# Anyone playing Minecraft anymore? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 13, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761 "2012-02-13T23:32:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/161 "2012-04-17T15:41:56Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I just spent two days trying to build a machine to hide or expose light (in essence, to turn a mob spawner on and off), using sticky pistons. (24 sticky pistons with 24 glow stone cubes, shuttered by another 24 sticky pistons with cobblestone on a seperate circuit) > > But I think the close proximity of the some pistons to others caused problems. (Some pistons stayed on/extended, even after ripping out the wiring.) > > So the second day, I set up a simpler machine that pushes glowstone cubes into “slots” to block off light. The machine works fine, but light from the cubes “leaks” around to edges of the blocks and piston pad, so the spawner room still looks pretty well lit. > > \*sobs Glass transmits light with 100% efficiency. Could you put the light and its piston behind a wall, with a layer of glass as a window to that light when it’s in the “on” position? That way the light can’t leak around any of the moving parts, because it’ll be blocked by the wall, but the light will be able to shine through the glass when you activate it. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/162 "2012-04-17T15:52:02Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > Glass transmits light with 100% efficiency. Could you put the light and its piston behind a wall, with a layer of glass as a window to that light when it’s in the “on” position? That way the light can’t leak around any of the moving parts, because it’ll be blocked by the wall, but the light will be able to shine through the glass when you activate it. Yeah, that’s what I’m going to do. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/163 "2012-04-17T17:24:55Z")
Or you could skip the pistons and just use redstone lamps. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/164 "2012-04-17T19:20:43Z")
Holy crap. I didn’t know that you could turn glowstone off with a redstone torch. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/165 "2012-04-18T14:51:21Z")
Thanks, all! Room works as intended now. Nice and dark inside. Gonna try my hand at hardcore mode, and see how long before some creeper ends my game. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/166 "2012-04-18T15:43:47Z")
For anyone still on the fence about the game, and isn’t into PC gaming, Minecraft is going to be released on the Xbox Arcade May 9th. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/167 "2012-04-18T15:51:31Z")
Been getting into it a little, kind of like playing with virtual legos. Found a good server with decent admins, people I regularly talk to, and a market to buy/sell items that will no doubt become rare as the land gets pillaged by all of the people. Another interesting thing about the server is factions. You can create a faction, invite others (if desired) and claim land. This way people cannot build nor destroy your land. I made sure to live pretty far away from home spawn that I’ve rarely seen any other people, but better safe than sorry! Umm…And I made [this](http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/chewyhamster04/?action=view¤t=hamster.png)all by myself, wool block by wool block. 42x42 so a little over 1600 blocks (it was either do this or study for my final…I have no regrets.) Died once or twice from accidentally falling onto my house. Been saving up money to do one more epic picture out in a desert I found, my last hurrah, but I can’t decide what picture I want to make yet. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/168 "2012-04-19T15:10:04Z")
How do you toggle between first and third person view? ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/169 "2012-04-19T15:24:29Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > How do you toggle between first and third person view? f5 ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/170 "2012-04-19T16:18:04Z")
thanks ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/171 "2012-05-29T18:40:53Z")
Ok, bumping the thread for a question: How do I install mods (my OS is Windows)? Most mods seem to require “modloader” or “Forge” installed. I downloaded something called Modloader, but it (as zipped) only has “class files” in it, no executables. Some mods state that you must “add” them into the “minecraft.jar” file. (I have winzip, do not have WinRar.) I have tried using the “add archive” files [Winzip], and cutting and pasting the contents of the zipped mods into the minecraft.jar, but it only screws up the .jar file [game doesn’t run], and I have to slick and reload minecraft. I’ve looked at some of the threads in the Minecraft forums and Yogsbox forums, but they don’t seem to have the patience to answer a basic noob question like mine. Please provide detailed instructions, if you would. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/172 "2012-05-30T14:44:25Z")
I’m glad you bumped the thread, mlees. I just started playing on Saturday (on XBox): I had seen videos of the gameplay, and it really just did not look appealing. But I like building and sandboxes, and after reading so much praise I took the $20 plunge (I chose XBox for several reasons, including: I sit at a PC all day long; I have a great HT setup; and it’s cooler in the basement where my HT is). I must have played 25 hours over the holiday weekend. My 16-year-old nephew visited on Sunday, and he noted “some of the kids at school play it, but I don’t think I’d like it”. Knowing that he likes building (he loves BuckyBalls, and engineering is his backup career plan), I had him sit with me for 15 minutes; he then grabbed the second controller and we proceeded to split-screen build for about 5 hours straight. Noob tip: if you “crouch” (click right-stick on controller, not sure what it is on the PC), you won’t fall off the block level you are standing on. That would have saved me soooo much time and health had I known that on, say, Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/173 "2012-05-30T15:34:52Z")
I have this for PC, but I picked up the Xbox version as well. The world is so much smaller, and a lot of the best PC updates (Pistons!) aren’t in it yet, but it’s still a lot of fun. Being able to easily go to your friend’s worlds and have them come to yours is great. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/174 "2012-05-30T15:48:49Z")
> [@Raza](#): > > Noob tip: if you “crouch” (click right-stick on controller, not sure what it is on the PC), you won’t fall off the block level you are standing on. That would have saved me soooo much time and health had I known that on, say, Sunday. Yeah. I just discovered that a week ago myself. The game looks simple (unappealing block architechture), but being able to try and build stuff (even gathering resources) is somehow addictive. Lego’s are ok, but you can’t move around _inside_ your lego creations, at least, most of us can’t. (I suppose you could buy enough lego’s to literally fill your garage, but it would set you back more than 20 bucks…) Another advantage for the PC version: Texture packs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/175 "2012-06-05T01:27:33Z")
I picked it up for the Xbox360. It has a sort of Robert Neville in Legoland sort of feel to it. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/176 "2012-06-05T02:28:33Z")
I have to admit. I’m having trouble finding a point to it. I mean I realize there is no real point. But other than building mines to gather resources for my big house, not really sure where to go with this. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/177 "2012-06-05T02:36:13Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I have to admit. I’m having trouble finding a point to it. I mean I realize there is no real point. But other than building mines to gather resources for my big house, not really sure where to go with this. [Check out these Minecraft Forums](http://www.minecraftforum.net/forum). They’re populated by a lot of kids, but these are Minecraft kids, not Call of Duty kids - there’s a higher percentage of intelligent posters than many game forums. There are a lot of ideas for things to do. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/178 "2012-06-05T15:56:08Z")
Anyone have the scoop on when 1.3 will be making its debut? I’m holding off on further projects until that’s implemented. Last I heard, it would be coming early June, but here we are… ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/179 "2012-06-05T17:43:10Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I picked it up for the Xbox360. > > It has a sort of Robert Neville in Legoland sort of feel to it. I’ve been playing a lot on the 360. Ever since picking it up on the PC, I was hoping it’d make it to the 360. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761/180 "2012-06-07T00:09:19Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > I’ve been playing a lot on the 360. Ever since picking it up on the PC, I was hoping it’d make it to the 360. It’s my understanding that the Xbox360 version is a few releases behind the PC version. For instance, you can’t make pistons and you can’t breed animals yet. Which sucks because I wanted to crush a lot of pigs and cows with pistons. It is a bit addicting though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-playing-minecraft-anymore/612761.md?page=10)