“weren't you going on about “minecraft is boring” like 5-7 months ago”
– Nameless Rumia

Minecraft is a sandbox game by Mojang Studios that began in 2009,¹⁾ started sales in 2010,²⁾ fully released in 2011,³⁾ then it was acquired by Microsoft for $2.5 billion in 2014.⁴⁾⁵⁾ Over time, the game would be split into the 'Java Edition'⁶⁾ and the C++ 'Bedrock Edition'.⁷⁾⁸⁾

This article will mostly focus on the Java Edition since it's usually the one everyone uses, especially around my age group, and it will mostly have notes for myself and beginners who manage to stumble across this article, so don't expect any expert tips or anything.

In the past, Minecraft was a simple game with a lot of potential, thus becoming this online phenomenon where you kept seeing it on bulletin boards⁹⁾¹⁰⁾ or YouTube videos, then came their immense modding scene. This premature hype eventually ended after Microsoft's acquisition in September 2014, with development stagnating as they juggled the 'Bedrock Engine',¹¹⁾ and newer updates broke compatibility with older mods.

Most of the late 2010s saw Minecraft being 'uncool' and their sanitized image wasn't doing any favors,¹²⁾ but it eventually saw a 'breakthrough' in 2019 after popular streamers revisited the game for its 10th anniversary, then casual multiplayer gaming and content¹³⁾ was in demand during the pandemic. Microsoft would then urge legacy Mojang accounts to migrate from October 21, 2020¹⁴⁾ to September 19, 2023.¹⁵⁾

The default Minecraft launcher is limited, and most newcomers won't know about the plethora of open-source alternatives that isn't the bloated CurseForge launcher, so I've gathered some examples below. If you're pirating with a cracked launcher¹⁶⁾ and intend to play multiplayer, be mindful that the server owner will have to make an exception,¹⁷⁾ then the players would have to get SkinsRestorer or OfflineSkins.

• MultiMC
  The classic, but complicated, launcher. CurseForge and FTB modpacks might require extra steps.¹⁸⁾
  • PrismLauncher
    The active MultiMC fork. Most of the former PolyMC developers moved here after 2022.¹⁹⁾
  • FjordLauncher 🏴‍☠️
    The 'DRM-free' fork of Prism Launcher, inspired by PollyMC. Fully supports FTB modpacks.
• ATLauncher
  A simple portable launcher. Supports FTB modpacks. Very easy to add mods!
• Modrinth App
  Modrinth's launcher. Simple, but very limited. Has advertisements, claims 25% of their ad revenue.²⁰⁾
• FTB App
  Feed The Beast's launcher. Mostly bloated.

You will need a Java Development Kit (JDK), preferably an open-source fork, to run Minecraft. While some launchers can install one for you, other launchers assume that you already know about these things, which could add further confusion to an already intimidating process. Below are the main four distribution options that people choose from, obviously not including the subscription-only OTN.

A mod loader is a self-explanatory API that has 'standardized' mod development by having developers on the same page, reducing compatibility issues, and allow players to play Minecraft with mods. This won't be very important unless you're thinking about creating a new modpack from scratch, you wish to add compatible mods to an existing modpack, or you're looking into how to develop a mod and want to know the options.

• Risugami's ModLoader - The incredibly ancient loader for Java Edition Beta to 1.6.2.
• Forge - The bulky loader that emerged during 1.1, after most of the original team left.²²⁾ This would become popular with the early 2010s boom, but times have changed since then.
  • NeoForge - A fork of Forge that split around 1.20.1 since Forge's developers had enough.²³⁾²⁴⁾ This was successful, so most modern modpacks recently switched to NeoForge instead.
• Fabric - The lightweight loader that emerged during 1.13 since Forge took *forever* to release their loader. It became a serious contender after 1.17 and the subsequent boom.
  • Quilt - A fork of Fabric that split around 1.18.2. Yeah, I'm not getting paid to unpack this drama.
  • Legacy Fabric - A fork of Fabric for older Minecraft versions, namely 1.3–1.14. Very niche.

A modpack is a third-party collection of mods and mod settings for Minecraft. These will often be categorized into genres (e.g. Vanilla+, Skyblock, Tech, Magic, Kitchen Sink, etc.). Of course, everyone will have different preferences, so you won't find any 'definitive' recommendations, plus you have to consider the version that it's for and if you wish to add more mods, especially for a multiplayer server.

When it comes to a multiplayer server, it will help to understand the difference between 'server-side' mod and 'client-side' mod, preferably before you start the server up. You can customize an existing modpack, but you would have to export the modpack, understand the export methods,²⁵⁾ and confirm that the modpack's settings didn't get lost (e.g. missing title screen,²⁶⁾ etc.) by testing and playing on the re-imported instance.

A data pack is a third-party collection of data that can be added during world creation. These do not require a loader, but the strange choice to have players drag the data packs into the world's folder every single time is probably why some data packs offer a mod version, or end up becoming a mod. In addition, some mods might rely on data packs to fully function. Still, they can be quite impressive.

The process of 'beating the game' is well known and it is a mandatory step if you want to open up the End gateway that will grant you access to the elytra or shukler boxes, unless you intend to build an insane 1000-block bridge (about 16 stacks) or have some redstone build. Most people won't actually need this guide, and I kinda prefer seeing people fumble into The End, but I wanted to note some details down.

1. Figure out the basic mechanics. You should learn to craft sticks, smelt ores in a furnace, and so on.
   • If you already know how to 'speedrun' a Nether portal with a lava pool, then skip to step 5.
2. Obtain a diamond pickaxe. Mining diamonds require a iron pickaxe or better. Most players will find diamonds by caving around deepslate level, or strip mining at a specific Y level.²⁷⁾
   • However, it is possible for players to simply loot for diamonds and diamond tools with enough skill.
   • The tool may also be purchased from a master toolsmith, but this method is less exciting.
3. Mine obsidian with a diamond pickaxe. You need water to touch a lava source block. You can force this with buckets, preferably having the water 'flow' above the lava source blocks.
   • Technically, water and lava are 'renewable' through cauldrons and pointed dripstones, but it usually isn't a problem unless your world boundary is set or you're doing some challenge.
4. Create and light the Nether portal. Normally, this is done with a flint and steel tool, but several unconventional methods do exist, like setting wooden planks on fire near the frame.
5. Gather enough blaze rods and ender pearls from The Nether. You can find blazes in Nether Fortresses, while endermen are more common in the Warped Forest biomes.
   • 1 blaze rod = 2 blaze powder. 1 blaze power + 1 ender pearl = 1 eye of ender.
   • You need a minimum of 12 eyes of ender, implying 6 blaze rods and 12 ender pearls, but you must remember that eyes of ender may shatter and that end portals are not always pre-filled.
   • Of course, Nethermen weren't added to the Nether until 1.10 and the Warped Forest did not exist until 1.16, so you had to farm normally or purchase the pearls from an expert cleric.
6. Find the stronghold using the eye of ender. This is the intended method, and there are complex ways to triangulate the stronghold, but you could also look at a seed map or something.
7. Enter The End, destroy the 10 End Crystals, and finally defeat the Ender Dragon.
   • Some people will have 'sword vs. axe' debates. Some people bring a stockpile of exploding beds.
   • The following credit sequence will take 25+ minutes, unless you speed up or skip it.

Emojiful is a mod that allows you to use custom emojis with a data pack. However, the 'official' method of creating a data pack involves joining their Discord server and using their bot, but you can't post too many emojis and you're kinda out of luck if you trip their wordfilter, so I just figured out how to do it manually instead. Below is what the data pack should look like, and recipes is where the emojis go.

username-categoryname-emojiful-datapack.zip
├──data
│  └──emojiful
│     └──recipes
│        ├──sniff.json
│        └──wires.json
└──pack.mcmeta

All instances of username should be replaced with your own, and categoryname should be replaced with the intended category name for the set. Of course, the main part of manually making the data pack involves you manually setting the name: and the url: to the respective emoji's name and URL link.²⁸⁾ Below is an example of the standard custom emoji file (wires.json), as well as an animated emoji file (sniff.json).

{
  "category": "categoryname",
  "name": "wires",
  "url": "https://cdn.discordapp.com/emojis/1114649643050078208.png",
  "type": "emojiful:emoji_recipe"
}

{
  "category": "categoryname",
  "name": "sniff",
  "url": "https://cdn.discordapp.com/emojis/1037145593828614244.gif",
  "type": "emojiful:emoji_recipe"
}

In addition, it should be warned that all emoji names must be in lowercase for some reason. Lastly, we have the data pack's pack.mcmeta file, where pack format is set to 6 and the description set to whatever, provided below for your convenience. From there, you should be able to add the data pack onto the server or world, and it should start working after you reset or restart everything.

Toggle the 'pack.mcmeta' file anyways.

{
  "pack": {
    "pack_format": 6,
    "description": "Emojiful emojis!"
  }
}

• Chat Heads - A client-side mod that simply shows the player head next to their name in chat.
• Distant Horizons - A mod that allows you to see 'more' of the world, if needed.
• Effect Timer Plus - A client-side mod that adds a simple, customizable effect timer to the HUD.
• Lighty - A client-side mod that lets you see the light level, removing guesswork.
• Lootr - A mod that can turn loot chests into instanced loot chests.
• Map Link - A client-side mod allowing Xaero's World Map or Minimap to track player positions if the server actually has a web map. Remember to add a server entry in settings.
• Seemless Loading Screen - A client-side mod replacing the loading screen with a screenshot.

• Cavernous - A data pack that adds in more cave biomes.
• One Survival Island - A data pack that alters the world to be one island.
• Survival Islands - A data pack that alters the world generation to be more island-based.

• Minecraft and RuneScape were both Java games, so their overlap really should not be a huge surprise.
• Historically, the price of Minecraft used to be €5 in Indev/Infdev, then €10 in Alpha, then €15 in Beta,²⁹⁾ then €20 on release, then $27 around May 2016³⁰⁾ which has since become $30. The game rarely goes on sale, though it is relatively 'cheap' if you're employed and remember that inflation exists.
• I did not own Minecraft growing up. My computer was kinda old and modding looked complex at the time, so I never felt a 'need' to have it (despite how most internet communities in the early 2010s just seemed to advertise the hell out of their server), then it became 'uncool' once I had income, so I wouldn't have a reason to buy Minecraft until November 2020. Terraria is better. :V
• During his early marketing attempts, Notch visited 4chan's “Video Games” (/v/) board using the tripcode of !!pvnhARpwdMO around October 20, 2010,³¹⁾³²⁾ thus the “Woo, /v/!” splash from 2010 to 2021.
  • On October 3, 2016, Notch joked about buying 4chan for a GET,³³⁾³⁴⁾ but rescinded the offer³⁵⁾ after he had a brief revelation on why the concept of 'free speech' is idealist: the contradictions.³⁶⁾
• The demo mode in Java Edition uses the seed, -343522682 (North Carolina).
• It used to be possible to block with a sword until the Java 1.9 update finally added shields in early 2016, then the Java 1.11 update added the totem of undying in late 2016.
• The exact split from JRE 8 to JRE 17 for Minecraft is debatable. The official website claimed 1.18,³⁷⁾ but the MultiMC wiki says 1.17³⁸⁾ and a benchmarking page says 1.16.5.³⁹⁾
• The term 'SMP' means 'survival multiplayer', which is probably the most common Minecraft server type, and it can be further categorized into game modes like: vanilla, semi-vanilla, modded, peaceful, anarchy, economy, factions, skyblock, roleplay, etc. Why is there an acronym? What are we doing?
• If you are looking at mods that overhaul or redesign village structures, be wary of mods that use barrels as support beams. It's a common design trend, but it's also a quick way to get a lot of fishermen.

Toggle day/night cycle chart.

• List of Minecraft seeds - Some nostalgic screenshots too.

• Minecraft - The official website for Minecraft.
• Minecraft Wiki - The independent wiki for Minecraft, under the Weird Gloop network.⁴⁰⁾⁴¹⁾
• Minecraft Timeline - A visual of how the game has changed over the years.
• Cubiomes Viewer or Seed Map (Chunk Base) - The main tool for finding seeds and features.
  • Seed Map (MCSeedMap) - An older version, but it's good for screenshots.
• Modrinth - The newer resource for modded Minecraft content.
• CurseForge (Legacy) - The older resource for modded Minecraft content.
  • CurseForge Search - Alternative search engine for CurseForge.
  • Old Curseforge Please! - Userscript that redirects you to the 'legacy.curseforge.com' pages.
• Modpack Index - Find and compare modpacks on CurseForge and Feed The Beast.

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