Hardcore Info stories

[Sarudak]

So on the little tiny server that I run when my brother heard about the Hardcore Info changes his initial response was "I didn't ask to make minecraft impossible" followed by "I guess this is the end of adventures :(". So a few days later we were playing and we had recently moved from our temporary camp away from spawn out to the west to a more permanent base but our nether portal at the camp was interfering with the one at the base so my other friend on the server suggested he could go through the one at the camp and break the portal on the nether side and then my brother would go through the portal at our base and we would go and find the guy now stranded in the nether. Not everything went exactly as planned... But after about an hour of random wandering, finding a nether fort and finally running into each other they both got back and they were talking about how that's the most fun they've had in minecraft for a long time. I chime in with "And to think that none of that would have ever happened if you had F3". -long silence-

I think people underestimate how much it adds to the immersion and feel of the game to have the magic F3 taken away. No more going to the top of a mountain and thinking I wonder how tall this is, pressing F3 and knowing instantly. No more unerringly homing in on a location through hundreds of meters of rock. You can actually get lost again. And marking and remembering terrain becomes so much more valuable. So I just wanted to say thanks for Hardocre Info! Anyone else have any exciting stories that would have been dull with the magic GPS?

[Ulfengaard]

*clink* *clink* *clink* *clunk*
"....man, how far down am I? It's gotta be just about bedrock by now..."
*clink* *clink* *clink* *clunk*
"Probably ought to extend the curtain wall around my tree farm."
*clink* *clink* *clink* *clunk*
"Don't know if I'll have enough cobble, though, strange as that sounds."
*clink* *clink* "Haven't seen" *clink* "a single diam-" *clunk* "LAVA NOOOOOO!" *sssss*
[facedesk]

[/endstory]

Seriously. That's the first time I've fallen in lava in months because I always have F3 to know what my depth is. I always, always stop at 17 and start getting wary, so I've not had any issues with lava in a long time.

Fun times.

[Rianaru]

Mine has to do with nether portals too. Acquired glowstone and went through a portal to find that it lead to someone else's overworld portal. I spent the next several hours trying to make a map and being constantly petrified of dying and losing all of my glowstone before I could find my way home. Definitely the most nerve-wracking(and fun!) experience I've had in minecraft in a long time :)

[Indras]

Not only do I now once again carry both a clock and compass at all times, I have actually starting making the classic 1x1 dirt/sand towers again in order to see what my minimap used to show me.

Somewhere on my backup hard drive I still have my old World3 alpha save. Stuff like this makes me nostalgic to go play it again!

[FlowerChild]

Huzzah for new adventures! :)

Thanks guys. I really do appreciate these stories. As self-assured as I am, constant negativity about these kinds of changes definitely brings me down, and these kinds of posts go a long way in offsetting that.

The concept that fun can stem from loss of convenience is so alien to the average game player that it's incredibly validating for me to hear about people realizing it to be true through play.

[Sarudak]

Huzzah for cheering up flower!

The really funny bit was when we figured out that the two portals were only a few hundred blocks apart in the nether... ;)

[FlowerChild]

"....man, how far down am I? It's gotta be just about bedrock by now..."

One thing I've noticed related to this is that it oddly makes the MC world feel like it occupies a larger vertical space to have F3 disabled.

Not knowing what height you are at while mining downwards gives the impression that you're deep underground and that you have no idea when you'll hit bedrock. It becomes more of a pleasant surprise with a certain small sense of accomplishment when you finally do hit bottom.

I didn't anticipate that side-effect of F3 removal, but it's something I've been noticing myself during recent play.

[Sarudak]

One thing I've noticed related to this is that it oddly makes the MC world feel like it occupies a larger vertical space to have F3 disabled.

Not knowing what height you are at while mining downwards gives the impression that you're deep underground and that you have no idea when you'll hit bedrock. It becomes more of a pleasant surprise with a certain small sense of accomplishment when you finally do hit bottom.

I didn't anticipate that side-effect of F3 removal, but it's something I've been noticing myself during recent play.

I noticed that too! When I was digging out my shaft for the elevator I'm going to make. (It'll be my first)

It felt like I kept going and going and going. And then all of the sudden BAM I was at bedrock... :D

[Ulfengaard]

-snip-

For sure. It felt like I had been digging forever, but I couldn't be certain where I was at exactly. I had hoped to depend on the ores to guide me in assessing my depth, but I hadn't seen any except coal. The removal of F3 changes gameplay, yes, but it also changes the perception of that gameplay as well as the world. It's like floating in space with no coordinate system. A little cold and unnerving. ;)

[HavokSCOUT]

I just finished trying to connect my nether portal with my base , and without F3 to match up co ordinate, I think I overshot the end point by 500 blocks or so. As far as above ground navigation goes, I'm starting to navigate by the land rather than F3 or a minimap, which is a very refreshing experience.

[Sarudak]

Honestly I feel like the last release with hardcore info and hardcore beds is one of the biggest jumps forward in enjoyability of any release/feature of the mod. IMO the impact on gameplay is immense in an altogether good way. I know some people are still sulking about the loss of convenience but as long as they don't give up I believe that they'll find an altogether more rewarding experience. I know I am finding that to be the case.

[Bevanz]

Honestly I feel like the last release with hardcore info and hardcore beds is one of the biggest jumps forward in enjoyability of any release/feature of the mod. IMO the impact on gameplay is immense in an altogether good way. I know some people are still sulking about the loss of convenience but as long as they don't give up I believe that they'll find an altogether more rewarding experience. I know I am finding that to be the case.

Yes, this very much.

I have actually had to stick around at night and deal with mobs, it is pretty fun... and while I haven't died yet, it is nice to know that the spawn point actually matters now. I'll probably build a building there.

And I also have had the experience of a friend who was less-than-thrilled about the change taking place, but I'm sure he'll grow to it. It's nice to have a developer that knows the distinction between fun and convenience, and has backbone enough to stand up for a decision that is at first unpopular.

[Dreambolt]

Hehe it's like nothing has changed, but know if I'm lost, I have to stop, look, and make rational judgements of location to prevent myself from getting more lost, like real life. Though the real test will be me trying to locate the third and final strong hold in my world, and then building an underground rail to it, should be awesome. Honestly though the game hasn't changed much for me, just Long distance trips require more careful planning and resource management. It's most fun at night though.

[Ribky]

Cartography and orienteering will get you through. I am loving my collection of maps, and I do not ever leave my base without a compass. I will definitely agree that the world seems deeper.

[JesterxMailMan89]

I actually made my first map because of this change and had to track down my spawn quickly so i wouldn't be lost upon death. The world seems just a bit more vast when you have absolutely no clue where you are!

[Wgurgh]

My son started his first minecraft map ever, random seed and stuck with it. It was like he spawned in Antartica though, couldn't find anything but snow and ocean anywhere. After a while he got sick and tired of dealing with the snow and built a boat and headed off into the unkown. Much time later, he hit land, varied lands, and there he built his base. It was also there that he introduced BTW into his world. Of course, he made a bed (after getting killed once and using F3 to find his place again from an old screenshot he had) and things were good again.

Then months later comes the announcement of hardcore beds/F3...

He actually told me that for the first time, he doubted FC, actually said he was just about sure these changes were wrong. He also said he was not going to update BTW any more, because he was not willing to give up his first world. I kept trying to settle him down, but he said it was easy for me since my spawn point was within sight of my railroad. Finally I prevailed and suggested that I help him out in putting in a nether pathway from his spawn to his new place. What a fun time we had! First, taking the direct compass route back to his spawn I found some nice looking overhangs and other topographical features. He was having some trouble working on his end of the nether because he kept looking at my computer and wanting me to mark things for him. He got upset that I took almost no supplies with me, but I told him he could find the things by starting where I did and using a compass to go back to spawn.

I was ready to get back to Edolas after we joined the tunnels, but he wanted me to help him put in a nether railway, not just in case he dies, but so he can go back and forth. Anyhow, I think we have another convert.

Oh, personally, I was afraid of the change, but decided to trust FC and not get too worked up over it. Found out I had been using F3 more than I thought I had, and was glad to not be able to any more. I really think it is important to think things through and PLAY with changes for a while before I get upset or worried about them.

One more note, on Edolas I spent several very entertaining hours trying to find sargunster and razzle to help them escort some villagers to sargunster's base. Fruitless in the sense that I never did quite manage to meet up with them, but very enjoyable.

[wizardglick]

I just upgraded, so I haven't left my base yet. However I am planning an expedition to find clay, and I'm finding that I'm having to think about the trip a lot more. When I went out to find wolves pre-HC, just about all I really needed was a bed. Of course, using Rei's it was basically impossible to even veer off course, much less get lost.

Now I have a lot more to think about, like "what am I going to make a waypoint marker out of?"

[finite8]

I think this summed up one of my experiences:

Went adventuring. Got lost. Starved. Respawned. Tried to find starved corpse to pick up items. Failed to find it. Got Lost. Starved.

Thus is the circle of life.

[Elensaar]

I recently went off on an epic adventure to find a dung-machine or two. Had to spend three ingame days just searching for a biome they could spawn in. Then, on my way back, I lost sight of my waypoint markers...

I wandered around for a day trying to find them again - and here I thought I had put them in easy to spot locations! :( Then I got fed up and tried to find my own way back, and pretty soon realized I have no idea where I am... I actually had to stop and set up a temporary base to dig down and get the materials for a compass (stupidly left mine at home), then find my way back to spawn and follow my markers home from there.

Awesome times!

[Six]

It is neat how much this reminds me of the early days in MC when exploration felt like more of an adventure. It's amazing how much larger the world feels when you can't look at a number and just see that you are -300 +100 from the origin.

[TheAnarchitect]

"....man, how far down am I? It's gotta be just about bedrock by now..."

One thing I've noticed related to this is that it oddly makes the MC world feel like it occupies a larger vertical space to have F3 disabled.

Not knowing what height you are at while mining downwards gives the impression that you're deep underground and that you have no idea when you'll hit bedrock. It becomes more of a pleasant surprise with a certain small sense of accomplishment when you finally do hit bottom.

I didn't anticipate that side-effect of F3 removal, but it's something I've been noticing myself during recent play.

Not to mention that this makes the flint block a way better method of hiding your base. "Oh I hit bedrock. This must be the bottom." Would never have worked with depth gauges.

[BinoAl]

Just had myself a great time today thanks to hardcore info :)
I started a game on a jungle island, and after getting the neccessary farms up and running, I went off in search of an animal (really any). Found chickens first, then started heading back to my base. Soon, I realized I didn't have a clue where I was. I started starving, and broke a bunch of the oak leaves on the ground in jungles for apples. I fought off countless creepers from my group of chickens (4 chickens to start), but ended up making it back to my base (after seeing a slightly brighter side of a faraway tree from my torches) with an iron sword several hits away from breaking, and 2 chickens. Fuckin' love it :)

[PatrickSJ]

I've built giant stone pillars to signal my way home.

Also, I've started exploring by river a lot more. It is is much fun to explore this way and setup waystations while I explore for a day. Forests & jungles now have lookout towers as well. It is easier to setup a tower and look for it if I get lost. Because I am making many towers I've started working on varying designs. Much more fun to explore.

[Larmantine]

Recently started playing MC again. Created a new world. Spent ~ 2 hours like a nomad trying to find a perfect spot for HCB base. Found Extreme hills with a waterfall. ''Glacier'' like ones. Entrenched my camp and went down in the mines. Got some decent equipment, made compass, and then made a pathway of cobblestone until I hit my spawn. Made a camp at a spawn point, got couple of stacks of iron, gold and redstone, made a railway to my new base, through caves, mountains, top of the jungle and taiga, and on a very long bridge over an ocean. Pretty fun and interesting to watch the environment while riding the cart. A bit later facedesked heavily because I had forgot about the nether and its fast travel. Made portals on base and spawn, found each other in the nether, made a railway there. Now instead of 5 minutes by minecart or ~ 10 on foot in Overworld I only spend about a minute in the nether. Don't know how many times I died of getting lost or of starvation during the pathmaking. Quite fun.


I just wanted to say a BIG thanks to FC because the latest Hardcore updates added many many hours of fun game play. Thank you.

[FaceFoiled]

The hardcore beds is the best thing ever for me at the moment. Working on skycity which is near spawn, and well, I tend to fall off a lot and die. :P Being able to move back quickly, instead of spawning back in my house's bed is amazing! ^_^

Hardcore buckets however, is currently dominating my minecraft life. God I love the screw pumps!