Skip to content ↓
MIT staff blogger Chris Peterson SM '13

Minecraft: Discuss by Chris Peterson SM '13

Open thread.

Hi everyone. As you all know from Matt’s post, decisions will be released in two day’s time, at 9 PM on Thursday.

But because neither of us should be stressing out about that, this blog post is about something else entirely: Minecraft.

What is Minecraft? Quoth Wikipedia:


a sandbox building video game which allows players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D world…The game is divided into two main modes, Alpha and Classic, where Classic is focused entirely on construction while Alpha additionally contains enemies, a health meter, and additional features and items.

Basically some Swedish guy named Notch got bored at his job as a game dev and decided to make a super-retro 8bit blocky construction / run away from zombies game.

But that doesn’t really answer the question of what Minecraft is, so maybe this will:


I play alpha/survival, which means that during the day I run around and kill pigs and chop down trees and run away from creepers and during the night I hide away in my bunker and dig dig dig dig dig dig dig dig forever.

Others play creative mode, where you have infinite materials and no enemies and you just build ridiculous stuff like a scale model of the Starship Enterprise.

There really isn’t anything else to this post. Minecraft is a fun silly game in which you can do fun silly things.


Minecraft chat below; if you post something cool in the comments I’ll edit it into this post.

Edits:

Not Minecraft, but it does talk about digging; if you begin feeling stressed out about decisions (or Minecraft zombies), just dim the lights and chill out to this Pogo Disney remix.


48 responses to “Minecraft: Discuss”

  1. This is so fitting, I was just playing. I’m using Minecraft to burn some nervous energy ^^ I play survival too, but right now I’m on peaceful because I got tired of fighting when I wanted to be working (and I couldn’t abandon my world for a classic one raspberry). I just built this epic light tower with a lava dome, it’s *sick*.

  2. thankfully, my base naturally has a floating mountain over it, so I can always find it.

    I dunno, I keep on thinking of switching to peaceful and building myself a nice Minas Tirith (my base is built into the side of a mountain) but I feel cheap doing so.

  3. One of the greatest time wasters ever!! Love this game.
    Anyone excited for Beta? The group of friends I play with (one of them runs a SMP server for us) is probably going to start a whole new map for the Beta release.

  4. Russell W. says:

    You forgot redstone circuits! people have built freakin’ COMPUTERS inside Minecraft.
    maybe after I gain some electrical engineering knowledge (hopefully from MIT, guess I’ll find out on Thursday), I can aspire to do something like that =P for now I’ll just stick to making awesome rollercoasters and boat elevators.

    I’m having trouble finding any good SMP servers to play on though…

  5. Alex LeBon says:

    I just cant wait until someone builds a redstone processor powerful enough to handle a 64-bit OS…then we can make like x-ibit and play minecraft in yo minecraft

  6. Alex Lucena says:

    Aaah, I’m so glad this showed up here.

    This game is great. I can’t wait for Notch to polish it up, because he definitely has something with this idea. It’s impossible to explain why, but this game is just so much fun. One time I got to the top of a hill, and on the other side there was a water stream that flooded a whole area. I spent a good minute admiring its beauty before I remembered I was staring at virtual cubes.

    And the “that’s a very nice *everything* you’ve got there” picture is entirely fitting.

  7. David says:

    @Alex

    Oh it’s so very fitting, after you spent the whole afternoon building an awesome underwater castle, go to the surface, never notice the creeper “swimming” behind you until “SSSSSSssssssss” *BOOOOOOM* flooded castle =(

  8. Alex Lucena says:

    Hahaha, noooooooo, I’d be crushed.

  9. Greg says:

    Haha just today my Calculus teacher mentioned that his 8-year old son wants a laptop for Christmas. Why? To play Minecraft!

  10. zuney says:

    my AP physics C teacher actually knows the owner of minecraft. He said the owner was offered a few million for the website, but turned it down because he could make more money by expanding it.

  11. Jojo says:

    So, um minecraft is cool…. yah. I like diamond. TROLLTROLL

  12. Jon says:

    Best game ever, I just might have to set up a multilayer server while I wait for Thursday, anyone up for it?

  13. @Jon

    If you do then share the IP, I doubt that there are many griefers on the MIT blog.

  14. Marcel says:

    um… I do not play Minecraft…does that mean I’m not MIT material? lol. I think Ill try it, might help me survive until Thursday.

  15. @Marcel

    Its a great game, which is surprising to most people (myself included) given that its cube based.

    And plus, if you go buy a license now you get free updates forever!!

  16. anon says:

    You shouldn’t have posted this during finals week…


    D:

  17. Matt Soucy says:

    Hehe. I’ve been playing with Minecraft for a while. It’s definitely been a good time waster…

    Actually, I plan on forcing/convincing my friends to pose their avatars doing certain things for some art for a project.

    And yeah, Jon, you should definitely make and share one here.

  18. Jon says:

    ok, the server is up on 72.253.124.199:25568 I don’t have any long term plans, but if enough people want to it’ll stay up for a while.

  19. Ovid says:

    Sounds cool
    I usually read and/or write poetry to pass time.
    It’s epic.

  20. Henry says:

    Don’t forget Dwarf Fortress, you guys.

  21. Russell W. says:

    man, that is the LAST time I go spelunking with only two pieces of meat and no bow. nearly died about 10 times haha
    darn skeletons…

  22. Cody says:

    Multiplayer sounds oh so tempting, but I must resist the urge, I’ve played way too much minecraft than I should have during senior fall.

  23. Sean T. F. says:

    Hey Friends,

    I don’t know much about Minecraft, but in the spirit of inventionism, this is what I’ve been doing while waiting for my EA decision:

    https://sites.google.com/site/seanoctober30/things-i-do/robotic-chess

    (Think Robotic Chess)

  24. Minecraft is absolutely fantastic… I’ve been playing for a few months, and the finishing MIT application was the main reason I stopped playing raspberry

    Anyway, if anyone wants to play on the server living in my house that my friends and I set up, you’re welcome to come on (though there’s not too much built yet). It’s a freebuild PvP, some have fun! It’s what’ll be keeping me distracted until I can get my early action decision tomorrow night…

    Server IP: 74.107.86.26

  25. Stephen says:

    Good lord, the last place I thought I’d see Minecraft mentioned is on the MIT website raspberry

    Or Dwarf Fortress. Man I love me some DF.

  26. Minecraft.

    Mix two parts Lego, one part Infiniminer, with a pick axe, in a bowl of Dwarf Fortress, and stir.

    Warning: bookshelves, roller coasters, working 16-bit calculators, and replicas of the Enterprise may occur. Not recommended for those weak of heart or imagination.

  27. Hi everybody! I hope you are all well)
    I got a problem, but dunno how to solve it, so is anybody here…?
    In september
    I know that MIT provides enrichment programs, and there is nothing about internationals… I have mailed my question them but, still haven’t recieved any respond…Can you help me?
    I would like to Join you all in spring, for HSSP or SAT preparatoin program…
    Thank you all..
    –ruslan

  28. Cori Watson says:

    OMG, is everyone playing Minecraft now? I guess I need to start. I have been passing my time playing Lotro. Cant wait for tomorrow night.

  29. David says:

    Off topic: Hey all, you might want to check this project from Google: Chrome for a Cause.

    Basically, for each tab you open, you’ll help raise money for a charity. Weird, but quite interesting.
    http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/p/cause/

    Cheers Everyone

  30. In September I became The Recipient of Kazakhstan Presidential International Scholarship “Bolashak”.*

  31. Louis '14 says:

    I really must thank you for introducing me to this incredibly entertaining and creative game. I totally started it when I should have been studying for finals. I also wonder why I’ve never heard of it before.

  32. Clinton says:

    Minecraft is awesome especially when you have friends to play it with on a private server. One time, I was making a pixelated image of Vegeta, and I was writing “It’s Over 9000!” on the side, but I finished the word “It’s” and realized that I needed to do hw.

    So I went to do hw, and when I came back, it was all completed by my friend. How awesome is that?

  33. pdowling says:

    I just lost my entire main world yesterday, needless to say I’m pretty bummed out right now. I just finished an elaborate Minecart system connecting my bases and mines, when my laptop overheated and crashed, and my world was completely gone. FML

  34. Nice content.Keep up good work.If you like to watch new Movies and Tv Shows just visit this site http://movies-stream.net/Table/Movies

  35. Josh says:

    Hey thanks for the idea. I am going to try this out right now. I’m not really nervous for Thursday but I AM really bored! haha

  36. Anonymous says:

    Wow. Thank you Chris for posting those awesome poetry vids. Now I want to perform poetry.

  37. Grant says:

    Why oh why did I have to buy Minecraft during finals week?

    Still, the procedurally generated landscape is awesome. Even if I can’t explore it until tuesday…

  38. Phoebe says:

    MINECRAFT FTW!! I like to dig down as far as I can, then make an elaborate underground lair. The entire world usually ends up hollow smile

  39. Minecraft’s biggest strength, however, is that it tells a story without really “telling” a story. Your essentially create your own story by trial and error, no matter how you chose to play there is some experience that defines Minecraft that is unique to you. The fear you get when you turn around and you see a creeper bearing down on you is not forced by Notch, but comes from your experience in the game (having seen my fort blown up 4 times by stray creepers, I jump every time i see one).

    On the other side, there’s the uber-creative wonders people dream up on multiplayer. Those are cool too :D

  40. Jack S says:

    The pogo song really is great for stress relief…

  41. Jack says:

    Haha, no! I went on this site to get away from Minecraft!

  42. Russell W. says:

    i think i shall play minecraft to pass the time. then I think i’m gonna start playing The Final Countdown at 8:55.

  43. victor says:

    Minecraft Institute of Technology!

  44. Eugene W. says:

    The multiplayer server Attack of the Show! Zombies room is so difficult! Everyone should try it sometime.

  45. Matt says:

    Ha! I love this game. Good to see I share some interests.