Notch Puts Minecraft Quests, Statistics in Motion

[CK76]

I finally broke down and decided to buy the game. The Minecraft site won't let me, a dozen attempts and error messages keep it away. Come on Notch, please take my money.

 

[Squilookle]

Statistics look like a good addition- but achievements that interrupt the flow of play used to be something I played Minecraft to get away from.

 

[Bobbity]

Flash floods in deserts, flash floods in deserts. Oh pretty pretty please.

 

[Awexsome]

It sounds like the achievements are bringing a kind of implied mini-tutorial to the game too.

Unfortunately I have no idea if my computer can handle the game and I'm not gonna spend money on a risk to find out.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Minecraft needs the following things, pronto:
* Special resources in different parts of the world - not just in different biomes, but several (in-game) days' walk away from each other. Special stones (Ruby? Emerald?), different kinds of plants, rare materials of all kinds.
This will accomplish two things primarily: First, it gives exploration a real purpose besides "see scenery." Several versions ago, I used to go on treks to find cactus (back before there were entire biomes of the stuff), reeds, and flowers. It was a great change of pace from building and fighting, and it needs to come back.
Second, different resources will give multiplayer a new dimension. Imagine if everyone started in different areas of the world and could trade their unique resources back and forth to other communities.
* Survival mode - let the player need to eat, sleep, and keep cool. Let the various attributes kick in after a few days' time - say, on day three you feel hungry for the first time, and on day four heating becomes an issue. Suddenly, the game gets an added layer of complexity, making for a much more involving experience.
* Better dungeons. The current dungeons are a nice start, but there's so much more to do with them. Persistent monsters, chains of rooms, traps... dungeon raids could be so much fun with a little effort.

That said, I love the idea of this achievement system - it's a perfect tutorial for the game, at least if it stops after a while. If it keeps going with various and sundry recorded "discoveries," though... not so good.

*Special resources: Not bad. I really like that idea. Granted, if it's special stones, there should be some above-ground indicator that they are in that area (like how people used to think pumpkins grew above dungeons) because I really only like having one main mine, but that can be hammered out somehow. I especially like the implications for MP.
*Survival mode: ehh...doesn't really appeal to me, I hated that aspect of New Vegas. That said, the solution New Vegas made could be the solution to this: make hunger and such optional.
*Better dungeons: Agreed, for the most part. I really would like dungeons to be bigger things with better loot, as well as more common, but that could easily go too far.

I wish the rain lasted for longer... Oh well, that should be a simple mod at least.

The frequency was upped for demonstrational purposes in the video.

Survival mode is a known quantity - Notch has said it'll be there eventually (albeit optional); I was just enumerating the details of how it would be done (if I were the rich guy making the game, of course).

To be exact, there will be hunger and a food meter. Sleep is, as far as I know, not planned to be optional, and might be the worst idea I had up there - it would probably take away from other aspects of the game, namely nighttime combat or construction. Heat/cold, in my mind, would be for the purposes of making different biomes interesting - for example, to communicate some of the challenges of surviving in a tundra environment, or in the desert - and could be hooked into the food and health meters. Say, being in the heat causes your health to degenerate unless you get into the shade/drink something/swim every now and again; while being in the cold causes you to use food twice as fast. Just anything to make the biome you're in matter for more than just scenery.

I see. I really hope he makes some kind of difficulty like that for EVERY biome, not just the extreme ones. I like building in the Tundra, but I'm the sort of guy who won't if its slightly more difficult. Yes, I'm fickle. Besides, building in the forest biome (or the very similar biomes) is what happens, like, 90% of the time, Notch shouldn't be ensuring it's even more frequent.

Unfortunately achievements aren't quite as good as quests.

That would be really cool if lightning could start fires (it struck sand, not something flammable). There would finally be a good reason to build with stone over wood.

Besides cobblestone being fugly, of course. That said, I allways build with stone now, after my last wood house burned down. Granted, that only happened because I made a Netherrack moat and an animal stepped through, then went to my house, but still.

It sounds like the achievements are bringing a kind of implied mini-tutorial to the game too.

Unfortunately I have no idea if my computer can handle the game and I'm not gonna spend money on a risk to find out.

I'd be surprised if it couldn't. The system requirements are not very steep. Here's an example: my computer is over 10 years old and can run New Vegas on pretty much the lowest settings. Minecraft runs fine for me, albeit with the occasional crash, though I gather that's more the game and less my system.

 

[Funkysandwich]

It sounds like the achievements are bringing a kind of implied mini-tutorial to the game too.

Unfortunately I have no idea if my computer can handle the game and I'm not gonna spend money on a risk to find out.

Post your specs and someone will tell you. Minecraft can run on most computers though, it's not terribly demanding.

 

[Tdc2182]

I was kinda hoping more for a story mode than anything. At least a reason why you're there and a final thing of sorts.

Also, I hope he tries for those underground mob cites we've been hearing about. Tie that into the story somehow. Make a letter in one of the cities that tells you where your next destination is

 

[Jamous]

Welp, I'm going off to see what I can do with my own stuff. TO THE JAMOUS-CAVE.

 

[fgdfgdgd]

Notch has earned an achievement:
"They said it was Impossible"- Made Minecraft even better!

They said it was impossible: Get rich off of a beta.

 

[Critterbot]

Neat!!

That cow was all like "OMG Notch!?"

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

SOME FUCKING GOALS!

Now I can get this game...

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

SOME FUCKING GOALS!

Now I can get this game...

Why am I not surprised?

OT: They should hire more people, I believe. Did you see what modders do to that game?!

However, this update is teh cool and awesome.

 

[Life_Is_A_Mess]

Love it. This game is probably the best I ever played in all my life. It's like a constantly upgrading piece of cocain!!!

Notch if you read this, please attend to the following:
- Thunder;
- Better transition from rain to snow;
- Snowy regions, needz moar cold;
- Wai you no care about oceans? :O (bigger and deeper, underwater plants and fish)

 

[Crono Maniac]

I've never really been a fan of achievements, but I have seen them implemented well, so we'll see I guess.

 

[Arizona Kyle]

Notch has earned an achievement:
"They said it was Impossible"- Made Minecraft even better!

HankMan has earned an achievement
"Over the Limits"-You have enjoyed the game past the limits of enjoyment

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Has he implemented world-gen options yet, besides that stupid seed system?

 

[Arizona Kyle]

Neat!!

That cow was all like "OMG Notch!?"

agreed this is neat

 

[RadiusXd]

Minecraft can run on most computers though, it's not terribly demanding.

No, it really isn't.

I was getting well over 400 FPS before one of the fine players on the server I play on came out with a 128x pack with shader mods and what not.
makes things look pretty but packs a punch, and like that my FPS went to 30-70. (although I suppose I do have the AA set to 16x, which might be sorta unnecessary.)

 

[UkuleleSlayer]

I hope we get a console port one day.