Hey, everybody! For my 200th post, I've decided to destroy any remaining reputation I may have gathered by allowing you all to see and hear how awful my video production/audio voiceover skills are. Try not to look directly at the screen as it may make you cry.
This is a video version of the post I did earlier for the seed "tomorrowonfire" (no quotes), detailing how to get down to the Epic Cave of Fire. If you missed it, you can read the original post here.
FYI, I have been spending some time playing the seed "waves" (no quotes) and have recently built a nether portal and ventured into the great beyond. It's very interesting and unique compared to some of the other nethers I've seen. Anyway, I updated the blog post with the above photograph and another of one of the many tall lava falls.
Spawn: 27.66.-21
Version: XBL 1.1.1 (equiv Beta 1.7.3)
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The Pythagorean Theorem is one of the most useful equations in all of geometry. This is one in a series of mathematically-inspired seed names.
This is a beautiful, scenic map chock full of numerous rock formations that are absolutely gorgeous. However, above and beyond all the others are the Pythagorean Quintuplets -- a series of four individual mountains that are so close together you could connect them with bridges. The first three (Harriet, Judy, and Celeste) are steep craggy rocks that are hard to climb but full of resources like iron. The fourth -- Bertha -- however is a massive imposing Everest-like mountain full of creepers and death.
A view of the quintuplets. The three little ones up front (from left to right) are Celeste, Judy, and Harriet. Behind them (far left) in the distance is Bertha.
At right, this is actually an open-air cave out of which is pouring a waterfall. You can find it at -9.87.157. Really cool find and if you kill off the zombie, you can glowstone this thing and make it your living room.
Spawn: -10.87.35
Version: XBL 1.1.1 (equiv Beta 1.7.3)
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I liked this seed. The most notable thing about it was the prevalence of visible resources that were just sitting around out in the open as you walked by. Very convenient for new players. However, there are also some interesting caves about and plenty of trees. Well balanced and full of exploration, I recommend this seed to anyone.
This huge mountain pierces the thick forest canopy.
Spawn: 3.68.7
Version: XBL 1.1.1 (equiv Beta 1.7.3)
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This seed is part of the math-inspired seed series. The actual equation "e*i*pi=-1" failed me, so I re-branded it "cipie=-1" and came up with a much better seed. In mathematics, this famous equation was put together by a Swiss mathematician named Leonhard Euler. It links the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter (e), pi, and the square root of -1 (i).
FYI, I don't care about giving Euler credit in this equation; it's all about finding a good X-box Minecraft seed. And I did. This seed is a frosty no-man's land. Almost the entire map is a complete frozen waste except for the very far north of the map where a few intrepid sprigs of grass have taken hold. Trees are as easy to find on this level as luggage at an airport in Cameroon. Don't even consider trying this level if you haven't got a degree in terraforming.
This mountain was the last thing I found as I was unlocking the map. It almost seems to smile at you if you squint. At right, sister spires stretch upwards towering over this shady overhang. You can find them at 301.83.-283. There's one tiny tree in the background -- good to know since it's the only one for kilometers.
Does anyone know why this grass is blue as opposed to the other grass which is green? Has anyone ever noticed this? It only happens every now and then. What makes this grass different? I have to know.
292.65.301
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This was the best seed of the day. This level has a great balance, with lots of trees and some seriously deep water. The hills are a combination of graceful, easy-to-climb mounds and epic, cliff-faced mountains. You're going to have to search for your resources, but if you're looking for a scenic seed, then this is one you have got to check out.
This massive spire stands next to a lava pit that's decided to weed out the neighboring trees. You can find them both at -382.66.61. At right, these pumpkins have a great view of this land bridge which features two waterfalls (the second fall is obscured in the photograph).
18.75.-59
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The zombie trapped on the ledge would have made this seed on it's own, but even in walking the full map I found many places of interest and a level with good balance. It's not really for people just starting out in Minecraft for one simple reason: apparently there are spiders EVERYWHERE just beneath the surface because no matter where I went, I would find something cool and as I was writing it down I would hear spiders nearby. I'd turn and look and nothing. Clearly, there is a massive network of spider-infested, Cu Chi inspired underground tunnels heading toward my Saigon.
Warning: the following list contains coordinates and descriptions of the majority of resources and other features in this seed. If you prefer to discover these things on your own, skip ahead to the final paragraph.
At top, this was a really cool land bridge/spire/cave combination that probably should have had a name like the "10 Spot" or something like that, but I just didn't have the time. At right, it's very rare when you have the opportunity to stand in front of a zombie and do whatever you want and he can't do anything because he's trapped on a ledge. I said awful things about his mother, mooned him, then smote him in due course.
32.86.2
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This level is half icy and half grassy, but there are enough trees, caves, and formations breaking up the monotony that I rate this seed acceptable for players of all skill levels -- including beginners. After I finished mapping out this level, my friend GVdaMan and I went back to the dead drop at 187.73.166 and jumped down the hole. After a little exploration, I was able to break through into a massive hidden cave complex full of gold, red stone, and other goodies.
So, my buddy GVisDaMan and I have been playing this level for a little bit and we took a little trip into the Nether to see what was up. Boy, were we in for a surprise. The Nether is entirely open, with lava on the floor as far as you can see. There are multiple lava falls and getting to the glowstone on the ceiling is a project and a half.
We spawned on a ledge on the side of a cliff surrounded by a drop to our death and a flowing river of lava that cut off our path. We had to build a bridge over the lava flow just to have a look around. Later on, I went back and dug through the cliff in the opposite direction and found some good flatland/soul sand on which to build a fort.
Warning: the following list contains coordinates and descriptions of the majority of resources and other features in this seed. If you prefer to discover these things on your own, skip ahead to the final paragraph.
You know, most levels have very few landmarks that you can identify just by looking at them. This, however, is a landmark formation I call, "The Tortoise and the Hare". If you stare at it long enough, it makes sense. At right, this is a medium floater hanging out just past a large cliff.
There are two photos of the Nether. The first is a view looking southwest from the ledge that we got spawned onto. Digging through the side wall will take you to a nice flat area for a fort. The second image is a shot from that flat area of a nearby lava fall.
58.66.63
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This was a really nice level that I think can be enjoyed by any player, including people who are just starting out. This is a beautiful archipelago. I successfully dove off of two cliffs into water. Great balance and a predominately flat seed round off the reasons why you should check this one out.
Warning: the following list contains coordinates and descriptions of the majority of resources and other features in this seed. If you prefer to discover these things on your own, skip ahead to the final paragraph.
I found this almost perfect frosted step pyramid on the northeast island. Something tells me this would make a perfect home for an up-and-coming pharaoh.
-61.65.427
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Noted for their beauty, south seas pearls are desired the world over and constitute the pinnacle of the pearl industry. Just as it takes an expert to find pearls in a sea of oysters, so too does it take an expert to enjoy the challenge that is this level. The forests are so thick in some places that day-walkers prevent you from passing and so rare in others that spawning there would lead to catastrophe. Long stretches of water can make getting from one place to the other very daunting.
This is a lava pit I found buried deep within one of the forests.
-187.77.31
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I was on this level for quite some time and all I saw was desert. This seed is truly a tribute to Australians because only a pure-bred Aussie would cross a barren, flaming desert like this to go surfing on a reef. Navigating is pretty easy as long as you're not trying to climb onto any of the rocks. Then, it becomes a chore. You're going to find a lot of spires around as well. It's definitely not scenic and not for the mild.
That's about how the whole seed looks: sand on top of desert with mountains that would take you ten minutes to climb.
-22.68.-31
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This is a nice, well-balanced level that is perfect for someone who is just starting out with Minecraft. For more advanced players, I would simply head straight for the dead drop cave and figure out a way down.
This imposing mountain spikes above the forest treeline.
-336.87.31
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This is a great grassland level with numerous small floaters hanging around. While wondering around, I heard zombies and other baddies underfoot on several occasions, which makes me suspect that there may be an intricate cave network laying just under the surface. That's a good thing. Beyond that, the deep caves are a treat and I found an amazing coal deposit that could probably result in two full stacks of 64 coal. I would check this one out.
Warning: the following list contains coordinates and descriptions of the majority of resources and other features in this seed. If you prefer to discover these things on your own, skip ahead to the final paragraph.
A four-corners shot from my spawn.
-78.66.0
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Well, the good and bad of this level is that you're trading trees for lava pits. There are no less than three lava pits on this level. The trees are located in the extreme south and east parts of the map; the rest of the map is barren and mostly made of ice. Patches of snowy wasteland and dried-up desert make this a seed that's best left to experienced adventurers looking for a challenge.
At top, this small cove has eroded away some of the neighboring hillside. As for the image at right, this is a very interesting cave. Firstly, there's a waterfall that will take you all the way to the bottom -- past, as it turns out, a lava fall. Conveniently, you can make it all the way to the bottom and then back up by swimming the waterfall. However, the bottom is just a hole. There's no cave. So you'll need tools and stuff to make this thing useful.
50.66.5
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Little known fact: in Australia, populations of introduced dromedaries -- which have no natural enemies or diseases to help control their numbers -- have exploded and actually threaten to destroy the natural ecosystem of Australia. Their numbers are now in the multiple millions and capture or hunting are the only chance that Australia has to preserve it's ecosystem. So, if you're in the Outback and you see a pack of wild camels... shoot 'em (humanely, of course).
Well, this seed showed me something that I had never seen before: a level with not a single cave. I traipsed across over half the map and found not one single cave. Not one. I'm sure it has them, but they're obviously kept in a secret vaulted location guarded by seven zombie spawns. Sadly, I had no choice but to award this seed a "0". If you find a cave, however, post the coords in below and I'll consider changing my rating.
I was really excited when I found this hole in the ground because I thought I had finally found a cave. Turns out, it was only a stupid spider spawner with stupid beans and stupid saddles. Oh well. The search goes on...
-200.65.-10
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Sadly, the namesake beautiful island off the south of Australia generated a very lackluster map. However, if you're interested in flatland, this seed might be the one for you. There are islands on the west of the map and several flat sandy beaches that could easily play host to your dream village.
A flat, sandy beach with a small crop of trees. This shot was taken near my spawn.
-49.65.23
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In the grand sport that is "Suicidal Minecraft", this seed has a real chance of making it into the hall of fame. The sixth worst seed I have ever found, this map is a flat, icy, barren disaster. If your mother told me she was an active member of the Nazi party, I would still not recommend this seed to her. You have to swim... everywhere. There is one island, due east, that is full of trees. If you quarantined yourself to this island you may have a chance to eek out a miserable existence. Leave the island and you'll find nothing but tears.
Warning: the following list contains coordinates and descriptions of the majority of resources and other features in this seed. If you prefer to discover these things on your own, skip ahead to the final paragraph.
You know what grows here? Rocky, barren spires.
So, two days ago, Australia overtook the United Kingdom as the second most popular country of origin for people checking out my blog. So, as a thank you to all my loyal Aussies, here is a collection of Australian-themed seed names.
48.67.-23
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This level is a beast! Absolutely gorgeous with plenty of scenic spots and so many floaters you'd think you were underwater. Without question, the highlight of all the landmark spots I found in this level is the massive floating island that looks like a battle cruiser from Star Wars just parked itself above the forest. This thing is so big that at night, even if you wall it all in, zombies will still spawn there if you don't put out some torches. Even though everyone should see this seed, it is definitely designed for experts. I found many wondering day-walkers and the forests are thick and mountains difficult to climb. This one is a challenge.
Warning: the following list contains coordinates and descriptions of the majority of resources and other features in this seed. If you prefer to discover these things on your own, skip ahead to the final paragraph.
This map is clearly best of the day for a reason. While it didn't generate as many photographs as the runner up, don't be fooled... this level has some truly impressive features.
At top, this is the massive spaceship-like island that is floating in the middle of the board. I plan to build my summer home here. At right (top), you'll find a large overhang supported by two land bridges. Below that, I shall henceforth refer to this formation as The Tortoise. This thing is a massive flat-bottomed, shade-making behemoth that generates day-walkers in droves.
36.69.-135
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This is one of the best seeds I've found so far. It is chock full of all kinds of amazing formations and great mountains to climb. Second best of the day only because of the massive ice sheet in the bottom left corner that negates about a quarter of the map, I would recommend this board to anyone just so they can see it. Just make sure you've got something built by dusk or you're doomed. This level is particularly awesome because the amazing features are scattered across the whole of the map. So I can't really send you to one quadrant to see them all, you're going to have to take a hike. Don't worry... it's worth it.
Warning: the following list contains coordinates and descriptions of the majority of resources and other features in this seed. If you prefer to discover these things on your own, skip ahead to the final paragraph.
I'm sorry: there was no way that I was limiting this seed to just two photographs; it is way too good looking. I can't swear that the sugarcane will be growing out of the lava fall when you get there, but this is what I found while wondering around at night. Below that, this is a thick, overhang/land bridge combination that provides a fair amount of shade for day walkers.
At right, here are three bonus images that really help sell how diverse and exciting this seed really is. The first is a shot of what technically is an overhang attached to a tall, ultra-thin spire. If you planned it right, you could run a stairwell all the way to the top with about twenty cobblestone.
Below that, I found this perfect obelisk standing in the middle of a field. The final image is a shot of a massive multi-directional overhang situated above a medium-sized lava fall. Also near this location was a deep pitfall cave. If you plant your stones right, you could conceivably descend from Y=100 to bedrock in about one minute.
43.67.-102
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This dirty archipelago has fantastic deep water and several flatland locations for villages or large houses. You're going to find many tiny islands about, including a tiny island with a lava pit due north on the map that's custom made for generating obsidian. In the western part of the map, you'll find a medium-sized desert, but the rest of the map is well-balanced.
Warning: the following list contains coordinates and descriptions of the majority of resources and other features in this seed. If you prefer to discover these things on your own, skip ahead to the final paragraph.
This was the first of three seeds that had truly large hanging floaters. This one looks like it was sheered off of it's neighboring rock by some supernatural force. At right, this is a massive spire that is so big you could live on top of the thing. A perfect place to set up a house to weather the storms of nightly enemies. You can wrap a stairwell around this puppy at 383.69.-145.
15.65.-183
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I really enjoyed this seed. I think it's a top quality prospect. There were numerous places where I could hear the sound of enemies just underfoot. Something tells me that you could pick any location and simply scratch the surface for a full-on battle. This is a well-balanced level, though I would only recommend it for advanced players if you plan on playing anything other than sleepy mode.
Warning: the following list contains coordinates and descriptions of the majority of resources and other features in this seed. If you prefer to discover these things on your own, skip ahead to the final paragraph.
This seed features several caves with large mouths. This is a good example. This cave is imbedded in the side of a mountain and is actually very small compared to the size of its mouth. I will refer to this henceforth as Doughnut Cave.
At right, the top image is of a really long land bridge that stretches across the entrance to a small bay. While it may look thick from this angle, sanding on it reveals that it's only three or four blocks wide. You can find it at -337.70.-356. Below that, this is a view from inside a cave complex looking up past a medium waterfall at the mouth of another nearby cave.
