I'm currently working on 1.6, which will be mostly a bug fix update. I will be going through bug lists (including the great one on the Minecraft wiki) and fixing as many as I can. There's no set date for the update yet as I don't know how long it'll take to go through the list.
The only new feature that will appear is the mapping.
When you craft a map, you will be able to somehow select how “zoomed in” you want the map to be. It will be centred on the location where you craft it, and it will fill in as you explore the land. If you go outside the edges of the map, it will stop updating, so each map is of a specific area. (like real maps!)
Here's a screenshot of a fully zoomed in map (good for town maps, for example):
And here's a screenshot of a fully zoomed out map:
If you drop a map and someone else picks it up, they will be able to see your progress. You will also be able to (somehow) CLONE maps so that two separate map items link to the same map data. That means you can see what other players carrying the same map explores, and both you and them will show up as blinking dots or similar on the maps.
Currently, the map will only update if you're holding it in your hands, but the map will kind of hide away when you’re looking straight forward. To see the map properly, you have to look down, thisly:
Any changes you make to the terrain will show up on the maps, but only once someone carrying the map gets near that area. In other words, you won't magically get to see changes far away on the map.
At the moment the map doesn't work at all in multiplayer, but that's my next task. The code I write to support that will also be possible to reuse in the future for things like books and notes written by players, and possibly even custom paintings/hand drawn signs.
There's a hard limit of 65536 unique maps per world, though, and I don't think I can get around that without breaking the code very bad. I'm trying to figure out if the limit is high enough or if I should spend the time rewriting the code..
65536?
That is like, half as many as you need.
We need a lot more, a lot more!
Seriously though, maps look pretty useful.
I'd think it wouldn't be that hard to increase the number, but what do I know I haven't written the code. I just thought that Notch/Mojang is using a short integer for the ID's, because short int goes up to 65536, so changing the data type to a long integer would increase the max. number of maps immensly. But like I said, what do I know :P
65536 is a limit for lots of things somehow, I think you can't rewrite it, but that amount of maps should be enough anyway
that would probably kill a lot of comparisons on the code, since i am guessing most of it is written for unsigned shorts vars. When comparisons break a lot of strange things happen.
yeh and no more geting lost in new worlds
Wow finally a REAL use for paper! =D
The next great use, would be the ability to write multiple pages in books! :D
and in 1 month we got a working mail system :D
stop joking....cause that would be frikking awesome :D
Nice news. Can't wait to see how awesome it will be.
Maps should be integrated closely to the signs, or else the maps will be a very hard tool.
Well, that would be pretty nice! Maps, from a gameplay point seems really useful. Now, for a question, will both "cloned" maps update at the same time? Since these are most likely the same object, if someone explores and you look the map, would you see it "auto-updating" the "fog"?
And hell yes! Letters would be way awesome! These would be like a sign, but with the same map item graphic, and more space to write :P Of course.
About the map limit...hmmm in Multiplayer that may be a problem, there should be a way to "delete" maps or "store" them on the server files as separate files with names that admins can clean if necesary.
Keep the nice work!
i guess I'm just missing out on all the super populated servers...because even with 500 people on the server, each person could make 120 maps....you'd need some 5000 people on the server to make the individual limit anything small, and it does seem like simply throwing the map into a fire would clear up its spot
Maybe if this works out well maybe Notch will make it so we can have mailboxes and letters for multi. :D ......would be easy to do there is already ink,feathers and paper. And a mail box could be a cheat on a stick
Or even in single player whenever we click on the box it gives us some sort of unique code for that world and if a friend sends his letter to that code you get it! Or maybe its a code for each computer?
MIND = BLOWN
A left hand? Notch has ruined Steve's life forever!
Seriously, I'm liking the idea. Though he never really specified: will he change it to update when in your inventory, or leave it at hands?
goodbye map mod :D! hello official map!
IT ABOUT TIME !!!!
Yes! if we are able to write on the map, we could make treasure maps!
maps would be sweet. any chance of having a map of underground?
i think notch will stick to surface maps...with real life maps we cant see underground so yeah...but it would still be cool to have them...maybe have layers??...
he took a mild interest in cave maps.
No more having to use Cartograph XD
There should be an option for a map that shows the whole world, can scroll, have locations marked, and stuff like that. For balance you could make the components really hard to find.
Cool
Wow this'll help a ton!....wait.....mincrafters have left hands?
If the limit stays at 65536, can an SMP server clear the "cache" of maps made to date and have everyone start over? Just thinking 100 person server means ~655 maps per player EVER. That's not enough. But with cache-clearing it might be.
I still want the ability to write on paper and leave notes in mailboxes or somefin'.
What I want to know is what range around Steve will the map update? Will render distance or view range alter the updating at all? If I stand on a mountain will I just update the top of the mountain or the world around it?
Looks really good though, can't wait to try it out and start mapping out plans for construction! =D
Finally something great new stuff!
Wow. This actually sounds like a cool feature.
Kudos, Notch. 1+ internets.
But when will we see goblin wars, cities and all those other things you promised?
Goblin wars? Then I slowly lose the faith I had for the game...
I really do not see the need for clouds on the maps!
That is snow, silly goose.
I'm looking forward to books and such. An actual use for bookcases would be nice. You'd have to change the "recipe" for making them, though.
Writing books doesn't have all that much use, though... other than role playing.
Pens would also be good. You use them to mark out your current position on the map to remind you where bases are and things like that.
OMFG!!!!!!! What I EVER wanted!!!!! Now, i can stop using ZAN's MiniMap... Or not :P
Did someone else notice that the character skin isn't dark ? Yep, look closely at the hands :
is Notch racist ? O.o
that's Notch's skin in-game.
Lets destroy a brick with a map!