Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
1.
Getting Started
In This Chapter
Register, purchase, and install Minecraft on your platform of choice.
Like your monsters plentiful and deadly, or do you prefer a more peaceful existen-
ce? Minecraft has a gameplay mode for you.
Become a terraforming titan! Control your world generation with seeds and other
options.
Confused by the controls? See the complete list.
Minecraft is an amazing place. Far more than just a game, it's a world of pixelated possib-
ility: an incredible 3D grid of blocks, resources, creatures, monsters, and pitfalls. It features
multiple gameplay styles, from the safe, free-soaring Creative mode to the challenging Sur-
vival mode and the multiplayer Adventure mode.
In this chapter, you'll learn how to register, download, and install Minecraft, get a full run-
down on the different gameplay modes and options, determine the way the world generates,
and learn how to control your Minecraft character.
Registering and Downloading
Minecraft offers a huge amount of fun and will no doubt occupy you for many, many hours.
However, before you can immerse yourself in its world, there are just a few things you need
to do first. You'll need to set up an account with its creators, Mojang, purchase a license,
and,ofcourse,install thesoftware. Thiswill onlytake afewminutes, butfeel freetoskipto
the next section in this chapter if you already have completed these.
Before we get started, keep in mind that Minecraft is available in several different versions,
includingafreedemothatwillrunforabout100minutes,whichistheequivalentof5Mine-
craft day/night cycles.
Minecraft: Pocket Edition
is also available for iOS and Android, and
Minecraft: Xbox 360
Edition
is available through the Xbox Live Marketplace and for purchase as a regular Xbox
installation disc. This topic is primarily about the version you can download to your PC
(v1.6.2, also known as The Horse Update) because that version provides the most complete
Minecraft experience to date.
The Xbox 360 Edition is catching up fast, but lacks some features, while the Xbox One edi-
tion promises a number of improvements based on that system's more powerful hardware.
