I play Minecraft on Peaceful mode

Cucco-obsessed-link
Thursday, December 01, 2011
EDITOR'S NOTEfrom Eduardo Moutinho

Watching people play and build within the creative utopia known as Minecraft is almost as addictive as the game itself. I haven't grabbed a pixelated pick just yet, but with the title officially coming out, now's as good of a time as any to start mining for some blocks.

This (pictured to your right) is the type of situation I am more than happy not to deal with anymore. Why? I play Minecraft on Peaceful mode. That means no creepers waiting to blow up in my face, no frantic first-day scrambles for coal to make sure skeletons and zombies don't spawn on my head, and no dying of hunger for taking too long mining. 

Peaceful mode is ideal for individuals who enjoy the "craft" part of Minecraft, and it allows those players to create awesome and interesting structures. However, this takes away all of the survival aspects of the game, leaving little point to building monster-proof forts or making food to stay full and satisfied. Of course, if you're building giant block-based monuments of Link and Princess Zelda, you'll really not want monster interference.

However, I'm not one of those crazy crafters; I simply don't have the patience for such creations. Instead, I play the title to explore the world it created for me.

 

Every world in Minecraft is unique, but it's unlikely most people will see what the world has to offer. While the game doesn't completely shun the idea of exploration, it does discourage the concept unless you're fully prepared to go into dark dungeons and fight off hordes of enemies. In addition, you're always faced with the risk that an unfortunate misstep or a creeper in just the wrong spot could lead to you losing everything you earned during your current endeavor. Overworld travel is barely an option either since the moment night comes, monsters emerge and swarm you, and it's not viable to make fortresses every half-day's walk.

Of course, a crafty player can get by this, but I prefer not to dig for resources in order to see what's outside my door. In my peaceful exploration, I've found lots of natural caverns waiting to be visited. While most of them turned out to be nothing more than holes in a mountain, to me, the thrill of exploring new areas is what keeps me coming back to Minecraft. Right now, I'm investigating a huge labyrinth that I've been lost in for two hours -- something that I could never accomplish if there were monsters and hunger to think about!

But really, that's the true joy of the experience. You can choose to play any way you want and fully enjoy the game. Whether you're mining, crafting, or doing something in between, Minecraft caters to us all.

 
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Comments (6)
Default_picture
December 01, 2011

I thought Minecraft was an absolutely beautiful experience, but I definitely bemoaned the monsters and survival aspect. While it makes things interesting, like you, I found it took away alot of the enjoyment of being able to explore such an expansive world. I may have to go back now and start a new world with this Peaceful Mode - I didn't realize one existed!

Cucco-obsessed-link
December 01, 2011

You should definitely give it another shot!  I found the mode while messing with the settings in the past--believe it or not, my old computer could barely run the game!  xp

Default_picture
December 01, 2011

This sounds awesome. When did the Peaceful mode come out? 1.0?

Default_picture
December 01, 2011

It's always been a part of the game.  In the options, you can turn the difficulty down to Peaceful, removing all enemies from the game.

Cucco-obsessed-link
December 01, 2011

Eduardo, thank you for finding a better Minecraft picture for the article!  When it comes to such a popular game, I have trouble looking for the right kinds of pics in such a sea of screencaps. :)

Portrait
December 01, 2011

No problem Elizabeth. Thanks for writing this up. I can't wait to read more pieces from you.

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