It’s been over a month since Minecraft 1.3 Patch was released and at the time, some players weren’t too impressed with the limited amount of added content. That patch added a new world loader and a much better in-game lighting system, but both of those were from the mod community. It added beds and some minor tweaks, but fans wanted more after waiting a month a half since the 1.2 update.
Enter the 1.4 update. Markus Persson (notch) updated his blog and Twitter on Monday, revealing that new Minecraft update would release this week.
The major changes/additions coming with the 1.4 update include the introduction of a Minecraft achievement system, a gaming feature Notch expressed his interest in last month, describing it as a form of “in-game questing,” something that Minecraft could really benefit from.
On Twitter, Notch explains just how detailed the initial achievements may be:
“So far, Minecraft is tracking 662 statistics. The stats list page is annoying. I need a tree list feature!”
“Most of the stats are item usage and crafting info per item and block.”
Achievements have proven a success across various platforms, including iOS titles and of course, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 home consoles. The good news about the Minecraft achievements is that they won’t be the boring and useless achievements as explained in a previous Notch blog update where he provides the example that they won’t involve things like, “‘cut down 10000 trees’, but rather challenges like ‘ride a pig off a cliff’.”
As for actual in-game augmentations for Minecraft, 1.4 will add the eagerly anticipated pet wolves that Mojang showed off videos for a few weeks back. Everyone loves pets, and I’m surprised Mojang has taken this long to introduce new animal features. There are user-mods out there which do wonderful things with the Minecraftia wildlife, not the least of which is the popular Mo’ Creatures mod. Check out this video from our friends at the The Yogscast for a detailed look at some of the things this mod adds (look for the birds):
If there are mods that have been out for months that can do that, why aren’t they in Minecraft? Let’s get that talent and those ideas adopted, Notch!
This week’s Minecraft update also adds the ability to change your spawn point, which allows those adventurous journeymen to set a new spawn if they create a home elsewhere from the starting point of a new world. There’s nothing more frustrating than dying far away from the spawn.
The last part of of the blog update about the 1.4 Beta Patch is that they’re looking into how to handle mods, indicating that the next update will include, “a nice modding API.”
Knowing what’s in store for the short term, what updates do you want made in the future for Minecraft?
[Update: Check out Game Rant's complete Minecraft 1.4 Update Guide]
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Source: Notch
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Out of curiousity, would you guys rather have comments/discussion take place here on the website, or do you can if it happens on the Facebook side of the house? I’d hate to double post stuff, what benefits you more?
*curiosity and *or do you care
I fail at typing today.
Hi Anthony,
We don’t want you feeling the need to double-post but we always appreciate comments here and likes on FB.
Cheers!
One of the things I actually enjoy doing a lot is making a safe pathway from my spawn to my fortress. That said, being able to choose a new spawn would mean I can really explore far from base.
Really looking forward to these doggies.
I can’t wait for this update. Pet wolves for the win!
I’ve been playing MC since alpha and I’ve been surprised at the lack of substantive content added since then. I’d like to see more materials to use and more useful items to craft. It would also be nice to have a world with more variety. Once I’ve built a safe home, I have little motivation to explore. But that’s just me.
I sort of feel you on this one. I also downloaded Minecraft in its infancy, and as much fun as I’ve had with it, I’m ready for the actual “game” to kick in. Development time is totally understandable, but after spending months and months in Minecraft, I think objective based gameplay would really add to the game.
I dont necessarily need objectives, I enjoy making my own, I just want an interesting world to explore and more things to create.
I’m with you on that.
I’d like NPC villages/forts/castles, etc. as some sort of objective with rewards and boats that work. How bout the ability to build larger objects like big boats with multiple people?
How about the ability to build planes? I’d make like a 5-person fighter jet. Parachutes are a must too.
No. Minecraft is a fantasy game. Not Call of Duty.
Are you saying that TNT and Jukeboxes come from the realm of fantasy?
That’s funny.
they have parachutes and guns all in the same mod.
just curious but will the bug with the game crashing after about 5 minutes of gameplay be fixed?
issue is on mac osx
same here, but it is like every twenty minuets. i use WINDOWS 7!
Multiplayer Nether. #1 desire on my list.
Multiplayer Nether is possible if you’re using Bukkit as the server mod for your MP world. We have it on our server, works pretty well!
Is the entire world Nether-based or do you get there through a portal like in single player?
The way Bukkit treats it is another map within the same server instance. So in game you type “/world nether” and you transfer over to the Nether map. I believe there is an option to make Portals back and forth as well, but I found them to be buggy at times. There are also different plug-ins you could configure to have dual servers running, one normal and one nether, with portals that warp between servers. That’s going to be a lot more cumbersome and resource intensive, but if you wanted the true portal exchange between worlds it has a bit more authenticity.
I agree I would like to see more craftable things. Why not keep being able to upgrade your workbench to make a 10 x 10 item or something.
I would also like to see more storage available which could be possible if the crafting grid could be expanded to 10×10 as you upgrade work benches.
I would like to see a helmet with a light like real miners wear so you don’t feel like you constantly have to put up torches when building in dark areas.
i think there needs to be more in fighting mobs. i mean a bow and a sword are cool but what about battle axes and shields. id also like to see some newer bigger craftable items.
I so excited for this update. Do you know if each separtate person will be able to change their spawn on multiplayer?
An idea that several of my friends and I have discussed is the ability to write in the books we create then put them into the book shelves. A way to perhaps share background on the items, buildings, and communities we have built. Share exploration stories and so on.
I would like lights that can move with you (flashlight? or helmet with a light like posted earlier?) And what about a shield that you can ward off arrows with?
I like this idea! There was a neat mod which added cool lighting for when you were wielding a torch in-hand. I’m surprised that isn’t in the game yet.
Flashlight mod, so useful, and so dangerous if you don’t realize it works like a real torch! I didn’t know it gave off heat, and was wandering around this awesome building made from snow/ice blocks. Couldn’t figure out why it was just literally melting around me lol. Thank god for rollbacks.
Those are a lot of good, useful additions you all just mentioned. Instead we get wolves and cookies. :p