7 ms·

It’s frustrating how Minecraft’s potential hasn’t been realized under Microsoft. The game has such huge potential and tremendous goodwill, and it’s been so sta

It’s frustrating how Minecraft’s potential hasn’t been realized under Microsoft. The game has such huge potential and tremendous goodwill, and it’s been so stagnant since the acquisition.

wyxuan 7y ago
Does minecraft earth and the countless updates not count?
travbrack 7y ago
How so? They've been releasing updates at a pretty good clip each with significant changes.
oengb 7y ago
Stagnant? I don't think you play or know the game at all.
- dang 7y ago
  Would you mind reviewing the site guidelines and sticking to them when posting here? Personal attacks aren't ok on HN. But more interesting is: "Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something." If you know more than another commenter, the best way to express that is to share some of what you know, so we all can learn. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
bengarvey 7y ago
I don't know. They've added a ton of underwater content, new structures, mobs (bees, foxes, llamas, phantoms, drowns, etc), sunken ships and treasure maps. If anything, they've had a better release cycle since the acquisition.
- willis936 7y ago
  What the game really needs is what was promised ages ago: a mod API on the C++ edition.
  - xen2xen1 7y ago
    Minecraft is for selling Xbox's and Windows 10. If they wanted modding they would have modding.
    - willis936 7y ago
      It’s more a matter of doing what they promised, which is also a highly requested thing. There’s a middle manager somewhere who is being told they need to never officially support modding so they can continue to sell valueless items to children. https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/64vrom/psa_c_edition_mcpe_is_getting_a_modlike_plugin https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/64vrom/psa_c_edi...
      - Hawxy 7y ago
        You're a bit behind. That API has been out for almost a year now: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/scripting-api-now-public-beta https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/scripting-api-now-pu... https://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Bedrock_Edition_beta_scripting_documentation https://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Bedrock_Edition_beta_scripti...
        willis936 7y ago
        You’re right I hadn’t seen this. It’s pretty fresh and I’ve been off minecraft for a few years. It’s neat, but even by previous FAQ response standards it’s horribly weak. It appears like little more than an ability to make scripts of existing vanilla commands. You can’t make/register blocks, fluids, modify terrain gen, or even trigger individual events. As a framework it isn’t useful for content creators.
  - baroffoos 7y ago
    And a linux version of the C++ version.
- LoSboccacc 7y ago
  the new structures and content that reward exploration are great! the new mobs, not so much. they don't have a purpose in game that wasn't fulfilled already, and while I appreciate the diversity they give not something new to do, just more of the same. what'd be interesting are additions that open up new things to do, like that parcour level demo that show off the new wax block, but tbh wax and bees scale seems off compared with the rest of the game. they really don't seem to want to explore too much. so what if they added a block that allowed automating things? what would be having a sky dimension accessible with the elyra wings? that would give new purpose to existing content without altering the game too much. what if furnaces and other production structures added taint to the biome, making it more and more polluted and unfriendly to live in? so many possibilities! luckily there's plenty mods out there, but a well balanced execution would make it so much better.
  - afiori 7y ago
    > what would be having a sky dimension accessible with the elytra wings? This is something that definitely needs to be added at some point. One problem I would see is that there is already a very good mod that does that. In a sense they are between a rock and an hard place in trying to both copy and not copy it.
RandomInteger4 7y ago
From what I understand, a lot of that is due to a combination of factors from bugs and spaghetti code from prior to purchase, to the necessity to not change too much too quickly, which might cause a community uproar, to simply just trying to recoup the cost of the IP purchase in the first place by developing projects around the IP, which the main game (java edition) doesn't see any progress from. Much of the popularity of the game has a lot to do with the modding community as well, which is where you go when simply building in the vanilla game is no longer interesting. Any change to the vanilla game can have major ripple effects on the modding community. Lastly, I'd say that one huge development they recently fixed in the code base was the block ID limit. Now that the ID system is name based rather than number based with a hard coded limit, the number of blocks that can be added to the game isn't limited by anything other than the direction of the creative team and new mechanics.
stallmanite 7y ago
Everyone is arguing with you but I 100% agree. Official mod support is all I want. And it isn't happening.
- FooHentai 7y ago
  Hmm, there's been an awful lot done with Data Packs.
codeulike 7y ago
Didn't they unify everything so all the different clients (desktop, mobile etc) can log into the same worlds? That would have been a hell of a lot of work.
- zeta0134 7y ago
  No, not really. There's a "Windows" version for Windows-based desktops that can co-mingle with the other C++ versions, but the main version of the game is still based on Java, with the features being ported to the various console versions shortly after. The Java version remains the only way to play Minecraft on Mac and Linux, for example, and it's also where pretty much the entire modding scene lives. It's a little complicated from the outside looking in, since the base game is very similar on the surface, but there are major technical differences between the platforms that would make true cross-platform very difficult. EDIT: The Minecraft Wiki has an excellent overview of all the various platforms. Check out the sidebar on the right for a breakdown. Generally, the "Bedrock" edition is what's on most consoles that are still being supported, and I ... think it has cross-platform multiplayer support? I play on PC so I am not super familiar with the details on console. https://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Minecraft_Wiki https://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Minecraft_Wiki
  - monkeywork 7y ago
    There are two main versions of Minecraft. Minecraft (formerly known as bedrock) which is the C++ edition and runs and plays across Windows 10, Android, iOS, and Xbox. Minecraft Java Edition (formerly known as minecraft) which as the name implies runs on Java and can play between Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Feature sets of the game are VERY close now (and get closer each release) with the major difference between them now mainly being in how redstone works. Java has redstone bugs that have since become so relied on they are considered features, the C++ version doesn't have them. Someone picking up minecraft for the very first time wouldn't feel they were missing anything using C++ version.
    - cwyers 7y ago
      > Minecraft (formerly known as bedrock) which is the C++ edition and runs and plays across Windows 10, Android, iOS, and Xbox. Switch too. There are rumors that the Playstation 4 will receive a version based on Bedrock as well, but it's not confirmed.
baby 7y ago
They are mostly working on Minecraft 2 which will be a massive multiplayer world.

It’s frustrating how Minecraft’s potential hasn’t been realized under Microsoft. The game has such huge potential and tremendous goodwill, and it’s been so stagnant since the acquisition.

wyxuan 7y ago

Does minecraft earth and the countless updates not count?

travbrack 7y ago

How so? They've been releasing updates at a pretty good clip each with significant changes.

oengb 7y ago

Stagnant? I don't think you play or know the game at all.

dang 7y ago
Would you mind reviewing the site guidelines and sticking to them when posting here? Personal attacks aren't ok on HN. But more interesting is: "Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something." If you know more than another commenter, the best way to express that is to share some of what you know, so we all can learn. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

bengarvey 7y ago

I don't know. They've added a ton of underwater content, new structures, mobs (bees, foxes, llamas, phantoms, drowns, etc), sunken ships and treasure maps. If anything, they've had a better release cycle since the acquisition.

willis936 7y ago
What the game really needs is what was promised ages ago: a mod API on the C++ edition.
- xen2xen1 7y ago
  Minecraft is for selling Xbox's and Windows 10. If they wanted modding they would have modding.
  - willis936 7y ago
    It’s more a matter of doing what they promised, which is also a highly requested thing. There’s a middle manager somewhere who is being told they need to never officially support modding so they can continue to sell valueless items to children. https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/64vrom/psa_c_edition_mcpe_is_getting_a_modlike_plugin https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/64vrom/psa_c_edi...
    - Hawxy 7y ago
      You're a bit behind. That API has been out for almost a year now: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/scripting-api-now-public-beta https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/scripting-api-now-pu... https://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Bedrock_Edition_beta_scripting_documentation https://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Bedrock_Edition_beta_scripti...
      - willis936 7y ago
        You’re right I hadn’t seen this. It’s pretty fresh and I’ve been off minecraft for a few years. It’s neat, but even by previous FAQ response standards it’s horribly weak. It appears like little more than an ability to make scripts of existing vanilla commands. You can’t make/register blocks, fluids, modify terrain gen, or even trigger individual events. As a framework it isn’t useful for content creators.
- baroffoos 7y ago
  And a linux version of the C++ version.
LoSboccacc 7y ago
the new structures and content that reward exploration are great! the new mobs, not so much. they don't have a purpose in game that wasn't fulfilled already, and while I appreciate the diversity they give not something new to do, just more of the same. what'd be interesting are additions that open up new things to do, like that parcour level demo that show off the new wax block, but tbh wax and bees scale seems off compared with the rest of the game. they really don't seem to want to explore too much. so what if they added a block that allowed automating things? what would be having a sky dimension accessible with the elyra wings? that would give new purpose to existing content without altering the game too much. what if furnaces and other production structures added taint to the biome, making it more and more polluted and unfriendly to live in? so many possibilities! luckily there's plenty mods out there, but a well balanced execution would make it so much better.
- afiori 7y ago
  > what would be having a sky dimension accessible with the elytra wings? This is something that definitely needs to be added at some point. One problem I would see is that there is already a very good mod that does that. In a sense they are between a rock and an hard place in trying to both copy and not copy it.

RandomInteger4 7y ago

From what I understand, a lot of that is due to a combination of factors from bugs and spaghetti code from prior to purchase, to the necessity to not change too much too quickly, which might cause a community uproar, to simply just trying to recoup the cost of the IP purchase in the first place by developing projects around the IP, which the main game (java edition) doesn't see any progress from. Much of the popularity of the game has a lot to do with the modding community as well, which is where you go when simply building in the vanilla game is no longer interesting. Any change to the vanilla game can have major ripple effects on the modding community. Lastly, I'd say that one huge development they recently fixed in the code base was the block ID limit. Now that the ID system is name based rather than number based with a hard coded limit, the number of blocks that can be added to the game isn't limited by anything other than the direction of the creative team and new mechanics.

stallmanite 7y ago

Everyone is arguing with you but I 100% agree. Official mod support is all I want. And it isn't happening.

FooHentai 7y ago
Hmm, there's been an awful lot done with Data Packs.

codeulike 7y ago

Didn't they unify everything so all the different clients (desktop, mobile etc) can log into the same worlds? That would have been a hell of a lot of work.

zeta0134 7y ago
No, not really. There's a "Windows" version for Windows-based desktops that can co-mingle with the other C++ versions, but the main version of the game is still based on Java, with the features being ported to the various console versions shortly after. The Java version remains the only way to play Minecraft on Mac and Linux, for example, and it's also where pretty much the entire modding scene lives. It's a little complicated from the outside looking in, since the base game is very similar on the surface, but there are major technical differences between the platforms that would make true cross-platform very difficult. EDIT: The Minecraft Wiki has an excellent overview of all the various platforms. Check out the sidebar on the right for a breakdown. Generally, the "Bedrock" edition is what's on most consoles that are still being supported, and I ... think it has cross-platform multiplayer support? I play on PC so I am not super familiar with the details on console. https://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Minecraft_Wiki https://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Minecraft_Wiki
- monkeywork 7y ago
  There are two main versions of Minecraft. Minecraft (formerly known as bedrock) which is the C++ edition and runs and plays across Windows 10, Android, iOS, and Xbox. Minecraft Java Edition (formerly known as minecraft) which as the name implies runs on Java and can play between Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Feature sets of the game are VERY close now (and get closer each release) with the major difference between them now mainly being in how redstone works. Java has redstone bugs that have since become so relied on they are considered features, the C++ version doesn't have them. Someone picking up minecraft for the very first time wouldn't feel they were missing anything using C++ version.
  - cwyers 7y ago
    > Minecraft (formerly known as bedrock) which is the C++ edition and runs and plays across Windows 10, Android, iOS, and Xbox. Switch too. There are rumors that the Playstation 4 will receive a version based on Bedrock as well, but it's not confirmed.

baby 7y ago

They are mostly working on Minecraft 2 which will be a massive multiplayer world.