Thanks to Kris_xK for the original OP.
Do you like lego? Would you like to play with it again? Then you need to Minecraft.
Minecraft is a game about squares.
In a world made of blocks, you (a rather blocky person yourself) must use your wits and common sense to build and carve a way to safety. This is a dangerous world, make no mistake – monsters appear from out of the dark, mountains themselves can roar at you, and an errant poke in the wrong direction could bury you alive under tons of soil.
But all is not lost. You’re a smart adventurer, after all. After tearing down some trees with your bare hands and building yourself a rudimentary shelter, you’ll begin to explore the mineral wealth of this new land – iron, coal, gold, and even stranger treasures await you deep in the cores of these mountains. The question is, can you work your way to the heart of the earth, plunder its riches, and return to tell the tale?
Developed by one-man creator Markus Persson (also known as Notch), Minecraft is a Java-based, sandbox-style adventure. It fits squarely among more difficult survival games such as Dwarf Fortress and NetHack, while keeping the simple charm of one’s younger building-block days. It is outwardly simple, internally complex, easy to play, and difficult to master. Perhaps best of all, despite being constructed of laughable square blocks, the game manages to deliver a wonderful atmosphere of fear, paranoia, determination, and reward all in one package.
Where do I play the game?
It's browser based, but there is an offline client you can download.
If you want to play survival, play using one of these links:
Browser |
Downloadable Client.
If you want to play creative, play using one of these links:
Browser Singleplayer |
Browser Multiplayer |
CPColin's Client |
WoM ClientNote: This game mode does not have most of the features that survival does. Notch has favored updating Survival instead. It doesn't have the cool lighting or half the blocks that survival does.
Is it free?
Yes and no. Right now Minecraft is in alpha, creative is free and survival is pay-only. It is highly recommended you buy it now, instead of when it goes into beta as the price will double. When you purchase the game, you get access to Survival and the ability to have a custom player skin.
Current Price:€9.95 | $13.00 | £8.00
Pre-Purchase HereVideos:
Includes How-To and Beginner videos!
Useful Shit:Programs & UtilitiesIsometric Live Map Preview - Use this for your survival worlds.
NBT Forge - A map editor for Survival.
OMEN - A map editor for Creative
Isocraft - A great isometric image generator. Only works with creative maps.
Cartograph - Creates a map of your survival world. It's quite buggy right now but gets the job done.
INVEdit - You can use this to edit your inventory in survival.
NBTEdit - You can use this to change almost anything about your save. Spawn point, health, etc.
Skin Edit - A tool you can use to edit your player skin.
Textures
Don't like the default graphics? Here are some of the popular ones.
SMP's Texture PackTahel's Texture PackCheap Shot's Texture PackBrown & Bloom Texture PackPainterly PackDokus' RPG Texture Pack
None of these interest you? Try browsing
this list. Someone on the minecraft forums compiled every texture pack into one megathread.
Want to see what the look like? Cog made a handy picture guide!
Attention New Players!
In case you're interested in changing your Texture Pack, but don't know what to go with?
I loaded a few of the Texture Packs from the OP and took screenshots of the same location on Zetx's server (which hopefully demonstrates some texture variety) using each one. (Tahel's Pack link didn't load, and I didn't know what to do with Cheap Shot's .png file)
Default Texture Pack:
SMP's Texture Pack:
Brown & Bloom's Texture Pack:
Painterly Pack:
All 4 Packs Side-by-Side Comparison:
Don't know how to install these? Read
this.Skins
[URL="url=
http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?p=54216"]Java Skin Editor[/URL]
Skinning Tutorial,
Supplementary Skin by VALVEjunkie
The Skin Index - Skin Listing
LinksThe Official Minecraft Site - Play the game here.
The Dev Blog - Notch's dev blog., Posts a lot of updates and info here.
Notch's Twitter - Can be read on his blog as well.
The Official Minecraft Forums - Just don't fucking do it. The community is fucking retarded. Already.
Minecraft Wiki - The official wiki for the game.
SA Minecraft Wiki - Another wiki, this one run by Something Awful Goons. Lots of in jokes and not as comprehensive.
World of Minecraft - The WoM Custom Client lets you hack and play offline in
Minecraft Classic.
The Skin Index - Skin Listing
STEAM GROUPClicky!Ask in Steam chat to be added.
I [EIN] AM NOT INVOLVED WITH THE STEAM GROUP. PLEASE DON'T BE ALL UP IN MY INBOX WITH REQUESTS TO BE ADDED TO IT.PUBLIC PA ServersDiannaochong.dyndns.orgUpdates and rules for this server can be found here.For others ask in Steam Group chatIF YOU HAVE A SERVER AND WANT IT TO BE ADDED TO THE LISTS, PM ME, I DONT GIVE A SHIT HOW MANY TIMES YOU POST IT.I Just bought this game and I have no idea what shit is going on!
Don't worry, avid Minecraft fans FIGURED OUT A WAY TO PUT VIDEOS AND PICTURES ON THE INTERNET
HOLY SHIT
BASICS
GRASS
REDSTONE
Posts
This server is set aside for Penny Arcade use. Accordingly, the IP to the server is private, so we don't get people trolling the forums, finding an IP, and coming in just to grief or blow shit up. You can PM me to get it, or for a more timely response you can obtain it from the Steam group.
Server Status:
PUBLIC MIRROR SERVER IP:
WORLDEXPO.DYNDNS.ORG
This is a server that is intended for visitors. It is a version of the main build server that is updated every 48 hours, or as I am able to do so. If you just want to explore our stuff, this is the place to do it.
CARTOGRAPHER RENDERS OF OUR MAP
And a full size isometric render:
http://www.fusedcreations.com/adam/colrap_render_020.jpg
AVAILABLE USER COMMANDS:
/warp <destination>: This was implemented because there is a lot of stuff built all over the place, and the number one question people would always ask is "Where is _____?", usually followed by "I'm lost ".
The current destination options are: HOME, RAPTURE, COLUMBIA, DOME, EMBER, LAVALAND, DESERT, ARCTIC. The Dome is located within Rapture; first-time visitors are encouraged to use the Rapture point to enter via the lighthouse for the full effect.
/sethome: Similar to how warp functions, it allows you to set your own personal waypoint that you can reach by typing /home. You will land within 2-3 blocks of where you are when you set the point.
/kit: Simple item kits that will furnish you with a variety of things. Because I believe that you should have to work to acquire basic items, the only kit that is widely available right now is /kit tools, which will provide you with a shovel, mining pick, axe, and a stack of torches.
/playerlist: Allows you to see a list of all of the players who are currently online.
/compass: Shows you your current heading (as of when you typed the command).
/motd: Will simply repeat the Message of the Day in the chat log for you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: How do I type?
A: Push T to open the text input line.
Q: Where is it alright for me to mine/build?
A: The default spawn, and location of /warp home, is FREEBUILD ISLAND. Hopefully you can infer from the name that it is totally fine to put what you want there, as long as you don't interfere with or destroy someone else's construction. To the EAST of that, at /warp ember, is EMBER, our MINING SITE. Dig away here, so that we preserve the beauty of our other locations! Do not build in the area above Rapture and not in the valley below Columbia. This is so that Rapture remains mostly unobstructed for awesome views, and so that keeps it's iconic fields below.
Q: How far out can I go?
A: Look at the map above. Around it, we've placed a border that is nothing but a sheer drop straight down onto bedrock. You will know when you see it - it's pretty much a straight drop down about 60 blocks on most parts of the map, has bedrock at the bottom, and is a sheer line carved through the terrain all the way up. DO NOT CROSS THIS LINE. If you do, you cause the server to start generating more random terrain, which lags us and increases filesizes, both of which are bad things. Warnings or bans will be distributed to those who are found crossing/building across the line.
Q: Can I add to Columbia / Rapture?
A: Definitely! See below for general style guides as to how we build our stuff, so yours is cohesive. Also, try to be sensible about where you start building - we usually have areas set aside for new expansion, particularly on Columbia. Alternatively, there is a jobs board in both Rapture and Columbia where people who are working on things can put posts up for help or assistance in whatever they are constructing.
Q: Why are some people's names colored?
A: This has to do with their user rank. Red is Administrator; Blue is Moderator. Mods are able to help you with any problem you might be having!
Q: Who are the current mods?
A: d4gjerick, tinywindturbines, cilantr0, mouserecoil, sinter, rockfish, xzar89
Q: Can I have <item>?
A: In general, my policy is not to spawn items that are readily available. Rapture and Columbia are being built entirely by hand, and I don't want to ruin how special that is. I will make exceptions for certain things - for example, I have no problem spawning lava or water sources for people, because they tend to be incorporated into awesome visual things. However, if you just want a stack of glass for that neat thing you're building in Rapture... get a shovel, and start hauling some sand.
Q: It lags really badly every now and then!
A: That's not a question. But, I have a backup script running taking images of the server's state every 30 minutes. When it does that, it tends to lag. This takes about 1 minute. After that, everything resumes as normal! Trust me, you'll be glad we have them if we ever need them.
Q: What do I do if I really want to set fire to things, or flood things?
A: Go to another server! I have full logs now, and I can backtrack to see who is starting fires all willy-nilly. I also have no compunction about banning people who grief.
SO WHY ARE YOU GUYS SO AWESOME?
Columbia is our flying steampunk victorian city! It is based on the game Bioshock: Infinite BIOSHOCK INFINITE, which is not out yet. However, the trailers for the game have impressed us, and given us a great sense for what might be fun to build in a flying city.
/Warp columbia will take you to the zeppelin flying overhead, from which you can make a rapid descent into the receiving pool.
Columbia is a city built upon a series of connected, independently flying platforms. On the underside of most platforms you will find turbines, suspended in rings by fenceposts. From the underneath and sides you will usually find balloons being used to help 'support' the 'weight'.
The visual style for a lot of the buildings we've picked out is basic cobblestone with half-steps being used as trim:
We use greenery around the trims to simulate ivy and generally look nice. You can do this by growing a tree in the spot you want the stuff to be in, and chopping the trunk down from underneath until you have a floating log and leaves. Then add the half-blocks, etc. in a frame around it. Leaves have to be proximate to a log in order to prevent them from despawning! Alternatively, a moderator should be able to help you set this up. Cilantr0 has been decorating most of our buildings in the american flag motif, which is appropriate for the city, so I'd say let him continue to do that.
Helpful reference material for those building Columbia:
Ultimately, we don't want to limit your creativity. The problem we ran into with Rapture, though, is that by allowing everyone to build whatever they want, wherever they want, the place rapidly turns into a maze. To that end, we're collectively trying to approach Columbia in a bit more of an orderly fashion. Try and build buildings with a purpose - i.e., restaurants, bars, residences, etc.
Rapture is our kickass underwater city, based on Bioshock 1 and 2 BIOSHOCK 1 and 2. We're not trying to duplicate the city from the game - we're putting our own spin on things as we go. You can reach it with /warp rapture, which will take you to the Lighthouse, our surface entrance to the city.
This picture's slightly outdated. Not pictured:
The Lighthouse, where the Bathysphere to Rapture is located.
The Atlantic Bar & Lounge, located beneath Neptune's Bounty and Olympus Heights
Rapture Main Warehouse, located just North of the dome.
No doubt some stuff I'm forgetting. Whatever!
Rapture's very much an organic process. We just started building, and it sort've grew and grew and suddenly turned into quite a little maze. What you need to know is that The Dome is the heart of things, and you can reach it with /warp dome. First-time visitors are not recommended to use this - come in through the lighthouse.
On the floor of the dome, you'll find compass directions inset with obsidian. These are how we usually navigate - so when someone says "North of the Dome", you'll know what the hell they're talking about.
Generally speaking, North of the Dome is the "Rapture Main", i.e. what we built when we first started down there. It's a collection of a lot of little structures, and includes the entrance from the Bathysphere ride from the lighthouse. Pretty much anything goes up here, as long as you're not ruining someone else's structure.
West of the Dome is the residential towers. These are being built so that players will be able to branch off and set up their own little apartment and living space. I'm hoping that you guys will take the initiative to try and turn these branches into actual cohesive buildings, and not just little personal pseudopod bubbles.
South of the Dome is Hephaestus, where we do all of our smelting. There are lava furnaces down there. I believe Hades Hams is also being added down there, as an automated pork-slaughtering facility. Generally, this is our industrial wing.
East of the Dome is our Submarine bay, and a long glass walkway that people have just started building things off of. This is also mostly fair game, as long as you don't block the submarine exits!
As a general building style guide, we use a lot of glass and cobblestone down in Rapture. We try to put cobblestone in the corners and frames of things that we're building, so that glass structures look like they have some sort of support. Spend a minute walking around down there and you'll very quickly catch on to the style!
Underwater building's a little tedious, but also way easier than most people make it out to be. The basic method is simply to build the framework of the building underwater, then wall it up - ceiling, walls, floors. Then you have to fill the interior and dig it back out again to displace water. The easiest materials to do this with are typically sand or gravel, since they 'fall' due to gravity and can quickly fill a space. You can also do the torch trick (where you knock out the bottom block of a column of sand or gravel, and then very quickly deploy a torch in the space where it was) to make all of the above blocks fall on the torch and deconstruct themselves.
The map is littered with cool shit (and the occasional superdong) people just up and built out in the middle of nowhere. Like, I can't even tell you, so pictures are in order.
Because I'm going to start referring to it as Minecrack.
Fuck yeah.
After I completed the glass dome roof, I peeled away the dirt covering the glass floor, and knocked away the torches surrounding the cage, I waited. And waited. Then I realized that monsters wouldn't spawn in direct sunlight. So all previously scheduled zombie combustion has been moved to sunrise.
I've got a number of mega trees all over the place inside walls and no mobs have ever spawned there, so I don't think so.
Unfortunately, nothing quite as amazing as most of the stuff you guys have made, but I'm pretty proud of it and it's fun to wander around in.
warning: reasonably sized photos behind spoiler
before
after
the way up
from the opposite cliff
the horrible...terrible....awful...LIBRARY
...which houses the cozy little...
view from the roof
....and...a boosted mine cart track that cuts all the way through a huge mountain (and then some!)
And that's pretty much everything worth showing. I have lots of cool caves and mines, but that's all pretty standard stuff as far as Minecraft goes. I'm trying to accumulate enough to gold to make an absurd gold statue of something. I've got almost two full stacks, but I'm gonna need way more for anything significant.
Best mod ever? At least until Notch puts a map of his own in the game.
Also spoilered for huge. My current project in progress. Going to have some sort of building/fort/thing on the platform I have created. The entrance is a ladder in the middle of the room. There will be trees planted on and around this structure.
Those who ask for water/lava tiles.
And manly pioneers who choose their homes based upon available resources and force nature to provide what they need.
Behold, Rapture!
The Arctic
The mining colony - Ember.
The Bleak, where only fools dare to tread.
Columbia, City in the Sky.
Capitol Hill
More to come, if MC.net goes back up before I hit the sack.
EDIT: Keep in mind that Rapture is completely underwater. It's hard to tell at night. I'll get some day shots tomorrow. As well as some of the awesome shit on Freebuild Island.
EDIT: I almost forgot!!!!! Poultry_Geist's awesome orca:
Steam // Secret Satan
Literally.
STEAM
PSN: Dyvion -- Eternal: Dyvion+9393 -- Genshin Impact: Dyvion
/warp whale will take you to another view in-game, at the mo you spawn under the platform but if you swim up you can get a good view (hopefully Ein can fix the warp whenever he gets up)
Also, looking at those isometric shots that are now in the OP I have so much exploring to do! There's some awesome stuff on that server!
You are crazy!
Who in the world would be so sad that he would d....
Oh wait, is that my name in the video?
The creepers probably won't be as fun.
EDIT: But they may cause leaks everywhere, also like Rapture.
I'd say they look in their element there, grass, fencing etc.
The main thing I'd worry about is HOLYSHITLAVA
EDIT: HOLYSHITITAKEITBACKIJUSTSHATBRICKS
Ein, I pity you and your inbox. hahaha sucker.
/uninstall minecraft
STEAM
how?
https://dust514.com/recruit/kUfWrW/
FUCK you, and I want my 28 diamonds, 128 clay and 58 redstone back.
Edit: Let's not forget the three stacks of 64 iron.
Edit Edit: You know what screw you I'll just take my share from your ugly ass gun.
STEAM
What the hell is wrong with you?
STEAM
Oh shit, that was yours? I'm really really sorry! I put the stuff inside the chests in there and in the other storage room. Please take anything you need. I'm super totally sorry! I thought it was a joke room. I'll help you build another if you want
ugh... no it's fine, thanks for not doing it on purpose at least... I'm glad my idea I had of you hasn't been tarnished.
...uhh I uh broke one of the chests in there in anger, you might want to go grab it before it vanishes if it hasn't already... I'm sorry too for blowing up right away instead of asking you first.
STEAM
Yeah, no problem. Feel free to take any of the iron from the guns. I need to take them apart anyway.
I was actually going to try and remake the room under another field when I got the chance. I thought it was funny.
Slowly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn2-d5a3r94
Is that on Ein's server? If so we don't have to worry about rails once carts work.
Can I build something in desert?
I've sketched up some rough ideas for a classy cinema on Columbia. Would that fit the theme OK? I'm thinking a big 9 x 20 screen, maybe made of wool (is that the whitest material there is?), tiered step-seating, projection room, box office, maybe a couple of balconies. Should be able to make some good use of decoration and lighting too. What do you think?
Also I might make big model sheep and live inside of its ass.
I like the cinema idea. Check in with Ein or Cil and they can help find a location. Snow is probably the whitest, but it melts so wool should work.