Saturday, September 15, 2018

Living in Minecraft Worlds – Worst to Best

Just like having Harry Potter spells or Pokémon in real life, I'm sure many of us want to teleport into a Minecraft world and experience its completely different mechanics from the real world.
In the real world, a small house would take a few months to complete, and a castle would take many years, possibly decades. However, in Minecraft, those same builds can be done in 5 minutes or a week respectively, even by just one builder.

However, just like Zubat hordes and the Unforgivable Curses, there are risks of living in a Minecraft world. I'm not talking about zombies and creepers; those jokers are easy for me to pummel, even with my fists. I'm talking about dangers that I can't stand, both in-game and in real life.

In this post, I'm considering as many kinds of Minecraft worlds as possible, including multiplayer and modded worlds. Each world and server is in Minecraft 1.13.2, if applicable. Minecraft: Story Mode worlds will assume I don't have an enchanted flint and steel. I will also assume that there's no portal back to the real world.

So, without further ado, here they are:

Any kind of public Minecraft server, or server with 40 or more daily players

In short, public Minecraft servers are extremely chaotic.
As of writing this, I'm still a staff member at my home Minecraft server, and I've witnessed many kinds of vulgarity, disrespect, and illegal gameplay. According to WatchMojo.com (2016), Minecraft has the #4 most toxic gaming community.
Unless the server is extremely well-moderated, I can't be peaceful for a whole hour because someone will inevitably shout a swear word at someone or stab me in the back with the aid of X-ray hacks.
Plus, I am more likely to be raided by thugs with enchanted diamond gear without provocation. Unlike real life, crimes against property are generally acceptable in Minecraft servers.
And I don't play in Minecraft for glory or competition. I play it for relaxation and survival. So I'll probably lag behind the hardcore gladiators.
Here are specific Minecraft servers I don't like:

PvP-only Server (such as Kit-PvP, Practice PvP, Potion PvP, SkyWars, and EggWars)

"PvP" means Player versus Player.

I may be violent in real life, but I don't wanna spend my entire life mindlessly fighting other people. I am used to the diversity of the real world, and being forced to be a gladiator forever ruins that.
Plus, as an introvert with Asperger's syndrome, I have a very low chance of making friends with anyone, especially hardcore gamers with the personality of a criminal. I'm more likely to get an enchanted sword to the chest than a handshake.

Factions/Survival Server

For reasons I explained earlier, plus the extra risk of being raided, since raiding is encouraged in Factions servers.

Flan's Mod server

I'm terrible at first-person shooters. YoSquid always beats me in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Pixelmon server

I suck at competitive Pokémon battling—I am nowhere close to anyone competent enough to survive a few rounds of VGC.
Plus, it takes a lot more time to catch ‘em all, since Pokémon have a huge biodiversity, and the 1.7 Minecraft update prevented deserts from generating near cold biomes. It's not like the official Pokémon games where the player can simply fast-travel to a city or route with Fly, Latios/Latias soaring, or Charizard Glide.
No way am I battling enchanted guys with Ubers teams. (Ubers is the highest tier in Smogon, containing extremely powerful Pokémon like Arceus and Primal Groudon.)

Other Servers

The world of Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 8 is chaotic too, but not to the extreme degree of a normal Minecraft server. I could fight those gladiators just fine. I'd love to sneakily punch Hadrian on the back of the head, though.

Prison is a very lazy server. I'm fine with simply mining all day. At least I get to survive peacefully.

Skyblock servers are fine, since islands are fully protected from outsiders.

I'm also okay with Draw My Thing, since I find it funny when opponents can't guess my drawings no matter how well I draw.

However, there is one kind of public Minecraft server I would actually LOVE to step into:

Annihilation Server

Ah, yes, the server that helped develop the Tactician half of my username.
With so many unique kits, Annihilation provides millions of unique strategies that have never before been seen in Minecraft, from grappling to mountains and enemy walls, to chopping enemies' armor to pieces in a few strikes, to making an army rich and powerful in a few minutes.
Unlike other PvP games, where gladiators simply charge towards anybody and everybody head-on, Annihilation makes the player feel like a general, not only charging towards foes, but also devising strategies to ensure a balance of offense, defense, and team synergy.
Unfortunately, Annihilation still suffers from the aforementioned thugs, toxicity, and hackers. And I may be a general, but it's tough as nails to keep a unit of juvenile delinquents in line.

Now, here are some private worlds and servers:

Empty Island Surrounded by Ocean

Wood is arguably the most important resource at the beginning of a vanilla Minecraft adventure. It allows the player to craft a hoe to farm wheat, and a boat to travel across water.
But, with no trees on a small island surrounded by ocean, I will surely starve to death.
Plus, I don't know how to swim. My breath only lasts a maximum of 30 seconds. If I try to swim, I'll quickly die, either by tiredness, or being killed by drowned.
And, by the way, I am NOT eating rotten flesh from drowned. My martial arts are useless in the water, and drowned can't be easily lured to land.
I guess the only viable way to survive this is to “extend" the island with dirt blocks from underground, so that zombies can spawn. Mobs will spawn at least 24 blocks away from the player.
I'm including mushroom islands in this category since mooshrooms are limited, and hostile mobs don't spawn.
By the way, I know deserts also don't have trees, but savannas are usually near them, so deserts are not a big deal. I can walk long distances patiently.
Edit: I should have realized MUCH earlier that there are fish mobs in 1.13 that can be killed for food, so it IS possible to survive for years on this kind of island. They only have 3 HP, so I can easily punch them to death. Problems are, I'm scared to open my eyes underwater, I may get tired of swimming when I become old, and I don't dare to taste raw food.

Any World with a Criminal Living with Me

This is basically a scaled-down version of the public Minecraft server, where instead of a crowd of heavily armed psychopathic delinquents, I have an adventure with just one thug. (I'm assuming we both start our adventure at the same time in the same place.)
If he's a criminal playing it safe by using words to manipulate my mind in order to scam me, I can always run away, assuming I'm evenly matched with the criminal in terms of gear. I could continue my adventure as if the criminal didn't exist.
But if he's blatantly trying to kill me from the beginning, that's where things get rough. I know martial arts, so it's no problem if he punches me upon spawning. But I gotta be careful if he's waiting to craft a weapon, because, as I said in “Fighting Addiction", I'm afraid of weapons. Luckily, I've played Ultra Hardcore before, so I can craft a stone sword pretty quickly if I'm given at least one tree.
Worst-case scenario: Being stuck on an empty island with a criminal. He’ll get so hungry that he might literally eat me.

Minecraft: Story Mode – PAMA World

This is a “meh" world after PAMA's destruction, and a dangerous world before Jesse's arrival.
There isn't much to do after PAMA is destroyed, since being back to normal makes the PAMA world a regular Minecraft world. Not much is known about it before and after PAMA.
On the other hand, without Harper's help, I'd be toast if I stepped into it while PAMA is still working. PAMA is a fast learner, so it can easily download my lunatic tactics and martial arts, and upload them to the mobs and citizens it controls, so I'd pretty much be fighting extra strong clones of myself.

Parkour Maps

I have no experience in professional parkour, and I have terrible flexibility. I'd probably fall off on the first fence post or 4-block jump.
Plus, I don't wanna live my entire life jumping all over the place.

Puzzle Maps

They're so innovative that they confuse my brain.

Adventure/Horror Maps

While they have more variety than parkour maps, they also suffer from a linear plot, which is contrary to the sandbox nature of Minecraft.
I don't want to be restricted to following the rules of an adventure map. I'm the kind of person who wants to go out into the wide open world and explore to my heart's content. This is why I love open-world games like Grand Theft Auto.
Plus, horror maps are bad for my blood pressure…even though my blood pressure is very stable.

Most Minecraft Biomes, Alone

Now we're getting to the actually good Minecraft worlds. All the worlds starting here have one thing in common: No criminals, no gladiators, no hackers, and minimal stress.
The vast majority of biomes either have trees or are near biomes with trees. As long as I have a sustainable tree, I can survive for months, if not years. Even if there's no tall grass, I can wait for spiders in order to craft a fishing rod. Fish helps provide a healthy source of protein, iodine, and omega-3 fats, which are so much better than freaking rotten flesh.
Once I have a steady and sustainable supply of food and wood, I can survive for about 80 years while mostly slacking off and only getting up to harvest, to fish, or to satisfy my thirst for violence by killing mobs. No need to go on crazy adventures (although they're still extremely fun and rewarding).

Village

Living alone in Minecraft can be painfully boring. Even introverts need a tiny bit of social interaction.
Thankfully, villages exist in Minecraft. Not only do they provide instant food from their farms (don't worry, I replant crops; I'm not a thief), but they also have a population I can sort of “talk" to, making me feel not-so-lonely.
Plus, free houses, with no rent.
And, if there are at least 10 villagers and 21 houses, iron golems will spawn, which will give me a reliable source of iron. I don't care if the iron golems hate me. I'm a freaking lunatic!
Edit: I don't dare live in a Minecraft 1.14 village. Pillagers are tough to fight.

Woodland mansion

My goodness, THIS is my favorite generated structure of ALL time. (2nd is the End City, while 3rd is the village.) There is just so much variation and life in this massive building, with 50+ unique rooms, a spacious and elegant carpeted hallway, and the menacing Illagers.
It's got almost everything I want in a home, from the basics like farms, dining rooms, and bedrooms, to valuable extras like storage rooms, a library, and my personal favorite: a FREAKING BOXING RING. 10/10, Mojang. Now, if only I could give a vindicator an RKO.
Woodland mansions have their flaws, though. First, there are so many mobs inside, not just the Illagers. I don't wanna repair holes in the floor caused by creepers. Second, vexes are really freaking annoying! At least I can hit them more accurately using my real fists rather than a mouse. Third, those statues are a waste of space. Fourth, they don't have a swimming pool. Fifth and worst of all, they don't have a bathroom.
But the flaws are not a big deal, because illegally evicting the residents and forcefully turning the mansion into my base camp is a huge joy.

Edit: RIP woodland mansions—Hytale has a TON of way better generated structures.

Private Minecraft Server with Friends

Because talking with villagers can get boring.

Minecraft: Story Mode – Sky City Before Blaze Rod Invasion

I have no problem following strict rules. And Sky City looks amazing. I love the Skyblock reference.

Minecraft: Story Mode – Episode 6 World

This is the world with two moons, hundreds of zombies, and the mansion home to the White Pumpkin and some YouTubers.
I'm mainly staying here for the hordes of zombies. I don't need to ask the YouTuber residents for autographs.
Other than these, it's a normal Minecraft world.

Minecraft: Story Mode - Jesse's World/Beacontown

This world has the most character in it, since it's the home of the protagonist Jesse, and where the vast majority of Minecraft: Story Mode episodes are set in.
Living in Beacontown is a no-brainer, but, if I had to pick a second option, it would be a house built by me outside of Beacontown walls.
I refuse to be stuck in Boom Town (too much griefing), Champion City (Stella is annoying), and any of Romeo's territory (Romeo likes fighting and challenge maps too much).

Pixelmon world

Ah, yes. Combining my two favorite video games of all time. But where do I begin?
I could fly on the back of a Charizard in an infinite world, which was never possible in any official Pokémon game. (The best we got was soaring from Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.) I could even use it to fight the Ender Dragon.
I could make a set of iron armor by defeating wild Steel-type Pokémon and getting their iron ingots.
I could practice my competitive battling by going to randomly generated Gyms, or making my own AI Trainers.
Or, I could just beat up and eat Magikarp my whole life.
By the way, I'll use my Pokémon Y team for Pixelmon.
If only there was Vikavolt… My brother is mad at me for using Magnezone in Pokémon Y because I “copied" him. Plus, my team needs extra Bug-type coverage.
Edit: And if I get accused of "copying" Vikavolt, and Melmetal was in Pixelmon, I would use Melmetal. Problem is, Melmetal is a Mythical Pokémon, and it has an A rank in Smogon's viability rankings for Let's Go! OU.

A World with All the Minecraft Mods I Want…plus Real-World Friends

No brainer.
The mods I want for this kind of world are Custom NPCs, Flan's Mod, Minecraft Comes Alive, Pixelmon, and Zelda Sword Skills.


When the Hytale beta goes live, assuming it has enough content, I'll make a "Living in Hytale worlds" post.

References

WatchMojo.com. (2016) Top 10 Most Toxic Video Game Communities. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_KBnLUTMIg

Monday, September 3, 2018

Inspiring the Incessant

Going a little off-topic, I was playing other games since I got sick and tired of Minecraft, until I met player4709 and we played so much Minecraft that I got back to it.
Not only did we play a megaton in our private Minecraft world, but we also invented our own strategies in Annihilation. Our latest one is using the Bard kit to make it super hard for the enemy to kill us using a combination of Regeneration and Weakness.

Then, I realized that Mr. Incessant was still being not-so-cool. He still rages at people or whatever. I admit, I was at fault for not playing with him since I played other games. So I made up with him by leading him again in a serious Annihilation battle.

He made a strategy where we make a sky base above the enemy base and then flood the enemy with water.
To be honest, I'm not sure how effective that strategy was, since none of the enemies raged about our flood. One of them simply and calmly swam upward to our sky base in a painfully slow speed, trying to attack us, but we had the obvious high-ground advantage. Mr. Incessant must have enjoyed so much while I protected him and we laughed at the mischief we made.
I then shot arrows from my sky base at the enemy. I wasted a lot of arrows and only got 1 hit since I haven't used a bow in a long time. To make up for that, I roasted the enemy, saying “Hey Yellow Team, enjoying the weather?” You get the joke?
I can't remember what happened after that, though.

Anyway, putting the flood strategy aside, Mr. Incessant said, “I'm trying not to be toxic.” When the battle ended, I gave him a little Annihilation XP (needed to buy Annihilation kits) for keeping his promise.
I gave Mr. Incessant a little tip for retaliating at toxic people without being toxic: Tell them “I'm gonna target you." or “U liek to get rekt?” Much better than a “fuck you".
Personally, though, I'd say “Rel-axe, it's just a game.” or “I am perpl-axe-d by your axe-asperation.”
Oh well, at least I'm not so mad at Mr. Incessant anymore. He's still toxic, but not as much as before.

We played again the next day, where I tried to get OP gear while Mr. Incessant rushed the enemy over and over. He killed the enemy so much that one of them called Mr. Incessant a "motherfucker". I'm not sure what he said after that, but I think he was chill. He even rescued me from a near-death situation.
We lost due to being heavily outnumbered and outgunned, but I'm still impressed with how Mr. Incessant performed in this game, so I paid him a lot of Annihilation XP for his good work.

Not Incessant Anymore, but I'm Still Annoyed
I haven't seen Mr. X-pletive since last July. Maybe he quit because he thinks the server is annoying. Oh well, at least he's taken out of the equation for now. I really wanna give him a piece of my mind, though. By the way, he's so rude that he does not deserve an axe pun.

But I have a new, less intelligent but less toxic version of Mr. Incessant, who I will call Mr. Cornucopia. He sucks up to people a lot; he joined Lunatic Blade and I begrudgingly accepted him, and joined two more teams afterwards while maintaining Lunatic Blade membership. He often asks me easy-to-answer questions, like “Are you a programmer?" after seeing my Python program, “How to apply for Lunatic Blade?" even though the application instructions are under his nose, and “What Annihilation kit should I get?" even though I already told him the answer twice. He has horrible grammar, unlike Mr. Incessant ‘s acceptable grammar, so I often ask, “What do you mean when you say this?”
Despite those “feats" of low intelligence for an early teenager, Mr. Cornucopia somehow finds secrets that I'd never expect the average Joe to find without exerting extra effort, such as my old comics and my real name. (No axe puns needed.) I think he will Google-search Juliann Baloran or LunaticTactician at some time this year due to curiosity, and find this blog.
Mr. Cornucopia, if you're reading this, DON'T YOU DARE show this to anyone in our Minecraft server or you might be punished for advertising.
Anyway, in “Final Rant Against Mr. Incessant”, I speculated that Mr. Incessant’s lack of desire to follow my no-toxicity orders was due to emotions. Unlike Mr. Incessant, though, I think Mr. Cornucopia forgets what I say simply because of a bad short-term memory.
I'm planning to suck up to Mr. Cornucopia at some point, but I'm focused on player4709 and Mr. Incessant for now. Plus, I don't know if my smartness will rub off on him.
Edit: Mr. Cornucopia has an equally pea-brained brother who I will call Mr. Noxious, and he's also sucking up to me. TRIGGERED

Update on player4709's Minecraft World
We're getting loads of diamonds with our Fortune 3 pickaxe. player4709 got an enchanted bow with Power 4 and Infinity, while I got a Sharpness 3 diamond sword.
Unfortunately, player4709's brother, who I will call Mr. Binary, beat us to the ender dragon and destroyed the ender crystals with eggs from our chicken farm before finishing off the ender dragon with Strength 2.
Thanks for the comment, Mr. Binary, and sorry for assuming you still had your OP gear.
Fortunately, we agreed that we can add mods after defeating the ender dragon, so we're planning to add Pixelmon and Custom NPCs when I finish my college term this November.

I'm choosing Froakie, by the way, while player4709 is choosing Chimchar. They should work well when we get into a Multi Battle, since Froakie is the best starter Pokémon in Kalos according to Eryizo and Truegreen7 (2017), while Chimchar is the best starter Pokémon in Sinnoh according to Eryizo and Speqtor (2016).
I wonder what player4709 will have as his Pokémon team. I'm gonna have my Pokémon Y team, though, since I've played a lot with it and all my Pokémon combined have moves of all 18 types for maximum type coverage. Problem is, Dratini is rare and only spawns in water biomes, so I won't have a powerful flying Pokémon for a while, especially since player4709 has a horse and I don't. Oh well, I'll just take Starly for now.
Let's just hope we don't get blown up by creepers again while we battle Gym Leaders.

References
Eryizo & Speqtor. (2016) What Is The Best Starter Pokemon? (Sinnoh) Feat. Speqtor.           Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtrLD5qJX6s
Eryizo & Truegreen7. (2017) What Is The Best Starter Pokemon? (Kalos) Feat. Truegreen7. Retrieved from YouTube: