More of the inevitable minecraft

I don't have a problem with focus, not at all. I just spent most of the last couple days shirking non job getting duties. Which is a shame, I'll soon have my group back together and have to theoretically deliver a climactic endgame of a year long campaign...

But, even when avoiding things I have to do, even when I want to do, I have a habit of getting other things done. One day I'll learn to apply this. But for now, more minecraft, this time my 'main' world I mess around on.

First though, an explanation, as I understand, a common thing people do, I like to put self imposed limitations or goals on games. I'd guess this may be one of those only child thing/antisocial things, but it's fun. Trying to get across a grand theft auto game in a crappy car, only use the gravity gun, etc. For minecraft, there's two game styles, and a third similar challenge, variant.

• The Nomad Run: This is simple and short, all you do is pick a direction, and go. You cannot stay in a single house for more then one night. You must leave before the next night, the goal's simple, build a mobile base, gathering as many resources as you can for the next makeshift shelter. It's not got the longest life, but its good to kill a day or two.

• The Castle Run: This is my personal favourite. Mostly because its cruel. The goal of this is to create an actual environment you'd want to live in. Houses need to be logical, not involving lava as a roof, giant drops into pits of water or so on unless you'd want that in real life. Build a shed or special room to make and store tools, a table and living area to eat at. A basement to keep skeleton bones in. Y'know, real stuff. Of course no one wants to live anywhere near a mine, so you'll want to build a railway to take there if you need stone.

• The Voyager Challenge: A bit different, this is simply something you can do. Named after the Star Trek series.  This is fun as its a challenge that keeps any old worlds working with a a new patch. The only thing you need is enough obsidian to make two nether portals, but you'll want more. Get all the supplies you can carry and thing you'll need, Travel to the nether in one place, around your home wherever you'd like, and get REALLY lost. A compass will either ruin all challenge or enhance so you need to judge on this. Turn corners, dig up or down to new layers, make sure you have no idea where you are, build a new portal in the nether, and take it back to the normal world, and find your way home. New patches will mean you have likely wound up in a whole zone full of new biomes, giant mushrooms, and more. This will truly live up to its name once 1.8 comes out, and due to circumstances you'll be really inclined towards looting and stealing from every village you find on your way. No I didn't like voyager how could you tell?

 Brick is the ugliest material ever why did I make a house out of it I swear I should build a palace out of lapis lazuli. It used to be wood, then a 'friend' pointed out what would happen if it were hit by lightning. Also brick is best for real houses.

 

The dogs, like the animals they are, are left in the shed out the back, where they are left to die as they keep getting in the way, jumping into lava and knock me off of things. Also a pretty fountain.

There's the only three ways into the walls which consist of the castle grounds, the gate here which has outside the pauper villages.

Here's a couple of them.

  

This is the front gate and view from my house. With controlled redstone bridge. This has yet to, still, be made with pistons. It works well as it is, though.

 

And the harbour entrance. This I spent so long learning redstone wiring to make a piston gate that would shut and keep the water flowing, only to finally realize there was a very simple way to do it after it was done.

And the gate open, god I'll always be proud of it for how long I spent, as well as the old tree garden and some more of the pauper houses.

I hate the texture of glass. I need to look into a texture pack that makes it a bit clearer. This is the view from the wizard's tower, which has multiple floors, it's the first of what may one day be a nexus of towers, each with nether gates with short secure paths. The second tower is in progress nearby but I still need a way to reliably set that gate working on both ends.

The way portals can work was such a disappointment when they just don't want to put you in the same areas.

So, that's that. It was only a short tour, but hopefully interesting. I am curious though, so a question, what kinds, if any, of self imposed rules do you like to use in Minecraft, or any other games too?