Minecraft News and Discussion

[JohnBM01]

Actually, my return to Minecraft kind of also pertains to possible coding. I had visions of adding certain mobs to spice up vanilla Minecraft. Of course, when I mod Minecraft, it will no longer be bone stock Minecraft. It means I will have to learn some Java. I have had lots of practice coding in Java when I was trying to make my own game or my first Java program. The Java book I have even has an entire chapter about how to program Java for Minecraft.

On the modeling front, I am well aware the game uses blocks. I even studied a few JSON files on how models are constructed using Java blocks. I am actually not offended or miffed about the basic blocky nature of models. Some people, much like how they do with the world, can make even the most amazing models while keeping the blocky nature of the models. Some people have even made truly advanced models prety much entirely out of cubes. I haven't made anything yet. However, I am mostly in the prototyping, brainstorming stage. Long ago, I did make some voxel models that I was thinking about turning into proper Minecraft mobs. But back then, I didn't have as much skill in designing proper models. Techne is often seen as the best for Minecraft modeling, but I am fairly impressed with MrCrayfish's modeling software. I haven't tried out Tabula.

Minecraft is a game I have a lot of respect for. It's something even kids can get into to learn programming and create material for the game. I am going about this like most of us do in life anyways- learn as you go along. One other thing- you know a game is great when you feel like you can never run out of ideas or that you have definite restrictions. Minecraft is one of those games. It's like... you can never really run out of ideas or things to do. Someone always has something interesting. It isn't like you've seen everything in Minecraft or that some people lack coming up with something new or original. So if you ask me, if you never played Minecraft, try it. I still recommend this game to this day.

 

[GTvsForza]

With the Update Aquatic coming soon, I want to try making my own ocean mod. It'll be a MASSIVE project, but I'll start small and see where it goes.

 

[JohnBM01]

I don't think I played any Minecraft with the addition of the underwater stuff and the underwater Guardians. Then too, I haven't played Minecraft in a long while. I'm pretty sure all kinds of updates will be added to my Minecraft when I load the launcher for the first time in a while.

Good luck to you with your project, GTvsForza 👍

 

[jstickboy13]

The PS4 version is one of the 2 games I continue to play. I have a world that I've been working on/playing in for over 5 years (started as a PS3 map), slowly developing areas and making a big survival/adventure/explore world. I'ts got multiple bases and towns, huge underground lake as well as extensive caves and caverns connecting large portions of the world underground. I've been thinking about doing another 5ish minute fly-through video showing some of the overall world, hopefully uploaded within the next few weeks.

 

[JohnBM01]

I started using a program called Blockbench to do 3D modeling for Minecraft. While I haven't made anything with it, I am mostly using this program to study making JSON models. I am so confident in using it that I could almost make a model from scratch while mostly visualizing how all of the pieces will come together. I even am trying to make skins before making the actual model. I try to keep the mobs (because I have mobs in mind) in the same kind of UV map structure as most entities in Minecraft.

Again- the way you seem to build JSON models seems so simple that Almost anyone can make a fairly decent 3D model. Stuff like certain larger models (such as the Ender Dragon), however, may be a bit of a stretch to model effectively. Once I make a decent model, I will then look at how to make larger and more detailed models through using JSON cubes.

 

[GTvsForza]

I think I used Blockbench before. Didn't do much, but I could probably use it to design the mobs.

 

[JohnBM01]

With Techne, I have started to look at models exported as Java files. Included in each Java file is a general assortment of blocks. I am studying all of the different elements to see how everything functions. Unlike the JSON files I studied with using McCrayfish's modeler, you actually get to see the rotation and pivot points for each model. It is a good way to visualize everything. Techne is said to be a fidgety modeler with crashes that happen and its buggy nature. This is surely progress to model almost exclusively in Java for Minecraft. You can build mobs with programs like Techne, but coding them and such requires some other work.

 

[JohnBM01]

I have been trying to do some modeling. Slowly, I have tried to come up with something. Nothing of late has materialized. However, I do realize that you don't need to have every texture element as a power of two or a multiple of two. For example, the Ocelot has a mostly 5x5 head. You do, however, need to have a PNG file in a power of 2 to represent the skin for entities. So while the Ocelot's head is mostly 5x5 in dimensions, it still comes in a 64x32 PNG image.

What I learn here can also be used in some projects outside of Minecraft. While 64x32 is enough for most Minecraft entities, I even came across various images representing more higher resolution images. You will need some more capable equipment to take advantage of high resolution textures. Minecraft's simplicity in using Java and its cube environment is making me try a newer style of 3D modeling. It is kind of helping me to develop my own style. Or to paraphrase the music industry, it is helping me "find my sound."

As I said previously, I haven't designed anything yet. However, I am making some better progress towards making my vision complete.

 

[JohnBM01]

One thing I learned about Minecraft is that certain larger models are broken up into two different models. For example, look at models such as the bed, a door, or any of the tall vegetation (such as double grass). They appear as single blocks. However, they are items or entities broken up into different pieces. I started thinking about this when I saw mostly larger models made through JSON files. I think Blockbench has a limit of 3x3x3 block size. So you will have to do some extra work if you're trying to make your own Ender Dragon or something. One of the biggest mobs I've seen in Minecraft was Mobzilla of OreSpawn. I even seen a YouTube video once of multiple Minecrafters trying to defeat Mobzilla (and succeeded).

Before posting, I saw one video featuring a creature called Spikezilla, who is seemingly much larger than Mobzilla. I doubt I'm going to make any entities taller than the Burj Dubai, but at least you know there are massive mobs out there in Minecraft.

 

[crunchMONKY78]

Latest project on PS4..

 

[Doomotron]

Latest project on PS4..

Wow. That's quite big.

 

[GTvsForza]

Might come back to this blocky world since the Update Aquatic is out now.

 

[JakeMR2]

Once I find my PS4 disc and get a 2 TB External Drive then I’ll come back to this. I do have the PC Version, but I like the game being vanilla.

 

[crunchMONKY78]

I'm planning to continue the lower levels all the way down to bedrock. I just need to figure out a system for the stairways to make it work.

Even in creative mode, trying to bring my ideas to life is super time consuming. If we could "hire" the villagers to help build or some sort of robot worker that can be given instructions on where to dig or put blocks would be a god send.

Oh... And is there a reason why mircosoft has not adapted the PC version to use the Xbox controller?

The aquatic update is amazing. The views while underwater are superb. Although I'm having trouble understanding the new swim mechanics..

 

[Touring Mars]

I had a play on Minecraft yesterday and made this:



Can mobs walk through waterfalls, or would this work in survival mode?

 

[homeforsummer]

Can mobs walk through waterfalls, or would this work in survival mode?

I don't think they can walk through as such. They might bob slightly upwards and fall through, or they might sink into the ditch you've dug for the water to go into and be unable to get out and drown.

 

[m8h3r]

I don't think they can walk through as such. They might bob slightly upwards and fall through, or they might sink into the ditch you've dug for the water to go into and be unable to get out and drown.

I think it would drown too. Make it 2 wide or so and I doubt they'll get through.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

My kids have got this on PS3, occasionally I have a blast while the wife is watching her crap programmes & I can't get on PC2.

I'm currently building No1 Canada Square (Canary Wharf) although unlike most buildings/cityscapes I've seen on youtube that are mostly hollow I'm building mine with all 50 floors, including main reception, plant room, staircases, lift shafts, lighting & carpet.

Still got about 35 floors to complete, it's taking me age's because you got to place block by block (no fill option like the pc version)

I'll try & post some pic's later.

But it's coming along nicely (albeit slowly )

 

[Touring Mars]

Here's a slightly more advanced version of my 'Waterwall' house that I made last night...



It turns out that animals do get lifted up by the water in the walls but thus far I haven't seen anything actually pass through, even with a single block ditch.

In theory, you could make a water wall house with just one type of block, and use far fewer blocks than normal - plus, water is readily available and transparent, so you could build a huge house even in Survival Mode pretty fast, presuming you have a bucket handy!

 

[Rallywagon]

Here's a slightly more advanced version of my 'Waterwall' house that I made last night...



It turns out that animals do get lifted up by the water in the walls but thus far I haven't seen anything actually pass through, even with a single block ditch.

In theory, you could make a water wall house with just one type of block, and use far fewer blocks than normal - plus, water is readily available and transparent, so you could build a huge house even in Survival Mode pretty fast, presuming you have a bucket handy!

Even better, water absorbs a fair bit of damage from Creeper explosions as well, and with no walls to worry about blowing up...

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Incoming photo dump
No1 Canada Square

Main Entrance

Reception

Plant Room

Lift Shaft

Office Floor

Stair Case

Floors still to complete

Inside the roof

A view from above


Night Time





Enjoy

 

[Rallywagon]

Incoming photo dump
No1 Canada Square
View attachment 768168
Main Entrance
View attachment 768169
Reception
View attachment 768170
Plant Room
View attachment 768171
Lift Shaft
View attachment 768172
Office Floor
View attachment 768173
Stair Case
View attachment 768174
Floors still to complete
View attachment 768175
Inside the roof
View attachment 768176
A view from above
View attachment 768177
View attachment 768178
Night Time
View attachment 768179
View attachment 768180
View attachment 768181
View attachment 768182
View attachment 768183
Enjoy

That is impressive, especially without building mods

 

[Mr Grumpy]

The hardest part of the build is making sure my kids don't wreck it before I've finished it.

I've banned them from loading up the save & going on it

 

[wolfsburgraz]

First time poster in this thread, I just wanted to say that the things some of you are building / have built are astonishing. Incredible work.

My biggest personal claim to fame is building a small central warehouse to organize goods and have materials and facilities available for friends that might want to join. That and encasing an underwater monument in glass and slowly draining it to have a look around in the dry.

I'm waiting for that super duper graphics pack to eventually show up before I return to the game.

 

[Doomotron]

First time poster in this thread, I just wanted to say that the things some of you are building / have built are astonishing. Incredible work.

My biggest personal claim to fame is building a small central warehouse to organize goods and have materials and facilities available for friends that might want to join. That and encasing an underwater monument in glass and slowly draining it to have a look around in the dry.

I'm waiting for that super duper graphics pack to eventually show up before I return to the game.

I made a castle out of dirt.

 

[Rallywagon]

First time poster in this thread, I just wanted to say that the things some of you are building / have built are astonishing. Incredible work.

My biggest personal claim to fame is building a small central warehouse to organize goods and have materials and facilities available for friends that might want to join. That and encasing an underwater monument in glass and slowly draining it to have a look around in the dry.

I'm waiting for that super duper graphics pack to eventually show up before I return to the game.

Super duper graphics? A PC with shaders is the closest I think this iteration of MC will come to that. It would take enough engine changes that they might as well call it MC2,
That said... there are many out there that fit the bill, from 7 days to die (zombie hordes, generic farming, building a house to survive etc) to Space Engineers. Not sure about console though.

 

[wolfsburgraz]

Super duper graphics? A PC with shaders is the closest I think this iteration of MC will come to that. It would take enough engine changes that they might as well call it MC2

Pardon, I should have said I'm a console player with only an Xbox One. It's an update that was planned to release fall 2017, it's a year late and I'm wondering if it will ever show up. I'd imagine this is the closest I can get to a PC experience without having a PC.

 

[crunchMONKY78]

Chickens can climb ladders. 🤬

 

[Touring Mars]

I don't think they can walk through as such. They might bob slightly upwards and fall through, or they might sink into the ditch you've dug for the water to go into and be unable to get out and drown.

I witnessed a pig accidentally kill itself in my water house last night. It was mooching about near my front door and then got picked up by the water - it then fell back to the ground and died, leaving a pork chop in my front garden. I think I may have inadvertently invented a (very) easy to make slaughter house - in principle you can make such a device with just one block...

 

[homeforsummer]

I witnessed a pig accidentally kill itself in my water house last night. It was mooching about near my front door and then got picked up by the water - it then fell back to the ground and died, leaving a pork chop in my front garden. I think I may have inadvertently invented a (very) easy to make slaughter house - in principle you can make such a device with just one block...

Picking up and dropping mobs is essentially how most mob grinders work in the game, though your house won't be enough to do that on its own as most of the hostile mobs have more health than things like pigs and sheep.