Well my arm was twisted into playing but I wanted to point out some things from my perspective as someone who does not have much time to allocate.
Con:
- To really get setup, you have to dig a lot! This is very time consuming and dangerous in the first x hours of the game till you have a mine and base of operations.
- Set backs from death can be rather grim... If you have crafted only one set of quality tools you will possibly loose them if you can't get back to your stuff ( early on without armor (you will loose that as well if you only have one set) it can be next to impossible to get your stuff back during a night cycle if it is above ground.
- Crafting takes lots of time, crafting / smelting also stops if you log out, so you have to stay in game.
- even areas that have been closed off seem to sometimes get monsters in them, even when you are sure they are well lit, this makes leaving your character idle have some risk.
- it seems best to run back to a safe zone / shelter before logging off, since you never know what might have spawned while you where away.
Pro:
- you can work with others to build stuff without really needing to be there all the time... Just leave stuff in common chests to pass items.
- other than finding a safe place to log out (you can just wall your character in) the game is fairly easy to jump in and out of without needing to complete something.
So far I am having fun, and spending much of my OTHER time thinking about what I could be building... I do find progress slow at times, I could spend hours not getting what I want done because of missing resources, sharing helps off set this, but it is still part of the game.
Even dull tasks like building a long tunnel can be interesting, I encountered a few underground caverns with waterfalls etc on the way. I am generally enjoying the game but anyone thinking about playing may want to set aside a large block of time up front to get established, otherwise progress will seem painfully slow.
Also of note, getting boosted with gifts from other players early on seems nice but may not be maintainable... For example getting great tools doesn't do much good if you don't have armor and a base to escape to... Also it is a real set back going from diamond to wood / stone if you wear out the gift set before finding enough iron for example to may your own mid-high grade tools.
personally I ended up roaming away from everyone to start progressing from scratch... Sine I was not familiar with crafting and building the basics this was a great way to learn without damaging other peoples stuff (creepers kept on blocking me up the moment I opened doors)
One thing that can help everyone is maybe running build/project threads on the forum, so if I know you have a need for certain resources I can keep an eye out and either mark them for you on the map or collect them and put them into sharing boxes (actually I'll check tonight if I have the powered rail spacing right and just ship stuff to you via storage minecart).
Also if you guys are ever looking for help during builds we can plan on the boards first and then get together.
I find also trying out a build idea in creative helps speed some things along (if you want to get fancy). I have a fairly compact portcullis system designed that I could diagram and share, the only hard to find resource is the slime drops (seriously, I haven't even HEARD a slime on this server lol).
But yeah, I often find myself thinking of stuff I want to build, the best part about doing it on SMP is that it's a REAL challenge to get the resources together.
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 19, 2012, 01:15:27 PM
I have a fairly compact portcullis system designed that I could diagram and share, the only hard to find resource is the slime drops (seriously, I haven't even HEARD a slime on this server lol).
There was one bouncing the hell out of melbosa and I the one night where he connected his tunnels to my base, but other than that one, haven't seen them....
There is also a difference between asking for resources for a project and establishing a character.... it is the old, teach a man to fish.... Forcing my self out of the start area, I learned to scout resources, also it adds variety..
With so much sand in my area I make lots and lots of glass....
Quote from: Lazybones on March 19, 2012, 01:21:16 PM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 19, 2012, 01:15:27 PM
I have a fairly compact portcullis system designed that I could diagram and share, the only hard to find resource is the slime drops (seriously, I haven't even HEARD a slime on this server lol).
There was one bouncing the hell out of melbosa and I the one night where he connected his tunnels to my base, but other than that one, haven't seen them....
There is also a difference between asking for resources for a project and establishing a character.... it is the old, teach a man to fish.... Forcing my self out of the start area, I learned to scout resources, also it adds variety..
With so much sand in my area I make lots and lots of glass....
Well, if you ever run low on coal I can make some for ya :D
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 19, 2012, 01:24:07 PM
Well, if you ever run low on coal I can make some for ya :D
Early on I was low on it, but I started discovering it frequently... It is probably the most common thing I find actually. I never did resort to smelting trees, which are also plentiful.
My iron store is also finally starting to surpass my rate of consumption for tools and armor so I have reached the tipping point I think for starting more interesting construction.
Also I think I should convert all my furnaces to lava buckets http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Lava#Lava_Bucket
That will leave all the coal for torches.
Edit: hmm second thought for converting full stacks coal still seems better...
Yep, if you're like me though, coal goes bye-bye pretty fast (mind you I spend a lot more time building than mining lol).
Many resources are dependent on how low you are digging too. I went straight for the gusto when I first started and dug down to level ~10, I get a lot of diamond, Lapis Lazuli and redstone but not so much of the other ores or coal.
On the other hand I can rip through stuff pretty damn fast.
The other thing that's important to start doing is enchanting, if you think a diamond pick is handy wait until you have one with Efficiency II + Unbreaking II!
Quote from: Lazybones on March 19, 2012, 01:33:06 PM
Also I think I should convert all my furnaces to lava buckets http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Lava#Lava_Bucket
That will leave all the coal for torches.
Edit: hmm second thought for converting full stacks coal still seems better...
The are only 2 problems with lava buckets:
-Eats 3 iron
-Lava is sometimes tricky to play with :D
But other than that they're great, and they are common dungeon loot usually :)
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 19, 2012, 01:40:20 PM
Quote from: Lazybones on March 19, 2012, 01:33:06 PM
Also I think I should convert all my furnaces to lava buckets http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Lava#Lava_Bucket
That will leave all the coal for torches.
Edit: hmm second thought for converting full stacks coal still seems better...
The are only 2 problems with lava buckets:
-Eats 3 iron
-Lava is sometimes tricky to play with :D
But other than that they're great, and they are common dungeon loot usually :)
does the bucket get consumed? I figured it would be like soup where you get the bowl back.
LOL funny you guys haven't run into things I have... I have killed 6 Slime Blocks and those skinny black things that carry blocks - I have killed over 20. But I know Mr. Analog has said in RL if not on these forums that both are rare on our server.
I put stuff in the Smelters and log out... when I log back in they are done. This could be cause someone else has logged in since I have been there, but I don't see a reason not to do that. When you have 8-10 smelters going making your crafting items is pretty fast.
Quote from: Melbosa on March 19, 2012, 02:04:11 PM
LOL funny you guys haven't run into things I have... I have killed 6 Slime Blocks and those skinny black things that carry blocks - I have killed over 20. But I know Mr. Analog has said in RL if not on these forums that both are rare on our server.
I put stuff in the Smelters and log out... when I log back in they are done. This could be cause someone else has logged in since I have been there, but I don't see a reason not to do that. When you have 8-10 smelters going making your crafting items is pretty fast.
enderman (http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Enderman) is the block carrier. I have seen him several times.. but avoided him.
As for the smelting I think it stops when no-one is online, I could be wrong, maybe it just glitched on me the one time.
Endermen are technically neutral but they can move blocks around which can be annoying. They will only attack you if you put your reticle on them for a second or two, they can teleport when hit and if aggro'd can teleport anywhere (inside your buildings etc).
Zombie Pigmen are also neutral unless you attack one, then any zombie pigmen within range (can't remember what it is) will come at you whether it can "see" you or not.
Apparently the slime-spawning algorithm is chunk based which may explain why Mel has seen more than most of us, he might just have a "lucky chunk" for slimes :)
http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Slime#Spawning (http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Slime#Spawning)
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 19, 2012, 03:14:42 PM
Endermen are technically neutral but they can move blocks around which can be annoying. They will only attack you if you put your reticle on them for a second or two, they can teleport when hit and if aggro'd can teleport anywhere (inside your buildings etc).
Zombie Pigmen are also neutral unless you attack one, then any zombie pigmen within range (can't remember what it is) will come at you whether it can "see" you or not.
Apparently the slime-spawning algorithm is chunk based which may explain why Mel has seen more than most of us, he might just have a "lucky chunk" for slimes :)
http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Slime#Spawning (http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Slime#Spawning)
I suspect "Slimes spawn only below layer 40" also has to do with it since your monorail is above that and mels large tunnel is down at bedrock far below it..
Quote from: Lazybones on March 19, 2012, 12:34:56 PM
So far I am having fun, and spending much of my OTHER time thinking about what I could be building...
Well, that anti-convinces me ;)
Seriously you guys are all hooked and loving it, glad to see the whole gang excited about the same game -- reminds me of the days of CoH when lots of screenshots were posted after cool missions and TFs and costume changes etc. -- but I am definitely going to play the "Know Thyself" game and not jump into the fun with you. Just not enough free time as it is for stuff I like thinking about/doing. Sounds cool, if only it was built a few years ago...
Quote from: Lazybones on March 19, 2012, 02:30:19 PM
Quote from: Melbosa on March 19, 2012, 02:04:11 PM
LOL funny you guys haven't run into things I have... I have killed 6 Slime Blocks and those skinny black things that carry blocks - I have killed over 20. But I know Mr. Analog has said in RL if not on these forums that both are rare on our server.
I put stuff in the Smelters and log out... when I log back in they are done. This could be cause someone else has logged in since I have been there, but I don't see a reason not to do that. When you have 8-10 smelters going making your crafting items is pretty fast.
enderman (http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Enderman) is the block carrier. I have seen him several times.. but avoided him.
As for the smelting I think it stops when no-one is online, I could be wrong, maybe it just glitched on me the one time.
I /think/ if noone is in a given chunk, it gets saved and unloaded. So nothing will run in a given chunk if no-one is there.
Ok this is not a good game for someone who is a little OCD.
I think I am going to have to time block my self.... Over did it the last few days between feeling the need to get up to speed and just the amount of time it takes to construct some things.
Quote from: Tom on March 19, 2012, 10:47:09 PM
Quote from: Lazybones on March 19, 2012, 02:30:19 PM
Quote from: Melbosa on March 19, 2012, 02:04:11 PM
LOL funny you guys haven't run into things I have... I have killed 6 Slime Blocks and those skinny black things that carry blocks - I have killed over 20. But I know Mr. Analog has said in RL if not on these forums that both are rare on our server.
I put stuff in the Smelters and log out... when I log back in they are done. This could be cause someone else has logged in since I have been there, but I don't see a reason not to do that. When you have 8-10 smelters going making your crafting items is pretty fast.
enderman (http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Enderman) is the block carrier. I have seen him several times.. but avoided him.
As for the smelting I think it stops when no-one is online, I could be wrong, maybe it just glitched on me the one time.
I /think/ if noone is in a given chunk, it gets saved and unloaded. So nothing will run in a given chunk if no-one is there.
I think you're right, I've been on our server but away from my furnaces in another chunk and when I get back there seems to be no progress.
Quote from: Darren Dirt on March 19, 2012, 10:23:55 PM
Quote from: Lazybones on March 19, 2012, 12:34:56 PM
So far I am having fun, and spending much of my OTHER time thinking about what I could be building...
Well, that anti-convinces me ;)
Seriously you guys are all hooked and loving it, glad to see the whole gang excited about the same game -- reminds me of the days of CoH when lots of screenshots were posted after cool missions and TFs and costume changes etc. -- but I am definitely going to play the "Know Thyself" game and not jump into the fun with you. Just not enough free time as it is for stuff I like thinking about/doing. Sounds cool, if only it was built a few years ago...
Well that's your call obviously, it would be fun to see what stuff Darren would build but I understand.
Quote from: Lazybones on March 20, 2012, 01:51:30 AM
Ok this is not a good game for someone who is a little OCD.
I think I am going to have to time block my self.... Over did it the last few days between feeling the need to get up to speed and just the amount of time it takes to construct some things.
Yeah it's good to pace yourself, that's for sure, it's really easy to spend 3+ hours in a row if you aren't paying attention :)
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 20, 2012, 06:47:48 AM
Quote from: Tom on March 19, 2012, 10:47:09 PM
Quote from: Lazybones on March 19, 2012, 02:30:19 PM
Quote from: Melbosa on March 19, 2012, 02:04:11 PM
LOL funny you guys haven't run into things I have... I have killed 6 Slime Blocks and those skinny black things that carry blocks - I have killed over 20. But I know Mr. Analog has said in RL if not on these forums that both are rare on our server.
I put stuff in the Smelters and log out... when I log back in they are done. This could be cause someone else has logged in since I have been there, but I don't see a reason not to do that. When you have 8-10 smelters going making your crafting items is pretty fast.
enderman (http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Enderman) is the block carrier. I have seen him several times.. but avoided him.
As for the smelting I think it stops when no-one is online, I could be wrong, maybe it just glitched on me the one time.
I /think/ if noone is in a given chunk, it gets saved and unloaded. So nothing will run in a given chunk if no-one is there.
I think you're right, I've been on our server but away from my furnaces in another chunk and when I get back there seems to be no progress.
Quote from: Darren Dirt on March 19, 2012, 10:23:55 PM
Quote from: Lazybones on March 19, 2012, 12:34:56 PM
So far I am having fun, and spending much of my OTHER time thinking about what I could be building...
Well, that anti-convinces me ;)
Seriously you guys are all hooked and loving it, glad to see the whole gang excited about the same game -- reminds me of the days of CoH when lots of screenshots were posted after cool missions and TFs and costume changes etc. -- but I am definitely going to play the "Know Thyself" game and not jump into the fun with you. Just not enough free time as it is for stuff I like thinking about/doing. Sounds cool, if only it was built a few years ago...
Well that's your call obviously, it would be fun to see what stuff Darren would build but I understand.
Quote from: Lazybones on March 20, 2012, 01:51:30 AM
Ok this is not a good game for someone who is a little OCD.
I think I am going to have to time block my self.... Over did it the last few days between feeling the need to get up to speed and just the amount of time it takes to construct some things.
Yeah it's good to pace yourself, that's for sure, it's really easy to spend 3+ hours in a row if you aren't paying attention :)
Punny humans... *cough*
When I first got into minecraft there was a weekend where I did nothing but eat, sleep and minecraft. And that wasn't the only time either.
I do enjoy the more social side of it, I like wandering around and seeing all the peoples builds.
:)
Quote from: Mr. Analog on March 20, 2012, 10:37:00 AM
I do enjoy the more social side of it, I like wandering around and seeing all the peoples builds.
:)
That's why we need a server side community map ;)
Also I spent way more than 3hrs a day so far, thus why I have to cut back... kind of put off a bunch of stuff I should be doing that is piling up... Also was given some slack from the wife as it is nice to unwind in a game however my current pace is not sustainable...
I may pop on and off frequently but probably will not be on for long stretches unless its late or on weekends without other scheduled activities.
On the plus side the cartoon vilence is really low on this game so I don't feel bad about playing it around the kids... Unlike other games where I really need to wait till they have gone to bed first.
That's how I like to treat it, sort of a once or twice a week thing. The best part about time boxing is you get enough time to do other stuff around it as well.
There have been nights where I just played under an hour, got a little bit done and went onto other tasks.
I like that I can just pick up and play whenever
Quote from: Lazybones on March 20, 2012, 10:43:44 AM
On the plus side the cartoon vilence is really low on this game so I don't feel bad about playing it around the kids... Unlike other games where I really need to wait till they have gone to bed first.
This is true!
On the time slice aspect however it can be very hard to meet a goal within a time limit.
Digging the last part of the square north took a really long time between burning through tools, running out of food, travel / run time (thus used up the food bar) getting more food, and dealing with under water / sand construction... And that is just a tunnel!
Decorating a fort or some other localized tasks assuming you have already gathered resources are better for jumping in and out.
I find the most difficult aspects of managing time around Minecraft are similar to art or even programming, sometimes you have to let unfinished stuff go.
The meta game is time management when you think about it heh, build lots of small things or do big projects, when I look at the map and see how much effort went into what's there it's pretty astounding actually.
I'm no longer afraid of something like Minecraft taking all my time as I've learnt to manage it better I think.
Quote from: Lazybones on March 20, 2012, 01:51:30 AM
Ok this is not a good game for someone who is a little OCD.
I think I am going to have to time block my self.... Over did it the last few days between feeling the need to get up to speed and just the amount of time it takes to construct some things.
I
knew I'd remembered reading in one of the threads. Yeah, I've overdone it as well (who needs sleep?) and have found out how long it can take to build things.
For sure, chipping away at projects is the only way to make big things happen I guess.
Also I think I may be overly persistent looking at how much crap I've dug up...
Quote from: Thorin on April 02, 2012, 12:07:42 PM
I knew I'd remembered reading in one of the threads. Yeah, I've overdone it as well (who needs sleep?) and have found out how long it can take to build things.
You can't say I didn't warn you, this was also part of my primary reason for resisting the game to begin with.
Quote from: Mr. Analog on April 02, 2012, 12:09:37 PM
Also I think I may be overly persistent looking at how much crap I've dug up...
I was a little shocked at how large your mines where once the map went online... lol You have been playing longer on the server than I have.
Quote from: Lazybones on April 02, 2012, 12:50:57 PMI was a little shocked at how large your mines where once the map went online... lol You have been playing longer on the server than I have.
I was pretty much alone for a long time on there yeah, Melbosa's dig is really surprising to me, I mean he's dug out a LOT of stuff given how long he's been on there...
But yes, now that I see what I've done on a map I'm surprised. I mean I'm not that far off from where Stewie eventually set up shop, I thought I wasn't quite that far along but... yeesh.
At one point I had 36 diamonds... I'm somewhat regretting not making armor out of it but ... many pickaxes and shovels died in the making of some things :)
I'm constantly in need of coal, if I hadn't found out about charcoal I would have been dead in the water a long time ago. I love digging below level 15 and coal is there but not as abundant (I think, I'll have to check the wiki to be sure).
Quote from: Mr. Analog on April 02, 2012, 01:12:47 PM
I love digging below level 15 and coal is there but not as abundant (I think, I'll have to check the wiki to be sure).
Ya redstone appears to be almost more common than coal at that level... Digging stations, and transit tunnels I found lots of coal.
A lot of times it's just under any surface, coal is cool like that.
I find Iron and Coal abundant when Cave Exploring. More so than my excavations :D
That wiki is a godsend.
36 diamonds? HOLY BLAP.
I finally have some obsidian. Time to make an obsidian farm...
Man I probably pulled out a stack of coal, at LEAST just connecting my new pad to the rail line. And that was only about 150 blocks away. TONS of coal. I have stacks now. Also pulled out a fair amount of iron which was nice.
Quote from: Tom on April 02, 2012, 01:33:53 PM
Man I probably pulled out a stack of coal, at LEAST just connecting my new pad to the rail line. And that was only about 150 blocks away. TONS of coal. I have stacks now. Also pulled out a fair amount of iron which was nice.
I noticed that this morning when I was checking out the new Beach station, put a door on that ya crazy kid!
I'm pretty sure it wouldn't happen but your new base connects to a couple cave systems and it is possible (though unlikely) that a mob may spawn and make their way up to the rails...
Quote from: Mr. Analog on April 02, 2012, 02:37:20 PM
I'm pretty sure it wouldn't happen but your new base connects to a couple cave systems and it is possible (though unlikely) that a mob may spawn and make their way up to the rails...
They have to spawn within an active chunk, and in the dark, but do to glitch they sometimes fall through walls or floors into lit areas... I have ran into them in my house before.
I put doors and hatches on everything... Then at least if I have to run from a creeper that shouldn't be there I can get through a door.
Yep, but if Tomasu is mining in his new mine it may mean spawnage, I'm not too too worried about it.
Though the signs made me jump out of the minecart lol (so I could read 'em)
Quote from: Mr. Analog on April 02, 2012, 03:47:31 PM
Yep, but if Tomasu is mining in his new mine it may mean spawnage, I'm not too too worried about it.
Though the signs made me jump out of the minecart lol (so I could read 'em)
Probably could add a dip station there for now, there are extra pistons in beach stations maintenance room
Quote from: Mr. Analog on April 02, 2012, 03:47:31 PM
Yep, but if Tomasu is mining in his new mine it may mean spawnage, I'm not too too worried about it.
Though the signs made me jump out of the minecart lol (so I could read 'em)
Heh. your welcome? ;D
Quote from: Lazybones on April 02, 2012, 03:50:21 PM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on April 02, 2012, 03:47:31 PM
Yep, but if Tomasu is mining in his new mine it may mean spawnage, I'm not too too worried about it.
Though the signs made me jump out of the minecart lol (so I could read 'em)
Probably could add a dip station there for now, there are extra pistons in beach stations maintenance room
That'd be coo. Though I can fake it, and did to get back to my first base last night.
All I can think about today is Minecraft - I want to build a suburb by Southern Junction station, and I've got these house designs rolling around in my head.
Damn timesink!
Yeah, once you get playing again the ol' imagination starts firing doesn't it :)
Yeah. My problem is I have multiple builds I'd like to do, and not enough time to do them in. Maybe if I quit work...