I just recently started getting into Minecraft again. I always suffer from burnout and take long breaks from the game before returning again (I want to stick with it this time though).
I came here because I wanted to get some opinions on being too "organized" and "perfect" in Minecraft. Every time I start a project or a building, I get these overwhelming feelings of things HAVE to look neat/striaght, things HAVE to be symmetrical, etc. I a lot of the time I find myself spending large amounts of time just shaving the land around my base to look all straight and neat like my base does, and then I look at the rest of the world and I'm like "How am I going to shave this entire world to be like this?". Its overwhelming.
I do this because this is my general style and things look more aesthetically pleasing to me that way, but I find I just spend SO much time tediously shaping the land and trying to make everything all neat and symmetrical and perfect that it kind of takes away my enjoyment of the game.
So, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me to get out of this mindset. To the less organized, messier, "leave things looking natural" type of players, how do you approach the game? How do I make my worlds less "straight" and "cookie cutter" and more free and natural looking? Is this just a part of my personality that I can't separate from the way I play the game? I feel like I need another way to look at the game to get me unstuck from this kind of thing.
Firstly, as a builder-type I'm constantly working my imagination. Maybe it's something particular to me, but I find that I "Minecraft" a lot more in my head than I do at the computer. Most of the time I'm just too busy to do anything with it, but I carry a notebook with me for those times when I might be idle. I jot down all my thoughts, I draw the pictures forming in my head, and I write outlines of projects to further explore their intricacies. As an example, I filled half of a standard spiral notebook just for a small starter house (some of that bulk was just me not erasing anything, however).
Second, realize you're not the only one. There's a whole internet's worth of pictures out there just waiting to be looked at. Most of it is not in Minecrafty form, so try not to limit your searches to just minecraft images. It may take some doing, but you WILL find something that sparks your curiosity. Additionally, the real world exists and unless you're an extreme agoraphobic you're probably frequently leaving the house and going places. Nobody's blindfolding you for the trip, nor are they preventing you from admiring the scenery as you go. There are a ton of buildings surrounding you, even way out in the boonies, and there's bound to be some that you particularly like.
Third, be open to possibilities. As you draw things out, you're typically going to gravitate towards what looks good to you. If/when you decide to buck that tendency, focus on alternatives to what you first described and then let them sit a while. Stuff you instantly were horrified with might mellow out into "not bad, this might work" and every once in a while you get the amazing gem you instantly fall in love with that you never would've considered before.
I usually build with a theme/inspiration from something someone else has made in mind to further the potential I have/show off the creation of others (as a mod spotlighter I look around and get most of my inspiration from things I've made videos on), usually from a mod or datapack when I make adventure maps.
I'm no good a builder so I just mix blocks in a way to somewhat fit a theme and then twist it, with other ideas. I can't make a suitable House or Structure but I can mix a few blocks to suit a biome I want for one of the maps I'm making to use potion effects and other elements of the game in a way I've never made before but many others most likely have. I usually either play in when I'm in the mood or use a book to put ideas down (mostly a book filled with mod ideas but either way it can be helpful).
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Niche Community Content Finder, Youtuber, Modpack/Map Maker, Duck
Forum Thread Maintainer for APortingCore, Liteloader Download HUB, Asphodel Meadows, Fabric Project, Legacy Fabric/Cursed Fabric, Power API, Rift/Fabric/Forge 1.13 to 1.17.
I consider myself to still be a bit of a noob, as I've only been playing for a couple of years. I know the frustration of wanting to make the whole world look neat and tidy. Therefore, I restrict myself to "cleaning up" only the areas I use frequently.
My main focus, right now, is learning to make farms and learning redstone.
When i start a world, i get to the nether as fast as I can and gather some materials for potions. Splash/lingering potions are awesome, and I don't care if you can't stack them
But otherwise, if you think that obsessing over neatness diminishes your experience, just don't do it!
Ya this is the main problem lol I've been watching a lot of Youtube videos for inspiration, particularly "big build" ideas like castles, villages, etc., as these are the things I really really want to create. But ya .. I'm finding myself obsessing over neatness, I started like 7 different worlds and wandered all around the maps trying to find a good spot to start (I finally found one lol).
Maybe its Youtubers making big builds look extremely easy lol but I'm amazed at how they do it. I've been looking at things like biome transformations and terraforming, and it looks so awesome when someone knows what their doing, but my obsession with neatness makes things like that very hard for ME to approach. Maybe its something I'll never get over, or maybe I'll have to get over it via experience.
I know the frustration of wanting to make the whole world look neat and tidy. Therefore, I restrict myself to "cleaning up" only the areas I use frequently.
I like this idea! Maybe "leaving the land as is" when I'm not working on it is the best way to keep me from obsessing over it AND keep things natural looking. Thanks!
Hey all,
I just recently started getting into Minecraft again. I always suffer from burnout and take long breaks from the game before returning again (I want to stick with it this time though).
I came here because I wanted to get some opinions on being too "organized" and "perfect" in Minecraft. Every time I start a project or a building, I get these overwhelming feelings of things HAVE to look neat/striaght, things HAVE to be symmetrical, etc. I a lot of the time I find myself spending large amounts of time just shaving the land around my base to look all straight and neat like my base does, and then I look at the rest of the world and I'm like "How am I going to shave this entire world to be like this?". Its overwhelming.
I do this because this is my general style and things look more aesthetically pleasing to me that way, but I find I just spend SO much time tediously shaping the land and trying to make everything all neat and symmetrical and perfect that it kind of takes away my enjoyment of the game.
So, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me to get out of this mindset. To the less organized, messier, "leave things looking natural" type of players, how do you approach the game? How do I make my worlds less "straight" and "cookie cutter" and more free and natural looking? Is this just a part of my personality that I can't separate from the way I play the game? I feel like I need another way to look at the game to get me unstuck from this kind of thing.
Thanks!
Firstly, as a builder-type I'm constantly working my imagination. Maybe it's something particular to me, but I find that I "Minecraft" a lot more in my head than I do at the computer. Most of the time I'm just too busy to do anything with it, but I carry a notebook with me for those times when I might be idle. I jot down all my thoughts, I draw the pictures forming in my head, and I write outlines of projects to further explore their intricacies. As an example, I filled half of a standard spiral notebook just for a small starter house (some of that bulk was just me not erasing anything, however).
Second, realize you're not the only one. There's a whole internet's worth of pictures out there just waiting to be looked at. Most of it is not in Minecrafty form, so try not to limit your searches to just minecraft images. It may take some doing, but you WILL find something that sparks your curiosity. Additionally, the real world exists and unless you're an extreme agoraphobic you're probably frequently leaving the house and going places. Nobody's blindfolding you for the trip, nor are they preventing you from admiring the scenery as you go. There are a ton of buildings surrounding you, even way out in the boonies, and there's bound to be some that you particularly like.
Third, be open to possibilities. As you draw things out, you're typically going to gravitate towards what looks good to you. If/when you decide to buck that tendency, focus on alternatives to what you first described and then let them sit a while. Stuff you instantly were horrified with might mellow out into "not bad, this might work" and every once in a while you get the amazing gem you instantly fall in love with that you never would've considered before.
I usually build with a theme/inspiration from something someone else has made in mind to further the potential I have/show off the creation of others (as a mod spotlighter I look around and get most of my inspiration from things I've made videos on), usually from a mod or datapack when I make adventure maps.
I'm no good a builder so I just mix blocks in a way to somewhat fit a theme and then twist it, with other ideas. I can't make a suitable House or Structure but I can mix a few blocks to suit a biome I want for one of the maps I'm making to use potion effects and other elements of the game in a way I've never made before but many others most likely have. I usually either play in when I'm in the mood or use a book to put ideas down (mostly a book filled with mod ideas but either way it can be helpful).
Niche Community Content Finder, Youtuber, Modpack/Map Maker, Duck
Forum Thread Maintainer for APortingCore, Liteloader Download HUB, Asphodel Meadows, Fabric Project, Legacy Fabric/Cursed Fabric, Power API, Rift/Fabric/Forge 1.13 to 1.17.
Wikis I Maintain: https://modwiki.miraheze.org/wiki/User:SuntannedDuck2
I consider myself to still be a bit of a noob, as I've only been playing for a couple of years. I know the frustration of wanting to make the whole world look neat and tidy. Therefore, I restrict myself to "cleaning up" only the areas I use frequently.
My main focus, right now, is learning to make farms and learning redstone.
Just don't level things out. Some things benefit from a bit of leveling - namely animal enclosures and non-automated farms.
But otherwise, if you think that obsessing over neatness diminishes your experience, just don't do it!
When i start a world, i get to the nether as fast as I can and gather some materials for potions. Splash/lingering potions are awesome, and I don't care if you can't stack them
wack
Thanks for the responses!
Ya this is the main problem lol I've been watching a lot of Youtube videos for inspiration, particularly "big build" ideas like castles, villages, etc., as these are the things I really really want to create. But ya .. I'm finding myself obsessing over neatness, I started like 7 different worlds and wandered all around the maps trying to find a good spot to start (I finally found one lol).
Maybe its Youtubers making big builds look extremely easy lol but I'm amazed at how they do it. I've been looking at things like biome transformations and terraforming, and it looks so awesome when someone knows what their doing, but my obsession with neatness makes things like that very hard for ME to approach. Maybe its something I'll never get over, or maybe I'll have to get over it via experience.
I like this idea! Maybe "leaving the land as is" when I'm not working on it is the best way to keep me from obsessing over it AND keep things natural looking. Thanks!