Minecraft (Questions)

[Gorathoth]

Yes, Minecraft... the biggest time-sink in the world. I've been thinking about getting into it, because I loved and played the hell out of Terraria, with my wife as well, and now that they added LAN play to Minecraft, I'm getting a little interested.

So, for all you Minecraft enthusiasts out there:

Has anyone tried the new LAN addition and is it included automatically in the latest download of Minecraft?

Do you actually have to be physically networked one PC to another or can you just go IP to IP?

What's the best/most realistic/HD texture pack to use for Minecraft, and will it work if in multiplayer?
Do you need a separate installer/patcher (as I'm seeing, it seems) for texture packs?

I found this one which looks like the best I've found thus far: http://www.minecrafttextures.com/packs/life-hd-64x though I've seen more around, but not sure what's the best/most realistic/HD.

Could someone pass me the link to exactly the x64 version of Java I would need to use with Win7 64 without problems?

I'm still not sure which version it is, and I've seen different versions mentioned when I checked different sites/forums.

Do you need to alter the path of Java in order to get it to work right on Win7, like I had to do for another game (Project Zomboid, I think it was)?

I forget how to do it, but think I kept the instructions somewhere.

If I get into this, I've got a feeling my life is over, ha ha. I love building $&#! and creating an entire world, but just never got into it until now, though I did get sucked into Terraria. Plus, I'm that bored right now waiting for all the upcoming games this fall.

 

[DeathPrincess]

I played lan before this patch whatever. Just set up the server on on computer, and used wireless internal IPs to connect to the server (the server was 192.169.0.3, and everyone just typed that as the server IP, no messing with ports).

Java, download the top two. Install them in different folders though (I did that once...wasn't fun ). But you get Windows Offline (32-bit) as well as Windows Offline (64-bit).

No you don't need to alter anything.

This site has pretty much everything you need to know about items/blocks/depths/whatever. (useful references here) and here. There isn't really much of a learning curve, and most things are pretty intuative with a few quirks.

Best way is to play with others. You could play around on the [H] server.

Might be good to play around without texture mods at first so you know what things are and can easily look them up. Later on when you know how to do stuff it wont matter so much.

 

[MavericK]

Also, if you use a texture pack, remember that if it is above 16x (or something, not sure) you need the MC Patcher utility for it to work properly. There should be no limitations in MP for texture packs (I don't think the server can even check for that) and most of them you install by just putting the .zip file in the right folder and enabling it in-game.

Keep in mind, also, that once you start to get to 64x and up, it can get REALLY slow to load and REALLY laggy.

 

[RadioActiveLobster]

Also, if you use a texture pack, remember that if it is above 16x (or something, not sure) you need the MC Patcher utility for it to work properly. There should be no limitations in MP for texture packs (I don't think the server can even check for that) and most of them you install by just putting the .zip file in the right folder and enabling it in-game.

Keep in mind, also, that once you start to get to 64x and up, it can get REALLY slow to load and REALLY laggy.

Instead of MC Patcher I highly recommend installing the Optifine Mod

 

[Gorathoth]

Thanks to all for the info, but just a little confused regarding a few things:

I played lan before this patch whatever. Just set up the server on on computer, and used wireless internal IPs to connect to the server (the server was 192.169.0.3, and everyone just typed that as the server IP, no messing with ports).

That sounds great, except I've absolutely no idea how to create "wireless inter IPs", so is there somewhere I could find out how to do that?

Also, when setting up a server on a computer, do you need another Minecraft server prog? Or is it just you hosting the game?

With the new LAN addition, can people just connect directly to your internal IP?
I'd only be having my wife connect, so I'm not worried about it otherwise.

Java, download the top two.

Which "top two" would you be referring to? On Java's site?

Install them in different folders though (I did that once...wasn't fun ). But you get Windows Offline (32-bit) as well as Windows Offline (64-bit).

I think you meant don't install them in different folders? Judging from you're following comment of it "not being fun", I'm assuming the first part was a typo?

So I want Windows Offline 32-bit?
I thought it was just 64-bit and it's like they came together...?

I installed Java on another system for Project Zomboid a while back, and only had to download one version, but now I cant remember which/how.

No you don't need to alter anything.

Alright, good to know, thanks!

This site has pretty much everything you need to know about items/blocks/depths/whatever. (useful references here) and here. There isn't really much of a learning curve, and most things are pretty intuative with a few quirks.

Best way is to play with others. You could play around on the [H] server.

Might be good to play around without texture mods at first so you know what things are and can easily look them up. Later on when you know how to do stuff it wont matter so much.

Thanks again, and good advice! I know there's a steep learning curve, so maybe I will play without the textures first, as you've suggested. Definitely plan on playing with others.

Also, if you use a texture pack, remember that if it is above 16x (or something, not sure) you need the MC Patcher utility for it to work properly. There should be no limitations in MP for texture packs (I don't think the server can even check for that) and most of them you install by just putting the .zip file in the right folder and enabling it in-game.

Keep in mind, also, that once you start to get to 64x and up, it can get REALLY slow to load and REALLY laggy.

Really? Even on a full-out system such as mine?
I can max-out any game on the market right now with no lag @ 1920x1080 with my current rig (in sig).

Ah, so if it's above 16x you need the patcher, ok... thanks for that, because I had no idea. So much information I'm looking for that I've not come across everything yet, hence why all this is extremely helpful, thanks!

Instead of MC Patcher I highly recommend installing the Optifine Mod

OK, now I'm confused... so this is better than using the patcher? How so? For the fps boost?

Is this like an .exe installer? Or just something you drop into a folder as a mod?

I'll start looking into it now, but if this is better than the patcher then I'll use that instead.

Thanks again for all the feedback!

 

[mas]

Instead of MC Patcher I highly recommend installing the Optifine Mod

they both do completely different things, why suggest one over the other...

mcpatcher is a package handler and does some texture/graphic mods on the side, very convenient but not actually needed to use them. optifine is just a graphic mod that tweaks up certain details. personally I did not find it all that useful and didn't keep it but that was a long time ago, could be much improved by now.

minecraft has always been easy to lan, the recent patch just adds a simple way to do it through any client. if your guys are into building it's a solid game and basically limitless via mods, but the base game does not even compare to terraria for mechanics imo. unless you seek out heavy mods that add real gameplay to it, it's just... aimless.

 

[Gorathoth]

Wait, I actually still have both:

jre-7u3-windows-i586 and jre-7u3-windows-x64

Which do I install again?

If I remember, I think it was i586 but I cant remember.

 

[Gorathoth]

they both do completely different things, why suggest one over the other...

mcpatcher is a package handler and does some texture/graphic mods on the side, very convenient but not actually needed to use them. optifine is just a graphic mod that tweaks up certain details. personally I did not find it all that useful and didn't keep it but that was a long time ago, could be much improved by now.

minecraft has always been easy to lan, the recent patch just adds a simple way to do it through any client. if your guys are into building it's a solid game and basically limitless via mods, but the base game does not even compare to terraria for mechanics imo. unless you seek out heavy mods that add real gameplay to it, it's just... aimless.

Well, Minecraft is predominantly about building things, no?
So, it's probably a little "aimless" because it seems more geared to being like Garry's Mod, in terms of just being a giant sandbox to create things.

I personally still love Terraria, but have been tempted to get into the 3D aspect of things in Minecraft.

What is it you like about Terraria's mechanics better? The gameplay with magic and creatures etc? Or also the building of things?

As for OptiFine, it seems to do more than just add a few graphical tweaks. It allows for the use of HD texture mods, and a whole list of other things, so there's seems to be a huge advantage of using that over the Patcher from what I'm looking at, I think.

 

[RadioActiveLobster]

they both do completely different things, why suggest one over the other...

mcpatcher is a package handler and does some texture/graphic mods on the side, very convenient but not actually needed to use them. optifine is just a graphic mod that tweaks up certain details. personally I did not find it all that useful and didn't keep it but that was a long time ago, could be much improved by now.

The reason I recommend Optifine over MC Patcher is that Optifine does pretty much everything MC Patcher goes and a lot more. It gives you a lot of options for tweaking graphics and can boost framerates a lot.

One large benefit I like about it is that you can change Texture Packs from the in-game menu instead of having to return to the main menu

 

[MavericK]

mcpatcher is a package handler and does some texture/graphic mods on the side, very convenient but not actually needed to use them.

Last time I checked (which was not terribly long ago) you needed MC Patcher to "patch" the higher-res texture packs for them to work in the game. So yeah, unless something changed drastically in the last month or so, you do need them for larger-res packs.

 

[Hammerbrah]

Also check out this shader mod, makes me want to try playing minecraft again, but I rather not haha.
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic...le-shaders-glsl-shaders-dynamic-shadows-more/

 

[DeathPrincess]

That sounds great, except I've absolutely no idea how to create "wireless inter IPs", so is there somewhere I could find out how to do that?

Easiest way is to go to the computer where the server is running, run CMD and type IPCONFIG. It's the "IPv4 Mask" line. Then in minecraft just type that in as the server IP. It will usually be 192.168.0.something. As long as you are all using the same router, this will work fine.

Also, when setting up a server on a computer, do you need another Minecraft server prog? Or is it just you hosting the game?

Yes you do. (info page here). and files needed here. Would recommend the java version, even though it's more of a PITA.

With the new LAN addition, can people just connect directly to your internal IP?
I'd only be having my wife connect, so I'm not worried about it otherwise.

Not sure, haven't used it! From this description it's simpler to set up, but might be kind of buggy.

Which "top two" would you be referring to? On Java's site?

I think you meant don't install them in different folders? Judging from you're following comment of it "not being fun", I'm assuming the first part was a typo?

So I want Windows Offline 32-bit?
I thought it was just 64-bit and it's like they came together...?

You need to install 32 and 64bit offline javas. But make sure you install them to different locations/folders.

Last time I wasn't paying attention and installed 64bit in the same folder as 32bit, and it screwed things up pretty nicely. I wasn't able to uninstall or use either, but it registered that java was installed and I couldn't reinstall, so I had to manually remove it and delete the various registry keys, etc.

I installed Java on another system for Project Zomboid a while back, and only had to download one version, but now I cant remember which/how.

Most browsers will use 32bit, but stuff will use 64bit if it's present (I think, something like that). It's just best to install both.

Thanks again, and good advice! I know there's a steep learning curve, so maybe I will play without the textures first, as you've suggested. Definitely plan on playing with others.

It's just so you get used to the items/blocks, and will make it easier to reference in the guides/tutorials! It is definately a game that is better played with others! (plus you can see stuff they built rather than just more of your stuff over and over). In exploration it's always good to have someone else for the monsters to kill.

 

[Gorathoth]

Man, you guys are great with all this info... thanks!

Now, the question is... do I start investing my life into this massive time-sink and get hooked or not, never seeing the light of day again, ha ha.

Some of the texture mods I've come across in the last couple of hours are insane and make the game look outstanding.

Oh, actually I did have one question about having Java installed...

Last time I had it installed on Win7, I started getting "warnings" about the "unsafe nature" of Java... no friggin' idea if it was coming from Win7 itself or the browser... but the warnings were actually security warnings something to the effect of suggesting to uninstall Java from my system as it was an "unsafe program", lol!

So I Google'd around and apparently people getting security warnings about Java with Win7, and there's apparently some way to turn that off...

...but what/why the hell was I getting these security warnings about JRE and that I should "uninstall the program" with the warnings?

I had no idea what to make of it, so I actually just uninstalled it... didn't need it anymore at that point anyway... and have had no use for it since. I stopped playing Project Zomboid and nothing else I play/use requires Java.

So... just thought I'd throw that out there because it was a little nuts and I'd never seen anything like that before.

I know Java, in the past (like with WinXP), was always a security hazard to some degree, but I was surprised to see something like that and no idea if it's even an issue anymore these days with Win7 etc.

No, I don't wear a tinfoil hat (it gets too hot, ha ha), so I'm actually asking if there's any validity to those weird warnings.

 

[arr4ws]

my only advice :

dont let DP anywhere near your building , she always run with a flint and steel in her hand

 

[mas]

Well, Minecraft is predominantly about building things, no?
So, it's probably a little "aimless" because it seems more geared to being like Garry's Mod, in terms of just being a giant sandbox to create things.

I personally still love Terraria, but have been tempted to get into the 3D aspect of things in Minecraft.

What is it you like about Terraria's mechanics better? The gameplay with magic and creatures etc? Or also the building of things?

As for OptiFine, it seems to do more than just add a few graphical tweaks. It allows for the use of HD texture mods, and a whole list of other things, so there's seems to be a huge advantage of using that over the Patcher from what I'm looking at, I think.

yea difference being one can be called a game, and the other can't, that's it. it's a huge difference, and op has never played minecraft, so just pointing out it doesn't come with a game. so it can't be compared with something like terraria, that has both game and sandbox, that's what is meant by mechanics.

last version of the two mods I worked with, mcpatcher was/is a package manager that installs more than just textures, where opti did only graphical mods. did not know those features were rolled into it by now but there you go. I used a standalone mod to do the in game texture swapping, so I never saw the need for it elsewhere. the res limit for textures is just that, a limit that can be modded any way you choose, I'm sure there's more that have included this feature.

 

[McClintoc]

Old thread but I did a search and can't seem to find a general Minecraft discussion thread. I have a question so I figure this thread will sufice.

I am playing Minecraft through my web browser at work but I work in a call center and sometimes sit at a different computer each day. I have a saved game that I have on one computer but when I am on a different computer, the saved game dosen't show up when I log into Minecraft. Is there a saved file on my HDD that I can copy to a thumb drive and put on each computer or am I stuck with making a new game at each computer I sit at?

 

[mas]

yea just look in appdata folder of your user docs, there will be a \.minecraft directory that keeps all the saves.

 

[McClintoc]

yea just look in appdata folder of your user docs, there will be a \.minecraft directory that keeps all the saves.

Does this apply if I only play through my web browser?