Master Builder 3.0 Advanced: Minecraft Secrets and Strategies from the Game's Greatest Players
128
Master Builder 3.0 Advanced: Minecraft Secrets and Strategies from the Game's Greatest Players
128eBook
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Overview
This book is not authorized, sponsored, endorsed or licensed by Mojang AB. The trademark Minecraft is owned by Mojang AB; and other company names and/or trademarks mentioned in this book are the property of their respective companies and are used for identification purposes only.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633191884 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Triumph Books |
| Publication date: | 04/01/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 128 |
| File size: | 20 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Master Builder 3.0 Advanced
By Joe Funk
Triumph Books
Copyright © 2015 Triumph Books LLCAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63319-188-4
CHAPTER 1
Software To Boost Your Builds
Here's a little secret about some of the amazing Minecraft builds and images you've seen: not all of them were actually made in normal Minecraft. GASP! Shocking right? It's a little weird to hear for the first time, but software outside of Minecraft itself is actually a pretty big part of the creation of many big or complicated Minecraft projects and screenshots.
Some folks are of a mind that Minecraft projects should be built by hand, block-by-block in the regular game, and that's totally fine, but there are others out there who see Minecraft as more of a creative medium than something that they want to toil at for weeks and weeks just to get a map done, and we think that's fine, too.
When it comes down to it, we think it doesn't really matter how an awesome map gets made or a screenshot gets taken, it only matters that it's amazing and that we get to see it and/or play around in it. Most of the time when you're in a map that used special software, you'll never know that it wasn't made the regular way, and in fact the ability to edit maps far more quickly and use special tools actually allows players to create types of maps that we would never see otherwise. For images, this is even more the case, as the programs that are out there to create Minecraft screenshots from a map are far, far more powerful and create much more gorgeous images than the game could ever create on its own.
If cutting down the amount of time it takes to create a building or making the most stunning screenshots possible is something that interests you, we definitely recommend checking out one of the following programs. And remember: you only have to use them as much or as little as you want, and the end result is what's most important, not the way you did it.
Oh, and all of these are totally free!
MCEdit
mcedit.net
What it is: A very powerful, yet pretty easy to use program that edits Minecraft worlds outside of the game MCEdit is definitely the most widely-used Minecraft program besides the game itself, and many, many of the most popular maps were at least partly created using this bad boy. Essentially every block you need to place can be placed with MCEdit, but it also can do special things that you normally couldn't do, such as get a detailed map of your world quickly, place multi-block pieces down at once and use tools to "erode" the landscape in natural-looking patterns (which keeps you from having to try and do that manually, a tricky business).
The best parts about MCEdit are that your maps load and can be flown around very smoothly and with little system lag, and that it is crazy easy to use for being so powerful. Definitely worth your time for big projects.
VoxelSniper
dev.bukkit.org/bukkit-plugins/voxelsniper
kraftzone.net/wiki/VoxelSniper
thevoxelbox.com
What it is: An in-game editor and brush array that allows for editing a world at any distance and which features powerful terrain and object creation tools Created by one of Minecraft's premier servers and builder communities, The Voxel Box, VoxelSniper is the in-game answer to MCEdit. Instead of loading your world up in software outside to edit, or having to build the regular way in-game, VoxelSniper allows you to add or remove blocks as far away as you can see in the game.
All you do is select the special "arrow" tool (to add) or the "gunpowder" tool (to delete), point at where you want to add or remove a block, and click, and it will do so!
Additionally, VoxelSniper comes with an array of "brushes" that will add or remove multiple blocks in specially designed patterns. You can set a brush size, then pick between brushes like the Erosion Brush, the Tree Brush, the Ring Brush and many many more, each of which places or removes blocks to create the effects that they're named after. The patterns these brushes make are very nicely designed and made specifically for Minecraft, so they end up having a great many uses in big creative worlds.
Chunky
chunky.llbit.se
What it is: An outside of game tool that creates images of a world that are not possible to render in regular Minecraft
Compared to the last two tools, Chunky is quite a bit more complicated to use, partially because the language it uses and the concepts it deals with are more about image rendering and creation than about playing Minecraft. That being said, many of the very best Minecraft screenshots are created with Chunky, and those looking to show off what they've built will find it invaluable to their efforts.
Basically what it does is load your world outside of Minecraft in an editor that shows you a visual map from the top down, allowing you to select the chunks of the map you would like in your image. You then create a "scene," which loads from the perspective of where your character was when you saved last, or you can place the view in a specific spot. You can then move the view around a little bit and tweak a wide array of settings to create exactly the image that you want before you render and save it.
You can get pretty insanely creative with this tool, even setting things like the height of the sun, the focus of the camera, the exposure amount and more, and the images that result are often quite beautiful. They also, however, can take quite a while to both set up and to render, so it's not a tool for quick-shots, but instead for the ones you want to make perfect.
Other Tools
The tools we've listed are just the most popular and powerful of many, many available tools. A few others to check out, if these ones piqued your interest, include:
• JourneyMap (mapping)
• Tectonicus (mapping)
• AMIDST (finds dungeons and villages)
• Minecraft X-Ray (can see through maps to find items and blocks)
• Minecraft Editor (map editor)
• Terrain Control (custom biome and land creation)
• MCDungeon (makes dungeons and "treasure hunts" in already created maps)
• NovaSkin (skin editor)
• MCSkinner (skin editor)
• Minecraft Texture Studio (create your own resource packs)
• INVedit (inventory editor)
• Mineways (export your world to a 3D printer)
CHAPTER 2Minecraft On The Web:
Sites To Enhance Your Game
If you thought Minecraft's domination of your computation machine ended at the game itself, get ready to be awed at the ever-widening scope of this deceptively humble game. Minecraft has a massive online presence, with so very many websites dedicated to various aspects of the game that it feels like they're just about infinite.
Among those thousands and thousands and, yes, more thousands of sites are a few that have become an integral part of many players' Minecraft experience. Knowing which of these sites to go to and what they're good for can not only improve your skills at the game, it can also provide all new experiences. From watching the Let's Plays of YouTube where Minecraft celebrities film their exploits, to downloading the latest greatest maps off Planet Minecraft to chatting with fellow Crafters on the Forum and Reddit, it's a big, wide world of Minecraft out there on the Internet, and it's waiting for you just a few clicks away.
Here we'll introduce you to the best of the best of these many sundry sites to get you started on your WebCraft explorations.
Planet Minecraft
planetminecraft.com
Focus: Downloading, showcasing and uploading maps, skins, texture packs and servers, plus a large forum
Planet Minecraft is by far the most important website to the Minecraft creator community. Though there are other sites (especially those of individual creators) where you can download maps, skins and texture packs to play with in your own Minecraft game, Planet Minecraft is far and away the biggest, best and most popular repository of everything downloadable for Minecraft.
Nearly all the big names are on here, from SethBling to disco to Circleight to carloooo and more, and pretty much every famous map or game type or construction type can be found in the databases of Planet Minecraft. Heck, some of the maps we feature in our books were found on PM!
Not only can you download projects here, you can interact with the people who do, commenting on their maps and giving "Diamonds" to vote on the best projects, and you can even upload your own works for free! Got something you want to show off? Put it up on Planet Minecraft, and if it's good, it's almost guaranteed to be seen by thousands of people.
PM is amazing, and with literally thousands of new projects up every month, it's a never-ending parade of new things to try out. Mini-games, adventure maps, Redstone tutorials, PVP arenas, and massive, amazing worlds to explore-it's all here!
The Minecraft Wiki
minecraft.gamepedia.com
Focus: Information on many aspects of the game Where Planet Minecraft is all about adding to your game, the Minecraft Wiki is there to give you information that you need to play. While it can be disorganized and some entries aren't kept up to date or written as well as others, if you need to know something quickly about an item or a specific aspect of the game, the Minecraft Wiki is where you want to go. It has a pretty straightforward search feature that will quickly bring you to the page on, as an example, potions, giving you all of the recipes and a bit about the concepts behind the subject. There's a ton of info here, though it's pretty self-guided and can vary in quality from entry to entry.
What definitely is awesome about the Wiki, however, is that it keeps a detailed history of Minecraft, from the content of each update to information on the history of its creation. That stuff is pure gold if you're into Minecraft trivia, and it can be a lot of fun to explore the thousands of pages and become even more of a Minecraft expert.
If you feel up to the task and have a little free time, you can actually become a contributor to the Minecraft Wiki by making an account and going through a vetting process. Contributors have to prove themselves, but eventually you can put your Minecraft knowledge to use tackling the ever-growing, never finished pile of "Wanted Articles" and "Stubs" that the Wiki would like to see added. It's a pretty cool way to be a part of the Minecraft community, and the top contributors are highly respected among older Crafters. You'll get to be a part of important conversations about the game, and even see some of the Mojang guys on there sometimes!
Minecraft Forum
minecraftforum.net
Focus: Talking with others about all aspects of the game, as well as finding new maps, mods and more
The number one website for Crafters to gather and talk about Minecraft is the Minecraft Forum. Here anyone can make an account and chat with other Minecrafters about whatever they like, whether that's finding a new server, showing off screenshots, talking strategy or even chatting about other things that aren't Minecraft.
If you have a question about Minecraft, want to show something off that you did or want to find a new server to play on or new people to play with, the Minecraft Forum should be your first stop. Chances are, whatever your question or need, someone else has either asked the same question or can help you out quickly.
It's also common practice for most big mods, shaders, servers and some maps to have a page on here where their creators post information and the latest downloads for their creations. While Planet Minecraft has a lot of this stuff, the Forum usually has the most up-to-date version and a lot more info, and you'll find yourself going back and forth between the two sites a lot if you get into downloading add-ons for your game.
One thing to note about the forums: while they are heavily moderated, anyone can get on here, so be careful with what you post and who you talk to if you're still a young Crafter. Of course, most people on the Forum are super nice and happy to help you get better at the game, so don't worry too much, just keep your eye out for bad eggs.
And always remember: be nice and don't spam!
YouTube
youtube.com
Focus: Let's Play videos of Minecrafters recording their gameplay, lists of great mods and maps, and tutorials for most things you'd want to try
The three previously mentioned sites are the biggest and best out there when it comes to Minecraft-specific content, but YouTube may be the most important Minecraft site when it comes to spreading and teaching the game. This is because in recent years gamers have taken to recording themselves playing games, especially Minecraft, and have uploaded videos of themselves doing so to the site.
Nowadays, it's one of the most popular topics on YouTube, and many folks have actually become Minecraft celebrities that make a living posting hilarious, insightful and downright entertaining Minecraft videos on the website.
Some of the biggest names include the Mindcrack group (Guude, SethBling, Nebris et al.), SkyDoesMinecraft, CaptainSparklez, stampylonghead, SSundee, TheDiamondMinecart and the ever popular Yogscast. Many of these folks have been on here a very long time and have millions of subscribers, not to mention videos that can rack up hundreds of thousands or even millions of views each. They typically are very entertaining, having refined their, *ahem*, Craft for years and over thousands of videos, and each one has a massive following that they interact with regularly. If you've never seen a Minecraft Let's Play, we suggest checking out Mindcrack's UHC videos, one of Yogscasts' series or one of the many, many Minecraft music videos out there to start off.
In addition to the entertainment value, YouTube is ideal for showing players how various things work in the game. Can't figure out how to make a Redstone gate, or curious what a certain mod does? Search for it on YouTube! We can absolutely guarantee someone has explained it very well on there, if not many someones.
If you like the idea of using YouTube for Minecraft, you can actually join yourself and start uploading your very own videos! You'll need some special software and a microphone, but it's pretty simple to do when you get it set up. And, not surprisingly, you can find out how to do all that set up on YouTube itself.
Modloader Sites
files.minecraftforge.net feed-the-beast.com technicpack.net
Focus: Getting you those sweet, sweet mods and keeping you up to date with the modding community Most major mods for Minecraft have a specific forum page dedicated to them, as mentioned, but the primary way most mods are announced and accessed is through a modloader page.
Forge is more about getting the actual loader itself, which is slightly complex, but the site contains good and easy walkthroughs to get you through it.
Feed the Beast and Technic, on the other hand, are pretty slick and actually have the mods accessible through the loaders themselves, meaning you don't have to do much except get the modloader downloaded from the website. Those last two especially are great for learning about new mods and reading the information about them, as they will give pretty detailed accounts and post fairly often (Technic most of all, perhaps).
There are other mod sites out there as well, so do a little exploring and see if you find one you really like!
Server Hosting Sites
Many, many out there!
Focus: Sites that you can pay to host a private or public Minecraft server
If you play Minecraft on the PC, chances are you've thought about how cool it would be to be able to play with your friends on your own server. While you can always play a LAN game with friends, or get on a public server, if you want to play on a private world with people online, you either have to have your own dedicated server running or know someone who does.
Setting up a server is totally do-able, but it takes a lot of time and effort, and a lot can go wrong. Try and add something like mods or big maps in there, and you'll quickly run into trouble. Typically people need an entire computer dedicated to running the server, plus a lot of expertise on server upkeep.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Master Builder 3.0 Advanced by Joe Funk. Copyright © 2015 Triumph Books LLC. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction from the Author,Software to Boost Your Builds,
Minecraft on the Web: Sites to Enhance Your Game,
Skins, Resource Packs and Shaders: Making Your Minecraft Pretty,
Mini-Games Galore!,
A Guide to Winning Ultra HardCore, Minecraft's Best Mini-Game,
Spotlight Corner: Servers and Mods,
The Minecraft Challenge List,
All New Gallery,
Minecraft, YouTube and a New Kind of Star: An Interview with TheDiamondMinecart,
Other Building Games,
Excerpt from The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Circuit Power!: Minecraft® ™ Redstone andthe Keys to Supercharging Your Builds in Sandbox Games,