DanTDM reaction (explains some details I missed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iF_v7hv1_o
I highly recommend seeing all of Hytale's official blog posts and media before reading this so you know what I'm talking about: hytale.com
DISCLAIMER: This is speculative and based on pre-release information and Minecraft. This post is not to be taken seriously; this is just for fun.
Some may think of it as yet another Minecraft clone, but I believe Hytale, from the creators of the Hypixel server for Minecraft, takes Minecraft's gameplay to a whole new level, while pouring its own originality here and there.
Honestly, I never expected that a group that created arguably one of the best Minecraft servers of all time to create a game that could surpass even Minecraft. I guess I got used to my former home Minecraft server, which was low-budget. (I already left that server because it's dead.) Maybe I just had no idea before how huge Hypixel was, specifically the players, donations, and budget.
Hytale is supposedly going to be friendly to as many gamers as possible, more so than Minecraft which is often mistaken to be a children's building game. According to the website, Hytale is "built for competitive play" and "focuses on anti-cheat" when it comes to multiplayer. (They've dealt with thousands of hackers on the Hypixel server before.) CaptainSparklez, a Minecraft YouTuber and creator of Fortress Fury, said, based on Hytale's showcase of the development tools in the trailer, that Hytale is also "developer-friendly" (see this video). Although I'm somewhat skeptical, I'm still very excited about these claims since I am into game development and I am a competitive gamer.
But I suck at introductions, so let's just get right into it:
10. Parental Controls
Yeah, weird way to start, I know. I haven't taken care of little children in many years, and I REFUSE to do so anytime in the future.
One problem with Minecraft is that children have the exact same "abilities" as adults when making and changing Minecraft worlds. In other words, they can change the game mode to Survival and turn the difficulty to Easy, or even add mods with powerful monsters or weapons, and then commit violent acts that can be compared to Grand Theft Auto. (I made civilians with Custom NPCs and murdered them with Flan's Mod guns.)
I hope Hytale adds a way for parents to disable anything that is considered "violent" without the child being able to undo those restrictions easily.
Oh well, being able to disable custom content is a good start.
Oh well, being able to disable custom content is a good start.
9. Graphics
Obviously, Hytale is a step above Minecraft's graphics with more detailed models, higher-resolution textures, and more expressive animations.
In particular, I really love the animal movement animations and the facial expressions of the human characters. They no longer feel like static "toys" that randomly move their limbs about; they actually move like real animals and humans, respectively.
Animals actually "bounce" when running, and they can make cute faces when standing still. Humans make stern faces when doing physically demanding tasks like chopping trees or preparing to fight, or act surprised when opening a chest. Enemies properly react to taking damage.
I like the slanted roofs as well. Using stairs feels unrealistic and weird to me, while slanted roofs feel more true to real-life architecture.
The 1.13 Aquatic update for Minecraft was amazing, but Hytale took it a step further graphically with realistic water reflections, more coral and seagrass variations, unique rock formations, and more elaborate sunken ships.
Seeing the fish that Dory is based on surprised the heck out of me because of the color accuracy to the Pixar character. (Sorry, clownfish, but you didn't make it.)
The 1.13 Aquatic update for Minecraft was amazing, but Hytale took it a step further graphically with realistic water reflections, more coral and seagrass variations, unique rock formations, and more elaborate sunken ships.
Seeing the fish that Dory is based on surprised the heck out of me because of the color accuracy to the Pixar character. (Sorry, clownfish, but you didn't make it.)
DanTDM in Hytale form looks awesome too. I smell hardcore fans dressing up as DanTDM in vanilla Hytale.
The only thing I found weird about the graphics is that there's no detailed lighting and shadows similar to photorealistic 3D games. But it's tolerable since the lighting in Minecraft isn't detailed either.
The only thing I found weird about the graphics is that there's no detailed lighting and shadows similar to photorealistic 3D games. But it's tolerable since the lighting in Minecraft isn't detailed either.
8. Filmmaking Tools
Minecraft animated films were extremely popular during the peak of Minecraft popularity. Problem is, a bunch of additional programs are needed to make Minecraft animated films, like 3D modeling/animating software and video editing software. Animated films can't be done through Minecraft itself.
Hytale solves that problem by allowing players to make their own 3D models and animations out of the tool package that the game comes with.
I'm excited to see what stories and funny moments the community can make with Hytale's filmmaking tools!
7. Character Customization
See this official post: https://hytale.com/news/2019/2/customizing-your-character-in-hytale
Let's face it: Minecraft skins SUCK. One is basically just an image file slapped onto a model made of 7* rectangular prisms, making them look flat and almost 2D.
Hytale allows for more realistic-looking hair and facial features. It's even possible to add layers of 3D clothing onto a character, like jackets, glasses, and scarves!
Edit: There IS a tie in this screenshot; a guy in a pink suit is wearing it. Now I'm hoping I could put a black leather jacket alongside that. The karate gi is still one of my second options.
I wonder, though, how easy it will be to recreate third-party characters using Hytale's character customization and modding (such as a Pikachu hat with ears).
Edit: It's possible to make custom clothing with Hytale Model Maker.
By the way, Hytale stated that it's possible to play as several races (the one in the screenshot looked like a dark elf or some kind of cat person to me). I'll most likely stay a human because I am a human in real life, and it's unknown if different races will have different stats.
If different races will have different stats, I'd play as a race with high speed and mobility to match my agile fistfighting style in real life.
Edit: There IS a tie in this screenshot; a guy in a pink suit is wearing it. Now I'm hoping I could put a black leather jacket alongside that. The karate gi is still one of my second options.
I wonder, though, how easy it will be to recreate third-party characters using Hytale's character customization and modding (such as a Pikachu hat with ears).
Edit: It's possible to make custom clothing with Hytale Model Maker.
By the way, Hytale stated that it's possible to play as several races (the one in the screenshot looked like a dark elf or some kind of cat person to me). I'll most likely stay a human because I am a human in real life, and it's unknown if different races will have different stats.
If different races will have different stats, I'd play as a race with high speed and mobility to match my agile fistfighting style in real life.
*The hat is the 7th rectangular prism, and is optional.
6. NPCs and Enemies
Minecraft villagers are cool because of their iconic faces and ability to trade (and therefore have given rise to characters like Element Animation's villagers, DanTDM's Dr Trayaurus, and Minecraft Story Mode's Nurm), but, really, all they do is walk around, make random noises, sometimes breed, and sometimes farm. If you've played Minecraft for a while, you know this can get repetitive and more robotic than "human". Heck, they hardly even have any official "story" behind them, other than Notch acknowledging them as "caveman squidwards".
With Hytale, there is not only a greater variety of NPCs and enemies, but many of them also have a ton of personality and lore tied to them, even with just the concept art as a source.
The Kweebec is a great example of this, and has arguably the most amount of official lore so far--it is featured in multiple concept art images and in Hytale's post about the NPCs. It's also pretty cute, especially the seedlings. Too bad there's a quest where I have to help Kweebecs defeat the Corrupted Golem, and I generally don't like protection quests...
"You may retreat, you cute little tree people. I got this fight in the bag!" *rapidly jabs golem with spear*
The Trork looks like a generic RPG enemy, which I'm honestly not a fan of, but at least they also have variations in personality and abilities. The Sentry variant that was shown in the trailer looked like an easy enemy to kill.
(How did I know? It's the only Trork variant that doesn't have shoulder armor. Yeah, it's kinda hard to visually distinguish the Sentry from the Hunter if the wolves aren't counted.)
I bet "Trork" is a combination of troll and orc. LOL.
I'm excited to see what kinds of hideous beasts will knock on my door before facing their inevitable defeat.
Side note: I'll acknowledge that the creeper has the best lore of all the Minecraft mobs. Its origin is about as good as the origins of Pokémon species. Even Game Theory made a video about what a creeper is! I wish Ducklett could eat creepers, though.
Hytale still gets the edge because there are a lot more characters and enemies with interesting lore.
Side note 2: I told Ivann that the "tree person" in the trailer was a Kweebec...and he didn't like me saying it because he wants to wait until the final release before knowing all the little details.
Side note 3: I think YoSquid will be super happy that there's a kraken in Hytale.
5. Minigames and Competitive Play
No need to install mods or make complicated setup procedures anymore--classic Minecraft minigames like SkyWars and Hunger Games are already built into Hytale, and I bet they'll be very easy to set up--just change up a few simple options in a server, and you're all set.
The avatar customization screenshot shows a portion of Hytale's main menu, which says "Adventure", "Minigames", and "Servers". Bold prediction: Minigames can be played in single player with AI opponents. If this is true, THANK GOODNESS Hytale solved the major weakness of most Minecraft minigames, being that there's no way to practice against realistic opponents!
Hytale's built-in official anti-cheat, unlike Minecraft anti-cheats, is straight from the developers of Hytale, who probably know the game's code better than anyone else. This allows them to change the anti-cheat with ease, allowing them to catch new breeds of hackers while minimizing false punishments. (Speaking of which, I'm curious how delinquents will hack the Hytale client... I hope they don't.)
Hytale can supposedly run on a "low-end integrated laptop GPU", so I'm assuming my potato PC for work purposes will run Hytale fine. I'm excited about that, but I still find it ironic that a game with much better graphics than Minecraft can run faster than Minecraft. Besides, even with Optifine, I still get about 40 fps in Minecraft Annihilation. Sorry, Mojang.
Anyway, I'm hoping someone remakes Annihilation for Hytale. It's the minigame that inspired me to become a tactician, and with Hytale's new combat system, I'm sure there will be even bigger variety and spectacular awesomeness in every battle.
The avatar customization screenshot shows a portion of Hytale's main menu, which says "Adventure", "Minigames", and "Servers". Bold prediction: Minigames can be played in single player with AI opponents. If this is true, THANK GOODNESS Hytale solved the major weakness of most Minecraft minigames, being that there's no way to practice against realistic opponents!
Hytale's built-in official anti-cheat, unlike Minecraft anti-cheats, is straight from the developers of Hytale, who probably know the game's code better than anyone else. This allows them to change the anti-cheat with ease, allowing them to catch new breeds of hackers while minimizing false punishments. (Speaking of which, I'm curious how delinquents will hack the Hytale client... I hope they don't.)
Hytale can supposedly run on a "low-end integrated laptop GPU", so I'm assuming my potato PC for work purposes will run Hytale fine. I'm excited about that, but I still find it ironic that a game with much better graphics than Minecraft can run faster than Minecraft. Besides, even with Optifine, I still get about 40 fps in Minecraft Annihilation. Sorry, Mojang.
Anyway, I'm hoping someone remakes Annihilation for Hytale. It's the minigame that inspired me to become a tactician, and with Hytale's new combat system, I'm sure there will be even bigger variety and spectacular awesomeness in every battle.
4. Modding Tools (Draft)
I think the first "experience" I've had with game development is making maps using the Warcraft III World Editor as a 12-year-old, when back then, I still wanted to be a stereotypical mad scientist as an adult. My real first experience with game development is when I joined a Coursera course that had a basic tutorial on Unity.
So, when Hytale stated that "every aspect of Hytale is customizable" and that Hytale comes with its own development tools, I got extremely hyped.
I've actually never done 3D modeling or animation before, so, if Hytale comes out before I graduate college, Hytale will be part of my first time doing 3D modeling/animation. That experience might carry over to when I make my own 3D game in the future.
Modding tools will be the main way I will "play" Hytale.
So, when Hytale stated that "every aspect of Hytale is customizable" and that Hytale comes with its own development tools, I got extremely hyped.
I've actually never done 3D modeling or animation before, so, if Hytale comes out before I graduate college, Hytale will be part of my first time doing 3D modeling/animation. That experience might carry over to when I make my own 3D game in the future.
Modding tools will be the main way I will "play" Hytale.
3. Combat
There wasn't a lot of footage shown about the combat, but it's enough to remind me of both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Minecraft combat is WAY too simplistic--just wait for the attack cooldown and left-click when the crosshairs are on an enemy. Although this is extremely easy to learn, especially against the first few Overworld mobs, this is TOUGH AS NAILS to master when fighting other players.
Hytale solved this problem (the obvious way) by giving players basic attack combos like what we are used to in a bunch of other games. No need to aim directly at an enemy to do a sweeping attack, for example.
And, freaking finally, there is actual dodging and parrying--two extremely important fighting techniques! Seriously, what soldier or martial artist (real-life or virtual) would jump into the front lines without knowing these moves? They're taught by almost all real-life fighting teachers!
Plus, the player knows when the enemy is about to attack, so they can time their dodge or parry easily.
There's a greater variety of weapons, based on the screenshots and concept art. So far, we've seen swords, axes, pickaxes, daggers, spears, maces, shields, bows, crossbows, wands, and staves. (I'm not sure yet if there are shovels or other dirt-digging tools. Guns are showed in the Extensive Modding part of the trailer and this tweet [which also has a grenade].)
I'd probably use a spear, if fists are not a viable weapon.
I expect these weapons to have their own movesets, particularly the melee weapons. We've seen basic sword swings, a "spin attack" with a mace, fireballs, and freezing spells, so those are promising signs of combat variety.
The weapons are made of many different shapes and materials, which reminds me of Tinkers' Construct. Combined with the unique movesets, different weapon parts can affect battles in so many different ways. I smell Hytale character build videos similar to Skyrim character builds.
With all of this said, I think Hytale PvP can be just as easy to learn as learning how to fight in Super Smash Bros.
Edit: The zone 1 wildlife post confirmed that Trork sentries can hurl spears at sparrows, which I am pleased to see.
I hope these throwable spears can also be wielded by players because I specialize in spears and I need a cheap alternative to bows and arrows.
To me, arrows in Minecraft are too difficult to get in large numbers because not all playthroughs have easily accessible chickens, flint is non-renewable, and skeletons are tough to kill without taking a lot of damage, using a shield, or using more than 2 arrows.
Minecraft combat is WAY too simplistic--just wait for the attack cooldown and left-click when the crosshairs are on an enemy. Although this is extremely easy to learn, especially against the first few Overworld mobs, this is TOUGH AS NAILS to master when fighting other players.
Hytale solved this problem (the obvious way) by giving players basic attack combos like what we are used to in a bunch of other games. No need to aim directly at an enemy to do a sweeping attack, for example.
And, freaking finally, there is actual dodging and parrying--two extremely important fighting techniques! Seriously, what soldier or martial artist (real-life or virtual) would jump into the front lines without knowing these moves? They're taught by almost all real-life fighting teachers!
Plus, the player knows when the enemy is about to attack, so they can time their dodge or parry easily.
There's a greater variety of weapons, based on the screenshots and concept art. So far, we've seen swords, axes, pickaxes, daggers, spears, maces, shields, bows, crossbows, wands, and staves. (I'm not sure yet if there are shovels or other dirt-digging tools. Guns are showed in the Extensive Modding part of the trailer and this tweet [which also has a grenade].)
I'd probably use a spear, if fists are not a viable weapon.
I expect these weapons to have their own movesets, particularly the melee weapons. We've seen basic sword swings, a "spin attack" with a mace, fireballs, and freezing spells, so those are promising signs of combat variety.
The weapons are made of many different shapes and materials, which reminds me of Tinkers' Construct. Combined with the unique movesets, different weapon parts can affect battles in so many different ways. I smell Hytale character build videos similar to Skyrim character builds.
With all of this said, I think Hytale PvP can be just as easy to learn as learning how to fight in Super Smash Bros.
Edit: The zone 1 wildlife post confirmed that Trork sentries can hurl spears at sparrows, which I am pleased to see.
I hope these throwable spears can also be wielded by players because I specialize in spears and I need a cheap alternative to bows and arrows.
To me, arrows in Minecraft are too difficult to get in large numbers because not all playthroughs have easily accessible chickens, flint is non-renewable, and skeletons are tough to kill without taking a lot of damage, using a shield, or using more than 2 arrows.
2. Exploration (Draft)
It's not only the trailer that showcased dungeons--the concept art has a MEGATON of generated structures. With such variety in exploration, adventurers may never get tired of exploring--it's one unique exploration quest after another.
I'm guessing the "challenge dungeons" in the concept art are random dungeons--they only showed the entrance, and there's nothing else surrounding the entrance structure--all we see is a portal. Also, they kind of remind me of Sheikah shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Unlike Minecraft structures, which do not always generate good loot, I think most Hytale dungeons will have valuable rewards at the end.
Some Hytale structures also let us know more about the cultures of the civilizations that built them.
Even though not every adventurer will enjoy the dungeons and structures, I think the environment graphics are enough to blow people's minds.
Mountain peaks often allow for colorful and lively views of Hytale nature...and they're great for scouting and defending.
If you ask me how I will mainly play Hytale's adventure mode, I would work hard on a big base that can support multiple humans (either NPCs or real players), Kweebecs, and animals, but also go on huge exploration campaigns that will bring me thousands of blocks away. It's a great escape from the increasingly bland city life I'm having in real life.
(Trust me, though, I won't train a Kweebec to use an AK-47.)
I'm guessing the "challenge dungeons" in the concept art are random dungeons--they only showed the entrance, and there's nothing else surrounding the entrance structure--all we see is a portal. Also, they kind of remind me of Sheikah shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Unlike Minecraft structures, which do not always generate good loot, I think most Hytale dungeons will have valuable rewards at the end.
Some Hytale structures also let us know more about the cultures of the civilizations that built them.
Even though not every adventurer will enjoy the dungeons and structures, I think the environment graphics are enough to blow people's minds.
Mountain peaks often allow for colorful and lively views of Hytale nature...and they're great for scouting and defending.
If you ask me how I will mainly play Hytale's adventure mode, I would work hard on a big base that can support multiple humans (either NPCs or real players), Kweebecs, and animals, but also go on huge exploration campaigns that will bring me thousands of blocks away. It's a great escape from the increasingly bland city life I'm having in real life.
(Trust me, though, I won't train a Kweebec to use an AK-47.)
1. A Pokémon mod similar to Pixelmon (Draft)
If Hytale goes as expected (or better), it will replace Minecraft as my #2 favorite game of all time. Unlike Minecraft, though, which grew on me throughout my teenage years, Pokémon has been with me throughout my childhood, and will always be my #1 game of all time, so I'd love to see someone make a Pokémon mod.
Considering the exploration and the more varied and detailed environments, as well as the ability for entities to interact with each other uniquely, I'm expecting a much more detailed and vibrant Pokémon world. Imagine Zangoose and Seviper aggressively fighting each other on sight, rather than randomly choosing between ignoring and battling.
Even the animations are customizable, so I'm super interested to see more detailed attack animations to really show off the power of Pokémon.
CaptainSparklez also wants a Hytale Pixelmon mod, according to his video about Hytale's zone 1 wildlife. SOMEBODY GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS!
Considering the exploration and the more varied and detailed environments, as well as the ability for entities to interact with each other uniquely, I'm expecting a much more detailed and vibrant Pokémon world. Imagine Zangoose and Seviper aggressively fighting each other on sight, rather than randomly choosing between ignoring and battling.
Even the animations are customizable, so I'm super interested to see more detailed attack animations to really show off the power of Pokémon.
CaptainSparklez also wants a Hytale Pixelmon mod, according to his video about Hytale's zone 1 wildlife. SOMEBODY GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS!
Honorable Mentions
- Fireplaces and fire pits...without netherrack! Freaking finally! Seriously, how come Minecrafters have to go to a dangerous dimension just to light a permanently burning fire?
- Watching videos in-game. I'm assuming Hytale can pick up videos straight from YouTube. Freaking finally, I have a way to catch up on the latest memes without leaving the game! (Not like I care much about memes, to be honest; I only look them up when they're so trendy that they're hurting my brain.)
Edit: Hypixel Studios said that the video player is designed for YouTube and Twitch. Hooray, I can watch my favorite Pokétubers Shiny-hunt while I slack off in my base!
Edit: I hope there will be some kind of portable video player in-game so we can work and fight while watching YouTubers and Twitch streamers. - The "Paint the World" part. I never really understood the "World Edit" mod for Minecraft, or structure blocks, because I'm lazy and they look complicated. I assume Paint the World allows the user to quickly customize large portions of the environment with just the mouse?
Other Expectations
- The Sims-like socialization with NPCs (human or not; befriending Kweebecs with hard work would be exciting)
Hytale being freemium (free with Pay2Win features), since the Hypixel Minecraft server has a donation store and has big-shot investors like Riot Games (developer of League of Legends)Edit: Microtransactions are notorious among the gaming community, so I don't think Hytale will be free to play. Oh well, it doesn't matter--I already begged my dad for the game if I do good in school, and he said yes, even if it costs $60.- Hytale being rated Everyone 10+ by the ESRB; so far, I've only seen fantasy violence--something that has also caused Minecraft to get an E10+ rating (It's okay if Hytale is rated Teen though) (Edit: I'm suspecting suggestive themes due to the Long Hairstyles image in this post, but I think Hytale will still be E10+)
- A variety of vehicles, especially ships
- A lot more which may come as more blog posts are released, or as I watch more Hytale theory videos
Lazy Conclusion
Yeah, I admit, I roasted Minecraft quite a lot on this post, despite it currently being my #2 favorite game. Oh well, I see no harm in being critical.
Edit: I feel a little guilty. According to Noxy, Hytale was never intended to kill Minecraft.
Edit: I feel a little guilty. According to Noxy, Hytale was never intended to kill Minecraft.
Some things I don't want to see in Hytale: Copying unique Minecraft mobs like the Creeper, or Nintendo suing Hypixel Studios because Hytale looks like "Hyrule".
Also, this is probably one of the hardest blog posts I've ever written, since Hytale has already revealed a TON of content on their very first day. Sorry, Pokémon: Let's Go, but spamming Viridian Forest in multiple gameplay footage videos was a bad idea.
Also, this is probably one of the hardest blog posts I've ever written, since Hytale has already revealed a TON of content on their very first day. Sorry, Pokémon: Let's Go, but spamming Viridian Forest in multiple gameplay footage videos was a bad idea.
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