[Discussion] Creepers

[BinoAl]

So, after much rage from creepers on edolas earlier, I started thinking about creepers. Not only are they infuriating, but they don't seem to add much except paranoia to the game. I've always been one to play on peaceful. Not because I didn't want to fight monsters, in fact, I like fighting zombies and skeletons, but because creepers destroy your structures, which I feel is a big nono in a sandbox/construction game. What would be the most practical solution to remove the excessive griefing, yet keep the creepers unique and with their own set of challenges?

[Katalliaan]

Well, I don't know about anyone else on the Edolas server, but I know my problems with them were because I was too lazy to light the area up (died, then had my bedroom blow up because it was dark enough for a creeper to spawn there while I was away). In my opinion, they're pretty well balanced, as long as you can keep your distance and light up the dark areas so they can't spawn.

[BinoAl]

My issues are in the overworld: I always look around, and make sure none are around. They stay alive in light. So, i get to work, and suddenly one is there, and wrecks my work. It's not as much this I have an issue with as the overall idea of it. In a game encouraging you to build massive structures, I don't feel like there should be this constant threat of having your creation destroyed like this. It's one of my biggest issues with MC

[Zhil]

Creeper explosions only damaging entities is a nice solution for people who don't like the griefing behavior. Still kills you and stuff, just not blocks.

[BinoAl]

Creeper explosions only damaging entities is a nice solution for people who don't like the griefing behavior. Still kills you and stuff, just not blocks.

Thats essentially how it worked on edolas before, with worldguard on. It was pretty nice. They would still kill you constantly, but not destroy your structures

[jorgebonafe]

There is a bukkit plugin that makes the blocks destroyed by creepers regenerate slowly... That way if they blow a hole in the wall monsters can still get through and come after you, but you don't have to worry about rebuilding.

[DaveYanakov]

I don;t think it would still be Minecraft without the creeper. It's the one mob that makes you feel actual dread when you fight them because there are consequences greater than having to do a 'corpse run' to pick up your spew. Without reason to fear, fights can't be exciting. It's why I dislike frequent autosaving in games with heavy focus on combat like most FPS titles.

[FlowerChild]

The disabled creeper explosions are actually one thing I don't like on Edolas.

I really don't view them as an excessive threat.

[BinoAl]

It's not as much the threat of creeper explosions as the annoyance. Especially the loss of material. I can't just leave a pit, I always end up getting dirt from another area to fill in the hole. Just the amount of work a creeper attack makes you put in to just fixing things feels unnecessary.

[Mac]

Well, with the now totally revised combat-mechanics and decrease
in damage from player weapons in favor of enchantment,
fighting monsters has now become more than a slight bit harder.
What I mean to say with this, is that on the old server version
fighting monsters including creepers was at least somewhat funny yet challenging
even with a stone sword.
Now it feels more like a nuisance to me, since I died more than a couple of times
from zombies or spiders alone who are pretty much the easiest enemies in
my humble opinion.

Disclaimer
The statement above only reflect's my personal view's,
it is in no way intended to bash Notch or anyone from
Mojang.

On a very different note.
Even though I did not light up the area around my new house
I only meet creepers sparingly at best around daytime,
but mostly for me though there not an issue for me at day's time.

And honestly playing without worldguard would be an
Interresting change for a chance even though I admit that
I'm kind of accustomed to worldguard and it's benefits.

[MoRmEnGiL]

For SMP I'd always suggest a plugin to disable surface spawns in or in the immediate vicinity of the main player hubs. This way your 4 weeks build is safe from creepers but at the same time when away from safe zones creepers still go boom.

Plus you can have any lighting scheme you want, moody lighting is possible, you don't have to light everything up like a retarded Christmas tree. (Yes, morm+lighting. I know. :P)

[Dirdle]

In my mind, creepers make for the best fights in the game. There's tension, and a pressure to play near-perfectly or be punished for it. But ~90% of the time they hurt you, it's not going to be because you lost a duel at dawn with the green camo buggers. They'll drop out of nowhere and mess up your day instead; the problem to me is their creeping, not their exploding.

[PatrickSJ]

It is a good idea to keep creepers that can destroy blocks. They keep you on your toes. Besides, they are not difficult to manage.

[Zhil]

It is a good idea to keep creepers that can destroy blocks. They keep you on your toes. Besides, they are not difficult to manage.

That's exactly the thing. 99 out of 100 creepers will just be killed without blowing up, but that one little slip-up costs me a chunk of base to fix, or even worse, a redstone device.

[Mason11987]

It is a good idea to keep creepers that can destroy blocks. They keep you on your toes. Besides, they are not difficult to manage.

That's exactly the thing. 99 out of 100 creepers will just be killed without blowing up, but that one little slip-up costs me a chunk of base to fix, or even worse, a redstone device.

But that's what, a 1 minute fix for a wall or something? Not really a big deal. If people wanted to play without ANY threat there are two easy ways to do it. Work in an enclosed fully lit space, or play on peaceful, the latter being something you can flick on when around your sensative expensive items if necessary.

The game changing to make something that is already really easy, and easy to avoid even EASIER to handle is not really the right game design move.

[Zhil]

But that's what, a 1 minute fix for a wall or something? Not really a big deal. If people wanted to play without ANY threat there are two easy ways to do it. Work in an enclosed fully lit space, or play on peaceful, the latter being something you can flick on when around your sensative expensive items if necessary.

The game changing to make something that is already really easy, and easy to avoid even EASIER to handle is not really the right game design move.

But that's my point. Making creepers explode doesn't make them harder, it makes them more annoying, since you have to fill up the hole (and yes, I even clean up landscape holes, it looks ugly).

[BinoAl]

The game changing to make something that is already really easy annoying, and easy hard to avoid even EASIER to handle is not really the right game design move.

Well, it took quite a bit of fixing... :p
This is mostly a matter of opinion. I for one, hate that the minute your not watching everywhere like a hawk and go back to building, a creeper is suddenly blowing you and your structure up. Even if they dropped all of the item forms of what they destroy, it would be better than how it works now.

[Larmantine]

Well if you build from dirt, then yes, creepers could be annoying. Try to use more blast resisting blocks. Anyway i disagree, without creepers minecraft wouldn't be minecraft.
Personally, in beta 1.8.1 when we played mc with friends on a private server, endermen were more annoying than creepers, creating holes in my brick house then placing the bricks down in my dance room.

[Zhil]

Well, it took quite a bit of fixing... :p
This is mostly a matter of opinion. I for one, hate that the minute your not watching everywhere like a hawk and go back to building, a creeper is suddenly blowing you and your structure up. Even if they dropped all of the item forms of what they destroy, it would be better than how it works now.

To be fair, you ARE working in an unsafe area, I never do that. I always secure the area, place torches, barricade rogue corridors, THEN get to building.

[BinoAl]

Well, it took quite a bit of fixing... :p
This is mostly a matter of opinion. I for one, hate that the minute your not watching everywhere like a hawk and go back to building, a creeper is suddenly blowing you and your structure up. Even if they dropped all of the item forms of what they destroy, it would be better than how it works now.

To be fair, you ARE working in an unsafe area, I never do that. I always secure the area, place torches, barricade rogue corridors, THEN get to building.

For the most part, I'm talking about early game, building in the overworld, when you can't afford to do that

[Zhil]

For the most part, I'm talking about early game, building in the overworld, when you can't afford to do that

By the time first night comes, I usually have a stack of charcoal burned, make 64 torches, light up the place. Any mob creeping up would need to cross a wide radius that lets me see them coming. I'm prepared man :)

[Andellmere]

Gil, you are entirely too paranoid. Then again, is it paranoia if they really are out to get you?

I really wish that bukkit plug-in jorge mentioned had an SSP version. Of course, I generally play on peaceful unless I'm actually hunting something specific so my opinion might not matter much.
Of course, it might lead to more people actually liking to play on easy and above.

[australia64]

I don't know whether it's just me but I don't tremember creepers ever destroying my work, even after the first night. Then again a build a ring of glass on my houses and I sleep nearly every single night. Fine there was one time a creeper snuck up and destroyed my little pillar I used to harvest the sticky resin from trees in IC2, but I don't think creepers need a change, if anything a change to make them harder, such as intelligent AI to make them try to hide then snuck up behind you.

[FlowerChild]

I'm going to move this thread off-topic. I really don't see it as a suggestion thread for BTW, especially since I actually like the creeper behavior.

[Fracture]

Honestly, I like 'em. I had one fun experience the other day-- I looked around my little island home, saw a creeper chilling on the beach. Acknowledged it, went to cut the tree to my side. I finish chopping the blocks and look down-- this thing is inches from my face. Punch once with an axe and jump backwards-- narrowly escape the explosion. Given that I'm on hardcore, that could've gone a lot worse.