Edit: A better gameplay video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1o6htwsCtA Note that this is very early. The mod has been improved a lot since. Someone created a “CCTV” mod for Minecraft that could conceptually be used to create the look-through effect for portals, but I don’t know if that’s been done yet (or will be added).
Overall this is pretty amazing stuff. I can imagine Minecraft being used for all sorts of game prototyping. You’ve got to realise that this is a game that was never designed for this, and some modders managed to hack together a rough, playable version of an entirely different game in such a short time. This is really ground-breaking.
Sure, the Minecraft concept sounds pretty neat, but whats with the 1990 graphics? The original castle wolfenstein had better graphics in what 1990?
I’d probably be a little more interested if it looked as good as say Doom 2.
I doubt that its a limitation of Java, I’ve written a few things using Java and jogl (Java opengl binding), and no, performance is not at the C level, but its close.
Is this some sort of inside joke type thing of look how lame our graphics are but people still want to play our game.
Seriously, not trolling here, just want to understand the rationale behind the ridiculously primitive graphics in Minecraft.
This game is just too addictive, I’d keep digging, exploring and building for hours on end if I didn’t have children to pay attention to once in a while
I did, however, install a slightly more hi-res mod (Dokucraft Light). Why? Just because
I’ve played it (OK, only for a few hours), but just could not get used to the “low-rezness” of it. I like the blocks idea, just wish they could come up with some higher rez textures. No, I’m not wanting something like Crysis, just some higher rez textures would be nice.
You can always just get a higher resolution texture pack. Default minecraft is either 16×16 or 32×32 (I can’t remember), but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some going up to something like 512×512, maybe higher.
Yes, there is an HD texture pack that looks quite stunning. I mostly just use the default though, as sometimes the alternate textures break when a large update comes out.
I doubt that its a limitation of Java, I’ve written a few things using Java and jogl (Java opengl binding), and no, performance is not at the C level, but its close.
It’s not a limitation of Java. I think it’s more of an issue that Minecraft started out as a one man show. I don’t know about you, but even though I’m a pretty talented programmer, I’m not exactly that great at creating realistic 3D models. So any 3D game I created by myself, with no budget to hire 3D artists, would have pretty primitive graphics too. Of course, people liked the game the way it was, and the graphics became part of its identity.
But just to prove it’s not a limitation of Java 3D, check out these screenshots, from Wurm Online, which is a Java 3D based MMORPG.
Focus on graphics is probably what is slowly killing the video game industry, I’m not against nice graphics but HD graphics made video games costs millions of dollars.
That is why the mobile game are gaining a lot of traction (beside the lower entry barrier to get an SDK), because expectation are lower in terms of graphics and cost are way lower, which allow dev to take risks and innovate (unfortunately this statement become invalid as they are beginning to rip off each other and copying flash games).
To you it might be pointless, but to a whole lot of us Minecraft and Portal fans out there its brilliant. To the same token there are some of us who would consider window mangers such as Awesome a completely useless topic to create an article on.
Eh? That’s not the Minecraft portal mod I know: This is way, way, way better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0Ud9esotDU
Edit: A better gameplay video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1o6htwsCtA Note that this is very early. The mod has been improved a lot since. Someone created a “CCTV” mod for Minecraft that could conceptually be used to create the look-through effect for portals, but I don’t know if that’s been done yet (or will be added).
Overall this is pretty amazing stuff. I can imagine Minecraft being used for all sorts of game prototyping. You’ve got to realise that this is a game that was never designed for this, and some modders managed to hack together a rough, playable version of an entirely different game in such a short time. This is really ground-breaking.
Edited 2011-05-06 22:59 UTC
Sure, the Minecraft concept sounds pretty neat, but whats with the 1990 graphics? The original castle wolfenstein had better graphics in what 1990?
I’d probably be a little more interested if it looked as good as say Doom 2.
I doubt that its a limitation of Java, I’ve written a few things using Java and jogl (Java opengl binding), and no, performance is not at the C level, but its close.
Is this some sort of inside joke type thing of look how lame our graphics are but people still want to play our game.
Seriously, not trolling here, just want to understand the rationale behind the ridiculously primitive graphics in Minecraft.
Edited 2011-05-06 22:53 UTC
Play it. It’ll dawn on you.
You will not find more bang for your buck.
I’ve played for several hundreds of hours, and it cost €15. No other game has ever come close to that much value for money. Pokémon and Zelda games take up 50-100 hours and I think that’s great value, but Minecraft just blows it out of the water.
The graphics really are part of what makes the game what it is. You have to play it to really see that.
I agree as to the bang/buck thing.
This game is just too addictive, I’d keep digging, exploring and building for hours on end if I didn’t have children to pay attention to once in a while
I did, however, install a slightly more hi-res mod (Dokucraft Light). Why? Just because
It’s intentional – once you understand that the entire game is based on modular blocks you realize why.
FWIW, this game chews CPU harder than you would think – it struggles on machines that are only a few years old.
I’ve played it (OK, only for a few hours), but just could not get used to the “low-rezness” of it. I like the blocks idea, just wish they could come up with some higher rez textures. No, I’m not wanting something like Crysis, just some higher rez textures would be nice.
You can always just get a higher resolution texture pack. Default minecraft is either 16×16 or 32×32 (I can’t remember), but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some going up to something like 512×512, maybe higher.
Yeah, there are some awesome graphics packs out there. My favorite is “Gamedoku”
http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Texture_Pack
http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1021&t=205465
I use Painterly myself. It’s beautiful.
http://painterlypack.net/
Yes, there is an HD texture pack that looks quite stunning. I mostly just use the default though, as sometimes the alternate textures break when a large update comes out.
It’s not a limitation of Java. I think it’s more of an issue that Minecraft started out as a one man show. I don’t know about you, but even though I’m a pretty talented programmer, I’m not exactly that great at creating realistic 3D models. So any 3D game I created by myself, with no budget to hire 3D artists, would have pretty primitive graphics too. Of course, people liked the game the way it was, and the graphics became part of its identity.
But just to prove it’s not a limitation of Java 3D, check out these screenshots, from Wurm Online, which is a Java 3D based MMORPG.
http://tinyurl.com/3aoryoy
Focus on graphics is probably what is slowly killing the video game industry, I’m not against nice graphics but HD graphics made video games costs millions of dollars.
That is why the mobile game are gaining a lot of traction (beside the lower entry barrier to get an SDK), because expectation are lower in terms of graphics and cost are way lower, which allow dev to take risks and innovate (unfortunately this statement become invalid as they are beginning to rip off each other and copying flash games).
… you are now invalid.
Here I was expecting a recursively tiling window manager.
Same here, and it would have been a good title in that case.
This article is pointless.
To you it might be pointless, but to a whole lot of us Minecraft and Portal fans out there its brilliant. To the same token there are some of us who would consider window mangers such as Awesome a completely useless topic to create an article on.
Almost the same expectation here, except for a ‘better’ fork of Awesome.
It would be great to see the topics icon in the RSS feed.
Edited 2011-05-07 16:03 UTC
Hexagons and tetrahedrons would be cool.
I never liked the look of cubic structures, am really partial to tetrahedral structures though.
So, I think it would rock to have a Minecraft based on these geometries.
Minecraft : like it or hate it.
(I hate, but admit one can get addicted).
About the design : look at little kidsn playing with cubes, assembling them … and having fun.
No need of extra textures to have fun, if the game play is good.