Creepers in Minecraft: Evil Self-Destructing Terrors

Today we're going to talk about the most brutal, most annoying, and most popular enemy in Minecraft: the Creeper.  Truly these creeps enjoy creeping around and causing massive amounts of damage to you and anything you've built.  Nothing drives home the point that you shouldn't leave your safe area at nighttime like one of these monsters.

Creepers are the most unique enemies in the game.  Whereas monsters like giant spiders and zombies are based off of popular fictional creatures, you'd be hard-pressed to find something in other fictional works that looks and acts like a Creeper.  They're basically armless beasts with four legs and a large head, with a face that appears to have a permanent expression of sadness.  I'd be sad too if my only means of defending myself was to use a suicide-causing exploding attack.

And that brings us to why Creepers are infuriating.  If one of them catches sight of you, which they will due to their good eyesight, it will run up to your location and explode as soon as it saddles up next to you.  Unlike the other enemies in the game, Creepers don't announce their arrival by making sounds.  In fact, they are completely silent up until the point when it's too late to run away (they make a hissing sound the instant before they explode).  Therefore they earn their name due to their ability to creep up on you when you aren't looking and cause devastating amounts of damage.

A Creeper explosion in progress.

If you're lucky enough to survive the initial explosion, you'll find that the blast has caused a huge crater, and taken out pretty much everything within a small radius.  If you're like myself and create your houses out of wooden planks, large sections of these structures won't stand a chance.  Stone holds up much better but is still not strong enough to be impenetrable.  And you thought Endermen were bad when it came to disassembling your creations?

Thankfully it is possible to take down a Creeper, but you must be much more cautious than you would with other enemies.  The easiest way is to use a bow and arrow to shoot them from a distance, which will give you plenty of breathing room.  However, I prefer to take them down with a sword, which is much more risky.  This requires running up to the Creeper, slicing at it, then retreating before it explodes.  Rinse and repeat until this evil monster draws its last hissing breath.

Beating down a Creeper using a sword.

Preventing Creepers from spawning is as good a reason as any to place torches every couple of feet in your safe zone.  A rogue zombie or spider is fine every once in a while, but you most definitely do not want to deal with a Creeper spawning there and potentially destroying your creative works.  Do you guys have any memorable moments of Creeper destruction?

Today we're going to talk about the most brutal, most annoying, and most popular enemy in Minecraft: the Creeper.  Truly these creeps enjoy creeping around and causing massive amounts of damage to you and anything you've built.  Nothing drives home the point that you shouldn't leave your safe area at nighttime like one of these monsters.

Creepers are the most unique enemies in the game.  Whereas monsters like giant spiders and zombies are based off of popular fictional creatures, you'd be hard-pressed to find something in other fictional works that looks and acts like a Creeper.  They're basically armless beasts with four legs and a large head, with a face that appears to have a permanent expression of sadness.  I'd be sad too if my only means of defending myself was to use a suicide-causing exploding attack.

And that brings us to why Creepers are infuriating.  If one of them catches sight of you, which they will due to their good eyesight, it will run up to your location and explode as soon as it saddles up next to you.  Unlike the other enemies in the game, Creepers don't announce their arrival by making sounds.  In fact, they are completely silent up until the point when it's too late to run away (they make a hissing sound the instant before they explode).  Therefore they earn their name due to their ability to creep up on you when you aren't looking and cause devastating amounts of damage.

A Creeper explosion in progress.

If you're lucky enough to survive the initial explosion, you'll find that the blast has caused a huge crater, and taken out pretty much everything within a small radius.  If you're like myself and create your houses out of wooden planks, large sections of these structures won't stand a chance.  Stone holds up much better but is still not strong enough to be impenetrable.  And you thought Endermen were bad when it came to disassembling your creations?

Thankfully it is possible to take down a Creeper, but you must be much more cautious than you would with other enemies.  The easiest way is to use a bow and arrow to shoot them from a distance, which will give you plenty of breathing room.  However, I prefer to take them down with a sword, which is much more risky.  This requires running up to the Creeper, slicing at it, then retreating before it explodes.  Rinse and repeat until this evil monster draws its last hissing breath.

Beating down a Creeper using a sword.

Preventing Creepers from spawning is as good a reason as any to place torches every couple of feet in your safe zone.  A rogue zombie or spider is fine every once in a while, but you most definitely do not want to deal with a Creeper spawning there and potentially destroying your creative works.  Do you guys have any memorable moments of Creeper destruction?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Enderman in Minecraft: Disturbing Block Thieves

It's time for a nighttime trek into the world of Minecraft, to behold another of its horrors.  As you all know, this game world is extremely punishing if you decide to venture beyond the confines of your well-lit, well-fortified safe zone.  With that said let's carefully observe the most unsettling creature in the game: the Enderman.

The zombies, spiders, and skeletons in Minecraft aren't very threatening to look at, but it seems that special effort went into the Endermen to make them look pretty disturbing and creepy.  Their extremely long and thin limbs look alien in appearance, but rumor has it that they are based off of Slenderman.  Due to their pitch black skin, their large white expressionless eyes stand out like a sore thumb at nighttime.  Also, they tend to make a disgusting gurgling noise while they stroll about.

Unlike the other enemy types in the game, Endermen are not openly hostile.  They will go about their business while you stand a mere couple feet away.  Make no mistake though, these creatures aren't like the passive animals in the game (cows, sheep, pigs, etc), they can be provoked, and they will attack.  There are a couple ways to provoke an Enderman.  First and most obvious, you attack it first.  Secondly, if you stare at it, the Enderman will start shaking in anger.  Continue to stare and he will charge at you and begin to take swings at your face.

This is not going to end well.

You most definitely do not want this to happen, because in addition to a devastatingly strong melee attack, Endermen are capable of teleporting.  During an assault they may vanish for a few seconds, only to teleport directly behind you in order to score another brutal hit (believe it or not this is actually pretty scary).

So with that said, why would you want to attack one of these mostly-peaceful creatures?  Well remember when I said they will mind their own business if you leave them alone?  Their business includes picking up blocks and placing them at random locations.  Sometimes they will teleport into your safe area and proceed to pull pieces out of the structures you spent so much time building.  This I find to be incredibly annoying, and I will attack any Enderman foolish enough to start messing with my wood-plank houses (hey at least I don't build my houses out of dirt blocks anymore!).

Can't they just leave things alone?

That wraps up our quick look at the Enderman, how do you guys deal with this creature?  Do you let it disassemble your buildings?

It's time for a nighttime trek into the world of Minecraft, to behold another of its horrors.  As you all know, this game world is extremely punishing if you decide to venture beyond the confines of your well-lit, well-fortified safe zone.  With that said let's carefully observe the most unsettling creature in the game: the Enderman.

The zombies, spiders, and skeletons in Minecraft aren't very threatening to look at, but it seems that special effort went into the Endermen to make them look pretty disturbing and creepy.  Their extremely long and thin limbs look alien in appearance, but rumor has it that they are based off of Slenderman.  Due to their pitch black skin, their large white expressionless eyes stand out like a sore thumb at nighttime.  Also, they tend to make a disgusting gurgling noise while they stroll about.

Unlike the other enemy types in the game, Endermen are not openly hostile.  They will go about their business while you stand a mere couple feet away.  Make no mistake though, these creatures aren't like the passive animals in the game (cows, sheep, pigs, etc), they can be provoked, and they will attack.  There are a couple ways to provoke an Enderman.  First and most obvious, you attack it first.  Secondly, if you stare at it, the Enderman will start shaking in anger.  Continue to stare and he will charge at you and begin to take swings at your face.

This is not going to end well.

You most definitely do not want this to happen, because in addition to a devastatingly strong melee attack, Endermen are capable of teleporting.  During an assault they may vanish for a few seconds, only to teleport directly behind you in order to score another brutal hit (believe it or not this is actually pretty scary).

So with that said, why would you want to attack one of these mostly-peaceful creatures?  Well remember when I said they will mind their own business if you leave them alone?  Their business includes picking up blocks and placing them at random locations.  Sometimes they will teleport into your safe area and proceed to pull pieces out of the structures you spent so much time building.  This I find to be incredibly annoying, and I will attack any Enderman foolish enough to start messing with my wood-plank houses (hey at least I don't build my houses out of dirt blocks anymore!).

Can't they just leave things alone?

That wraps up our quick look at the Enderman, how do you guys deal with this creature?  Do you let it disassemble your buildings?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Skilled Skeleton Archers in Minecraft

In previous posts I've talked about the zombies and spiders in Minecraft, so why stop with just those two monstrosities?  Today we're going to look at another servant of Minecraft Hell (or wherever these things spawn from), the skeleton.

Just when you thought Minecraft wouldn't be able to add anything more threatening than a door-busting zombie, or relentless wall-climbing spider, the game introduces an enemy with a long range attack.  Skeletons are very dangerous due to the bow and arrows they are equipped with, which they are quite skilled at using.

There's a few ways you will realize a skeleton is in the neighborhood.  You'll possibly hear its distinctive bone-rattling sound effect, or hear an arrow zip by your head, or worse, you'll get hit by one of its arrows.  When a skeleton has you in its sights, it will stalk closer to you until it's within firing range.  At this point it unleashes arrows upon you at a pretty impressive rate.

This is what will happen to you if you're not careful.

The closer you get to a skeleton, the faster it will fire arrows at you.  If you're planning on cutting one of these monsters down with a sword you'll need to make sure you are fully armored, because you will take tons of damage.  Also, getting hit by an arrow will knock you back a little bit, making it a challenge just to get within melee range.  If this sounds like too much of a risk, equipping a bow and attacking them from a distance is the safest way to take them down.

Just like with zombies, keeping a fence around the perimeter of your safe area will keep skeletons out.  However this is only partially effective because they will walk right up to the fence and attempt to turn you into a pincushion by firing arrows right over the fence.  Your best bet is to put up a nice tall wall to prevent this form of attack.

Also, beware of dark caves.

That's about all there is to say about the skeletons in Minecraft.  They can be a huge threat, especially when a large group decides to gang up on you.  What's your favorite way of combating these enemies?  I admit I'm not much of a bow and arrow kind of guy, and prefer to attack them with a sword.

In previous posts I've talked about the zombies and spiders in Minecraft, so why stop with just those two monstrosities?  Today we're going to look at another servant of Minecraft Hell (or wherever these things spawn from), the skeleton.

Just when you thought Minecraft wouldn't be able to add anything more threatening than a door-busting zombie, or relentless wall-climbing spider, the game introduces an enemy with a long range attack.  Skeletons are very dangerous due to the bow and arrows they are equipped with, which they are quite skilled at using.

There's a few ways you will realize a skeleton is in the neighborhood.  You'll possibly hear its distinctive bone-rattling sound effect, or hear an arrow zip by your head, or worse, you'll get hit by one of its arrows.  When a skeleton has you in its sights, it will stalk closer to you until it's within firing range.  At this point it unleashes arrows upon you at a pretty impressive rate.

This is what will happen to you if you're not careful.

The closer you get to a skeleton, the faster it will fire arrows at you.  If you're planning on cutting one of these monsters down with a sword you'll need to make sure you are fully armored, because you will take tons of damage.  Also, getting hit by an arrow will knock you back a little bit, making it a challenge just to get within melee range.  If this sounds like too much of a risk, equipping a bow and attacking them from a distance is the safest way to take them down.

Just like with zombies, keeping a fence around the perimeter of your safe area will keep skeletons out.  However this is only partially effective because they will walk right up to the fence and attempt to turn you into a pincushion by firing arrows right over the fence.  Your best bet is to put up a nice tall wall to prevent this form of attack.

Also, beware of dark caves.

That's about all there is to say about the skeletons in Minecraft.  They can be a huge threat, especially when a large group decides to gang up on you.  What's your favorite way of combating these enemies?  I admit I'm not much of a bow and arrow kind of guy, and prefer to attack them with a sword.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Devious Spiders in Minecraft

I hope you don't have arachnophobia guys, because today we're going to talk about the gigantic blocky spiders in Minecraft!  Spiders are just one of the many terrors that spawn during nighttime (or in dark caves) in the game world.  Though they may look relatively harmless when compared to, say, zombies or skeleton warriors, spiders are not to be underestimated.

You'll know there's a spider in the area when you hear its signature hissing sound.  By that point it is likely heading in your direction, so it's best to be on your guard unless you're already sitting in a secure location.  Once you see their glowing red eyes, it's usually too late to avoid a battle.  Spiders attack by jumping at you, and presumably biting with fangs that you'll have to use your imagination to see.

What makes spiders a huge threat when compared with a zombie or Creeper is their ability to climb.  These persistent buggers can scale almost anything in order to reach their prey.  Whereas a fence or short wall with stop a zombie in its tracks, a spider considers these to be only small speed-bumps on the path to an easy meal.  I can't count how many times I had been strolling at nighttime through my supposedly secure town, only to be ambushed by a spider that climbed over a perimeter wall and dropped 20 feet straight down in order to pursue me.  So when I said to be sitting in a secure location, that location better be fully enclosed.

Sometimes there's just no escape.

One odd feature of Minecraft spiders is that they will only attack you at night.  Once the sun comes out they will immediately turn into friendly creatures minding their own business.  I guess spiders lose their appetite fast once they see what they are actually eating (blocky people, gross!).

Do you guys consider spiders to be a relentless and annoying enemy?  Or do you welcome the battles with these lego-ish arachnids?

I hope you don't have arachnophobia guys, because today we're going to talk about the gigantic blocky spiders in Minecraft!  Spiders are just one of the many terrors that spawn during nighttime (or in dark caves) in the game world.  Though they may look relatively harmless when compared to, say, zombies or skeleton warriors, spiders are not to be underestimated.

You'll know there's a spider in the area when you hear its signature hissing sound.  By that point it is likely heading in your direction, so it's best to be on your guard unless you're already sitting in a secure location.  Once you see their glowing red eyes, it's usually too late to avoid a battle.  Spiders attack by jumping at you, and presumably biting with fangs that you'll have to use your imagination to see.

What makes spiders a huge threat when compared with a zombie or Creeper is their ability to climb.  These persistent buggers can scale almost anything in order to reach their prey.  Whereas a fence or short wall with stop a zombie in its tracks, a spider considers these to be only small speed-bumps on the path to an easy meal.  I can't count how many times I had been strolling at nighttime through my supposedly secure town, only to be ambushed by a spider that climbed over a perimeter wall and dropped 20 feet straight down in order to pursue me.  So when I said to be sitting in a secure location, that location better be fully enclosed.

Sometimes there's just no escape.

One odd feature of Minecraft spiders is that they will only attack you at night.  Once the sun comes out they will immediately turn into friendly creatures minding their own business.  I guess spiders lose their appetite fast once they see what they are actually eating (blocky people, gross!).

Do you guys consider spiders to be a relentless and annoying enemy?  Or do you welcome the battles with these lego-ish arachnids?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Zombies in Minecraft: The Blocky Undead

Ah good old Minecraft, the addicting sandbox game where you can build anything, provided you're fine with using lego-style blocks.  The game includes a day/night time cycle, and whereas building a masterpiece in the morning can be a peaceful experience, nighttime is when the game decides to unleash its horrors upon you.  You wouldn't think that a game like this would include hordes of undead zombies, but it does....yes it does.

Appearance-wise, the zombies in Minecraft aren't too threatening (there's not too much a graphics artist can do with limited blocks), but once you run into one in the pitch black, you will be afraid.  You can usually tell when a zombie is around by their distinctive moaning sounds, at which point you should have your sword equipped for battle.  In terms of combat, zombies will attempt to melee you to death (sadly the graphics don't allow for detailed flesh-biting animations).

One entertaining/horrifying feature of zombies is that they will attack any doors they encounter, producing loud pounding sounds that are startling, and have you wondering if your block fortress is really all that safe.  On higher difficulty levels, zombies can actually break down doors, raising the terror level quite a bit.

Just when you thought you were safe...

In conclusion, when playing Minecraft, always wear armor, always carry a sword, and fortify your base as well as you can (place torches everywhere!).  If you prefer to ignore this advice, then at least make sure to avoid leaving your safe areas until the sun comes out, which will cause these undead terrors to burst into flame and die.

Ah good old Minecraft, the addicting sandbox game where you can build anything, provided you're fine with using lego-style blocks.  The game includes a day/night time cycle, and whereas building a masterpiece in the morning can be a peaceful experience, nighttime is when the game decides to unleash its horrors upon you.  You wouldn't think that a game like this would include hordes of undead zombies, but it does....yes it does.

Appearance-wise, the zombies in Minecraft aren't too threatening (there's not too much a graphics artist can do with limited blocks), but once you run into one in the pitch black, you will be afraid.  You can usually tell when a zombie is around by their distinctive moaning sounds, at which point you should have your sword equipped for battle.  In terms of combat, zombies will attempt to melee you to death (sadly the graphics don't allow for detailed flesh-biting animations).

One entertaining/horrifying feature of zombies is that they will attack any doors they encounter, producing loud pounding sounds that are startling, and have you wondering if your block fortress is really all that safe.  On higher difficulty levels, zombies can actually break down doors, raising the terror level quite a bit.

Just when you thought you were safe...

In conclusion, when playing Minecraft, always wear armor, always carry a sword, and fortify your base as well as you can (place torches everywhere!).  If you prefer to ignore this advice, then at least make sure to avoid leaving your safe areas until the sun comes out, which will cause these undead terrors to burst into flame and die.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad