#minecraft beginner

[my-kids-made-me-play-minecraft]

Fox News - the only acceptable kind

I met this fox and it was holding an emerald in its mouth. I've never seen that before, what else can they hold?

[norsecraft]

This Christmas we’re upgrading our archaic Xbox, and getting a game for each kid. My oldest will be getting minecraft (but it will be a game all 3 oldest kids will he able to play together with me).

Of course it’s a secret right now, but I’m starting to build a starter world for them to learn to play in and get the hang of things. I found this lovely seed with a secluded flower grove valley surrounded on all sides by tall, jagged, snowy peaks. I set the default game mode to easy survival, but my personal game mode to creative.

First there’s a nice cozy cabin that they can live in and retreat to at night. Out back is a fenced-off garden where they can learn about growing and harvesting crops. Near the cabin is a dock where they can practice fishing.

I’ll let them find it on their own, but there’s a not-so-secret basement with some pretty top-tier loot inside.

Nearby is a classic red barn (personally I like more ‘viking-themed’ builds in my world, but this is for them). The barn has some animals and will get stocked with feed for them so they can learn about breeding animals.

Next there’s a barracks (this one I made a little nordic) stocked with plenty of armor and weapons. There’s an archery range where they can practice their marksmanship and a “challenge cave” with a zombie spawner where they can practice melee combat if they want.

In the valley, I still plan to create a small caving experience for them to learn in, and possibly an area to practice taming dogs and cats.

Beyond the mountains, I’ll be building bigger things for them to play in and explore once they’re comfortable and ready to leave the nest. My plans include at least 3 castles (a standard stone one, a rainbow unicorn one, and Elsa’s Ice Castle), a town with bigger houses (one for each of us), and a zoo to learn about all the different animals in the game.

[my-kids-made-me-play-minecraft]

First post: Hi! I am a 36 year old parent and my kids (4 and 8 years old) insists that I learn how to play Minecraft.

I will be playing on PC (windows).

What are your best tips for an absolute beginner?

[my-kids-made-me-play-minecraft]

How do I make a fishing rod?

I can't seem to find any string... (playing in Peaceful, in case that matters)

[my-kids-made-me-play-minecraft]

REDUCE - REUSE - RECYCLE

What's your best solution for getting rid of stuff you don't need in minecraft?

Furnace: I throw saplings and wooden tools in as fuel if I don't need them anymore.

Composer: Some things can be put in here to produce bone meal. Not exactly sure which items. I tried with posioned and dirt blocks, what didn't work.

Use up: I try to "use up" any tools and weapons I pick up as loot, before getting new ones. (Same goes for stuff that I made, even though I've moved on to better stuff)

Lava pit: I dug a 1x1x5 hole and put lava in as a trash chute. Then I added a trap door, hoping not to fall down there myself 😅

What tips do you want to share?

(I realise that an obvious answer would be "google it" but I think it is more fun to compile a list together)

[my-kids-made-me-play-minecraft]

The fishing paradox

I would like to get a fishing rod for catching fish.

In order to create a fishing rod I need to get some string. My kids tell me that spiders drop string. But since I am playing in Peaceful I haven't met any.

(Edit to add: Also, my goal is to get stuff without killing passive mobs. I don't aim at a vegan play per se, I do cut sheep with shears and hope to find honey at some point but I wont be killing animals for their loot. Fishing is a grey area because eating fish would be sort of breaking that rule but I mostly hope to get leather, books, string and stuff from fishing. Plus feeding it to my future cats.)

@iyunia then told me that I can get string as gifts from a cat but I have to tame it first - by giving it raw fish.

Which leads me back to wanting a fishing rod in the first place 😅

Get string -> Build a fishing rod -> Catch fish -> Tame cat -> Get string

(Iyunia also told me that sometimes I can get both fish and meet cats at villages, I still find that paradox kinda funny though).

[All images are screenshots taken by me in a separate, flat land server in Creative mode]

[my-kids-made-me-play-minecraft]

Throwback to my first attempt at a homegrown island

[my-kids-made-me-play-minecraft]

I was always told "the sky is the limit".

...but today my kids taught me that the limit is actually very specific: 320 blocks.