Minecraft Forums

Hey guys, we just had a builder meeting last night to plan the content for the next 2 expansions! They will come out every 2 weeks as we keep slowly improving the map! Have any of you guys played and have some suggestions for us?

Things that will for sure be added:

- we are planning on releasing a new area March 18 and the following update 2 weeks after. One will be mesa themed with a new ruin area and possibly some of a rocky asteroid chain I've been working on. We are also working on a firey and nether themed new asteroid chain with a custom biome design and volcanos and stuff.
- I want to add a few more tech items as I wasn't able to finish all my ideas by Beta 1.0. Still on the this is items like the: Chainsaw (treecapacitator in vanilla), Fire Extinguisher (for fighting forest fires), item retriever (possibly a new mode on the grappling rod)
- I want to improve some seasonal effects, for instance, instead of the time skip in the night during summer and the sun freezing at high noon to give summer longer day and shorter night, I can just make the moon move faster overnight, it will look more natural. I can make a similar improvement to the first winter day.
- I'm gonna fix a few small bugs I noticed in creatures and possibly add a few new abilities: for instance bees give 1sec poison.
- block lag has been reported on some computers that is probably from command blocks. I have some ideas on how to reduce it further though I have tried to keep it low all along.

Any other ideas you guys got for me?

I'm also wondering if I should retire this thread and move to the map thread or if I should keep this for more technical and regular posts. Thoughts?

Chapter 64: Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?

Exploration limit: X = -912,000

Just before I leave to continue west, I remember I had some ideas for decoration while walking around the continent. Walking is good for thinking.

I need some non-Spruce wood, so I head out to the Orchard to get some. I could get it from the Swampland, but those trees won't grow back right.



The Orchard is to the northwest, and sort of on the way I fill in a little bit of map I'd forgotten. I also nearly fall into a ravine in the Ice Plains.



The BoP Orchard oaks won't grow back properly either but there are some small ones that will grow back acceptably as regular oaks, so I chop them. I discover, however, that the flowering leaves drop flowering oak saplings, and I'm curious how they grow. I don't have time to plant and wait, though, so that experiment is for another day.

Back home, I start on my plan. My idea is to have a number of Bibliocraft tables as workbenches, with items from various stages of chair construction - framing boards, framing planks, seats, seat backs, and finished chairs, on the tables, which can display items. I needed the oak wood so the tables would have a different texture from the walls - otherwise they'd be too low profile.



And here's the result. WIP on the right and middle, finished cherry-framed and pink-uphostered chairs on the left. The framing boards and planks in the back right are too hard to see, but it's not a priority to fix it. The setup would actually be useful if I ever need to make a large supply of chairs, which is unlikely, but who knows.

And now it's time to go. I construct my two Waystones from my collected ender pearls and - whoops it's dark. Well, that's what beds are for -



Bah humbug. I manage to find a place I can plop a bed and sleep and snipe the creepers (there were 3 even though only 1 is visible there) from the roof in the morning.

Then I'm off. I'm going to leave from the bay to the north, so I head northeast through the Wetland. I try to boat through it some, but it's just a little too messy to pull that off. Then on to the Duski.



One last view of the Extreme Hills/Moor peninsula to the northwest as I head off. And I'm back to too-familiar views of open ocean.

X = -915,000 (wow, it's been a while since I wrote something like that)

Sunset

X = -920,000

And - it starts raining

I spot land - a cold coast - past -923,000, and bump up my view distance to avoid the coast. It's small though, and I'm soon past.

X = -925,000

I get dinged by an Elder Guardian, but it doesn't matter as that will clear before dawn.

X = -930,000

Sunrise.

I'm playing classical music now to pass the time.

X = -935,000
X = -940,000
X = -945,000

Just past -945,000, the ocean floor guides me to land.

I land on a boundary between Ice Plains and Forest. Inland is a Snowy Coniferous Forest, and then an Ice Spikes - which no longer seem remarkable to me. When you do this much exploration the extraordinary becomes ordinary.



From the Ice Spikes I spot a mountain cliff. I'm not sure whether it's Ice Mountains or Extreme hills, but I'm guessing Ice Mountains since the river isn't affected. A little further on I realize there's a shrub on the very top which inclines me back to Extreme Hills but I'm still not sure. Maybe it's a mix.

I iceskate along a river for a while, then come to a Birch Forest, which has Birch Forest Hills in it, but I don't get any good pictures. Then I make another not particularly successful attempt to boat through a swamp - Fen this time - which does little but increase my BoP lilypad collection.



I reach the sea but not the west end of the continent, so I constuct the Duski and continue along the north coast, past this Savanna and stage-set Mesa Plateau.



Then there's a little strait separating the mainland on the left from an island on the right. I pass the last of that island at -947,000.



But Geographicraft has one more curveball for me with this little island well offshore. I don't think I've ever seen an offshore island this offshore.

And then it's back out to the real ocean.

Sunset.

X = -950,000

Do you smell that on the wind? Do you?

No, not the stench of decomposing squid victims of Elder Guardians. (Pew!) The other scent - the scent of a million!

Well, I admit the scent of a million blocks is less appealing than that of a million dollars. But still, take a whiff.

X = -955,000
X = -960,000

My visual glitches are back. Every time I think I've got them beat they come back. Annoying, but it doesn't seem to affect gameplay.

X = -965,000



Late in the night, after X = -969,000, this BoP Coral Reef display (a shallow Ocean biome) alerts me to a nearby land.



A swampy coast. Dawn is close and I could wait a bit and land, but I don't have much reason to and the scent is beckoning. So I pass on by

X = -970,000



Right at sunrise I discover there's more to this landmass (probably). Stop, chop, and hop!



But not far as after about 1 biome of Sheild I hit the ocean again. I can see the land continues to the north, but I decide to rebuild the Duski and view by boat.



There are some interesting barrier islands and this Cold Taiga village, but nothing I feel compelled to stop for.

At X = -972,000, it's back out to sea.

X = -975,000
X = -980,000



Grrr, dinged. Now I probably won't be able to stop if I find land.



The visual problems are ridiculous, although they don't affect play - I can just keep boating on. It's related to time playing, so it's probably driven by some cache developing trouble.

X = -985,000



I spot a small swampy island at X = -987,000, but, dinged, I can't really investigate because I can't chop the Duski.

X = -990,000

The smell of a million is growing strong - even stronger than that of rotting squid guts.

Sunset.

X = -995,000



Land is nearby (and that's pretty, isn't it?)

I have F3 up and my finger on the screenshot button - but I realize the coast is coming close fast. Not good if I get creepered right after I get my million block screen shot!

I'm peering through the screen clutter trying to see exactly how close I am as I approach

X = -999,100
X = -999,200
X = -999,300
X = -999,400
X = -999,500
X = -999,600

Getting a little close for comfort


X = -999,700
X = -999,800
X = -999,900



ONE MILLION BLOCKS!

And, immediately,

HARD TO PORT!



Successfully.

And now I've earned a little celebration.



(Imagine pompous triumphant music here)

1 million down, 29 million to go.

Next Chapter: On to the "to go" part.

Chapter 63: Changes and Changes and Changes

Exploration Limit: X = -912,000

So I turn back and head west again, just south of existing explorations.



I go back through the Moor, and then reach this Cold Taiga I'd seen from afar.

I follow the river to the coast, which is heading south. Apparently there's another peninsula here. I turn south, going from the Cold Taiga to an Ice Plains. Soon I have to make another map.



I go through a section of Tundra, then more Ice Plains.



This is indeed a (smallish) peninsula, and the Ice Plains continue all the way to the end. I go around the end and then head back. As with the Ice Plain/Moor section on the west side of the continent, the remaining land is wider than my map strip and I have to go back and forth to fill it out.



Night is coming and I sleep atop some of the Cold Taiga trees.

In the morning I finish the peninsula. I then boat east to pick up a little more land at the southeastern tip. As it turns out, the little bit left I can get from the boat. I then continue by boat up the eastern shore past areas I've explored or at least come close enough that I can finish from the boat.



Soon I come to something I initially expect is a strait but turns out to be a deep narrow bay.



I land and look around, but I start to feel frustrated at not having any idea how much I have left to do. I've explored the entire western end of this continent, but I have no idea how big the eastern end is. Struggling through those Extreme Hills isn't looking too convenient either. So I decide spiraling out just doesn't work, and to go to my old standby of naval circumnavigation first to see what I'm up against.

So, back to the boat, south out of the bay, and then east along the shore.



Soon I reach the place where I landed on the continent, but I continue along the shore, which turns from east to northeast here.



I pass this interesting-looking Mesa, and then another Extreme Hills. Then the coast bends back east again, and I reach a Xeric Shrubland.



The coast finally turns north, and I spot this port village, conveniently as it's late in the afternoon. I wander around a bit chatting with the villagers and then spend the night there.

Back on the boat, I follow the coast which bends back to the east and goes on to the next map. I can tell it's only one tiny segment but I make a map anyway.



This end of the continent is very swampy.

The coast heads on to the next map, where I also realize there's just a tiny bit of land but I make the map anyway. Then it bends back to the west and I make my third map in a few minutes. It's unfortunate that the tip of the continent was right on a 4-way map intersection.

I head west on the edge of a Bog. I'm feeling kind of in a hurry so i don't detour to map the interior, although I do cut through accidentally once because sometimes it's hard to distinguish the underwater sections of Bog from the Ocean.



The Bog produces one little desert island well offshore.



Then I set off roughly WNW along the coast, passing a whole variety of biomes.



There's also a swamp village on the coast of a Marsh, but I don't stop as I already have Emeralds for 5 Waystones and Obsidian for 2. It'll be a long way before I need more.



After a while the biomes changes to Snowy. I pass a Snowy Coniferous Forest, and then a lot of Ice Plains, including this Ice Mountains range.



The coast starts to turn after I've passed almost the entire length of the map - probably over 2500 blocks. But, it's a false alarm and I continue west onto the next map, causing me to make another. I do have to land to sleep up on a tree when it gets dark. I can spent nights out on the water, of course, but I'm now to the map above the one with my base so I don't have that much coast left to explore.

When the coast finally rounds it turns out the whole last 1000 blocks has been a long narrow peninsula. I pass all the same biomes going back - the Ice Plains with big mountains, the Snowy Coniferous Forest, and the Marsh. Then there's a Fen and then some more Ice plains as the coast bends back to the south.



Finally I'm back on the base map, almost done. Heading south I encounter some more Fen, and then finally I reach the Wetlands north of the base.



I decide to head to my base to put up the wall map and see what the continent looks like. I boat south through the Wetlands as far as I can and then walk the rest of the way.



Home again, home again!



I pull out my item frames from storage and start putting up the map. I am extremely irritated to realize the last map I made was the same area as the second map I made, of the northern Moor-and-Extreme-Hllls peninsula. Since I haven't updated ExplorerCraft, i can't copy the map info and I've wasted some exploration as well as the map.



And here's the whole of what I've explored so far, less the irritatingly missing peninsula. I really like the continent, but I'm thinking I want ExplorerCraft updated before I do any more exhaustive mapping. Also, although I promised I'd completely map out all the lands I put bases on, I'm feeling the constant pressure of my schedule, and also a little burned out on writing exploration travelogue. I like writing the blow-by-blow detailed style, but after a while I just run out of things to say. How many times can you describe a Moor, or even the new Extreme Hills, without getting stale? I have a LOT more travelling to do, too.

So I decide to head out again and maybe come back later and finish this place.

Next chapter: some decoration, then on to the west.

Quote from rodabon»

Regarding your moor/river comment. How do rivers make vanilla pools worse? You mean where they connect into the side of the river? I'm honestly surprised you guys don't just mod the vanilla pool generation and placement behavior. They're always too sunken and are more like sinkholes.

Alright in more details. These pics are all from mob zoo testing rooms so not much in the way of terrain, but hopefully they give you guys an idea. These look even better animated and in their natural habitats!

Frogs: These creatures like to hang out on the shores of lakes and streams. If you get near them they will flee either hopping away rapidly or jumping into the water and quickly skimming across the surface. They are the fastest swimming water creature in the game currently.

Turtle Shells: immobile shells that spawn on the bottoms of lakes and streams. They can be harvested as a source of material

Crabs: can spawn on the bottoms of lakes and streams. They do not move from their chosen spots but will turn their head and keep their eye on nearby players. If you step near it it will nip your toes!

Snails: the slowest mob in the game these plodding small creatures add ambience and variety to the woodscapes. Even when attacked it runs away at a snails pace...pretty funny!

Bees: Neutral roaming bumblebees. Considering adding a few permanent hive locations for them like other insects. If one is attacked the others in the area will start buzzing in toward the player to attack but they are otherwise peaceful.

4 Seasonal Birds: I created 4 different kinds of seasonal birds with slightly different drops, the Spring Bluebird, the summer Seagull, the Fall Sparrow, and the Winter Owl. They add a good deal of ambience I think. A bit hard to get a good shot of their faces though as they dart about very quickly!

Skull Biters: A new type of crawling/swarming mob that I'm thinking may be suitable for underground and cave spawning. These guys will zero in on the player and bite at your toes if you get close.

Poltergeist: A ghost that with optifine glows with dynamic lighting. He has a halo of glowing torches around him and will glide toward the player to attack when it spots you

Kelp? Experimented a bit with water-dwelling plants and came up with this silly looking kelp plant anchored to the bottom of the water. It drops Kelp if broken.

Chapter 58: In Which the Minecraft Gods Throw Various Things at Me to Get Me to Stop, and Demonstrating That Carrots Work Better Than Sticks.

(Metaphorically, that is. They're not too good for tool handles.)

Exploration Limit: X = -833,000

Back out to sea, well past my minimum stop distance at X = -750,000

X = -835,000
X = -840,000

Sunset. Well, it seems like Minecraft is still trying not to tempt me

X = -845,000



Continuing the recent pattern, I'm encountering land mostly at night when I can't stop. Looks interesting but bye.

X = -850,000

Late in the evening it starts to rain and thunder.

X = -855,000



A patch of BoP Coral Reef alerts me to nearby land. It's still thundering, so I crank my view distance up to 14 to reduce the chance of accidental grounding. I still end up needing an emergency stop. It's a small Snowy island and I'm soon past it.

X = -860,000

Time for sunrise, but you can scarcely tell, because it's still thunderstorming.

X = -865,000

I hear a sharp crack of thunder without seeing the lighting stroke and turn around to look. I *think* I see a horse bobbing in the distance - a Skeleton Horse? but I don't get a pic fast enough to catch it. I haven't seen one and it would be odd to see my first at sea - how do they float?

At about X = -869,000, the ocean floor alerts me to a nearby continent. I head to look even though it's still thundering.



It's a temperate Birch Forest. But as I approach, there's another flash of lighting, leaving 3 (I think) horse bobbing almost right in my path. It seems the Minecraft gods are still angry at my hubris and now they're upping the ante to stop me.

I veer to avoid them, but they still feather me as I pass.



It doesn't do much, though - even Damage Screenshots catches only the tilt from getting damage. You'll notice I'm pretty close to the coast, though, and grounding now could be a distinctly bad thing.



I snap a pic once I'm past but it's too far to make them out clearly.

Well, I had been thinking about landing but I've changed my mind. I'll lose almost 400,000 blocks of travelling if I die now (getting killed by a Skelly Horse is a "legitimate" death and rolling back to a backup is not acceptable for that) plus the time to rebuild my gear. Not worth it. So I speed on by.

X = -870,000

At 10 in the morning the thunderstorm FINALLY stops. That was a storm!

X = -875,000

I pick up a ding passing an Ocean Monument.

X = -880,000
X = -885,000



This is really getting to be a pattern. Another day without a place to land, making 5 days in a row with only one daytime landing opportunity. Well, good for the time.

X = -890,000

I am indeed now making almost 60,000 blocks an hour, even with the slowdowns to look at land as I pass. Good. I needed that.

X = -895,000
X = -900,000

So now I don't even get land at night?



Not tonight, at least.

X = -905,000
X = -910,000



FINALLY! It's great for speed to see little land but it gets hard to think of things to say after a while. I actually am not too bored in real life because I'm bopping to a Pandora channel for Postmodern Jukebox as I'm playing and an hour of listening to that is no hardship.



I land on a Moor next to a Extreme Hills.



And then a Bayou - kind of deja vu from the last island. Walking on slope sides gets awkward so I cross a pass to walk through the Extreme Hills.



On the other side of this ridge the Extreme Hills is milder and not too hard to cross I miss the village in the hazy background, although Extreme Hills villages can set my teeth on edge with their crazy building sometimes.



Eventually I have to cross another ridge to continue west and end up overlooking this vanilla Forest. The forest continues into a BoP Woodland without any great picture opportunities.

I realize at this point I'd forgotten to crank my view distance up so even those great pics aren't as good as they should be.



Past the Woodland is an enormous lake, which I boat across, followed by a Savanna which is pretty big too.



After the Savanna I'm presented with my choice of swamp biomes, which I think is vanilla Swampland on the left and BoP Lush Swamp on the right. I head for the Lush Swamp, but it's actually Wetland, which I've seen plenty of lately, so I try to veer left into the Swampland, mostly without success, becasue the Wetland veers left too. After the Wetland I cross a big of Mountain Foothills and then come to a river.



With a view of Cherry Blossom Grove. This is the third one I've seen. I like the biome and want to do something with it, but the previous two weren't as pretty as they could be as they bordered dry or dayspawning biomes (CBG's pinks look better next to a wetter and bluer grass color IMO). I can see some of it boders the Wetland, which is a good aesthetic match, so I decide to see what else is around.



Yeah, that's nice. Mostly it does border wet biomes - Swampland, Wetland, Moor, and Meadow - with grass colors that set off the Cherry Blossom Grove. The Mountain Foothills are the only exception, and that's not too much of a clash. The river is a nice touch too. There's no adjoining mountain biome for pics but I still really like the place. But what makes up my mind is something I can see from the edge -



A Boreal Forest, which is something I've wanted to look at the whole journal. It's an unusual biome, combining small relatively rugged hills with closed forest. I want to take a look and see how it works.

So, I've found a place for my next base.

Next Chapter: Siting and build planning.