So as you may or may not know, the next version of minecraft, 1.2, is underway. Normally this wouldn't seem like such a big deal, but everything now points to this being an update of epic proportions. A new mob called the ocelot (convertible into a cat) will be added, along with better AI for all mobs, a new biome, blah blah blah. So what, you ask? Well, aside from all that, the whole terrain file system is getting redone. What does this mean for you? Well, for one, it means the roof of the world will now be slightly higher. Just a little bit..



That's on farthest render distance in singleplayer, btw



The lower tick mark on that pillar denotes the old build cap. Yeah, these trees almost reach it. I still find it hard to wrap my head around all this extra height space.

As you might guess, something as rare and immense as raising the world's height cap probably indicates Mojang means business this time. Now, this leaves a lot of questions open: Is the underground going to be elevated as well so that the sea level is 128 (currently sea level is still 64), or is all of this extra space gonna go for above-ground epicness? Cave generation is turned off in the latest snapshot, which might mean they are editing it.. Are mountains now going to generate as more than little dirt mounds and actually look like mountains? And what about the nether, with it's dual-bedrock boundaries, is its generator also getting re-tuned? We will probably find out pretty soon.

Another thing that has me worried, however, is what Minetown plans to do. A terrain generator change is one thing, but a total file system and dimensionality overhaul is a massive change.. Will incompatibility reach the tipping point and necessitate a total server wipe? Use this thread to discuss your thoughts on the new upcoming update as well as new developments as we get future snapshots

Wow, you should be a columnist or something, haha. Excellent writing. I love it, and I can't wait for 1.2 /<object class="emojione" data="https://resources.enjin.com/1489581540/themes/core/images/emojione/svg/1f642.svg?0" type="image/svg+xml" standby=":)">:)</object>

The world wouldn't be updated, sure, but the files would. Even then, unexplored parts of the world will be updated to the 1.2 status (except biome changes, which happen explored or not explored). Like my city, it used to be snow biome, after I think 1.0 or 1.9 it changed to regular grass biome.

As to the higher buildcap, I believe it is done for the finer detail in trees and mountains. If you look at the trees there, they have actual branches now, and trees are 2-3 times taller. This is excellnt news for us. /<object class="emojione" data="https://resources.enjin.com/1489581540/themes/core/images/emojione/svg/1f642.svg?0" type="image/svg+xml" standby=":)">:)</object> It means I won't have to build trees in my city and would just plant them and they'd look natural.

Now if they'd add more door choices so I don't have to convert all my hardcore homes to iron entrances. >.>

This all kinda begs the question; Did Mojang rush the full release just so it would coincide with Minecon?

I think they did <object class="emojione" data="https://resources.enjin.com/1489581540/themes/core/images/emojione/svg/1f613.svg?0" type="image/svg+xml" standby=":undecided:">:undecided:</object>

Mojang rushed 1.0 remember! <object class="emojione" data="https://resources.enjin.com/1489581540/themes/core/images/emojione/svg/1f61b.svg?0" type="image/svg+xml" standby=":p">:p</object> They're always rushing around at the last minute.

I Agree...Wug, You Really Had Me Thinking I Was Looking At What A Reporter Would Write Down... Excellent Work!

ROFL, I'm probably reading too much newspaper at lunch then <object class="emojione" data="https://resources.enjin.com/1489581540/themes/core/images/emojione/svg/1f61b.svg?0" type="image/svg+xml" standby=":p">:p</object>

As for the rushing of the full release... I think the whole "full release" thing was little more than a myth, an arbitrarily chosen delineation between code versions. The only unique thing about it was the period of bug fixing that came before it. When I used to follow Notch and Jeb's Tweets before, I got the definitive impression that there is no set goal, no end to thair project that will even be called THE final Minecraft. Their project is as open-ended as its gameplay.

As for stitching old and new, look at how messed up the world map already looks. In order to take advantage of the new features, they've gradually had to peel and peel the world limit outward, creating awkward layers of land. This update might make things a lot worse: What if the new sea level is bumped up to 128 blocks? You would have to deal with a massive height jump at every edge. It's not that I'm a fan of wiping everything out, but sometimes it can really make a difference. All these problems are only going to keep getting worse and worse and worse, until something no longer works at all. They certainly are never going to get better, though, that's for sure..

Amen my friend. I had so many arguments in 2011 over the "release" with people who didn't understand why a sandbox game would never be "finished" unless dead. It's not like the game has to be pressed to disc and shipped to retail outlets for a console.

Why root for limiting restrictions and finality? Just so you can wank over a "release" ?

<My brain is full of funk>

The thing is in other games the reason you can finish them is because they have a set goal, an end and so when you reach that goal the game is finished

Where as in minecraft, sure, the is the personal goal of building such epic ness, but, as you are free to do what you want and there ae no set goals to reach it can carry on forever...

So why not update it and keep people playing?

The main argument is that it makes the game TOO complicated

Is that a bad thing?

The thing is most of the updates you can totaly ignor and it won't change anything you do if you don't want it to!

But every now and again there is something like a new land generation or some aspect of the physics are changed.

I think this is good as it leaves the game running, it won't get old, for example, PAC man, it was never updated and so it went dead, but as soon as someone made it for apple devices it was very popular!

All right, so I looked at Jeb's twitter, and he's saying that sea level WILL remain at 64. This means that there won't be a 64-block splice everywhere, and it also means that the effective above-ground build space is getting tripled from 64 blocks to 192 (also, the clouds are staying where they are now, to give a heightened sense of, well, height). It looks like Jeb is also preparing for official mod support with some of the other changes he's making to the file system, like adding support for more blocks as well as recording biome identifiers into the map grid. This means that biome properties can now be preserved on a map and not change when the game is updated with a new map generator.

Open-ended games like Minecraft indeed have the massive advantage over traditional games that they can be updated indefinitely and keep things interesting. As for getting too complicated, I personally prefer a complicated game over a simple one. I get bored easily when a game is too simple..

Something that I think the revenue-driven capitalists of other game studios can learn from Mojang is that high transparency and open relations with the fanbase carry massive advantages for the producer. One, it's easy to know which features will be popular and which won't, and two, by not being assholes about reverse engineering and modding, the developers are actually capable of outsourcing a vast chunk of game development to the fans themselves: Not only do the fans perform quality testing (finding bugs), but also develop parts of the game, like mods which are eventually picked up by the company. As far as I understand, both file system updates in Minecraft's history were taken from user mods. And look at these online servers, the vast majority of MMO support has been written by users, not Mojang. By embracing positive and unrestricted relationships with its fans, as opposed to a "Don't you dare mess with out game or we'll sue you and your parents and their cousins and their step-aunts' grandchildren out of existence" mentality, Mojang has managed to become a massively successful company while at the same time slashing their own workloads. I hope the likes of Activision and Microsoft take note...