World#2 Update: Taverns and Diamonds

I thought I better make one last post for November before we hit December - can't believe were at December already.

Not much has been done lately, especially not on the underwater glass tunnel since the last update. I did complete, well almost complete the tavern however, and I would say it's at about 90% done now, just some finishing touches. So here is the original tavern:

Also, this is what the rebuild looked like last time I blogged about it:

 

Since then I have done alot more work, and as mentioned it's about 90% done. For the longest time I really couldn't decide what style to do the walls in. part of me wanted to make it in ultra-modern with snow or white walls (You can just see them in the above picture), and part of me thought medievil; however, the thought of using cobblestone again repelled me. Instead I decided to go traditional and make it out of wood, but using as many of the different woods as possible. So we have - oak log timber frame, jungle plank walls, spruce wood floors and spruce wood stairs for the roof:

It now dwarfs over the swimming pool compared to the previous tavern!

I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out so far, especially the inside of the roof. there's still some work to do however like finishing the bar down stairs, the toilets behind the partition wall upstairs, and some more detailing. My favourite bit is the traditional (mimicking real-life) triangular roof trussels on the inside of the roof, again made of timbers.

The only other thing I've really done is reverted the potato/carrot farm back into a mushroom farm (With a dividing wall making two rooms, lighted for red, dark area for brown) and changed the back mushroom farm into the potato/carrot farm, so it follows on rather than precedes it. The original plan was to leave the potato/carrot farm where it was and make it automated, but there wasn't enough space. It didn't work out so I made these changes, at least I don't have to go splashing about after the crops no more however:

I also went branch mining yesterday, in hope to find some diamonds (Again!) and found a total of 16! Most of them where in the left branch, only a couple in the right one, but enough for a diamond - pick, axe and spade. (Already have a diamond sword, though it is almost at half-usage.) I still have nine in the chest. I could fulfill a fantasy and make a diamond block or, try and find more and get all diamond armor again - it's been far too long since I had that. Made a change to the cave to the right of the mob area as well (At the very base of the mountain near lava pools):

I'm guessing they de-spawn now though unless in a snow-biome?

Nice idea though, originally they were in a made snow-factory, behind the mountain, behind the wheat farm. They upped and disappeared one day though. Hmmm, maybe I should may this into another kind of mob area now though? Now that I have covered up the lava and gone to so much trouble..

Any ideas?

Obsessive Cave Home [Creative]

So lately over the past few days I've been obsessing over this cave home that I've created on my creative world. The idea came about from a gaming YouTuber I watch, he had a guest on his world/server who started making a home in a cave and I thought it was a really good idea. It inspired me enough to try it myself!

I've had an underground home before, If you're familiar with this blog, you'll know that on my first Alpha world I had an underground home but int was in a "drop-down" cave. What I mean by that is a hole in the ground that goes straight down as opposed to a regular with a cave mouth. Therefore the home was split into different levels, wherever there was a flat bit on the way down. The great thing with a cave home and caves is that they run on and on with gradual descent down. (Although with some steep drops) This would mean the home in a cave would have room running on from room. I opted to use Misa's Realistic Texture Pack, the same that I'm using for my Stronghold home. (StrongHolm II.)

The first picture was originally going to be the front entrance, but I've swapped it as a back one and made the 2nd picture the new plush entrance. (Or at least it will be!) The new entrance only came about because in the darkness of the cave I thought I saw a higher ledge so I started putting stairs down, when I did finally put a torch down I saw there was no ledge just a flat wall. I carried on though to see where the stairs would come out if I kept placing them, completely forgot I started near water so that was a surprise when I hit the lake above. As you can see I just went for it however. I'm not sure how I want the final entrance to look, but I want it to blend into the environment outside as much as possible.

A look from the inside, as you go down the stairs from the entrance you are greeted with this:

I've kept the natural waterfall there, just fenced it off so it doesn't flood the place and created a small pit for the water to fall into, already there but not deep enough. Though it's hard to see in picture#1, behind that created wall with glass facade, are stairs going up (To the rear entrance) and stairs down. The stairs down just lead to a ravine, but it's not extensive, more like a "Half-ravine". In picture #1 there's a wall veering of to my left where I'm stood at the bottom of the stairs, around here I've got a little balcony that looks over said ravine.

Going up those stairs behind the facade wall we continue round to the back entrance:

As the last picture was the mouth of the cave, I wanted a wall material that carried on from the outside Earth and grass, a natural material. When I saw the colour for clay I simply had to have it for the walls. As well as this the floors are jungle plank floors and in this texture pack it goes, really, really nicely with the walls. The last picture is a kind of cloakroom. With the minimal lighting as well It starts to change as the sun goes down looking warm and cosy at night:

Up the stairs we get the very beginning of the cave and the back entrance:

I'm not sure what's going to be through that wooden door, maybe a small mushroom farm or closet space? In all I've tried to blend the inside in with the outside as much as possible so it looks natural and doesn't stand out too much from the outside:

Loft:

Some updated pics of current work:

The lobby down from the entrance is now a wash of blues to go with the water theme, both where the entrance is down into the water, and the natural waterfall. Two types of blue wool used and lapis lazuli floor. The winowed bit on the stairs wall is actually ice. In the corridors we have a mix of sandstone walls contrasted with Soul Sand feature walls all the way through with End stone floors and birch steps.

(Runs onto bedroom area)

Since this picture I have actually raised the floor up two blocks as I didn't like that huge blanks bit of green wall down to the floor. 

I'm still not sure about this area yet and it may change completely and not even be the bedroom. Part of me thinks of having this whole area as a grand bedroom and knocking out that small enclosed space, or doing that but using it for a completely different room altogether - maybe living area?

Then farm areas:

Chickens:

Both the cow and chicken farms have sky-lights in the cave ceiling that go all the way to the surface and let in loads of light during the day.

Overall, I really like this cave idea. Over the last few days I've just been obsessing about it spending hours and hours doing stuff and not realising how much time has passed. I might do a survival one fore sure as I really like the idea. Still lots to do though.

RANT TIME - Alpha Vs 1.4(.2) + Onwards

Right across the official Minecraft forums I see people saying Minecraft isn't is good any more/ruined/I'm not updating etc, and a good percentage troll back/flame and abuse anyone for their different opinions. Just as their is as much a percentage that say it's going down hill and don't back up their opinions. So here's my view.

I like most changes, since Beta onwards, there are only a few things I don't like but I never feel like I have to use these things or constantly bitch on the forum about them. so here it is, piece by piece Alpha Minecraft Vs 1.4(.2 onwards). I haven't included everything, just the most important stuff.


[b]Lighting[/b] - Overall the lighting engine has vastly improved since Alpha, and although it's having another overhaul the different lights Inside a cave/night time they initially had for is is a hell of a lot better than Alpha. Smooth lighting was a God-send. If you like the old patchy lighting you only have to go into the menu to turn of the smooth lighting, but how any one can prefer it over the new overhaul is beyond me. The only thing you could possibly argue is that it was better in Alpha because you'd have to out a **** load or torches in a cave and it was geneuinelly scary as it was pitch black! I don't feel you get that scare any more although the mob AI is much, much better these days, but I'll get to that later.


[b]Food/XP[/b] The new system is better in that it makes it tougher, before it was too easy. One could argue there's too much food choice, but that's for your own personal opinon. In Alpha you'd still have to eat a good few pork chops to get your health back or cook a food for insta-heal.  Re-gen health is much more efficient, sure if you're in a cave you might have to throw blocks down to block off your attacker to eat and re-gen your health. You should always take plenty of food if your going mining anyway, stew might not stack but it's ingredients do, cookies, pork, beef, chicken, cookies, pumpkin pie and watermelon all do, and so does wheat and bread. No excuses. Even with the new carrots and potatoes, even if you don't go to an NPC village or have an older world where you have to travel an insane distance to find one, once you've got one, you're set up for life if you make the farm correctly. Isn't the fact that you have to regen you're health better because it makes it [b]harder[/b]. I swear mincrafters, as well as being lazy just want everything on a plate. As for xp, you're going to get it if you fight mobs ore mine certain ores whether you like it or not, that doesn't mean you have to enchant stuff/brew potions or do anything with it. You have the right to just ignore it. It doesn't have to "Ruin your gameplay" or minecraft.

[b]Mobs[/b] After a very long time of mobs being to easy (IMO) they have finally been nerfed in 1.4 and quite rightly too. Zombies ar still pretty derpy and Enderman are easy (Still, as well as annoying) but the improvent to their behaviour is evident from the imrpoved AI , coming round corners we never had back in Alpha, not falling into tricks like being led into wells (On my SSP!) and avoiding lava! I'ver personally seen a creeper climb over an iron fence at the top of my home in a mountain. Coming with armor is en even more (slight) challenge especially getting a rare drop or an enchanted bow. No where is it more evident that fire blazes in Nether strongholds in 1.4.2. Now properly spawning in the Nether strongholds, not just sticking to their spawners and surrounding areas. I went a new Nether, (Having reset my tired old one for the third time) and that made it a [i]lot[/i] more of a challenge. Wither skeletons are pretty easy to defeat, but even creepers have been buffed in recent times.

[b]Terrain & Biomes[/b] Now here's a biggie. I fully agree that the terain generation hasn't been the same since Beta/1.73, and that the mountains have become lumpy and uninteresting. [b]I do not think a slider will improve things in general.[/b] However, I created a new 1.4.2 world and have seen some pretty strange mountains - so it's getting there,  it is getting better IMO, but still needs a lot of work. Those huge beta overhangs might be a thing of the past however. I think generally if you want better spread between biomes the large biomes option in creation is the way to go. At this time of writing there are still things to work out though, like, certain biome temples appearing the wrong biome. (@ haven't upgraded since 1.4.2 so they might have fixed that since.)

Some complain that caves are too common now but I don't agree with this. I would say ravines appear a bit too often, as much as I love them. I personally love rivers and the jungle biome, jungle biomes offer a completely different enviroment to the other biomes. With the ground foilage it's even more easy to hget lost in an endless jungle biome, you have huge ammounts of vines you can collect as well as coca beans which where a great decision adding them to jungle trees. Cats (whether you love em or hate em), insane amounts of wood, create tree houses or Ewok style areas. Whatever you may think about witches, I am personally neutral/don't care about them, swamps now have more of a thing about them with slimes spawning on them as well as just being places for some vines and a great place where mushrooms grow.

I don't agree with mooshroom biomes and think they're kinda dumb, but nothing makes me want to go seek them out. I choose [b]not[/b] to look for them! I do think there needs to be work still to get there. I don't think there should be lakes in sand biomes let alone rivers running through the edge of some, which I have personally seen. Then there's really hot areas like jungles (Whether you love or hate them) right next door to snow biomes - this needs works. I also agree that underneath the water needs to be sorted out not splotchy.


[b]End Game/Bosses[/b]
I personally don't think Minecraft should have had an end, but it is your choice to go to the End and fight the Ender-dragon, just like it's you're same choice, to create the Wither boss who seems to be, for my opinion the best boss in the game and the most destructive! I don't think it should have too many "Bosses" though otherwise it doesn't become something other than Minecraft and steer in a different direction. leave that for something like Metroid!

[b]It doesn't fit![/b] How do bats and witches not fit when we have skeletons and zombies. I'm sure it was meant to be a non-Earth planet yet we have pigs cows and sheep yet Enderman and creepers?! So what is the theme for Minecraft, does there have to be one? Maybe the witches huts aren't great, I agree, when I think of witches I think of them in castles not wooden huts in swamps, but that's just me. It's early days yet though.

a) Enchanting - Again this is optional [b][u]you do not have to do it if you do not like it[/u][/b]. I'm neither one way or the other about it but I do like saving xp us mainly for a silk touch pick eventually. The point is even if you collect xp you don't have to use it or do anything about it! You do not have to enchant therefore it will not impede on your game/gameplay/Minecraft as a game for those that whine it's going in too much of an "RP" direction!

b) Brewing -  Optional. [b][u]you do not have to do it if you do not like it[/u][/b]. Any of these elements you don't have to use or even consider if you think it's adding too many "RPG" elements. You don't have to create cauldrons, brewing stands or glass bottles. You can carry on playing Minecraft without using it - the way you have always played Minecraft, nothing has changed!


I started playing in Alpha before the Halloween update btw. Note I mention it here as I haven't used it to justify anything. I have been playing it since then and I don't agree with everything (Mooshroom biomes) but I still keep on playing because for me the core of the game is still there. I still enjoy it. It's still survial, most of the new stuff you don't have to use. (Villages/brewing and potions/xp/The End/Wither boss/Beacon) It's not been ruined IMO. It's just evolving.

I Sea You!

Recently I have been ploughing ahead with my underwater tunnel, the new location for my mine-cart system instead of across the sea. (Where it stopped boats getting out.) So instead of being on wood blacks across the sea, along side the cobble bridge, it will now be through a proposed glass tunnel, under the sea - directly under the bridge.

(Old Pic):

Work on this had been slow as I slowly built the side and top dirt walls, later to be changed into glass.  Very recently though I spent a day working on it and steamed ahead getting a lot done! Now admittedly, I did turn it to peaceful to continue the side walls under the sea and the 1 block lower ceiling. (So it is now completely under water.) Even then I had to keep bobbing up for breath, but alas I made it to the other side of the water and completed the dirt tunnel, all the way across to the shore and nearby church just of that shore.

The tedious bit however was not dong the sides and top of the dirt tunnel, but draining the water from within it. Especially when it wasn't all one level as parts dipped. In particular, the end from the the other side (church end), which was 2 - 3 block higher than the starting side. So I had to lower it to match. The minecart system above ground running past the church will also be underground eventually going through a mountain as it comes out by Mount DOOOooooom. (Not sure what I'm going to do there, maybe keep it above ground? I will keep the rails from Mount DOOOOoooom to my SMP house shrine, above the water, except maybe improve widen and transform it(?) Possibly overhead glass tunnel). Either way this is it and so far it's offering great views looking back on my mountain home:

At this current time I need to gather more sand as I've completely run out of every single bit of stored sand I have. Before I carry on down the tunnel, I think I'll do the roof up to where I got to, to expand on those views. I also need to fix the current in the water, left by the previous height of the ceiling before it went totally underwater.

Texture Packs

In other news I've updated a ****-load of my texture packs to 1.4.2 now! A week and a bit ago I updated the painterly pack for this world - world#2 (Above) and at the same time the alternate painterly pack for World#1 (The underground home.) I also made a 1.4.2 Xmas version for World#2. I also updated John Smith's texture pack (Allbases world), The Soartex fanver pack (1.9.5 world/modern home in a mountain) and Misa's realistic pack. (For my latest StrongHolm II world.) As well as the LB Photo Realism Pack and Sphax for the multiplayer server I'm on.

DING CHURCH IS DONE!!!11

"Now the refurbishment is complete, they'll be noone to stop us this time!"

About 20 minutes ago I finally finished re-furnishing the church! It all came about because I found a load of gold in my precious ores chest that I had apparently been hoarding away! There was about 48 gold ore which I knew would get me 5 gold blocks, so I smelted it down, went to the church, and there were exactly 5 blocks left to do! I also changed the top of the single tower which was a mish-mash of cobble and stone-brick from the original look. It was only on the top row, sitting on top of the birch plank walls of the tower.. I chopped down a near by birch tree and changed it to birch planks to square it off, but I also wanted to give that tower a soul sand roof as well like the rest of the church. As well as bring the ends of the old church roof out by 1 - 2 blocks to give it more depth and definition.

My only regret is after completing it I realized maybe I should have just made the cross out of Glowstone?! Anyway, without further a do, here's a look back up to completion:

Ye old church.

The gloomy cobble interior, before the lighting overhaul, check out hose stone seats!

The new outside, a wall and more aesthetic grounds within the walls.

The start of a whole new change..

All that's left is the steps leading up to the church.