Minecraft Isn't Just About Building
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ย. 2024
- A lot of the arguing in the Minecraft community as of late can all be traced back to one thing - people having a faulty understanding of what the game actually is. Many describe is as simply as digital building game. This is not the complete truth. So, what really is Minecraft? We go over the answer in today's video.
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Hypixel bedwars used in background footage
This video as edited using Microsoft Clipchamp.
Just fyi, what I mean by “full, true 100% sandbox” is one where you have complete control and can do anything whenever you want. I just wanted to specify this because many different people have different definitions for the word sandbox.
I think we’re making a category-error, sandbox games is about freedom, we can’t attribute any individual game mechanics to the overarching concept of freedom. In Sandbox games, players are often given an open world to explore and interact with, allowing them to create their own experiences and objectives rather than following a linear storyline. This freedom can include building, modifying the environment, and experimenting with game mechanics.
Sandbox can be kind of a loose term. Many people define sandboxes as different things, but what I personally mean by a true 100% sandbox is a game where you can do anything at any point - like creative mode. There are definitely more ways to define one though, where even a game like Terraria is considered a sandbox by many.
Engeneering is a kind of building that can tie into progression, which can tie into both combat for equipment, and building and engenering for blocks.
Combat can tie into exploration, by giving you better chances of surviving the venture.
The stuff you loot while exploring tie back into progression, and the places you visit can tie into building and engeneering, if you decide to build in that location for any reason.
I think the problem comes from people wanting to simplify things, and they try to say that "Minecraft is just " , which is just impossible, I think even the broadest "MC is just a game" is incorrect, since it is also a platform for people to connect, and create
ok but honestly who tf says that about minecraft. It’s literally the most popular game in the world majority of people know this already. Also you’re just being pedantic about definitions now. Minecraft IS just a game just like how every multiplayer game is just a game. Just like how sports even though you make friends and teammates. It’s still. just a game. It is objectively unequivocally NOT a platform in the sense you’re trying to imply. You sound like the film bros that try to sound really deep in their reviews but when you pick apart their sentences it’s just filled with buzz words and surface level analogies.
Literally every single video game ever made by your definition multiplayer or otherwise is a platform to connect. The first game ever made is literally made for two players. Gaming has always had a social aspect. It’s why you’re the one who’s wrong when you say minecraft isn’t just a game because it shows you don’t even understand what people mean when they say the word game.
@@jinxysaberk I didn't want to write a too long comment, but no game get modded as much as minecraft, and that was mainly behind "minecraft is platform" especially in the "create" part. A traditional game don't get taken apart as much as minecraft
I think ppl misunderstand when others say when they want more "RPG mechanics" because I know when I say it (along with others) don't literally want a leveling system or classes, we want stuff like bosses and for me personally more weapon types (not something especially unique like the mace or trident) something basic that you can craft from the get-go like the sword or axe. I've always wanted more medieval weapons like spears, halberds, daggers, etc. Nothing too major, just stuff that's unique enough to add veriety in gameplay, but nothing that needs unique materials or that can't be crafted.
Yeah it’s kind of turned into this stereotype about Minecraft critics at this point of thinking they all want Minecraft to be Terraria.
@@TheTrueCubicLlama the thing about stereotypes is that they are always partially true
@@aicesnow3070 I could think of several right now that aren’t and are purely just racist, sexist, etc.
@@TheTrueCubicLlamaPartially true doesn't mean they are true now, or that other factors don't influence those stereotypes and it's not cause and effect.
Holy SH!T somebody said it.
If you consider that creative mode and modding exsist as a part of Minecraft, I would say it really is a true sandbox, even by your definition. Limiting your play to vanilla survival, at least in singleplayer, is a self-imposed limit, not one imposed by the game!
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That being said, if your playing creative, what your playing kind of seises to be a "game," as there are no conflict, limits, or struggle.
The only thing I want to push back on is the idea that progression is extrinsic the only things that are extrinsic motivation (if im understanding it correctly) in this game are the boss fights and achievements everything else by definition is intrinsic motivation since Minecraft doesn’t push/guide you to do anything else so I’d say that Minecraft is specifically an intrinsic motivation game, not saying they can’t add extrinsic motivation things but that the game currently isn’t, although I can understand people thinking that new biomes and dungeons with loot are extrinsic motivation but since the game isn’t pushing you to do it I’d say it still falls under intrinsic motivation but I can definitely understand the opposite views on that (and tbh I’m willing to change stances on that)
Agreed
I mean there definitely can be intrinsic progression, I was just referring to the extrinsic version because that is the one that Mojang has to explicitly develop features for, whereas a player can find intrinsic progression in just about anything.
A lot of recent features add more features that focus on intrinsic motivation, but some of the core features of minecraft like ore tier progression and the final boss of the game, provide more extrinsic motivation
- Minecraft is a building game!!!
Proceeds to farm, craft, fight monsters, play minigames, use redstone, and face an eldritch horror
Also I'm pretty sure some people Minecraft is not just a building game.
I think a good idea would be Microsoft makes seasons for updates on specific parts of the game. For instance, in season 1, they could update the combat aspect; in season 2, they could make some updates on the building part of the game; in season 3, the exploration aspect could be upgraded, etc.
Engeneering can be extrensicly motivated too, as building farms can be an alternate means of progression.
fair points made. sometimes i just kinda, get annoyed at them adding such… non-emergent or specifically-designed content though. extrinsic catered content is cool, but when it has a very very specific experience designed.. it… feels like mojang is just doing all of the Making of the Experience for me, when that should be both the player *and* developer
like, the armadillo and wolf armor. theres a clear way they want you to use the mob. as a copper sink for wolves
compare that to wind charges, which have .. no specific clearly defined use, yet a wide variety of uses. they get you THINKING because they just, do something simple but … that can do a lot of things
Ultimately, Minecraft is what you make out of it and it obviously has a lot of sub-communities that you cannot use the word, "Community," as a blanket to cover everyone who plays it. For instance, I'm a Builder. I love Creative Mode. I enjoy relaxing, and building up a world in my image every day to see the changes spring up.
However, let's not forget that the 1.9 Combat Update was a incredibly controversial change to the whole game as we know it, and for a good portion of players to diverge from it that it ruined PVP in their eyes.
Now, am I saying that Mojang has done everything in their power to make engaging content that supports all aspects of play? Probably not. Although, we also must remember that builders got the short end of the stick for years too; there used to be internal limitations on what block sets they can add. Even Mojang had the opinion of, "Limitations inspire Creativity," that only held back what can be possible in Minecraft builds.
If we need good will back to the combat/pvp crowd, then Mojang needs to bring all those Jeb_ Combat changes into the game. Unfortunately, that was really put on the back burner despite popular reception.
yeah, but objectively builders have been getting the most attention for like 3 years now, and while there are some really awful design decisions made out of mojang's pride, such as refusing to add vertical slabs, if you add a block, that is feeding the builders.
@@VladdyDaddy45 Yes, I dislike how Mojang refuses to do certain things & expect players to do "workarounds," for what builders want. I want Dye Stairs & Slabs. I want functional & decoration furniture.
But at least with new content like biomes, dungeons, and other updates; more blocks are just par for the course when Mojang makes them. Of course they are going to come with blocks, and preferably they make blocks out of colors we don't have flexibility with.
Meanwhile, other Minecraft Sub-communities will instantly complain that suddenly they add another dye block like the Glazed Terracotta; even though they are 100% optional and they don't have to use it. I get that they perceive that they, "Don't," get what they want anyways, yet it isn't Mojang just catering to builders.
@@risa1467 my point is the lack of things for non-builders. yes, the people who arent a fan of it dont have to use it, but most people, including myself, are very, VERY frustrated how they've been catering exclusively to the easiest group to please, that being the builders and occasionally lobotomizing the redstone community and outside of that, not much else for others. for builders, you make block, they get happier. for redstoners, you make block with cool function, they get happier. for fighters you make weapon, enchantment, or enemy they get happier. for explorers, you make cool structure, they get happier. my point stems from the fact that for almost 3 years they did close to nothing for anyone BUT builders and left the other communities to starve.
@@VladdyDaddy45 There is always something for most parts of the playerbase. It just so happens that Builders just... want more blocks. Not really surprising there.
Yes, I understand that Mojang needs to spend work towards other niches within Minecraft; they aren't doing stuff just solely for builders. In fact, Mapmakers are the ones being overfed due to the many under-the-hood changes Minecraft gets the majority of the playerbase isn't going to interact with. However, they all increase the potential for datapacks, resource packs, and even mods themselves. I dabble in all of it.
In a sense, we are getting a lot of changes where under-the-hood features are going to trickle down into tangible changes Mojang should eventually weave into worthwhile features. You guys just don't see it because they don't manifest in a full-scale update. Perhaps someday, they should.
@ doesnt change anything. mojang continues to add heaps of reskins of previous blocks upon a mode that’s continuously gotten more and more poorly designed over the past 13 years. they have yet to address the elytra, they have yet to fix the mediocre combat that is really only ok in pve, they have yet to address villagers and villages as a whole, which encourage a shallow meta that disincentivizes interaction with the core mechanic, that being building, the list goes on. just more and more content upon a game that is good, dont get me wrong, i wouldnt be the same person i am today without minecraft, but age masked the poor design of the game.
I don't want to be too harsh as this is a smaller channel and I suspect you read comments, so first of all: your video is well doke, you explain things well, and you enunciate words clearly and your video format is great. So please continue maling video essays :D
Now, about the content of the video: Minecraft became wildly popular even during Alpha and Beta versions, when the only RPG element was ugrading from wood to stome, iron, and diamond equipment. There was no enchantments, there was no End, and there wasn't even redstone.
The main aspect of Minecraft I building, the entire world is made of blocks, only exception being entities. Everything else is simply added on top of it to make it more interesting
This is what I was about to say. Minecraft was already something very special and popular in the beta days when it was barely more than a building game, but that was (and still is) exactly what's good about it. The RPG stuff just doesn't fit it well at all imo, but to each their own.
Thanks, and it is true that Minecraft was just building in its earliest iterations. But if it stayed that way - just creative mode with an inventory of blocks - would it still be nearly as popular? Probably not. I mean not even survival series would be possible in that case, the only type of video would be build showcases. There could be no challenges, no civ events, none of those iconic series. That’s if it stayed as just a building game. That’s why I can’t help but feel that survival mode was made for a reason. If Minecraft stayed as it first was, it would’ve been popular for a bit, and then likely died out to only being played by a small community, as Minecraft wouldn’t be unique at all if it were only building.
Also just keep in mind blocks don’t always = just building. Sure, the world is made out of blocks to support engineering and building at almost any place. But those blocks are also there to make up a world for the player to adventure through. They also make up challenges to progress through like the Trial Chambers. In other words, the block is a magnificent tool, and it is also one that is multi-functional. Really, why I made this video is because I I’ve seen so many people be told that they’re playing Minecraft wrong because they aren’t building enough, and well that somewhat defeats the point of Minecraft. Hope this makes sense.
I definitely agree with this video, mostly because it validates my undying hatred for the minecraft building community, but also, less importantly, because I really feel like minecraft's RPG and progression elements have been left BEHIND the last time we got an update to the linear progression was when they added upgrade templates, (which was a great feature, and doesn't deserve the hate it gets) and every time I see anything about improving minecraft's progression, I see people talking about how minecraft is a building game, and that you're missing the point of minecraft by craving better progression from it
I love how i can do so many different things so i dont get bored as much now
Well it is a sandbox, it's just that "sandbox" is all-encompassing. People hear sandbox and think of a literal sandbox with building.
Building/decorating itself is the absolute lowest common denominator for any feature.
Everyone else: We need more useful stuff
Builders: You took my only food, now I'm going to STARVE
intrinsically motivated people dont have the same problems as extrinsically motivated people, but its truly incredible to me how many intrinsically motivated people are just telling extrinsically motivated people to just “play it like a sandbox”. not only the lack of understanding, but the lack of caring to understand another’s perspective is just insane. ofc its not all, but its a large amount.
also it would be nice if mojang dedicated more than a roach’s middle left leg to redstone and stopped being so overconfident in the idea that they know best in game design. the copper bulb was made entirely useless because of their overconfidence and apathy for their players voices and the crafter got pointlessly nerfed, too.
interesting point on the crafter - i feel like it highlights how mojang is a bit averse to adding stuff thats challenging to work with, with how hoppers fill it. i think its a bit too easy to use. but i guess thats just QoL
in terms of the copper bulb, yeah, thing is they.. never said anything about it, but the reason is 100% that they want redstone to be Intuitive. i think going so desperately for intuitivity in a game about experimentation and creativity is very much a double edged sword. Theres a second Level of understanding when you understand how the weird obtuse things like redstone ticks work
but, i guess theyd rather wait to revamp redstone entirely to give us access to odd redstone ticks. which theyll almost never get to doing because they fear breaking old worlds so much.
Really what irks me are the intrinsically motivated people who try and say that Minecraft is only for them alone, and that you shouldn’t play Minecraft if you’re at all extrinsically motivated.
@@TheTrueCubicLlama yeah pretty much what ive been screaming into a wall about for the entirety of the jetstarfish drama
@@CreativelyJakeme personally, the nerfs were entirely pointless and only made a block more shallow than it already was. no common player is ever gonna really notice the one tick delay. and even if they did, it would barely make a difference and the nerf just removed a lot of potential depth and made the block pretty much obsolete.. and then the crafter nerf, while not as detrimental, was just pointless. getting the items, having them get put in with order, timing, etc was what balanced the crafter. putting it on a longer delay was solving a problem that didnt exist.
This really should be recommended to more people, which is why i'm helping!
I cannot think of a 100% building game where you build by placing blocks like in minecraft.
For me, building things is the best way to get satisfaction out of the game. I feel like if more people engaged with the creative building aspect, they'd get deeper satisfaction with the game, and perhaps not get as bored with the game - a big complaint with Minecraft lately. Heh, I even enjoy building in Creative from time to time.
I enjoy other aspects of the game, I'm always excited to explore because imagining what I could create on these landscapes is exciting. I always have fun going through caves and gathering all the ores in the cave, and completely lighting it up. Most of my buildings have some sort of function, even if that function is just storing animals or Cherry Leaves.
I'm also an artist, so there's that.
Mimecraft is not a sandbox. It is a beachbox.
Minecraft is like the point of life, it’s what you make of it
your argument is simply flawed, the only reason minecraft is still alive is because of the building and Redstone sub-communities which make the vast majority of the player base, most minecraft players never visit the end or log onto a server(that's from the minecraft bedrock achievement stats), the small section of the community that sticks around to talk about it on the internet is not representative of the wider player base and people often forget that, Minecraft's progression is horizontal and that makes it special, this is very easily proven by looking at the most famous minecraft series on youtube: hermitcraft, which is a server which consists of builders and redstoners, minecraft does have survival and rpg elements, buts its not remotely close to those generas, and most importantly, Mojang knows this, that's why almost every update has new blocks and Redstone components but not new gear sets or a survival mechanic to warry about.
I’m sorry but I think you misinterpreted what I meant. Building and engineering are core aspects, which means Minecraft would not be nearly as popular without them. However the same applies to all core aspects including progression, adventure, and combat. If it were just building and engineering then the game would be, well… creative mode with just an inventory of blocks, which appeals to some people, but as soon as as you take out one core aspect the whole thing kinda falls apart, like how will I get black stone if there’s no progression to get to the nether?
“The only reason Minecraft is still alive is because of the building and redstone sub-communities” is just false. If that truly were the case there never would have been a need for a survival mode in the first place. If you like building more than the other aspects more than the others, that’s fine, but that doesn’t make it more important. It shouldn’t be a big ask to acknowledge the importance of people different from yourself. Mojang has been very clear that they want to be inclusive of other play styles after all.
Also sidenote, Minecraft’s progression is not just horizontal. Like I covered in my progression video, there are plenty of one-off horizontal progression paths, and then there is also the one main linear progression path.
r/Minecraft isn't the whole community
@@Nicetheforumer yes, most Minecraft players have never visited the nether
@@TheTrueCubicLlama
First, building and engineering are the main aspects of Minecraft, let me ask you this: if you wanted just a vast open world to explore would you play vanilla Minecraft?, if you wanted just an expansive combat system would you play vanilla’s Minecraft?, obviously not, but if you wanted a free creative outlet to shape the world however you want(this applies to both survival and creative) you would, that is what Minecraft is, its in the name you mine to get resources and then you craft whatever your imagination allows(and creative is just skipping the first part), don’t get me wrong, adventure and combat do have their place in Minecraft but only focusing on them is just not sustainable for the game, the example of that you give of the nether being required to get blackstone is an example of horizontal progression, you progress forward not for better gear or loot, but for more options to build the things you want to build, if you look at Minecraft that way everything mojang does suddenly makes way more sense, i do think more things to explore would be great additions to Minecraft, but loot and gear shouldn’t e the only motivations to go there, trial ruins are a great example of this, they are an interesting combat challenge, sure the mace is nice but wind charges allow for some cool things to do with Redstone and the copper and tuff that they are made of are amazing for building.
The whole “survival wouldn’t exist if it was just about building” is way too long of a topic for me to type out, but its definitely not true( re-read the point i made about the popularity of hermitcraft with this context in mind)
@@aicesnow3070 Doesn't change anything. Most players would enjoy more adventure theme features such as the trial chambers. Survival mode exits because it challenges you and doesn't restrict you to the limited possibilities of creative mode. Most players never get that far because all they do is build which is at most half of the game, but instead it takes a lot of skill to do and in general, consumers don't complete the entire game so it doesn't invalidate anything he said.
Additionally, Minecraft is popular because of its sub genres. Without the explosion of servers from 2011-2014 there would not have been enough media attention to sustain the game's popularity and for a long time servers such as Hypixel and Mineplex were what attracted new players. It wasn't just Mojang which made Minecraft successful it was us, the community.
If it's just a building/survival game then why does it make me ponder over my existence and meaning of life every now and then, especially when c418 starts playing🥲🥲🥲