Notes

Continue To Redstone-wired Minecart Railways

Minecraft is an endlessly entertaining game, as it doesn't come with any plot, a final boss, a time limit, any rules, or even any objectives whatsoever. The game's open-ended nature forces you to invent your own goals, and it makes possible a variety of different types of gameplay. But, the most popular method of playing (aside, maybe, from pixel art) is as follows: Wake up on island. Punch trees. Protect yourself from monsters. Create weapons. Fight monsters. Start a strip mine or a quarry. Build a monster-proof base with trees and a mob mill. You can now move on to redstone-wired minecart railways. Etc.



This gameplay is a great illustration of a culturally ingrained way to think about nature, colonization, frontiers and wilderness, as well as exploration. You're the only person on earth and the land is untouched (because neither animals nor monsters count as people) You have a perfect right to extract natural resources and to kill (naturally) enemies as you see fit. Your goal is to control the natural world and establish civilization through fortresses and farms. It is obvious that there are unsavory historical connections.



It is possible to say that some elements of this story are built into the game, which, after all was not made in a void of culture. It is possible to turn monsters off but not make them friendly. The tools you can create include swords, pickaxes and bows. Et cetera. The fun of Minecraft comes from players exploiting bugs or finding alternative uses for features in order to play the game in different unexpected, unintentional, and definitely unexpected ways. It is possible to deliberately change the rules of the game and players are doing it constantly.



One of the first examples I came to come across was the clan known as the Anarcho-Communists of Minecraftia (original forum thread). On multiplayer servers, economies often emerge, either informally or formally. There are even mods such as iConomy that allow administrators to regulate shops and currency. The ACoM saw this and formed a group that was strictly anti-capitalist.



For singleplayers there are threads on /r/minecraft in which people discuss their unique gameplay styles. There's a nomad mode:



I spend the majority of my time exploring and locating the resources I need to continue. I seek out a spot to pitch my tent for the night in the afternoon. These are usually on the slope in natural caves that I just make small patches to protect or a basic dirt home near the water. The goal is to alter the landscape as minimally as is possible. Reuse and maximize use of supplies. Do not stay in one location longer than you need to or, if you decide to create a temporary home try to keep it as simple as possible. INFO No big structures, no waste of resources. No hoarding of supplies or resources. Only use what is required.



There's also Falloutcraft (a. also known as. an. Morlock or Moleman) in which you play the whole game underground or Windwaker (island-hopping)-I imagine this would work best with Biome Terrain Mod to create an archipelago like map.



My favourite so far however, is "caretaker forest elf" and (from the comments) similar styles such as "caretaker dwarf" and "hollower":



While the caretaker elf isn't able to remove dirt and stones she could ask creepers to blow up any materials she might be interested in. Because creepers are always looking for ways to blow things up her, she's not afraid to do this. In the end, the gigantic creeper was responsible for the creation of the World. The caretaker utilizes natural forms to construct structures. She doesn't destroy them but instead builds on them. She also plants trees after they die, preferably more trees than before and so that she can enrich the world.



[...] Interesting question: Does this massive grass plain really want me to plant trees everywhere? should i go somewhere else to do this if the plains are going to be endless and grassy? You may not care, but the caretaker Elf cares!



Another commenter describes their style as the Lonely Vault-Builder:



I construct a small dwelling beneath the surface to protect the natural environment. To supply me with simple and renewable resources, I create underground gardens. Hidden arbors go down to the bedrock with gentle shafts and a careful bracing. I only leave to collect sand from empty islands or wool from sheep roaming. Once I've found a secure and sustainable house with only a few touches of glass and a light architecture I wander around aimlessly for a while, unsure of what to do next.



[...] modified to add an unrelated note to the above I've also been embracing an essentially cruelty-free playstyle. I don't kill pigs or cows, and only punch sheep enough to shear them. (I once accidentally punched a sheep into lava. It was quite tragic:) I only attack monsters that are chasing me, though I've no hesitation in picking up bones and feathers at dawn. [...]



All of this has caused me to think about how I could enhance my more or less traditional gameplay. I downloaded a map that had numerous small islands as well as open ocean. Now, I could establish the base on one of the larger islands with a mine and a nice house, and then light up and secure the islands one by one...but I'm thinking of doing something different. I'll build treehouses or stay in caves, mine only mine ores that are exposed (which means only iron and possibly coal) and plant trees for each one I cut down. I'll try my best to construct shelters but I don’t plan to build weapons. If an insect or creeper gets me and I die, well, I'm dead! (No problem, since I don't have plans to accumulate many things anyway.) I'll make a small boat and travel from island to island in my little boat. It will be an adventure!


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