Herpicus
Web Developer
Well I noticed that there isn't a Minecraft Thread around here so HERE IT IS! :d
By Notch
What is Minecraft?
Minecraft is a sandbox construction game created by Markus Persson (Notch) and is currently in pre release alpha. Minecraft development started around the 10th of May 2009, pre-orders for the full game started being accepted on the 13th of June.
The game involves players creating and destroying various types of blocks in a three dimensional environment. The player takes an avatar that can destroy or create blocks, forming fantastic structures, creations and artwork across the various multiplayer servers in multiple game modes.
Minecraft is compatible with all Major Operating System.
Minecraft is coded in Java so you must have the latest version of Java to run the game.
There is currently no official Mac OS version of the Client but the Linux version seems to work just fine with Mac OS
Gameplay
Minecraft Alpha
Gameplay in Minecraft consists mainly of adding and destroying blocks on a map surrounded by water on all sides. There are several different types of blocks, some of which perform special functions like spreading or falling down because of gravity.
With these blocks, players create large constructions such as castles, roads, buildings and skywalks, along with forms of artwork. A chessboard or giant picture rarely goes amiss on a server. Not only have users designed buildings, art, and caves, but also mini-sports. Using the current in-game features, users have put them to clever use. An example of a Minecraft sport is Spleef.
Notch has added a Survival mode, and is planning on adding Adventure mode and other modes to give Minecraft more gameplay. Minecraft is currently considered purely a sandbox construction game. Users who have bought the game have access to the in-development version, currently known as Alpha. Alpha was previously known as indev and infdev. This version can and has contained bugs, but features the most recent work on Minecraft, including dynamic lighting, crafting, farming, new blocks, and a more configurable map generator.
Only Classic and an early test of Survival mode are available to all players; Alpha is available for those who have bought the game. In the future, there will be multiple other modes and expansion packs.
Main game modes when the game will be finished (October 31st, 2010)
Tthe following modes should be anticipated:
- Creative - You can build anything for free, and there’s no health bar, and no inventory.
- Survival - There’s a health bar, an inventory, and you need to gather resources to be able to build and craft.
- Adventure (older Dungeons and Levers) - There’s a health bar and an inventory, but you can’t destroy or place blocks, you can only use items.
Blocks
Minecraft is composed of and built entirely out of blocks. You dig through blocks, you build with blocks, your character is made of blocks; they are everywhere.
The face of a block is 16x16 pixels, with each block estimated to be one cubic meter. Water and Lava blocks have a shifting pattern for each face.
There are currently over 55 different types of blocks (including Air, still Water, still Lava, blocks which cannot be built at the moment. In a standard randomly generated infdev Map you can find the blocks Stone, Grass (or Snow), Dirt, Water, Lava, Sand, Gravel, Gold ore, Iron ore, Diamond, Redstone, Clay, Coal, Tree, Leaves, Cactus, yellow and red Flowers and brown and red Mushrooms.
In the initial free version of Survival the player began with 10 TNT blocks and could obtain Dirt, Cobblestone from Stone, Wood from Trees, Gold from Gold ore, Iron from Iron ore, Step from Coal, and white Cloth from Sheep.
In Classic mode the player can build with naturally occurring blocks, save Redstone and Diamond, and can use Bookcase, Sponge, Coloured Cloth, Brick, Obsidian and Mossy Cobblestone. Operators of servers can also build Bedrock, aka Adminium. Some custom servers give the ability to place Grass and (still) Fluids, too.
When playing Alpha, the player can craft a variety of blocks not naturally found in maps, including Stairs, Workbenches, Paintings, Bookshelf and Furnaces. Redstone and Diamond can be found in the lower areas of maps, and Obsidian forms when water touches a spring lava block. Also in Alpha, the Mob Spawner block may naturally occur in a Dungeon.
Crafting
Crafting is the method by which most blocks, tools, and other resources are made in Minecraft. It is a function only available in Alpha mode, as well as the removed Indev and Infdev modes. In order to craft something, the player must move items from their inventory into the crafting grid, then arrange them into the pattern representing the item(s) they wish to create. As long as the proper pattern of resources is placed, it will not matter where within the grid the ingredients are placed. Crafting recipes can also be flipped horizontally from their depictions in the graphs below: for instance, you can make a bow with the strings on the right instead of the left.
The player has access to a 2×2 crafting grid in their Inventory screen which can be used at any time. Crafting recipes that are at most 2×2 materials wide and tall can be crafted there, like wood planks, sticks and workbenches. To craft with a 3×3 grid, create a Workbench, place it on the ground, and right-click on it. This brings up a pop-up screen which allows the player to assemble any crafting recipe in the game, as the maximum size for a recipe is 3×3.
2x2 Crafting Grid
3x3 Crafting Grid
3x3 Craft Grid - Crafting Axes
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Those are just a few things about the game. All the details can be found on the Minecraft and Minecraft Wiki website!
The game is currently in Alpha at half price (9.95 Euro) and will become Beta October 31, 2010! Once it becomes Beta the game will be Full price (20 Euro)
OTLand Members List:
OTland Username - Minecraft Username
SlurpDerp - SlurpDerp
Talaturen - MarkSamman
Bladecoaster - iroxyousuxx
Tuntis - Tuntis
Chojrak - Diathial
Fallen - SaveTheInternet
Benny - Smuurf
Devianceone - Devianceone
Gameplay, Commentaries and more: SlurpDerp
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