sky, watching the zombies burn below.
And here is our destination:
I found this valley at the summer and thought it would be a good place for a lost settlement. I didn't feel like doing a winter theme back then, but now's the perfect time.
So, the valley is framed by a high mountain range to the south (not visible from this angle) and relatively gentle snow-covered slopes on the other sides. The western part of the valley is relatively flat, which will be convenient for construction. In the eastern part, we have a small area of flower forest, a waterfall, pumpkins, and even a lava lake. Of course, I will have to remove some of the trees, but the flower forest must be preserved. After studying the landscape, I decided that the settlement would be asymmetrical. The center with the square, town hall, and townhouses will be on the western side, and the cottages and farm will be scattered throughout the valley. The main material will be colored concrete. I want the bright colors of the valley to contrast with the white-gray snow-covered slopes.
We land. While I survey the valley, deciding where to build, evening falls and the only disadvantage of this place becomes apparent: the mountains block the view of the sunset. Before night falls, I must ensure the safety of the patriarchs:
First, I set up the farming area and put several beds in the farmer's house. I want the population to grow while I'm busy with construction, but I don't want the villagers to cause accidents on the construction site. In the past, I've had several incidents where I accidentally hit a villager with a brick in front of a golem.
Now I need to ensure the safety of the future settlement. I don't want anyone to freeze in the powder snow. I walk around the entire perimeter of the valley, digging out blocks of dirt so that a 2-block-high cliff remains, and then I just spam torches around the entire perimeter. After that, I put on my leather boots, climbed the mountain slope, and dragged all the horses into the valley. I obsidianize the lava lake. I don't want anyone to accidentally fall into the lava.
Evening is falling, and I go to see how the patriarchs are doing.
Oh, the first local native has appeared in the village! I check the farm and see that several farmlands have been trampled. And then I make a mistake. I wanted to hoe the farmlands while the villagers were asleep. I rummage through my chests looking for a hoe, when suddenly — Bang! — my temporary camp turns into this:
And here I make my second mistake. I should have gone to bed immediately and dealt with my belongings in daylight. Instead, I feverishly make chests and haphazardly stuff scattered items into them.
The situation is getting complicated. While I'm dealing with the zombie, a second creeper appears. I try to knock it away with my sword, but it collides with the zombie and explodes. It did almost no damage to me, but it significantly deepened the pit. While I'm dealing with the zombie and jumping in the pit, the time for things to disappear expires and I finally go to sleep.
In the morning, I sort through my supplies. I saved almost three chests of items. But there were also losses: glass panes, oak planks, a couple of stacks of sand, etc. And where are my sea lanterns, which I collected with such difficulty? Fortunately, they were found in the Ender chest. After making sure that the most valuable resources were saved, I calmed down and began to fill in the hole.
I level the site for the future settlement and begin building the mayor's mansion. It will be two stories high. As soon as the lower floor is ready, I set up a temporary base there. Now I can finally sort the building materials, which were frantically scattered across the chests after the creeper explosion.
The mayor's mansion is ready.
Well, almost. I don't have enough materials for the interior. Alongside the construction work, I am compiling a list of materials for the second trip. To my surprise, it is almost as long as the initial list.
The village population is growing. The farm hostel is completely full. I put two more beds outside — that was a tragic mistake. Soon a cat runs past me — it means the game already perceives this territory as a village.
I am building a church and several small houses, and suddenly I run out of nether bricks. I quickly make some approximate calculations on paper. I took 9 stacks and used no more than 5 — where are the other 4? Probably in the same place as half of my sand and glass supply — they disappeared during the creeper incident. A week ago, this would have been a big disappointment. But now I have a large supply of nether bricks and the ability to quickly gather even more. I just need to go to my home base. After thinking for a while, I decided to delay the trip and focus on interior design and landscaping. Perhaps some other materials will be in short supply.
And then catastrophe has occurred!
I visit the farm again and find it completely empty! Not a single person. I check the backup — there were villagers in the last game session. Is this some kind of strange bug after the game update? But surely such a dangerous bug would be known about. After thinking about it, I decided that my decision to put beds outside the house was to blame. The place is fenced in and lit up. But apparently, the zombies somehow got to the villagers. I play on Normal difficulty, which means there is a 50% chance of zombification. If one of the villagers was zombified, he could kill the others. Later, I became convinced that this was indeed what had happened. I checked the logs and found many messages saying “Villager was killed by zombie” and “Villager was killed by villager-zombie.”
How am I supposed to populate the village now? The opportunity to become a zombie doctor seems tempting. I have a brewing stand for the church, but I didn't take any ingredients or golden apples. However, there are several villages on this map. I mark all the villages I find on the map. I make a boat, call a ghast, and head to the nearest village.
It is a small and rather dangerous village. It is nestled between an snow-covered mountain peak and several steep cliffs. It needs to be repaired, but now is not the time for that. I park my boat by the bell and catch two leatherworkers. I go to the leather workshop. I decide to take one cauldron and put the rest back in the same place. However, the leatherworkers have not lost their profession. Is there another workshop in the village? No. Perhaps they don't lose their profession if they are in a boat? It doesn't matter. I can breed them, and their child will become a farmer.
I kidnap the leatherworkers and return to the valley. Will that village be able to restore its population? Considering the powder snow and ravines, it is threatened with extinction. Well, I saved two people.
I am settling the leatherworkers on the farm. Of course, I removed the outdoor beds and installed additional fencing. For now, I am still responsible for the farmer's duties.
A couple of days later, I noticed that one of the leatherworkers had retrained as a farmer, and now the whole family was running around the farm. I hope they have better luck.
I'm going to work a little longer and then go home to restock. This is what the valley looks like now:
I replenish my supplies and return to the valley. Along the way, I have another idea. We recently discussed in the comments the fate of my cows, which got away with the help of an Enderman. There is no proof, but I believe they climbed the neighboring mountain. At least, the herd appeared there after the stray cows left my base. I still feel responsible for them. Besides, I already saved the horses — why not save the cows? I put on my leather boots, grab the leads, attach a boat with supplies to the ghast, and head for that mountain.
I hope the cows have better luck than the villagers.
I am starting to build a townhouse and realize that I made a mistake in the layout. I didn't leave space for the stairs, and now they are blocking the mayor's window. I tried to rebuild the stairs several times, but if there is no space, nothing will work. I really dislike rebuilding finished structures, but in this case, I'll have to do it. The best solution would be to demolish the church and move it to a small plateau on the northwestern edge of the valley. This will free up space for the townhouse and the town square.
I am dismantling and rebuilding a church and constructing a townhouse. I spent a long time working on the roof, and it still turned out a little crooked. I will leave it as it is, but in the next similar project, I will simply abandon symmetry.
All the living quarters are ready. Now I can let the villagers out of the farm. While they're getting settled in the village, I'll work on the decorations.
The former lava lake is turning into a pond with axolotls:
I am setting up the public area and, of course, the most significant winter decoration. Now it is time for me to move out of the mayor's mansion. I am packing up my trunks and finishing the interior of the mansion.
Hall and work office:
Library:
One of their living rooms. All living quarters have simple interiors, but the mayor's mansion is the most detailed.
Here are several views of the valley from different angles.
I install the bell, and the villagers gather to celebrate Christmas and New Year:
Happy New Year!
Sorry for my English, I use Google Translate.