The Update Thread

Main world, survival. Begun in 2010 in Alpha, I found a mountain with a hollow front and lava pouring down the front, round the back a single block waterfall coming out of the wall.. I decided it was a nice place to make a home! In 2012 after 2 years and developing my building style I began a mass re-generation scheme of my world, inside and outside. This is the story of my main world...


The BIG push! 
I've been working very hard lately on making a major push to the "big projects" on this world. in an attempt to get them done or really get somewhere with them.

Firstly is the apartment block. After changes to the decor on the outside and adding more enhancements (Log trimming, window hatches and window sills) it became abandoned a bit again. When I looked again I realized although I had done the log trim on all 4 sides, I only did the extras (mentioned) on the front side, so I set to work growing spruce trees in the apartment block's back yard so I could give the other three sides their window hatches and window sills. (Trap-doors and upside down stairs respectively.)

Yes I realise I've missed one bot or log trim and window shutters!

I still have the back of that new roof I was doing to finish off, but that's because I changed the top penthouse ceiling from snow to wool like all the other floors, and that was a feat! (It has snow walls so snow ceiling as well would not be good. The rest now includes making sure each floor has a better bathroom and kitchen.

The other big thing I've been pushing, is phase #2 of the underwater/underground minecart tunnel - decoration. Phase #1 (Underwater) had either end decorated with sandstone walls with colored carpet running through the middle (Named the "Green line". For the "Red Line" of the redecoration of the underground tunnels I decided not to use sandstone. It's a pain getting it (Long way away) and they you have to convert it into sandstone and it's very resource hungry. I switched instead to the more natural stone-brick. And as I have many double chests full of cobble I might as well put it to use! So I've been smelting like mad and redecorating the rest of the tunnels all the way to Mount. DOOoooooooom!

Just the red wool to fill in now, and it's done!

Speaking of Mount. DOOoooooooom(!) I've been busy on that as well. Here is a picture back in the day:

 
When I changed the front tower from ladders up to stairs (Taking up almost all of the inside of the tower itself.:

Just this week:

Yes, no tower at all! Besides that the fact that I am also using shaders full time for this world now (like-wise for world #1: underground home and world #3), the whole stairs in the tower thing wasn't really working for me at all. So, literally this Easter weekend I stood on the roof and demolished it top to bottom so I can rebuild it! I noticed that whilst it was only 8 blocks across width, it was only 7 blocks across the other way, so I evened it out and began building again in all weathers. No big fat bit in the middle this time, and I've rounded the corners off so they're diagonal:

A straight tower, the next level up will be the final one and slightly protruding out from the tower. (IE a bit bigger.) As you can see, at the base I've also extended  a wall back from the stairs up onto the sand, to try and hide some of that nasty chunk border wall. I think I will continue this round by the stairs, along and round the corner; so there's an "Inner" fort wall like the main outside one. Also, (After trying it out on my creative copy of the world); I will make that back building that's very high up and set back from the front tower, double height. I tried on my creative copy and liked it, so will implement it on survival, I have the cobble I've horded the the past 3 years 7 months.

This time, to get up the tower; I've built stairs again but on the outside this time! Round the back though as obviously there will be lava flowing down round the front, so they've tucked away round the back and go up one side to each level. This also means plenty of room inside the tower now with the stairs removed to the exterior!

I've also been in the kitchen and dinning room! Back in (2012/2013?) when I raised the dinning room ceiling up 2 blocks and I gave it a completely new look, I didn't add the sky-lights back in. This was a choice and done on purpose. I thought it'd be alright with lots of glowstone and some torches - but it was not. It was far to dark in the day, So working from the ground above the dinning room (As I have lots of paths up there so doing it from below would mean lots of holes in unwanted places); I brought back the sky-lights.

The above picture is day time and already the different is quite noticable! A few dark patches still but very light! With the kitchen - even though it's only half done, I implimented it here as well with the same size in each corner:

Forgive the snow on the ground, I have put a snow golem to work for the snow blocks I need for the ceiling. With that said, I'm likekly to change the wall deco now completetly.

Yes we have a banner now!

Not much to report here, but the major change was turning the outside that I done, from dark Oak planks to the surrounding spruce tree planks in the Mega Taiga. This is because I only have two dark oak trees and being in the middle of a Mega Taiga, the spruce trees are everywhere!

The future living room ceiling is completed with wool now (just need glowstone for lighting!), so I have started the upstairs.

Still a long way to go however.

Hauling A** On World#3!

Poor little abandoned World #3.

Started in Beta,  abandoned when I got bored of it, then badly damaged by Ogres in a Minecraft mod back in 2013.. There was salvation however, when I took the opportunity to rebuild the entire things from scratch, in a new modern design after knocking the previous building down. As you know I got so far with it but then...

Okay I didn't abandon it I just got side-tracked, I always meant to come back to it!

So it's been a while since I properly touched and have done anything to this world. When we last left it it was still very much in the early stages of having the lower floor done - turning outside temporary dirt walls to white hardened clay. As it looked: 

(FRONT)

(BACK)

It started out just making a few adjustments, but then I spent a large amount of time traveling to discover new chunks. The main reason I went out in the first place however was for clay. I needed a lot more to get some work done on changing those temporary dirt walls to hardened clay. (White.)  I came back, built the walls up replacing the dirt so it was all level to the upper floor, and started there when I ran out again. Went for another trip, It wasn't overly successful. I did come back with some Dark Oak saplings so I can grow my own more nearer by, and I can back with a stack of each of the three granite types however. Came back with a lot of clay however and managed to complete two whole walls upstairs!

 The more I stepped back and looked at the roof however, the more I really started to not like the spruce planks/stairs against the pinkish  white hardened clay. It's then I started getting ideas about changing the roof completely. I now had Dark Oak, but it would mean completely re-doing the entire roof. (Still an option). Even though I was meant to be going to bed, I ended up doing to the roof. I don't like how (Above), the end of the roof is that way round facing out over the column wall. So my idea was to just continue it length ways all the way along - as seen in the roof towards the top right of the picture. I also didn't like the way it did the same in the picture before the above one, round that side. Or the little squatty roof over the glass-framed section of the building. Although it took a very long time, I think it looks better now than it did.

It was missing something as well so I built a stone-brick (With Netherrack) chimney. I also made a copy of this world (Also my main world and world#1) for 1.7.2. It's a version down but these copies are for me testing out Sonic's Unbelievable Shaders:

Clearer day, view despite the awful weather!:

Whilst on my Creative Shaders copy, I made a few subtle changes, such as the slab roof on the brick building, but it didn't stop there...

Before long I was changing things to how I envisioned, making lots of changes and finally working out the layout and what the pink (White hardened clay) room should be! So pleased was I that today, after taking lots of pictures last night, have begun the work properly and legit in my survival world!

FRONT:

The white triangular building now has a bit of an overhang roof ledge, finally resolved that problem, the raised brick wall is almost corrected and the brick building has it's slab roof. You can see what I mean here about just taking the roof longways all the way along. I'm a bit worried it ruins some of the shape of the buildings though(?) as the grey (Stone-brick) rectangular one is now roofed.

BACK:

The upper long window, has been split into two now and you can see clearly when I've got up too on the hardened clay extravaganza. Need to get even more clay now. The new roof does cut of the really big sky-light on the white building, (Not seen here), but I checked inside and enough light still gets through, so it's all good.

Inside I've been making a number of changes already. The old empty main room with the paintings, will become the new huge kitchen diner:

BEFORE

CURRENTLY:

In the hallway I got rid of the dirt arch, an extra wall there isn't really needed.

I'll tidy this up and hide the dirt layer and side of the above floor with brick, when I get more clay.

In the other hallway a minor change but more of a pattern to make it a little less bland:

The main living room (With even more windows - some on to hallways) is starting to look a little lived in now and less minimal:

Upstairs, things are starting to change now as new temporary walls are put up to start dividing the large upstairs space:

This area will be the new 2nd bedroom once closed in:

As you can see, I've really gotten back into this world big time! I'm going to have to go out clay hunting again, but now I've got the hunger for this world again!

MAIN WORLD: Three Month Update! Part #4

Main world, survival. Begun in 2010 in Alpha, I found a mountain with a hollow front and lava pouring down the front, round the back a single block waterfall coming out of the wall.. I decided it was a nice place to make a home! In 2012 after 2 years and developing my building style I began a mass re-generation scheme of my world, inside and outside. This is the story of my main world...

Last Updates & Future Ideas/Plans 

In the last chapter of my three month update, when I didn't blog, I'm shall cover the more extensive projects of the re-generation of this world and future ideas and plans.

One of the major projects has been the underwater/underground minecart tunnel. When it used to be on the surface of the ocean - next to the bridge, the water to the far right froze up as the biome changed to the more snowy kind. So the only way out for the boats was the left side of the bridge, which was blocked off by the surface minecart tracks. (Blocks of wood over the ocean surface with rails.) For this reason, I demolished it and started digging under the bridge for part one of the underground tunnel - being underwater, part #2 being underground all the way to Mount DOOOOoooooom.

 When I last posted about this, I had 97% or done of Phase #1 (Underwater tunnel part) done; with just some finishing off to do. In the three months I didn't post I finished decorating either end of phase #1, the end of which being at the other side of the ocean by the church; and finally glassed over the rest of the roof so that both sides of the tunnel and roof are now completely surrounded by the water.

Yes, I need to get rid of that last little bit of dirt above!

 I'm not sure if I'll decorate the rest of the underground tunnel ( To Mount DOOOOoooooom.) in the same way - except red wool instead of green, it does take a lot of sand for the sandstone.

With  Mount DOOOOoooooom, I finally began the great conversion and started surrounding the place with a cobble wall. When I first found this mountain behind the one by the church is was a strange lumpy shape with two dirt spires on one of the tops and it reminded me of something out of Lord Of The Rings:

It also had chunk borders on some of it's sides, but nevertheless; I was inspired by it's shape to make it a tower. I got so far with it and done some building work and it remained like this for a very, very long time:

Which was fine, despite the dangerous stairs leading up you could just fall over the side, and the narrow single stairs inside. I always said though, that one of the very last projects I would do was this one. The plan was to make a big stone brick wall around it and turn every dirt block into stone as well. Well it has begun. The stone is now cobble though. Originally I was trying to keep the shape of the original mountain as much as possible but I have found this very impractical. Inside the front tower the ladders up have been replaced with stairs, which doesn't leave much room, and this is why I just need to build it as I wish now. 

You can tell in picture #1 that the structure of the main, front tower has changed to fit the stairs. This is but the base shape however, lacking details and decoration. I have a nice wall going around it and may extend into another "Chunk corner" unseen round the back. The stairs going up to the tower are now all double width with safety walls in between, but the biggest difference is at the top of those stairs. There's now a flat area where I leveled off a section both across and taken the walls of the mountain back.

Still a lot of work to do of course, but that's not all. I might make the church double height as well. Tried it on my creative copy of my world and liked it. I still have the barn (Former pub) to finish, get some more horses, mate them. Decorate the enchantment room and finish the kitchen in the dining room once and for all as well as the inside rooms of the apartment block!

Should I make this double height?

Time to move on up!

Podzol home 2014
So things have moved on quite a bit with my home in the Mega Taiga biome. The last time I posted it still had dirt walls and stone-brick interior corner walls and looked a little something like this:

At the moment the floor is currently the same but I have made a corridor from the entrance (Far right door above), making the back room much bigger. This room, once the bed and all the sheep are removed will be the main living room. So since then I have gone for a traditional look with the walls with snow walls - employing the help of a snow golem, and log borders  and timbers in the walls.

The first snow golem de-spawned (or melted?!) as the roof was still being done and the rain was getting in.  It was then a race to finish the ceiling so I bred more and more sheep in my future living room to get the job done and enclose the lower floor from the weather. I think I need to add some paintings on the wall, maybe some plant pots here and there. (I have some clay.) Have given the floor a bit of a border as well.

The only problem with the interior log borders is it that it shows above the exterior polished Andesite borders. So I've had to add an extra exterior wall around some walls to hide this. I have a feeling I might have to do this with the outside of the kitchen walls as well when I change them to something else - and it won't be snow.

Here is the new size living room:

The kitchen is looking a bit more kitchen like as well:

I need to get more Glowstone to eradicate torches, and as soon as the ceiling in the living room is done I can begin building upstairs so I can eventually move the bed out of the living room where it temporarily is.

So lots of work to do but things are certainly moving on!

Dawn Of The Third Age (Library)

Main world, survival.
Begun in 2010 in Alpha, I found a mountain with a hollow front and lava pouring down the front. Around the back a single block waterfall trickled out of the wall.. I decided it was a nice place to make a home! In 2012 after 2 years and developing my building style I began a mass re-generation scheme of my world, inside and outside. This is the story of my main world...

I know, I know! This isn't the part#4 update but there has been a development recently, one of a few, and I have been feverishly beginning yet another re-furb of the library in my main world!

It only started as adding a bit of a border around the basic oak plank floor, just to make it a bit more interesting. I went googling however and poured over pictures of "Modern libraries" as I was starting to go off the traditional wood walls/floor look. This isn't the first incarnation however. Since 2012, January 2012 to be specific, I've been trying to redecorate in a way that's appealing to me, and at least I finally think I've found a scheme I like.

Originally it wasn't even a library, it was an art gallery until I swapped the rooms around; and before that - it was just a boring looking cave that went back round on itself. After levelling out walls, ceilings and the like, and carving out areas where I would have stairs; I would have the basic shape for an art gallery. As cobblestone was the easiest resource to build with, I just went round retro-fitting all the walls with cobblestone:

Cobblestone and the then brown-ish poo colored oak floor.. (Painterly texture pack as it still is today.) In January 2012 I began experimenting with the room, in a bid to regenerate everything as my building style was changing. The original idea was a mixture of snow walls and coloured walls, this was long before the dyed and being able to dye; hardened clay however, so colored walls literally only meant one thing - wool. So on my creative copy of the world I got to work:

Then I changed the idea to brick, but it would need too much clay so I used the old idea and changed it a little to some brick walls, some colored walls:

After trying this in survival, it just didn't work for me and was left for a very long time unfinished. Sometime last year I picked it up again and decided to give it an old' world style look with a traditional oak floor and wooden walls - bottom half spruce planks and the top half jungle planks. Until the other day that's how it remained, all the walls were done I just had to finish the bookcases.

As I said, I got sick of the wood and started adding a border of dark oak planks to the edge of the floor to try and make it a bit more interesting. Then I went and did a massive search on Google for "Modern libraries" and decided on a whole new look! Naturally, I tried it on my creative copy of my world first where the biggest change was an extension, just of the reading corner, a new overhanging veranda and new stairs to the upstairs of said extension.

As you can see change is starting to happen! Wood walls are being replaced with a mixture of snow blocks and spruce logs, we have a new balcony and as well as the dark oak border the oak is being replaced with Acacia planks.

The site for the extension, with entrances 1) for the lower floor (by the reading corner) and on the landing around the corner. This area will be excavated out.

So yeah, a lot of work to do, getting rid of all those wood walls and excavating a brand new extension, should keep me busy!