You gotta try this new game. It's called Minecraft.

[alienjesus]

I got given the Wii U version of Minecraft for Christmas and had a pretty good time playing a few hours of co-op with my little brother, who being 17 was really into this game when it started getting popular with all the schoolkids a few years back.

We actually managed to achieve an awful lot in the 6 or so hours we played the game together. I want to spend some time playing alone to get my head around all the mechanics a little better before I attempt tp beat the game properly though!

[BogusMeatFactory]

hmm. Oddly, apparently Windows 10 Edition is based on Pocket Edition.

http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Windows_10_Edition

I mean, I'm honestly not super concerned about versions as I'm not really seeing myself getting heavily into this game. More or less just demoing for a while to try to understand the broad appeal.

Plus like I mentioned, just walking around Minecraft in VR was pretty incredible. So I'm pleased considering I got the game free anyway.

I won't argue if it was free but the full PC version has so many more features recipes and activities. Plus mod support and servers. If you paid for it, I would have been upset I think.

[Tanooki]

Found my problem, guess I'm screwed. Nvidia latest driver kills Minecraft. I'll have to see if there's a fix.
https://bugs.mojang.com/browse/MC-112780

[noiseredux]

I hear ya. I've never been interested enough TO pay for Minecraft though, haha. I got the Win10 version free over a year ago. And had been saying "I should try it in VR" for months now. And then I got the Xbox One version free with my console.

Actually come to think of it, I had the 360 version too like three years ago - which I think I got (wait for it) FREE via a B2G1 deal. But I never really spent any time with that one.

At any rate, the odd thing is I almost think I'd grab the Android edition if I saw it on sale for a buck or something. I almost think I'd play this more as a portable game than as a PC game. Maybe.

[BogusMeatFactory]

I hear ya. I've never been interested enough TO pay for Minecraft though, haha. I got the Win10 version free over a year ago. And had been saying "I should try it in VR" for months now. And then I got the Xbox One version free with my console.

Actually come to think of it, I had the 360 version too like three years ago - which I think I got (wait for it) FREE via a B2G1 deal. But I never really spent any time with that one.

At any rate, the odd thing is I almost think I'd grab the Android edition if I saw it on sale for a buck or something. I almost think I'd play this more as a portable game than as a PC game. Maybe.

sadly the android one is full retail. I always stare at it, Gear VR in hand saying, "Someday."

[Tanooki]

I always stare at the Android and iOS one and wish there'd be an under $5 sale since I paid full price on the PC one. I agree in thinking I'd probably...no I would fully use it far more if it was on a portable device. Being stuck on a computer or console I can only take so much hunched over it, but if I could flip out a tablet or phone and go at it every day for 5min here 30min there I'm thinking I'd play it a lot more.

[noiseredux]

I played a bit over the weekend. I find this game more enjoyable than I thought I would. At least for now.

I do have some questions and stuff...

I've started out by making my meager dwelling in the side of a mountain. I accidentally mined a hole in my roof. I've tried plugging the hole, but any block I try putting into that hole just falls through. How the heck can I plug this hole?

So far I've made a crafting table. But what else should I be making to start?

Ultimately, what are my EARLY GAME goals?

I know I can make fire/torches... I'm not quite sure HOW I do that? (How exactly are you expected to figure out crafting recipes? Should I assume that this game was pretty much made with the assumption that anyone playing it will be Googling stuff while playing?)

After my first night there were still zombies out in the day. At one point it was raining, so I think that counts as being "dark" out. But I feel like I saw a zombie even when it was daylight. Is that possible?

[BogusMeatFactory]

I played a bit over the weekend. I find this game more enjoyable than I thought I would. At least for now.

I do have some questions and stuff...

I've started out by making my meager dwelling in the side of a mountain. I accidentally mined a hole in my roof. I've tried plugging the hole, but any block I try putting into that hole just falls through. How the heck can I plug this hole?

So far I've made a crafting table. But what else should I be making to start?

Ultimately, what are my EARLY GAME goals?

I know I can make fire/torches... I'm not quite sure HOW I do that? (How exactly are you expected to figure out crafting recipes? Should I assume that this game was pretty much made with the assumption that anyone playing it will be Googling stuff while playing?)

After my first night there were still zombies out in the day. At one point it was raining, so I think that counts as being "dark" out. But I feel like I saw a zombie even when it was daylight. Is that possible?

Lots to a dress here so bare with me. The hole plugging. The reason why your materials keep falling through the hole is because you are using the wrong materials. Gravel and sand are affected by gravity if there is no solid block underneath it, it will fall. This can be used to your advantage by burying enemies in a pit with the stuff.

Yes, you should be looking a wiki about what to make. You can experiment to figure it out yourself if you like, but that may be the least fun you can have in the game. Torches are easy, you need coal and a stick.

Your early game goals are to make a base of operations and start stockpiling resources. Make a furnace by forming a hollow square in the crafting table and fuel it with coal. You can cook food, refine ore and do all sorts of good stuff with it.

Start building a mine. Dig down in a way that works for you. I make a very fancy mine with stairs leading down to the bottom of the game and create mine shafts but everyone has their own method. You are looking for diamond so you can make a diamond pick Axe so you can mine obsidian...when you are able to do that...we will talk about the next stage of your journey....you will love that part muahahahahaha.

As for the enemies, yes they are safe in shade under trees, in water or when it rains. They spawn under certain low light levels so if you have a dark room in your base they will spawn there so be careful.

[noiseredux]

Lots to a dress here so bare with me. The hole plugging. The reason why your materials keep falling through the hole is because you are using the wrong materials. Gravel and sand are affected by gravity if there is no solid block underneath it, it will fall. This can be used to your advantage by burying enemies in a pit with the stuff.

I see. So I want to use like dirt or something?

Yes, you should be looking a wiki about what to make. You can experiment to figure it out yourself if you like, but that may be the least fun you can have in the game. Torches are easy, you need coal and a stick.

okay. Coal... where do I get coal? Mining (downwards)?

Make a furnace by forming a hollow square in the crafting table and fuel it with coal. You can cook food, refine ore and do all sorts of good stuff with it.

To be clear, I want both a crafting table AND a furnace right? I'm not sure what you mean by "form a hollow square in the crafting table" - sorry, I'm still kind of learning the ropes of this weird game haha.

if you have a dark room in your base they will spawn there so be careful.

Crap. I need to get some torches FAST then.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Yeah dirt will work. The hollow square comment means just place cobblestone in a square with a hole in the middle in the crafting table.

Build tools! Axe for quick wood chopping, pickaxe for mining stone and more, A shovel for very quickly digging in dirt and sand and gravel, a hoe for tilling soil to farm, a fishing rod to easily grab food if there isn't easy access to any.

Each tool can be made out of a variety of materials that affect durability and in the case of the pickax, what types of ore you can mine.

Those materials are wood, stone, iron, gold and diamond.

Coal is found on the surface layer and down. It will be with other stone and have black flecks in it. You can't miss it when you see it. If coal is very hard to come by, you can put a wood log (not a plank... the raw wood) in the furnace and use more wood as your fuel to make char coal. This is very inefficient but can be done in a pinch if you are struggling for torches.