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[Mik2121]

I think the most frustrating thing is seeing the stuff the mod community creates in their spare time compared to the trickle of new features Mojang hand out every update, which grow increasingly few and far between. I miss the early days of the near-weekly updates, with a new block or item or crafting recipe to try out each time. Just give us more stuff to build with! What good is an XP system in 1.8 when there's no use for it yet? What good are NPC villages when NPC's don't spawn in 1.8 and we'll probably have to re-roll to get those villages populated come the next update?

Yeah, you would think maybe adding new materials or animals require a lot of programming and can't just be done easily, but then you see mods that include lots of things and they don't seem to take that long to make them.. and they just work.

However, and this might sound stupid, I don't wanna add mods to Minecraft. I wanna keep it as vanilla as possible (in fact, 100% vanilla), but I want Notch to actually add LOTS of things to the game, not just leave it to other people to create mods that some people might have and some not, and which might or might not be compatible with other mods, etc..

Such a mess...

 

[Blizzard]

Yeah, you would think maybe adding new materials or animals require a lot of programming and can't just be done easily, but then you see mods that include lots of things and they don't seem to take that long to make them.. and they just work.

However, and this might sound stupid, I don't wanna add mods to Minecraft. I wanna keep it as vanilla as possible (in fact, 100% vanilla), but I want Notch to actually add LOTS of things to the game, not just leave it to other people to create mods that some people might have and some not, and which might or might not be compatible with other mods, etc..

Such a mess...

I understand this in some sense, but consider that it's a sandbox game with vast appeal that people play in different ways. Some people wanted achievements/quests/goals, right? And didn't other people complain they didn't want those things added?

Take mushroom screenshots recently. It seemed like nearly every time someone posted a picture of one, someone else complained that they looked terrible. Take abandoned mineshafts, just added. Some people presumably like them, and yet I think on the last page or two someone said they liked normal caves better.

If they add too much stuff and force it on everyone, some people might get really annoyed, though I guess mods could take it back out again. I like new features, but I think it's good for them to be cautious about what features they add, so hopefully the game remains sandbox-ish enough that people can play it in different ways and eventually use a mod API to do whatever if they want more.

 

[Mik2121]

I understand this in some sense, but consider that it's a sandbox game with vast appeal that people play in different ways. Some people wanted achievements/quests/goals, right? And didn't other people complain they didn't want those things added?

Take mushroom screenshots recently. It seemed like nearly every time someone posted a picture of one, someone else complained that they looked terrible. Take abandoned mineshafts, just added. Some people presumably like them, and yet I think on the last page or two someone said they liked normal caves better.

If they add too much stuff and force it on everyone, some people might get really annoyed, though I guess mods could take it back out again. I like new features, but I think it's good for them to be cautious about what features they add, so hopefully the game remains sandbox-ish enough that people can play it in different ways and eventually use a mod API to do whatever if they want more.

Yeah but things like more animals (think of something like Red Dead Redemption, tons of animals but they're not in your face all the time), more materials, a bit more sounds, some recipes, a couple things to collect stuff, something to do with the exp...

Dunno, basic stuff, I guess. Plus, they added the fact that if you get hungry you can die. That's quite the bold change right there, much worse than stuff like adding more animals and whatnot.. and I bet A LOT of people don't like that, yet they added it, so it's not like they care all that much about what people might or might not want.

 

[British Monsoon]

Well you can't please everybody, but when it comes to new materials, new tools and items and decorations to craft, new wildlife and sounds to enhance the largely empty world, I don't see those as major changes but as adding more of what we've already got. No one's going to complain if Mojang include a few new types of stone, like limestone or marble, or a wider variety of birds, or add in some ambient sounds - but stuff like quests, hunger, XP, NPC's, new forms of combat, etc are always going to be divisive because they inherently alter the core of Minecraft's gameplay.

 

[Enco]

I understand this in some sense, but consider that it's a sandbox game with vast appeal that people play in different ways. Some people wanted achievements/quests/goals, right? And didn't other people complain they didn't want those things added?

But it doesn't have vast appeal. There are some hardcore builders but LOADS of people find it boring as fuck.

Glad I'm not the only one thinking this way. And yes, the fact that the mod community is doing a better/faster job than Notch is embarrassing to say the least. Really gives him no excuse. I'm sure adding things isn't easy but when gamers release 1000 mods in the time it take you release one update, you should really start to consider whether or not you're being overly lazy.

I don't think anyone will get angry over added sounds or more items/loot that give people a reason to play.

 

[spirity]

I love Minecraft, but I'm definitely in the "more updates, more regularly" camp.

Notch is working on a secret project, so there's only one person working on the game now? Shouldn't the team size be increasing?

Again, I love the game, but it deserves more attention.

 

[Forsaken82]

But it doesn't have vast appeal. There are some hardcore builders but LOADS of people find it boring as fuck.

Glad I'm not the only one thinking this way. And yes, the fact that the mod community is doing a better/faster job than Notch is embarrassing to say the least. Really gives him no excuse. I'm sure adding things isn't easy but when gamers release 1000 mods in the time it take you release one update, you should really start to consider whether or not you're being overly lazy.

I don't think anyone will get angry over added sounds or more items/loot that give people a reason to play.

You are comparing dozens of modders with likely infinite time on their hands to a single professional programmer with multiple projects in a W.I.P state. Not really a fair comparison.

 

[Verdre]

I love Minecraft, but I'm definitely in the "more updates, more regularly" camp.

Notch is working on a secret project, so there's only one person working on the game now? Shouldn't the team size be increasing?

Again, I love the game, but it deserves more attention.

Pretty sure Notch only worked on that for a week to get a prototype done and now both he and Jeb are on Minecraft again.

http://twitter.com/#!/notch/status/113325924191174656

 

[Mik2121]

You are comparing dozens of modders with likely infinite time on their hands to a single professional programmer with multiple projects in a W.I.P state. Not really a fair comparison.

Compare the bukkit guys or whatever else.

They have a job or school, and they're not getting paid to do this.

At Mojang they're AT LEAST Jeb and Notch, they are getting paid and apparently fairly nicely, and this is their only job.
They are just spending too much time on another title that they don't know if it will even sell (...) and they got a lot of people sitting there with their Minecraft beta waiting for new upgrades, but it seems like they work on it just every other day..

And yeah, surely they are only two and can't be compared to how much whatever many people is doing, but they probably know much more about the code and how to optimize stuff (not sure about this anymore seeing how the game runs worse with each update), they have a lot of code to copy&paste for stuff like items or materials, etc..

We were supposedly going to get 1.8 like.. quite a while ago, but they delayed it, then we were supposed to get 1.8 with quite a lot of things but they split it into 1.8 and 1.9 and who knows when we're getting 1.9...

It makes you wonder how they plan their stuff and why they can't seem to keep any of their goals...

Pretty sure Notch only worked on that for a week to get a prototype done and now both he and Jeb are on Minecraft again.

http://twitter.com/#!/notch/status/113325924191174656

Yeah that's the thing. If they were say, 5 or 6 programmers, I could see Notch jumping to this and that project every once in a while, but they are two, and they both seem to be working on other things all the time, which makes you wonder if they're even interested in finishing the game :S

 

[CharmingCharlie]

I think the lack of features in Minecraft is one of my bug bears. I appreciate that Notch has brought us this fantastic game but I can't help feel that Minecraft is now being held back by its "indie" status.

I don't like the fact I have to rely on modders for basics such as a "minimap" or decent quality textures (even though minecraft now supports 128 x 128). Jeb does a great job but he is only one guy and there is only so much he can do.

I don't begrudge Notch's success, it was well earned and well deserved but I really wish he would pour some more resources into MC that gives us basic features and more stuff to do.

 

[Treefingers]

I think the lack of features in Minecraft is one of my bug bears. I appreciate that Notch has brought us this fantastic game but I can't help feel that Minecraft is now being held back by its "indie" status.

I don't like the fact I have to rely on modders for basics such as a "minimap" or decent quality textures (even though minecraft now supports 128 x 128). Jeb does a great job but he is only one guy and there is only so much he can do.

I don't begrudge Notch's success, it was well earned and well deserved but I really wish he would pour some more resources into MC that gives us basic features and more stuff to do.

A mini-map is not really a 'basic', I'm pretty sure the reason there isn't one in the game is because Notch doesn't want one in the game. Also the default Minecraft graphics have their charm and are kind of iconic now and I'm not sure Notch would want to overhaul them.

 

[jambo]

I don't like the fact I have to rely on modders for basics such as a "minimap" or decent quality textures (even though minecraft now supports 128 x 128). Jeb does a great job but he is only one guy and there is only so much he can do.

I'd much rather leave stuff like custom textures and minimaps to the modders.

Keep that out of Minecraft!

 

[ganbareneopokekun]

Does this look odd?

I'm trying to connect a north/south running road with an east/west running road. I'm building a diagonal road to connec...

...ttp://i.imgur.com/Cg1O6.jpg[/img]

Any ideas?

this way maybe?

 

[Jasoco]

Edit: No, it wasn't correct. What I get for posting at the end of my break.

 

[Mik2121]

this way maybe?

That corner looks awkward


I posted this above:

Edit; Never mind, it doesn't look awkward, or at least not as much as I thought at first.

 

[jambo]

Yeah I don't really want a minimap either. If you really need it, it's not hard to find and install. The rest of us can have fun with the in-game maps.

That's the great thing about modding on PC, if you really want/need it, you can almost always find it.

 

[CharmingCharlie]

Yeah I don't really want a minimap either. If you really need it, it's not hard to find and install. The rest of us can have fun with the in-game maps.

It can easily be "toggable" for those that do not want it. The problem with relying on modders for basic features is that when MC gets a new version invariably all the mods stop working so we have to wait till the modders update their mods.

A mini-map is not really a 'basic', I'm pretty sure the reason there isn't one in the game is because Notch doesn't want one in the game.

I would personally say a vast sandbox world like MC does need a mini map it encourages exploration and branching out. There is a "mini map" in the game but it is done in such a crappy horrible fashion that it is next to useless (craft 9 pieces of paper and a compass and hey you get your mini map).

Also the default Minecraft graphics have their charm and are kind of iconic now and I'm not sure Notch would want to overhaul them.

I am not saying Notch should get rid of the "iconic" graphics I am saying he should update the graphics to 128 x 128 for those that want that. There is no reason why he cannot improve the graphics of the game without losing the "iconic" status of the graphics. No I don't think it is acceptable that we are still having to put up with 16 x 16 textures when MC itself has been upgraded to use 128 x 128.

 

[ganbareneopokekun]

That corner looks awkward


I posted this above:

Edit; Never mind, it doesn't look awkward, or at least not as much as I thought at first.

sorry man but yours looks more off

no offense..

just look here :

edit :

 

[Blizzard]

Well you can't please everybody, but when it comes to new materials, new tools and items and decorations to craft, new wildlife and sounds to enhance the largely empty world, I don't see those as major changes but as adding more of what we've already got. No one's going to complain if Mojang include a few new types of stone, like limestone or marble, or a wider variety of birds, or add in some ambient sounds - but stuff like quests, hunger, XP, NPC's, new forms of combat, etc are always going to be divisive because they inherently alter the core of Minecraft's gameplay.

I agree, and I think that's what they've been doing with stuff like fishing rods, bone meal, sandstone, etc. They just do it very slowly, so yeah, I don't know exactly the philosophy they follow when considering what to add. The two main developers are pretty open about it though, so at least there's that plus.

But it doesn't have vast appeal. There are some hardcore builders but LOADS of people find it boring as fuck.

I don't think anyone will get angry over added sounds or more items/loot that give people a reason to play.

It's fair enough. There could be good sound, item etc. additions that appeal generally. I was offering a possible design concern.

The main reason I said vast appeal is because very close to 3.5 million people have bought it, and even more people have probably tried it, pirated it, played the free version, or whatever. Now, a lot of those people may have been duped and then decided the game is boring, but it seems hard to argue that the game didn't hit a sweet spot in a lot of people in being something unique and addictive. You can either construct things or explore, or both -- I guess that's not a lot of roles, but it's still some variety for people who like different things, which helps add to the appeal. Future adventure/quest/NPC etc. stuff might add even wider appeal, possibly drawing RPG fans. I dunno.

 

[Ranger X]

About the updates...

1- Minecraft is the game easiest game to add something with. Whatever if all we mentionned in the last too pages was in the game, we could want something else. Minecraft would only be complete the day it would feel like "real life 2". To me, complaining about stuff missing is missing the point of Minecraft of betting on a life of complaining. It will NEVER stop and you'll always complain because there will always been easy stuff to add.

2- Modder argument. It's the same as with any other games really. Except that since it's easy to find something missing in a game of this nature, we sort of make the link that what modders do should have been done by the develloper. Why don't we think of that for other games? It's because they are more linear, they have a more "definite message" in nature. This means your brain is already understanding their genre's limits and it feels like a complete game. If we would however take time to only think about what's missing into those games, we would arrive at the same conclusion -- you can always add to someone else's creation because it's simply not yours. Lastly, modders are passionnate people that will always add on top of something, they have no link with what the dev of the game should do because as I just said, one can always add on top...

3- I agree that Notch doesn't give me the impression of a someone knowing how to cash on Minecraft but he's making millions of bucks and that must be enough for him, he doesn't feel any need to further enhance, improve or make his business bigger/better, wich I have to respect as a personal choice. One thing I really like about him is that he's not the type of person that gives a shit. And part of his personality there is that he will not "add for adding". He will add something to the game when he really feels it --- and THAT is a part of "being a great designer" imo.

 

[Ranger X]

sorry man but yours looks more off

no offense..

just look here :

edit :

EDIT:
nevermind, I actually found 2 mistakes in Mik's and one that nobody probably see...

 

[Mik2121]

sorry man but yours looks more off

no offense..

just look here :

edit :

Nope, sorry but mine was only off by one block, not two. Yours in comparison is way too thin. As RangerX said, it's pixel art stuff.

This should be it:

The road width was the one on the original picture, didn't bother fixing it at first.

Your road is way too thin though, which is why it feels awkward I think.

 

[Ranger X]

There's an error in your corner Mik. It's very subtle, just wondering if you can find it...


EDIT: ohhhh, nevermind again. I'll go eat breakfast of play Minecraft. lol

 

[Xun]

Here's an edit I made:

Edit: Ah shit, beaten. :/

 

[BaDJuJu]

You know what they need, fucking RPG's and Uzi's. I want the terminator to kick in one of my walls and have an epic battle through Arkyoto burning and blowing shit up as we go all to the sound track from the smurf's. Yeah, I just said that.

 

[BaDJuJu]

P.S. Oh and stripper poles that have disco balls attached.

 

[Mik2121]

There's an error in your corner Mik. It's very subtle, just wondering if you can find it...


EDIT: ohhhh, nevermind again. I'll go eat breakfast of play Minecraft. lol

Uhm, what error?


Oh, see the edit, no error then?

 

[spirity]

You know what they need, fucking RPG's and Uzi's. I want the terminator to kick in one of my walls and have an epic battle through Arkyoto burning and blowing shit up as we go all to the sound track from the smurf's. Yeah, I just said that.

Theres a mod that adds ak 47's and various handguns.

I love the mod communities that spring up with moddable games, but some stuff I just do not get (especially the adult themed shite you see in Bethesda's communities). Thankfully, there hasn't been any craftable marital aids for Minecraft, but I'm betting I've just given some of the freakier Gaffers an idea.

 

[nismogrendel]

Thanks for all the replies about the road, what is the program to make those diagrams?

 

[Mik2121]

Thanks for all the replies about the road, what is the program to make those diagrams?

I did mine with Photoshop zoomed in a lot, the grid shows up (you can turn it off anyway) and just paint the dots..

But it's just pixel painting, you can do the same with free software like Gimp or maybe some flash stuff on some website, or something...

I plan on using it (Photoshop in my case) for my next Minecraft big project.

 

[Ranger X]

Thanks for all the replies about the road, what is the program to make those diagrams?

I absolutely love GraphicsGale to make pixel art. It's a software designed specifically for doing that.

http://www.humanbalance.net/gale/us/

 

[Togglesworlh]

I absolutely love GraphicsGale to make pixel art. It's a software designed specifically for doing that.

http://www.humanbalance.net/gale/us/

Yeah it's awesome.

 

[Amzin]

The other problem with mods is that the best/favorite ones are frequently not SMP compatible (at least, not in any easy way compared to SP). Mo' Creatures, for example. It is by far my favorite mod. I turn most of the crazy monsters off, I just like the life that the critters add. But those critters add SO MUCH life to my world as I'm exploring/building/fleeing from zombies. So when I play my little family MP server, I'm constantly missing Mo'.

Most of the other mods I use are just quality-of-life mods that do tend to work in SMP, like Optifine and convenientInventory, or my favorite texturepack of the day.

 

[ganbareneopokekun]

double post...

 

[ganbareneopokekun]

Thanks for all the replies about the road, what is the program to make those diagrams?

ms paint


no srsly, zoom and press "Ctrl+G " to get a grid

 

[Glasswork]

ms paint


no srsly, zoom and press "Ctrl+G " to get a grid

Pretty much, pixel art doesn't need any fancy tools or expensive programs, I pretty much can't use anything BUT MS paint for pixel art because of all the extra windows and tools and whatnot :U

 

[Toppot]

I made a quick 1:8 model of what I plan to make on Neocraft

I'm so pissed you can't put torches on glass! would look so much better all lit up from floor to roof. But yeah that times 512 (8 times longer, 8 times taller, 8 times wider) And needing 65,536 blocks (256x256) area, either flat or do what I did before and just mine out the foundations I need and keep everything else inside natural (Which is probably what I'll do) Though I want a river in the middle or in there somewhere.

 

[HappyBivouac]

Thanks for all the replies about the road, what is the program to make those diagrams?

Surprised nobody has said this yet:

Your problem is that it's your first instinct to count the blocks perpendicular to the road, which works for straight roads, but for diagonal roads in a grid-based system, doing that gives you a weird increase in thickness. The best way to think of it is that you're continuing the straight road with the exact same schematic, but with each new row you shift it over one block, in order to get the diagonal.

When you try to count the blocks in a diagonal direction, you end up adding an extra block in the "straight" direction, if that makes sense. That's why it doesn't work.

 

[nismogrendel]

Thanks for the help, I finished one of the diagonal road sections. It does look real skinny but its just a path along the top of my wall.

Is there a way to increase the draw distance? I have fog on maximum and I can see the edge of where it stops rendering. If I could add another 300 units of draw distance that would be awesome.

 

[HappyBivouac]

If you're still running 1.7 you can get the Optifine mod (which I recommend to everyone, regardless, because of the dramatic performance increase and graphical options it gives) which gives you options to load further. I think you need a beast of a machine to actually use this effectively though. I got some breathtaking views doing this but I basically had to stand still in one spot on a high mountain and leave the game there for 5 minutes or so to load everything.

Sadly, the mod hasn't been released for 1.8 yet.

 

[nismogrendel]

If you're still running 1.7 you can get the Optifine mod (which I recommend to everyone, regardless, because of the dramatic performance increase and graphical options it gives) which gives you options to load further. I think you need a beast of a machine to actually use this effectively though. I got some breathtaking views doing this but I basically had to stand still in one spot on a high mountain and leave the game there for 5 minutes or so to load everything.

Sadly, the mod hasn't been released for 1.8 yet.

That sounds cool I'll keep an eye out for the 1.8 version.

Surprised nobody has said this yet:

Your problem is that it's your first instinct to count the blocks perpendicular to the road, which works for straight roads, but for diagonal roads in a grid-based system, doing that gives you a weird increase in thickness. The best way to think of it is that you're continuing the straight road with the exact same schematic, but with each new row you shift it over one block, in order to get the diagonal.

When you try to count the blocks in a diagonal direction, you end up adding an extra block in the "straight" direction, if that makes sense. That's why it doesn't work.

I get what you are saying. It was that extra block in the straight direction what was throwing it all off. I had tried the "X" shaped two wide diagonal but the way it narrowed to 1 block looked wierd to me too.

 

[Togglesworlh]

Thanks for the help, I finished one of the diagonal road sections. It does look real skinny but its just a path along the top of my wall.

http://i.imgur.com/oaINM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9UzJU.png

Is there a way to increase the draw distance? I have fog on maximum and I can see the edge of where it stops rendering. If I could add another 300 units of draw distance that would be awesome.

I like those stone textures. What's the name of the pack so I can decide if I like the everything else?

 

[bengraven]

- Things to collect ala Animal Crossing (add lots of animals like fishes so we can fish different stuff, or plants, or bones hidden in caves, or what have you)

There are only three things I want added and this is one of them.

1) fossils, sea shells, plants, like Mik says as well as buried treasure chests.

2) randomized gear/items dropped by mobs or found in treasure chests, ala Diablo...a bit of D2 influence in Minecraft would destroy my wife

3) ambient animals - tiny fish in the sea, birds even just in the sky, tiny dots around rotten flesh which are supposed to be flies...

 

[upandaway]

There are only three things I want added and this is one of them.

1) fossils, sea shells, plants, like Mik says as well as buried treasure chests.

But random buried treasure chests by themselves would just be tedious. What if for each treasure chest there would be a map somewhere in a stronghold pointing out its location?

 

[Complex Shadow]

any idea when ark will update the server?

 

[Takuya]

I made a quick 1:8 model of what I plan to make on Neocraft

I'm so pissed you can't put torches on glass! would look so much better all lit up from floor to roof. But yeah that times 512 (8 times longer, 8 times taller, 8 times wider) And needing 65,536 blocks (256x256) area, either flat or do what I did before and just mine out the foundations I need and keep everything else inside natural (Which is probably what I'll do) Though I want a river in the middle or in there somewhere.

It probably defeats the purpose, but you can always just attack one block chandeliers to the glass.

 

[Togglesworlh]

I really hate when people complain about Minecraft updates.

Most of the complaints claim to be about how Notch doesn't update enough or he doesn't work hard enough. I really don't think that's true. What most of the complaints really boil down to is, "He's not adding the things I want." And that's entirely true. There are a million things I would love to see added to Minecraft! But he clearly has different priorities. It sucks, yeah. C'est la vie.

Also, a lot of his work goes into things that we, as the end users, don't ever see.

Also also, I can't believe I've seen people complain about him spending time working on projects besides Minecraft.

All that said, I do sometimes question his judgment on the worthiness of adding this or that to Minecraft. I think I read once that he doesn't want to add anything that is purely for decoration, like chairs or tables or whatever. Things like the paintings and books make me question my memory, 'cause they've been around forever and they're purely decorative. REGARDLESS, every castle or house or whatever that I've ever built has been remarkably empty, aside from chests and a bed. I don't like the way the "stairs plus signs" chairs and benches look. They's ugly.

I also do think he could spend just a little bit more time working on the "easy" stuff like random new plants or animal types, as opposed to the huge backend stuff like biomes or making friendly mobs permanent or whatever. The mushroom cow is a great example of the little stuff he can add to appease a lot of people.

I forgot what my point with this post was. I guess I kind of turned into that which I hate. Oh well. Hypocrisy rules.

 

[BooJoh]

But random buried treasure chests by themselves would just be tedious. What if for each treasure chest there would be a map somewhere in a stronghold pointing out its location?

It's not like you have to find them all though. If they're just buried here and there, and maybe some of them have a treasure map in a structure somewhere, but others don't. Then when you're just digging for any random reason you might stumble upon a chest, which would be pretty cool.

 

[limlark]

Reposting for new page:

Can I let my brother on the server?

 

[DrBo42]

I made a quick 1:8 model of what I plan to make on Neocraft

I'm so pissed you can't put torches on glass! would look so much better all lit up from floor to roof. But yeah that times 512 (8 times longer, 8 times taller, 8 times wider) And needing 65,536 blocks (256x256) area, either flat or do what I did before and just mine out the foundations I need and keep everything else inside natural (Which is probably what I'll do) Though I want a river in the middle or in there somewhere.

What are you using to do this?

Edit: I guess the better way to ask is how are you guys conceptualizing large builds? Are there any tools out there for such?