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Comment by codexon | Hacker News Reader

Can someone explain the appeal? I normally enjoy indie games with low-end graphics like Dwarf Fortress or Adom.

My first impression as I logged into a server was a giant landscape of multicolored blocks devoid of any meaning whatsoever. There was no survival horror element I could make out in 30 minutes of playing.

I decided to try building something only to be bored of drawing something block by block, like being a pixel artist that had to waste 10 seconds every time you wanted to zoom out. Then I tried following someone around who was also not doing anything interesting. I attempted to dig a bottomless pit under him until he presumably logged off, and at that point I also logged off due to boredom.

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Unless it's changed in the last week, Multiplayer Survival mode is bugged (it's an alpha) so that monsters can't damage you. So most multiplayer servers are in Creative mode, where you just build stuff.

Single player survival still works, and is a lot of fun. The first day cycle is about getting a pick, a shelter, and some coal for torches before nightfall and zombies/skeletons come out. Then you spend the next few day/night cycles building up, and people usually start exploring around Day 5-10. And get horridly lost and have to construct shelter as the sun is setting to avoid monster attack.

And to get the good resources like iron and diamond and gold and redstone, you have to go spelunking in caves, where monsters can spawn in any dark spot. Even coal is only available in small amounts on cliff faces, so you have to either mine or spelunk for that too past the first few pieces.

Multiplayer is just a free for all, endless world sort of thing. In the single player portion of the game you build by day and are attacked by the undead at night.

Here is a fanmade trailer that I think really does a good job of selling some of the appeal to this game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaMTedT6P0I

Took a while for me, but things got interesting when I started crafting. From there and I had to go deep mining to find metal, and then I crafted my first diamond tool. Down there I had a few scary moments, only survived because of the metal armor I did. Until now I'm not very fond of building, I just build the necessary. Tried to start some fancy stuff, but lacked a lot of materials, so for now I'm just filling some chests and crafting tools and small stuff.

Here's a good start for crafting: http://minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Crafting

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