How Minecraft has changed me as a gamer

[Thalarctia]

Some years ago I stumbled across one of the previous games that Notch worked on, a MMO sandbox game which has a LOT in common with minecraft. You shape the land, you build structures, you create items. Later on they added ways for players to make their own cities, kingdoms etc. The game was very slow paced, making a nice home for yourself was a lot of hard work, but it was so very rewarding, and it just kept going with a bit of the same "ooo, I should do this!" mentality. However, because of its MMO structure, it eventually turned into something more resembling a second job, but it did stir a spark that, so far, only games like Minecraft or Terraria have been able to follow up on.

The aforementioned game is Wurm Online btw, still going (relatively) strong.

However, I'm not sure Minecraft has as much changed me, as just added a new layer to me as a gamer. I immensely enjoyed Skyrim, with well over a hundred hours invested, and I enjoy many other "limited" games as well. Minecraft gives some incredible challenges, but much of it lies in figuring out what to do next or how to solve a specific problem. Its more of an intellectual game, where a bit of hack n slash in Torchlight or some archery practice in Skyrim serves to provide some more instinctual action, or a good story RPG can trigger some emotions.

[Ulfengaard]

Some years ago I stumbled across one of the previous games that Notch worked on, a MMO sandbox game which has a LOT in common with minecraft. You shape the land, you build structures, you create items. Later on they added ways for players to make their own cities, kingdoms etc. The game was very slow paced, making a nice home for yourself was a lot of hard work, but it was so very rewarding, and it just kept going with a bit of the same "ooo, I should do this!" mentality. However, because of its MMO structure, it eventually turned into something more resembling a second job, but it did stir a spark that, so far, only games like Minecraft or Terraria have been able to follow up on.

The aforementioned game is Wurm Online btw, still going (relatively) strong.

However, I'm not sure Minecraft has as much changed me, as just added a new layer to me as a gamer. I immensely enjoyed Skyrim, with well over a hundred hours invested, and I enjoy many other "limited" games as well. Minecraft gives some incredible challenges, but much of it lies in figuring out what to do next or how to solve a specific problem. Its more of an intellectual game, where a bit of hack n slash in Torchlight or some archery practice in Skyrim serves to provide some more instinctual action, or a good story RPG can trigger some emotions.

Notch helped to make Wurm. That's the reason for much of the similarity between the two. I enjoyed Wurm, but I couldn't get away from Minecraft long enough to establish myself in Wurm. :)

[Thalarctia]

Notch helped to make Wurm. That's the reason for much of the similarity between the two. I enjoyed Wurm, but I couldn't get away from Minecraft long enough to establish myself in Wurm. :)

That's what I wrote, albeit maybe not that obvious. Ye, Wurm was created by Notch and Rolf, where Notch was primarily in charge of the client development for quite a while. One could view Wurm as sort of a parent to minecraft, as much of what makes minecraft so great was there first.

[RezDev]

First off, I don't really describe myself as a gamer. Although I've played video games for at least 20 years now, and have had lots of favorites during that time (Zork, Sierra Online games, SimCity, Diablo series, to name a few), I don't keep up with the gaming world and the newer things in it, especially online multiplayer stuff, as that doesn't really interest me all that much.

That being said, I think Minecraft has really opened my eyes to the potential of this type (or genre) of game. Personally, I see Minecraft as being a basis for expansion more than a game in and of itself. Vanilla Minecraft seems more like an 'engine' or 'platform' to me that can be expanded on, as we see with the various mods that are out there. The fact that modding this game is something that will (eventually...sigh) be officially supported is pretty major, in my opinion. The ability for the end user to choose the add-ons or plug-ins to customize the gaming experience down to the last detail, which will invite replay experience beyond anything ever seen before, is absolutely fascinating to me in its scope.

I'm pretty sure that I could still enjoy story-based games with a more delineated progression (as I do so very much want to play the next Diablo installment), but I think that the model introduced by Minecraft will be a big trend in the future, for sure.

[Flesh_Engine]

So, something like Skyrim ends up feeling more primitive to me as a game than something like Project Zomboid, which is of course ass-backwards to what I'm sure most people's reaction is. Yes, the environment may be awesomely detailed, but in terms of what you can actually do in it, it's pretty damn limited.

And really, when we're talking about the overall evolution of games, something like Skyrim is actually more primitive than say something like Ultima VII in terms purely of gameplay. I remember going on about this when games first switched over to 3D. I anticipated we'd lose a lot of gameplay in the process because suddenly environmental interactions became way more complicated to code, and ultimately: we did. We got tons of pretty graphics, but many of our games were set back a good 10 to 20 years in their designs, and suddenly we were playing Robotron again.

Which is why Duke3D was a smash hit in it's time, if it wasn't for the fact that you could take a piss in the urinal, give strippers a fiver to show em or play pool with your pistolshots, it wouldn't have had as much impact.

It's annoying when you have to realize that X and Y were done 15 years ago, only more involved yet with worse graphics (although with the rise of pixelgraphics, that's largely debatable...) but these days you'd have to be glad they 'streamlined' our gameplay experience on multiple platforms...

I think that this sort of thing will manifest itself more over the next couple of years, when the bigwigs over at Activision & EA see cash in a more "sandbox" type game with addons that integrates the environment in actual play.

Or at least i hope ;)

[FlowerChild]

I think that this sort of thing will manifest itself more over the next couple of years, when the bigwigs over at Activision & EA see cash in a more "sandbox" type game with addons that integrates the environment in actual play.

Or at least i hope ;)

I think big studios are going to have a very hard time competing with a game like MC, mainly because big studios are addicted to graphics.

These companies are generally not run by gamers. They're run by suits with only a very superficial understanding of gaming, so if you show them something that doesn't look purty, they think it's crap. They want to see explosions, hear cool sounds, and be given a pitch about how Fugrat the bold is on an epic quest to save his childhood love from certain doom. These are the things they understand, because they're trying to relate something they don't understand to movies, books, or tv.

The thing is, games like MC are highly dependent on making sacrifices in other areas so that the dynamic world that is so integral to the experience is possible, and one of those areas is the graphics.

Try convincing a suit of that though. It just won't fly (or it will fly, but they'll wreck it during production by forcing the team to keep upping the poly count or whatever), and as a result I think that games like MC will largely remain in the indie scene for the next few years. I've gone through hell in my career trying to convince suits to let games be made that I knew would be a blast to play, but which they were just incapable of understanding, and one of the many things I love about MC is that I think it could *only* have been made as an indie game because of that.

[Flesh_Engine]

True but i feel that with the recent kickstarter crowdfunding and the indie scene boom they might catch on.

It's also a bit of an endless downward spiral, gamers want shinier games, publishers deliver, hey, the second game has to be even purtier than the first, if it doesn't then the first one was "better" or there were no visible improvements.

Ultimately we have the faceless (console)gamer masses coupled with the "instant gratification" generation to blame for the current predicament of "line assembly" games & raped rehashes...

[Mr_Hosed]

...And this is why I've always maintained that there's still plenty of room in the industry for the little guy.

Yes, a big publisher is going to need to sell millions of copies and thus pander to the lowest common denominator on the market. They've got a huge monolithic coorporate structure to pay for. Until the publisher is eliminated from the equation (or becomes more valuable in a different role) games like Minecraft will only ever come from the indie scene.

A development house of 2 to 12 people can produce experimental games on a tight schedule and tight budget and still be profitable without a single game becoming a big hit. The internet allows for so many variations of distribution and monetization that even a game that only 100 people like can generate revenue enough for one guy to feed himself on. Not saying he'll get rich, but he could atleast feed himself on it.

[MoldenAtorn]

I think i was kind of screwed before even knowing of minecraft. For example, after playing a few games in Warcraft III, all that interested me was the map creator. And after some improvements on my skills, even if i kind of sucked at the game itself, i built some adventure maps that were a well-assayed challenge for my good players freinds.

So yeah, i defenitly loved minecraft since i puched the first wood log.

But sometimes i like to go on games like skyrim for the pleasure of beating the crap out of foes and loot epic stuff. But then when i'm playing that way, i don't wanna hear about crafting...so it's kind of the reverse of my minecraft playing behavior.

But in conclusion all i can say is that MC is way the mutch worth its money game i ever had to play.

[Mr_Hosed]

<snip>
But sometimes i like to go on games like skyrim for the pleasure of beating the crap out of foes and loot epic stuff. But then when i'm playing that way, i don't wanna hear about crafting...so it's kind of the reverse of my minecraft playing behavior.
<snip>

Crafting in Minecraft is something I've always loved and hated. When I first watched Coe and another guy (I can't recall his name now, but he was one of the first LPers) craft shit it's actually what attracted me to Minecraft. Even more so then the dynamic aspect of the world itself. Now... I can't stand the crafting system. I'm annoyed every time I have to craft something that's used to craft something else. One of the things I like about BTW is it's lack of recipes like this actually.

[FlowerChild]

Crafting in Minecraft is something I've always loved and hated. When I first watched Coe and another guy (I can't recall his name now, but he was one of the first LPers) craft shit it's actually what attracted me to Minecraft. Even more so then the dynamic aspect of the world itself. Now... I can't stand the crafting system. I'm annoyed every time I have to craft something that's used to craft something else. One of the things I like about BTW is it's lack of recipes like this actually.

Well, they're definitely there, it's just that I break things up with various crafting methods that makes it seem like they aren't, and makes it more interesting overall, because yes, I find that thing monotonous as well if it's overdone.

Craft the Turntable to make the Pottery to put in the Kiln to make the Crucible to craft the Steel...for example. If you did that all at a crafting table, you'd be screaming bloody murder, and for good reason :)

[MoRmEnGiL]

Heh, tell that to ic2 or a certain other forge mod :P

If it wasn't for logistic pipes and auto-crafting tables I would have quit VERY early in my forge mods play-through (not that I made it that far actually,once the novelty wears off it gets really boring really fast)

I don't think I can ever go back to crafting table based gameplay ever again in Mc, not after playing with multi-block machines in BtW. This design choice was definitely your finest ;]

[FlowerChild]

I don't think I can ever go back to crafting table based gameplay ever again in Mc, not after playing with multi-block machines in BtW. This design choice was definitely your finest ;]

WHY YOU NO LIKE GIMP SUITZ!!!!!????

[MoRmEnGiL]

Because it ain't fun with just me and animals. It gets boring and the conversation suffers. If only I could put it on testificates..

[FlowerChild]

Because it ain't fun with just me and animals. It gets boring and the conversation suffers. If only I could put it on testificates..

If you're looking for conversation, I think you're better off with the Companion Cube :)

[Thalarctia]

Because it ain't fun with just me and animals. It gets boring and the conversation suffers. If only I could put it on testificates..

There's always the option of giving testificates ass-less chaps via your texturepack...

[SgtChuckle]

Minecraft has changed the way I've played games too. There are carry-overs from gameplay (a fair number of times I've caught myself crouching behind a wall during a game of Battlefield to make my name invisible) but also the freedom of the game has changed me too. Using the Skyrim example, I got into the world, did a few early story quests, killed some dude to get his katana, and went wandering. I meandered over the countryside for hours on end, clearing caves, doing quests, and generally getting totally immersed in the world. I finally hit the border of the world, which was a little gate in a road. I jumped up mountains, killed minor gods, and a puny wood fence was stopping me. I kept playing after that and I got to about 75% of the main quest before I stopped, but that moment when I found the walls just killed the game for me. It wasn't the same after that. I wasn't Herplord Jerkinpants, terror of the northern plains anymore. I was a 24 year old dude in his apartment playing Skyrim.

[Ulfengaard]

So there I was, skipping a long the road from Helgen on my newest LP. The clouds were beautiful, the sun was shining, the butterflies were butterflapping. Then, I spotted ye olde Embershard Mine. Of course, I give the bandit at the entrance a good whopping.

Enter the cave... I find myself backing away from dark corners/hallways because 'things' can pop in there. I even right-click occasionally to place a torch... Minecraft, thou hast invaded my gaming life.

[SterlingRed]

Back on topic, I really think that minecraft is the revelation in gaming for the past decade, and one of the most important games in the history of gaming, it REALLY introduces a new genre and a new philosophy that has a big impact in the way you perceive other games.

This exactly.
There have been sandbox games before, but Minecraft is unique enough to be considered the beginning of a new gaming genre. Or at least making a dead genre popular. It will be interesting to see over the next few years how Minecraft influences bigger mmo titles and rpgs as well as the clones that will surely come. It's truly exciting to watch and be part of a new gaming genre being born.

Minecraft hasn't ruined other games for me too much since i primarily play rts games. And starcraft is a game that never gets old. Much like Minecraft it was a game that led the launch of its genre.

[tedium]

So there I was, skipping a long the road from Helgen on my newest LP. The clouds were beautiful, the sun was shining, the butterflies were butterflapping.

i had to share... i recently used it in a poem and loved it. butterfly's don't butterflap... they're butterfly's so they flutter by... XD isn't that so pretty and fitting of their nature :)

[dawnraider]

-snip- And starcraft is a game that never gets old. Much like Minecraft it was a game that led the launch of its genre.

Agreed. The only games I paly now are MC and SCII. I occasionally play other rts games, but they fade in and out. I also play fps games rarely, but they don't last long

[FlowerChild]

And starcraft is a game that never gets old. Much like Minecraft it was a game that led the launch of its genre.

I wouldn't go that far man. Dune II was technically the first real modern RTS, and C&C was probably the first to popularize the genre.

[Thalarctia]

And starcraft is a game that never gets old. Much like Minecraft it was a game that led the launch of its genre.

I wouldn't go that far man. Dune II was technically the first real modern RTS, and C&C was probably the first to popularize the genre.

Yeah, saying "launch of its genre" is probably overdoing it a bit, "firmly establishing the genre in the public consciusness" is probably a more accurate term. A bit like WoW has done for the MMOGG (Massively Multiplayer Online Grinding Game) - The genre did exist before then, but WoW was the first game for the "masses".

Minecraft seems to have both established a genre and made it mainstream though, which is really impressive.

[FlowerChild]

Minecraft seems to have both established a genre and made it mainstream though, which is really impressive.

Yes and no. You have to consider Dwarf Fortress and Infiniminer here as well.

[Thalarctia]

Minecraft seems to have both established a genre and made it mainstream though, which is really impressive.

Yes and no. You have to consider Dwarf Fortress and Infiniminer here as well.

True - However, not being overly familiar with either of them, I cannot say for sure how much of Minecraft is actually inherited from them, and in what ways Minecraft differs.

Fundamentally, Starcraft wasnt very different from Command & Conquor or Dune II, each game had opposing factions with quite different units, which still managed to be balanced nicely against eachother and foster proper use of tactics. Starcraft just happened to wrap it all in a nice and easy-to-use UI, along with a distinct visual style. The same can be said for WoW versus Ultima Online and Everquest.