Minecraft


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    Menu

    The login screen.

    Minecraft menu screen.

    An example of a biome.

    Upon starting the game, the user is greeted with a login screen. To play, the user has to input his or her login information: This includes a username, or if the user has signed up for a Mojang account, that user`s email as well as the user`s password. After logging in, the user is greeted with the Minecraft Launcher. The Minecraft Launcher allows for customizability and modifications in Minecraft. It also displays news about Minecraft updates and bug fixes. The launcher will lead the user to the main menu screen. The menu screen is composed of buttons, and text that allows for easy access to Minecraft`s features. The four menu features include:

    • Singleplayer: Allows the user to create custom worlds, and load previously created world.
    • Multiplayer: Allows the user to interact with other users via custom Minecraft servers, or interact using Minecraft`s built-in LAN feature (which allows single-player worlds to be played with other users via a local area network).
    • Minecraft Realms: Allows the user to play custom, miniature Minecraft servers, often created with the intention of playing a mini-game. An invitation is required from the owner.
    • Options: Allows the user to customize Minecraft`s in-game features.

    The player first spawns in the Overworld. The Overworld consists of Biomes, such as extreme hills, or the Ocean biome. The Overworld is intended to generally resemble the terrain of Earth`s Lithosphere. Although the Overworld often tends to be littered with impossible, gravity-defying natural structures.

    Upon Spawning, the player is free to explore the Overworld. However without equipment, such as a Sword, or sustenance such as Porkchops, the player is limited in how far they can trek.

    Gameplay

    From left to right: health bar, hunger bar on top of the health bar is an armor bar. below is the XP meter.

    The player has a hunger bar and a health bar. The hunger bar, if full, can slowly recharge the health bar, but not vice-versa. If either of the bars reaches zero, the player is at the risk of death, either from starvation, lack of health, or other instances of death. The hunger bar normally decreases slowly. However, activities such as sprinting or mining can lower the bar faster than usual. Usually, foods such as Porkchops and Steak can fill the hunger bar back to healthy levels and can be acquired by simply punching the animal to death.

    A player standing by his house with full iron equipment.

    But for long-term survival, the player is recommended to take or build a shelter. Building a shelter is a critical first part to exploring a world. Shelters are important, as they can protect the player from hostile mobs, and they can serve the same purpose as a home in real life. Most shelters take the form of houses such as to the right. Houses are favored often because of their simplicity as well as the short amount of time necessary to build them. The player usually starts mining after a house is made. Mining is a very important part of Minecraft hence the name.

    Game Modes

    There are five different Game modes in Minecraft:

    1. Survival - The player is required to gather food and other materials to survive.
    2. Creative - The player can place any type of block, has no health, and cannot die. The player also has the ability to fly.
    3. Spectator - The player is invisible and can move through blocks. The player can even choose to see the world through a mob`s eyes.
    4. Hardcore - The player has only one life and when he/she dies, the player can choose to spectate the world, or to delete the Minecraft world.
    5. Adventure - Gameplay has the same properties as Survival, but players can only mine blocks with proper Tools.

    Mining

    Mining is a key part of Minecraft`s gameplay. In fact, the name "Minecraft" is (obviously) derived from the words "mine" and "craft". Mining is important to experience the full extent of what Minecraft has to offer. Mining is also important for long-term survival, as you need metal ores to craft armor, better swords, and much more. However, the metal ore is only usually found underground. As most of Minecraft centers around the mining experience. Mining is necessary to acquire the resources needed to build portals that can access the Nether, a hellish world, and to fully explore the expanse of Minecraft. There are many ways to go about mining in Minecraft. Some ways are more common than others. Below listed are two strategies Minecraft players commonly use, please note these don`t cover all the tactics.

    Mining tactics

    Cave Mining: This is one of the most commonly used mining tactics used by players. Usually, cave mining is the easiest, as it requires minimal effort for the player, and entrances to caves are usually found all over the surface. Cave mining usually consists of picking blocks off the walls of the cave, coal, and iron are the most common ores, but if the cave goes deep enough, gold ore can be found. Cave mining is also slightly dangerous as the average sized cave has multiple openings and one cave might lead to other caves or ravines. Players can easily get lost in a labyrinth of caves and ravines. It is very easy to die and lose items forever without a way to find them. This can be avoided if the player sets landmarks.

    Strip Mining: Strip mining is often used to find valuable ores like diamonds, as it is easier than hollowing out an entire chunk. Strip mining, however, requires plenty of resources such as stone or iron to build pickaxes, and plenty of patience. Usually the player mines underground then when he or she reaches bedrock starts strip mining. The player usually mines in one straight line, stripping through the ground, hence the name strip mining. Usually, these lines are separated by a one block wall, though that`s not often the case. Strip mining is not recommended for mining common ores like coal or iron. It is recommended that for major strip mining operations to bring plenty of torches to serve the purpose of preventing hostile mobs from spawning, and to create a guide way in case the player is lost. It is also recommended that if the player is mining between the 0 and 16th layer that he or she bring a bucket of water, as oftentimes the player might run into a lake of lava. It`s good to bring a furnace and a crafting table, so the player can smelt items and craft new items without having to run back up to the surface in order to get them.

    Surface Mining: Typically only useful in Extreme Hills Biomes, where Coal and other ores are often exposed on the surface.

    Minecraft Releases

    01:20

    Minecraft Announcement Trailer - E3 2014

    PS4