Xbox 360 Can someone explain Minecraft to me?

[gabstaff]

My boys are obessed with Minecraft and watching the walk thru on YouTube, that it is effecting their daily chores and homework. I have watched some of the videos over the shoulder and I just don't get it. Can someone please explain this game to me?

 

[WolfgangHammersmith]

Sure, it's just like Lego, modeling clay, and building forts, all sort of wrapped up in a game with some options for adventure or story telling.

You could just play the game, trying not to die while collecting resources and building a place to survive the nights/store things. There's a hardcore mode if this seems too easy/not thrilling enough. When you die in hardcore, you die in RL! *(JK, but man is there a LOT of RL swearing if you've been in hardcore for a long time and then lose it all!)

You could just play in creative, skip the collecting, and just model things..
Always wanted to make a giant model air-craft carrier and then blow it up? Just save a copy of the map before you set off the TNT.
Been having recurring nightmares? Go ahead, build that freaky apt. building that wakes you up in a sweaty terrified mess. We won't tell your psychologist you're getting free therapy.
Are you a SuperMario junkie? Played all the games till your eyes bled and still want more? Well there's lots of Mario builders, you could probably find a server that would like to host your efforts if you are good at it.

Ahh yeah the Multiplayer.. Just when you thought you had a chance to put down the controller and walk away, nope.
Your best friend just watched The Life Aquatic and wants to make a full scale version of the SS. Deep Search in Minecraft, complete with theme music played on note blocks. Your friend is going to insist you come over and drink beer while helping work on it..
I hear there's Player vs. Player servers..Servers with 'capture the pig'.. All sorts of crazy stuff that I don't have time to explore.

Finally you could just be a tourist, period. Just exploring seeds, maps, or multiplayer creations. There are a few musical maps that really boggle the mined! (SIC)
[video=youtube;vtb3DaP_kkI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtb3DaP_kkI[/video]
[video=youtube;JDVKCX7FBkA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDVKCX7FBkA[/video]
[video=youtube;P5YDUcK94k0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=P5YDUcK94k0#t=32s[/video]

... sorry for the last one.. had to get "Some blocks in here!" ..

 

[jstep]

Okay, so I read the title of this thread and wondered what "MICEcraft" was Haha...Don't worry Gabstaff, I don't quite see the appeal either, although I have friends that are super addicted to it. I can't really judge though, as I haven't played it.

 

[PB7]

i could see Mel Brooks making a come back movie with the title as micecraft. I don't know why that made me think of that...

 

[gabstaff]

OOPS!! I didn't realize that I put Mice....that would be a good idea for a game is to do this with mice. If this game comes out then I would buy it. I think I may get this game for my boys for their birthdays, I was just hoping someone could explain to me what the deal was with it. Thanks!

 

[WolfgangHammersmith]

i could see Mel Brooks making a come back movie with the title as micecraft. I don't know why that made me think of that...

Blazing Pig Saddles? I think I'm picking up what you are putting down?

Actually that's another use for Minecraft that I didn't mention.. Cinema!

I recall seeing a fellow build a map that re-created the Rush song "Red Barchetta" ..

He basically went over the lyrics of the song and built his uncle's farm, a big red car, etc..

The result kinda modeled the song, sucking a bit when he focused on the lyrics (I hate Geddy Lee's voice), but the effort was there and he made front page over on Reddit with that build.

 

[omarfw]

When I was growing up, my brother and I used to play with legos for hours on end. We could never get enough of it because it was a toy built around imagination. We could build whatever we were clever enough to come up with. There are rules for what can go with what, but they are loose and accommodate any idea.

Minecraft takes that concept and turns it into a video game. Not only can you build just about anything, but you have to find what you build with, mine it and craft it into what you need. That, and you have to survive by eating food and defending yourself from monsters.

So overall, it takes the concept of accomplishment from creative building and it slaps adventure on top of it. You can also use whatever custom skin you want. That's a winning combination right there.

That, and it's a heavily moddable game so if you don't like vanilla minecraft, there are tons of servers out there that offer all different kinds of gamemodes created by players ranging from CTF to Hunger Games to Spleef to Paintball.

It offers so much content and replay value for such a low price. I'm not surprised by its popularity at all.

 

[gabstaff]

Thanks everyone for explaining it to me. I guess when their birthday comes around I will go out and buy them this. Are there more than one game? I don't know if there are like extension packs or something.

 

[hertihej]

If you remember your own childhood, you might remember how awesome Lego was. Now imagine that have infinite amounts of Lego and then remove the possibility of you ever accidentally stepping on a Lego-block. That my dear friend, is Minecraft.

 

[nhoelb]

Micecraft? I never heard a like that before. If you are talking about minecraft, in simple words it is a digital lego, lol. Honestly I don’t see the appeal of this game either, I only play in the office just to look busy.

 

[gabstaff]

I wonder if I could develop a micecraft game? Make mazes and rollercosters for mice? Maybe something like frogger, where the mice have to go across line mine fields, and traffic and get blown up. That would be awesome!

 

[omarfw]

I wonder if I could develop a micecraft game? Make mazes and rollercosters for mice? Maybe something like frogger, where the mice have to go across line mine fields, and traffic and get blown up. That would be awesome!

If you know how to code with Java script, you can do just about anything with the game since it's highly moddable.

 

[Araragi]

If you know how to code with Java script, you can do just about anything with the game since it's highly moddable.

I think you mean Java. JavaScript is used for web development and has nothing to do with Java - the language that minecraft is coded in.

 

[gabstaff]

This is a bad idea to give me reason to make a micecraft game. I do not need another game to get addicted too. LOL

 

[WolfgangHammersmith]

This is a bad idea to give me reason to make a micecraft game. I do not need another game to get addicted too. LOL

That's the thing with minecraft, it's almost too easy to go running wild with ideas: My Little Pony!?

 

[jb2007]

Minecraft is a free roam sandbox type game. It's more of a casual game than most kind of like Sims. You can pretty much build whatever you can think of. It's a good way to kill time in my opinion.