carrots
Latest
Latest Minecraft snapshot adds 'Wither Boss,' baked potatoes and invisibility potions
The latest install-at-your-own-risk Minecraft update (snapshot "12w34a") is now available over at the official Mojang blog. Once installed, several fundamental changes are made to the way maps and nether portals function. You'll also get some new items, things to make from said items, and probably the coolest creature ever.Dubbed the "Wither Boss," this new baddie is a three-headed floating skeleton torso that shoots exploding skulls from each head. It does not appear as though the creature actually exists anywhere in game yet, but the files are all there, waiting to be hacked in if you've got some kind of death wish (as seen in the demonstration video above by Sethbling).This update also adds potatoes and carrots, the former a reagent for baked potatoes and the latter a key ingredient in invisibility potions, of all things. Splashing the potion will make you and any surrounding mobs invisible, but will not affect your armor or any items you happen to be carrying. Meanwhile, splashing a baked potato on yourself would just be silly.
The Daily Grind: How do you like your character customization?
SOE's Jens Andersen recently provoked a bit of a discussion with his comments on DC Universe Online's character customization options. In a nutshell, he intimated that they're somewhat limited initially and devoid of excessive "fluff" in order to give players something to strive for as they build their avatars. This is something of a departure from the tradition established by earlier superhero MMOs. City of Heroes and Champions Online both feature absurdly awesome amounts of individuality and costume customization potential. Even older, non-superhero games such as Aion and Star Wars Galaxies are renowned for the unique looks possible with their extensive character creation tools. That, dear Massively readers, brings us to the question of the day. Do you buy into Andersen's theory that costume and character individuality is a worthwhile carrot, or do you prefer the CoH/Champions method of options, options, and more options from the get-go? How do you like your character customization?
Getting enthralled, or getting to bed?
WoW tends to be a night time activity for most people, many of whom find that it's surprisingly easy to move from one objective to another and lose track of time until the wee hours of the morning. Some people I know sometimes stay up most of the night playing WoW, only to get an hour or two of sleep before whatever they have to do the next day. They're young and they say they make up that sleep at other times, but still, no one would argue that this sort of situation is ideal. A recent study reported by CNN says they're not alone. People who play MMORPGs tend to sleep less and spend more time playing than players of other computer games. It may seem obvious, since MMOs are by nature somewhat of a time-sink, but there is undeniably something more to it; any activity can potentially be a time-sink, after all -- so what is it about MMOs that makes people actually sink time? The answer is up for debate, of course, but one important factor is that WoW's community of players gives the accomplishments within the game a context of reality. The game's goals, dangling in front of us like carrots, would be nearly meaningless if we could only appreciate them in a single-player context, but with a whole realm of other players working alongside us to get them too, they can feel very important. If the choice is between a few hours having dreams you won't remember, or getting a little closer to riding an impressive dragon mount, then certainly sleep can seem boring and useless by comparison.
