I discovered the game back in January after I hurt my back at work and was off work for a month. I had "seen" a bit about it before that but it looked stupid and being the guy who spends $500 on a new video card every 2 years, I laughed at how horrible it looked.
Still, I took a chance and tried it.
300 or 400 hours later, I have really enjoyed the game and have played it on and off this year as our Vault Network server gets reset.
The magic in this game is the creation element, which is why you want to play it on a live server with 10-20 other people. Obviously, when you create things, you want people to see those things and that is where the game shines, because other people will see your creations and you will see other people's creations and you may even team up to make villages or roads connecting things or whatever.
For anybody who is trying it, I suggest downloading Misa's Texture Pack. It really upgrades the graphics to an almost perfect balance between graphics/performance and it really makes the game a lot better as well.
However the most important thing for playing Minecraft is to find a server with a bunch of other people and play with them.
I have to check out Misa. I tried Minecraft and I realized it wasn't for me. I find pleasure in FPSs like Counter Strike Source and Battlefield:Bad Company 2. I can understand the World of Warcraft phenomenon (even though I haven't played it since beta and its release), but when I tried Minecraft some time ago I was more like "what's the point?"
I'm sure the game is probably great if you take the time to understand it, but as I've gotten older I just don't understand the point of it and no longer have the time to understand other people's fascination with it. I don't want to knock it because I'm sure my younger self would find the time during the summer, but I guess there isn't enough gratification for time invested, for me.
I hope one day I can appreciate it as much as everyone else seems to.
"I was more like "what's the point?" What's the point of playing with Lego or making a painting? Minecraft doesn't have a point, except provide a venue by which people can express themselves, create their environment, reenact things etc. That isn't for everybody and I played it a lot at first but haven't found the time in recent months. For me, unless I can play for more than a few hours, the fun doesn't kick in. It isn't a game I can play for 45 minutes once a week. :-) But best 10$ (or was it 15$?) I ever spent.
Yeah, I guess I like a win/lose type of game play, especially live against real opponents, which is a nice part of Minecraft; but you're right, it did remind me of legos. While the texture packs seem to be an improvement, they still seem lacking as if they were meant for a machine that was built 15 years ago. I guess to me it seems more of a hobby than a game.
I think I'd like it better if there were leagues with goals/objectives that you could compete once a week for. I understand it's not just about building, like legos, that there are patterns and summonings (?) involved to unlock portions, I guess I just don't have the time - perhaps in the future :)
I also use Misa's Texture Pack. She does a great job on it. I have been a player since InDev, but didn't play it heavily until Alpha. Simply because the game was so incomplete early on, there wasn't much to do.
There are also some other mods (like water shader) that make the game look amazing. You just need a decent graphics card to push it.
If you want to see some tutorials, or what the texture/water shader mods look like, go to youtube and Search for Stuka87s I have plenty of videos up.
I think you're being a bit generous with "last month's feature freeze" since the boss was only added in 1.0.0 RC2 last monday (IIRC). Personally, I think that the game as a concept is excellent. It might not have been the first one to do any particular aspect but it brought all the pieces together in an exciting and fun to play manner. However, the execution of the game leaves a bit to be desired. It seems like most of the things that notch shoehorned into the game since the Halloween update last year that gave us the Nether are either mods that he bought out (the new map format) or his own 3/4-assed implementation of popular mods (pistons, enchanting, towns, Testificate, new lighting engine). /rant
Enzo, I hope you get a chance to try out the LB Photo HD x256 w/ his GLSL shaders once the mods get updated. It takes a toll on your fps (~500 to ~25 on a GTX260 @1920x1200) but it looked beautiful. Hopefully the water reflection shader will be compatible as well. :D
I only regret waiting as long as I did (july of this year) to get the game. I disregarded it at 1st, until I watched a couple videos, and now, along with Terraria, it's one of my favorite games.
I like the basic, vanilla look of the game, but there's no doubt that the texture packs and shader packs add a whole new level of scope and beauty to the game. Combined with the plugins, these randomly generated worlds often look more incredible than the artisticly-designed environments of most RPGs I've played.
I've seen those packs before, and I always find them... ugly haha.
I just think it's bad design. It packs in more detail, simply for the sake of it. Not great detail either. As the name suggests, it looks like photos, which should hardly be such a direct source in graphics design. Where is the polish and interpretation? Where is the artistic exercise? This isn't CoD where you could just bump up some mundane detail and have people go crazy over it =P.
It was very much an accidental success - the guy was able to quit his day job and start a company because of the game, but it's definitely not what he set out to do.
It's a great story, and one that shows the benefits of the PC as opposed to consoles (with Microsoft and/or Sony looking over your shoulder) or iOS (with Apple taking a 30% cut). Indie developers definitely have seen success on those platforms, but rarely to this degree.
I tried but failed to get into this game. It just didn't grab me. However, I am glad that games like this exist. The creativity behind it is great to see. Hopefully more people will take bold steps and put out quirky games like this.
I have heard of Minecraft by a colleague at work. He said that it's a very addictive game. But didn't talk too much about it. Your review gives a nice introduction. Thanks.
I really got into this game a couple of months ago. It's very satisfying to build stuff in SP Survival mode where you have to hunt for resources. In Beta 1.8 and up, there are some insanely huge cave systems that you can explore. Unfortunately, you always seem to eventually hit the "What now?" stage. I built up three large bases, connected them with enclosed powered rails, built some redstone devices etc., but eventually I just didn't find a reason to carry on.
It really is a game that sparks your imagination, though. For example, try searching Youtube for "shadow of israphel" to see what you can really do with this game and your imagination.
I remember buying this game when it was in Alpha for 10 bucks. It is a very fun game but playing on your own it gets boring real quick. I actually find it more enjoyable to watch other ppl play it vs playing it myself. Some examples are
PaulsoaresJr - More raw "lets play". Man Vs. Minecraft, Minecraft Dad, Minecraft Survival BlueXephos/Yogcast - Heavily scripted. Shadow of Israphel
Unless your playing on a server with other people adventuring it can get boring really quick. Just my opinion.
P.S. And no, I didn't get paid to advertise for PaulsoaresJr and Yogcast.
But in February this year I thought "why not?" because I was bored with work, and bought it for $20. Version 1.5 that was, I think.
Since then I have spent what must have been hundreds of hours in the damn game, and it's also on my phone too.
I've tried some of the 16x16 texture packs (rather than the HD texture packs), and like quite a few of them. Cheerful ones like GoodMorningCraft, or CoterieCraft, or an RPG one like Leostereo's RPG,
Thanks for writing this. I haven't gotten the game yet and was wondering what the different game modes were.
Based on your description and people's comments, the building mode of this game is a hobby in and of itself. I love games in general, but never got into building-types games like The Sims, Simcity, Rollercoaster Tycoon, etc... Will definitely try this one day, but by the looks of it I'll have to take time off work in order to fully enjoy it.
Why you not tell thet minecraft have full customization not only a world around you, but a player too. All minecraft players use skins. More informations about this here https://skins4minecraft.com/ , and skin too
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
21 Comments
Back to Article
Mithan - Monday, November 21, 2011 - link
I discovered the game back in January after I hurt my back at work and was off work for a month. I had "seen" a bit about it before that but it looked stupid and being the guy who spends $500 on a new video card every 2 years, I laughed at how horrible it looked.Still, I took a chance and tried it.
300 or 400 hours later, I have really enjoyed the game and have played it on and off this year as our Vault Network server gets reset.
The magic in this game is the creation element, which is why you want to play it on a live server with 10-20 other people. Obviously, when you create things, you want people to see those things and that is where the game shines, because other people will see your creations and you will see other people's creations and you may even team up to make villages or roads connecting things or whatever.
For anybody who is trying it, I suggest downloading Misa's Texture Pack. It really upgrades the graphics to an almost perfect balance between graphics/performance and it really makes the game a lot better as well.
However the most important thing for playing Minecraft is to find a server with a bunch of other people and play with them.
vol7ron - Monday, November 21, 2011 - link
I have to check out Misa. I tried Minecraft and I realized it wasn't for me. I find pleasure in FPSs like Counter Strike Source and Battlefield:Bad Company 2. I can understand the World of Warcraft phenomenon (even though I haven't played it since beta and its release), but when I tried Minecraft some time ago I was more like "what's the point?"I'm sure the game is probably great if you take the time to understand it, but as I've gotten older I just don't understand the point of it and no longer have the time to understand other people's fascination with it. I don't want to knock it because I'm sure my younger self would find the time during the summer, but I guess there isn't enough gratification for time invested, for me.
I hope one day I can appreciate it as much as everyone else seems to.
Death666Angel - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
"I was more like "what's the point?"What's the point of playing with Lego or making a painting? Minecraft doesn't have a point, except provide a venue by which people can express themselves, create their environment, reenact things etc.
That isn't for everybody and I played it a lot at first but haven't found the time in recent months. For me, unless I can play for more than a few hours, the fun doesn't kick in. It isn't a game I can play for 45 minutes once a week. :-) But best 10$ (or was it 15$?) I ever spent.
vol7ron - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
Yeah, I guess I like a win/lose type of game play, especially live against real opponents, which is a nice part of Minecraft; but you're right, it did remind me of legos. While the texture packs seem to be an improvement, they still seem lacking as if they were meant for a machine that was built 15 years ago. I guess to me it seems more of a hobby than a game.I think I'd like it better if there were leagues with goals/objectives that you could compete once a week for. I understand it's not just about building, like legos, that there are patterns and summonings (?) involved to unlock portions, I guess I just don't have the time - perhaps in the future :)
Stuka87 - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
I also use Misa's Texture Pack. She does a great job on it. I have been a player since InDev, but didn't play it heavily until Alpha. Simply because the game was so incomplete early on, there wasn't much to do.There are also some other mods (like water shader) that make the game look amazing. You just need a decent graphics card to push it.
If you want to see some tutorials, or what the texture/water shader mods look like, go to youtube and Search for Stuka87s I have plenty of videos up.
EnzoFX - Monday, November 21, 2011 - link
Jolicraft.Though I can admit there is something to be had from higher res packs, though I've yet to find one who's quality matches that of Jolicraft.
QChronoD - Monday, November 21, 2011 - link
I think you're being a bit generous with "last month's feature freeze" since the boss was only added in 1.0.0 RC2 last monday (IIRC).Personally, I think that the game as a concept is excellent. It might not have been the first one to do any particular aspect but it brought all the pieces together in an exciting and fun to play manner. However, the execution of the game leaves a bit to be desired. It seems like most of the things that notch shoehorned into the game since the Halloween update last year that gave us the Nether are either mods that he bought out (the new map format) or his own 3/4-assed implementation of popular mods (pistons, enchanting, towns, Testificate, new lighting engine). /rant
Enzo, I hope you get a chance to try out the LB Photo HD x256 w/ his GLSL shaders once the mods get updated. It takes a toll on your fps (~500 to ~25 on a GTX260 @1920x1200) but it looked beautiful. Hopefully the water reflection shader will be compatible as well. :D
Darkerson - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
I only regret waiting as long as I did (july of this year) to get the game. I disregarded it at 1st, until I watched a couple videos, and now, along with Terraria, it's one of my favorite games.therealnickdanger - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
"LB Photo HD x256"+1
I like the basic, vanilla look of the game, but there's no doubt that the texture packs and shader packs add a whole new level of scope and beauty to the game. Combined with the plugins, these randomly generated worlds often look more incredible than the artisticly-designed environments of most RPGs I've played.
EnzoFX - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
I've seen those packs before, and I always find them... ugly haha.I just think it's bad design. It packs in more detail, simply for the sake of it. Not great detail either. As the name suggests, it looks like photos, which should hardly be such a direct source in graphics design. Where is the polish and interpretation? Where is the artistic exercise? This isn't CoD where you could just bump up some mundane detail and have people go crazy over it =P.
Griswold - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
4 million copies sold of a beta, no documentation provided whatsoever, the fanbase does alot of (volunteer) work for it.This game must really rock, for all of this to happen!
Andrew.a.cunningham - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
It was very much an accidental success - the guy was able to quit his day job and start a company because of the game, but it's definitely not what he set out to do.It's a great story, and one that shows the benefits of the PC as opposed to consoles (with Microsoft and/or Sony looking over your shoulder) or iOS (with Apple taking a 30% cut). Indie developers definitely have seen success on those platforms, but rarely to this degree.
burntham77 - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
I tried but failed to get into this game. It just didn't grab me. However, I am glad that games like this exist. The creativity behind it is great to see. Hopefully more people will take bold steps and put out quirky games like this.Peroxyde - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
I have heard of Minecraft by a colleague at work. He said that it's a very addictive game. But didn't talk too much about it. Your review gives a nice introduction. Thanks.JimmiG - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
I really got into this game a couple of months ago. It's very satisfying to build stuff in SP Survival mode where you have to hunt for resources. In Beta 1.8 and up, there are some insanely huge cave systems that you can explore. Unfortunately, you always seem to eventually hit the "What now?" stage. I built up three large bases, connected them with enclosed powered rails, built some redstone devices etc., but eventually I just didn't find a reason to carry on.It really is a game that sparks your imagination, though. For example, try searching Youtube for "shadow of israphel" to see what you can really do with this game and your imagination.
Glibous - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
I remember buying this game when it was in Alpha for 10 bucks. It is a very fun game but playing on your own it gets boring real quick. I actually find it more enjoyable to watch other ppl play it vs playing it myself. Some examples arePaulsoaresJr - More raw "lets play". Man Vs. Minecraft, Minecraft Dad, Minecraft Survival
BlueXephos/Yogcast - Heavily scripted. Shadow of Israphel
Unless your playing on a server with other people adventuring it can get boring really quick. Just my opinion.
P.S. And no, I didn't get paid to advertise for PaulsoaresJr and Yogcast.
psychobriggsy - Thursday, November 24, 2011 - link
At first I dismissed Minecraft, like many others.But in February this year I thought "why not?" because I was bored with work, and bought it for $20. Version 1.5 that was, I think.
Since then I have spent what must have been hundreds of hours in the damn game, and it's also on my phone too.
I've tried some of the 16x16 texture packs (rather than the HD texture packs), and like quite a few of them. Cheerful ones like GoodMorningCraft, or CoterieCraft, or an RPG one like Leostereo's RPG,
frank thomas - Friday, November 25, 2011 - link
this game wont let me play my friend has it but i dont no if u like downloaded it or something like thatIKeelU - Tuesday, November 29, 2011 - link
Thanks for writing this. I haven't gotten the game yet and was wondering what the different game modes were.Based on your description and people's comments, the building mode of this game is a hobby in and of itself. I love games in general, but never got into building-types games like The Sims, Simcity, Rollercoaster Tycoon, etc... Will definitely try this one day, but by the looks of it I'll have to take time off work in order to fully enjoy it.
re4397 - Thursday, December 1, 2011 - link
IP: 66.85.148.218:25691nome: Rabbit
www.rabbitsv.tk
Servidor brasileiro de minecraft, PVP ON. Só entra conta original do minecraft. Versão 1.0
Zohan - Friday, April 20, 2018 - link
Why you not tell thet minecraft have full customization not only a world around you, but a player too. All minecraft players use skins. More informations about this here https://skins4minecraft.com/ , and skin too