What the 1.8 update has to offer

Like every Minecraft update, anticipation has been growing, hopes have been raised and tempers tested as we look forward to what 1.8 will bring us in May. Let’s take a look at what exactly we can expect and how it can affect EMC.

As far as Gameplay goes, the additions are very limited.

• Spectator mode! Differentiated from the likes of Survival and Creative, this will allow people to explore and investigate without them being able to interact with blocks and the world in general. It’s like being a ghost and you even travel through the ground and blocks ahead of you when flying. Mobs don’t notice you and the HUD (heads up display) is completely gone. Does this mean you might be able to get a birds eye view of Town soon? Maybe!
• Scoreboards and statistics have been tweaked and features added to them. This looks promising, but it still doesn’t cater for our server although they could start appearing during mini-games.
• Good news for Enchanting! It’s cheaper, however you will still need to reach the minimum level and trade 1-3 pieces of Lapis Lazuli – finally giving them a proper use.
• Lots of technical things! For a full list of the new Gameplay features, check this out.

Now for what we’re all MUCH more excited for, let’s take a look at the new Blocks, Items and Mobs that will be added!

• Probably what most people are excited for (and finally another use for slime balls), the slime block. It’s like an ugly version of a trampoline, and I’m sure it’ll save lives (and time, because let’s face it, isn’t jumping so much more fun?) out in the Wild.
• Three new stone like materials! They look similar to gravel, however, when you create their polished counterparts you have a clean new building block that I’m sure many future Town builds will take advantage of.
• Much like the pesky Silverfish, Endermite are sort of like “child” mobs and originating from the Ender family. Surprisingly, Endermen are hostile towards them!

What else is coming our way?

• A change to the Minecraft rendering system means that X-Ray texture packs will be completely eliminated – say hello to a fairer game and those lazy cheaters!

Have you been playing on the test versions as they come out each week? As always, let us know how you feel about the update on the EMC forums!