Stone Marshall's Blog, page 20

Fortnite Dance Between Three Ice Sculptures Guide

The Fortnite Week 9 Challenges are finally here after last week’s decent challenges and a super awesome patch today. As always, there are a ton of challenges to complete including dancing between three ice sculptures. In this guide for Fortnite Battle Royale, we are going to let you know how to complete this fun and quick challenge.

For starters, as always, the Fortnite Week 9 Challenges are now available. There are seven challenges in total per usual. Three of those challenges for all players but four of them are only for those who own the season eight battle pass, but you might already have that if you did the overtime challenges last season.

But for the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on the dance between three ice sculptures challenge. This is a multi-part challenge but we’re going to focus on the first part. It’s not super hard to do as all you need to do is find the location, dance there, and that’s it. Well, if you do it three times at least.

The location of the three ice sculptures are, thankfully, right by each other so you won’t have to go far to find the right spot to dance. But where are they? Well, as you’d probably expect, they are found in the snowy biome from the start of season seven. They are directly east of Frosty Flights and southwest of Polar Peak.

You can find the three ice statues in a small forest just at the base of the mountain where Polar Peak is. They’re really close to one another so all you need to do is head to the middle of them and do any dance emote and you’re good to go. That concludes the first part of but one of the Fortnite Week 9 Challenges.

Former Epic Games Director Didn’t Want Fortnite Made

It is pretty hard to imagine a world without Fortnite, isn’t it? But it turns out that if former Epic Games director Rod Fergusson had stuck around, the world might have been very different indeed. According to Fergusson, had he still been in charge later than he was, it is possible that Fortnite never would have been completed.

The Former Epic Games Director Would’ve Killed Fortnite

While chatting with Game Informer, Rod Fergusson was none too impressed with Fortnite when it was under development and he was still the Epic Games director. In fact, he actually tried to stop it from moving forward.

Fergusson said the game “would not have passed bar” by his standards. He explained, “Before I left, I tried to cancel Fortnite. When it was Save the World… that was a project that had some challenges. And as the director of production at the time, that game would not have passed my bar for something we should continue to keep going… So when people look at me and say ‘don’t you feel bad [that you left before the game succeeded]?’ I say no, you should feel really good, because that game you love – that worldwide sensation – would not exist had I stayed at Epic.”

It is rare to get such a frank assessment of a short-sighted decision by someone in the industry. It just goes to show that sometimes it can be really hard to tell what the next big thing could be, and what is worth pursuing. It makes you wonder what Epic would have worked on instead had Fergusson successfully cancelled Fortnite.

So given that he was dead wrong about Fortnite, how does Fergusson feel about what the game has achieved since? He does say that he “doesn’t lose sleep” regarding his decision. But he is “supper happy” for the success of the team with the game.

There are signs that Fortnite’s popularity has been waning. Nonetheless, the game holds pretty strong. And some decline is expected, given that Fortnite is no longer the hot new sensation. Want to make sure you don’t miss out on any Fortnite news? Be sure and check our Fortnite news section regularly. While the game has been around for a while now, the creative team over at Epic continues to innovate fresh experiences for the Fortnite player base!

Minecraft fully modded = best looking game EVER?!

A few months ago I wrote a story about ray tracing-style effects through the use of path tracing in Minecraft with incredible results, but I feel like the game has taken another gigantic leap in the graphics department with a new video below combining the Stratum 2048×2048 textures, ‘ray tracing' at 4K, realistic graphics mods and oh-so-much more. Check it out:     Modder ‘Hodi' has a Patreon page where he concentrates on making textures only, and to goo effect – I mean, that video above sells the entire thing easily, right?! Powered with an Intel Core i7-6700K, 16GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti we have the results above, a glorious-looking Minecraft that seems out-of-this-world good.   Hodi used the following mods, textures, and tweaks:   Minecraft 2019 – Stratum 2048x POM/PBR | Continuum Shader – Ultra Realistic Graphics – Ray Tracing – 4K tratum 2048x POM/PBR minecraft realistic graphics minecraft photorealistic textures minecraft raytracing minecraft ray tracing minecraft Continuum Shader minecraft 2019 minecraft ultra textures minecraft ultra graphics minecraft texture download minecraft resource pack     Another video I found on my hunt for the Stratum 2K Photorealism + Continuum 2.0.2 mods for Minecraft led me to the above video by ‘Ultimate Immersion' and it looks f***ing wild. I mean, seriously – this is just Minecraft with mods and it looks absolutely mind blowing — especially when you consider how barebones basic Minecraft actually is in the graphics department.

Here’s a 2D version of Minecraft built inside a Minecraft chest

You know all those jokes about building a version of Minecraft inside Minecraft? Well…

YouTuber SethBling has plenty of cool Minecraft videos on his channel. He’s made a Katamari Data Pack, which lets him roll up animals into a ball. He’s made what is essentially a 3D printer that creates Polaroids.

Perhaps most impressively, he made an Atari 2600 emulator within Minecraft back in 2016. And now, he’s made…well, Minecraft. But in 2D.

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When SethBling opens the chest, the squares inside it are now populated by different Minecraft elements that ultimately make up a playable 2D version of the full game, complete with a playable Steve would can move and jump through it.

When Seth clicks on a ‘tree’ enough times, it gets added to his inventory, which is a whole separate screen. He’s built a house in there and everything. Early on he encounters a ‘lake’ (the blocks are blue to indicate water) and needs to use wood he has collected from trees to make a crossing. It’s wild.

Obviously it’s fairly restricted, but it’s also pretty damn impressive, and SethBling takes time to go over how he did it in the video. There’s a download link included on the YouTube page if you want to check it out for yourself. It’ll only work with Minecraft on PC, of course.

Minecraft YouTuber creates playable version of the game inside a single chest

The creativity of the Minecraft community knows no bounds. Not content with the usual 3D version of the game, YouTuber SethBling has created his own, playable 2D version set entirely within a Minecraft chest, complete with crafting, jumping, and flowing water.

As you can see in the video above, blocks from the game are replicated inside the chest, and you can walk left and right across the world, breaking blocks as you go. You even have a separate inventory—a chest within a chest—where you can store blocks you've mined from the world and craft new tools.

What's essentially happening is that a slice of the normal Minecraft world is being rendered inside the chest. When you move the player inside the chest, an armor stand teleports around the world. Breaking blocks in the chest breaks them in the world, too. It's all done via a /loot command that figures out what blocks are around the armor stand and then renders the correct, corresponding block into the chest. 

“It's a very limited system, but it's enough to look pretty cool,” says SethBling in the video, and I can't help but agree. He says he might expand the system with new crafting recipes and, potentially, even mobs. The system was inspired by this Reddit post, which is basically the same idea but doesn't seem to have any moving parts.

If you want to download the world within a chest, you can do so here (clicking that link will immediately download a .zip file). 

Minecraft: Education Edition is getting an Immersive Reader and new educator resources

Mojang is making some notable tweaks to Minecraft: Education Edition to help make the learning tool even more accessible. 

Designed specifically for classrooms, Minecraft: Education Edition was created to help educators teach a variety of subjects including computer science, chemistry, mathematics, and coding. 

An upcoming update with bolster the game with the addition of an Immersive Reader, which will help readers of all abilities understand in-game text such as character dialogue, settings, and boards. 

As the video above shows, the reader will break down sentences word-by-word and even read them aloud to students. It also contains Minecraft-specific images such as ‘Creeper' and ‘Mooshroom' to ensure aren't left baffled by the game-specific lingo. 

The dev team has also improved multiplayer and classroom management with a Single Sign-on (SSO) option to allow for one-click authentication. It should make for a more simplified and faster class login experience, and was implemented to streamline the process for younger students specifically. 

Finally, new educator resources and free training programs will be added to help teachers properly get to grips with the title, allowing them to more effectively impart worldly wisdom.

The new features will arrive as part of the Back to School 2019 update. Those interested in the Education Edition can find out more on the official Minecraft blog.

Minecraft Dungeons: Everything we know so far

At E3 2019, we had the opportunity to learn a ton of new stuff about Minecraft Dungeons, a Diablo-like action RPG from Microsoft. Here's everything we know so far!

Microsoft unveiled Minecraft Dungeons' gameplay at E3 2019, showcasing Diablo-like action RPG gameplay atop a gorgeous, blocky 3D-isometric world.

We learned a ton of stuff about the game while we were at the show, including its planned Spring 2020 launch window.

We've compiled all the biggest questions and answers for things we know so far into this article. If you have more questions, be sure to drop them in the comments and we'll try and get them answered in the near future.

Smash and loot







Minecraft Dungeons

Minecraft meets Diablo

Minecraft Dungeons is an upcoming action RPG set in the blocky worlds of Minecraft! Team up with three friends and get your dungeon crawl on.

What is Minecraft Dungeons?

Minecraft Dungeons is a 4-player co-op action RPG from Mojang, set in the Minecraft universe. Built by a small team on Unreal Engine 4, Minecraft Dungeons drops the creative construction gameplay found in Minecraft's core game, instead emphasizing looting, character progression, and action-packed combat.

Classes and progression in Minecraft Dungeons

Minecraft Dungeons doesn't have a traditional class-based structure. Instead, you will build your playstyle based on what items, enchants, armor, and weapons you use.

For example, if you want to play a defensive “warrior” type class, you'll likely want to pick up heavy plate armor and wield defensive artifacts and traits. Someone who prefers using spells might prefer using lighter armor that reduces your cooldown speeds so you can use abilities more frequently, instead of smashing things with a hammer or sword. You'll also be able to play an agile archer, focusing your abilities on your ranged weapon slot, which can include bows and crossbows.

On top of itemization, you will also be able to enchant gear with special effects. One enchant might produce a chain lightning spell, which can also be upgraded through the game's leveling system.

Mojang told us that there are around twenty different types of enchants for your melee weapon slot, another 20 for your ranged weapon slot, and a roughly similar number of unique artifacts that produce special abilities. Some of the examples we've seen so far include a horn that knocks back enemies in an area, a firework rocket that you can attach to your bow to create explosions, and a spell that looks like a giant purple lazer beam. All of those artifacts can be modded further. One enchant we got allowed us to shoot two firework rockets instead of one.

Does Minecraft Dungeons have a story?

Minecraft Dungeons does have an overarching narrative, but it was described to us as being very “light,” with the emphasis falling on co-operative fun instead.

The central antagonist is the Arch Illager, who is kidnapping innocent villagers and sacking towns, much like the Illager behavior in the base Minecraft game. You're the hero that is supposed to bring an end to his dark reign. Beyond the overarching story, each level has a specific objective, which might be to defeat one of the game's new boss monsters, or rescue a specific NPC.

Does Minecraft Dungeons have an end game?

After you complete the main story, Minecraft Dungeons' difficulty tiers will unlock, giving access to more procedurally-generated dungeons with increasingly difficult enemies and traps, with even better loot. Mojang doesn't want Minecraft Dungeons end game to feel “grindy,” instead it will focus on the fun of battling giant monsters and getting awesome loot.

There will be a central camp where you decide which missions to undertake, and the game will alert you to the difficulty based on your Power level, which is effectively your gear score. More difficult dungeons will provide better loot.

How does loot work in Minecraft Dungeons?

Loot is randomly generated in Dungeons, along with its maps. There may be chests, bosses may drop unique weapons, and there may be light puzzles to solve for additional loot, off the beaten path. Each item comes with a power level, which accumulates into a gear score for your character.

Some of the weapons we know about so far include swords, bows, crossbows, two-handed weapons like hammers, shields, pickaxes, and you can even use a fishing rod to hook mobs and stun them.

What mobs are there in Minecraft Dungeons?

Minecraft Dungeons seems to have every mob that we know and loathe from the base game, including Creepers, Skeletons, Zombies, Spiders, and so on. Some mobs, like the Endermen, have taken on more of a “boss” role, turning the screen fuzzy with psionic power when they show up.

Beyond the usual creatures, Minecraft Dungeons will have a range of new enemies to battle, including a Necromancer which can resurrect defeated mobs, and a Wraith which can set huge areas of the map on fire, forcing you to dodge and stay on your toes.

We asked Mojang is the Ender Dragon might show up, and they basically told us with a wink and a nudge “wait and see.”

Can you build stuff in Minecraft Dungeons?

Minecraft Dungeons has no building mechanics at this time. Dungeons' focus is entirely on the RPG combat experience.

Does Minecraft Dungeons have loot boxes or monetization?

Mojang told us that Minecraft Dungeons will follow the wider Minecraft ethos for monetization. There won't be any pay to win, nor will there be any loot boxes. They did say that they might sell DLC expansions down the line, similarly to Diablo III.

Can I play Minecraft Dungeons with my friends?

You can play Minecraft Dungeons with up to four friends either in local or online co-op play. Minecraft Dungeons will support cross-play between Xbox and PC, but other platforms, like the Nintendo Switch, are still being considered.

Which platforms will Minecraft Dungeons be available for?

Minecraft Dungeons will launch on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

When will Minecraft Dungeons launch?

Minecraft Dungeons is aiming for a Spring 2020 launch.

How much does Minecraft Dungeons cost?

Minecraft Dungeons will have two editions. The base game costs just $20, but a $30 special “Hero” edition will come with two DLCs, in what was described to us as a mini-season pass. Mojang plans to release further DLC, both free and premium if the game takes off. It will also arrive as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Minecraft Dungeons seems awesome!

In our hands-on with Minecraft Dungeons, we were incredibly impressed with the way the game felt. Building on the Unreal Engine seemed like the right decision, as the game has truly stunning lighting and physics, that gives combat a really satisfying feel, very close to the likes of Diablo III. New mobs like the Wraith, Necromancer, and the impossibly cute Key Golem should make exploration feel fresh for even the most hardcore Minecraft fans, and the procedural nature of the randomly-generated maps should help stave off feelings of repetition.

Even if you're not a fan of Minecraft itself, Dungeons looks like it's shaping up to be a rock-solid action RPG entry to the wider Minecraft universe, and frankly, we can't wait.

Minecraft Dungeons is simple, Diablo-inspired fun for the family

I played some Minecraft Dungeons earlier today and, without wishing to state the obvious, I think this game is going to be a big hit.

First announced at Minecon last year, it’s an overhead-view, Diablo-like game featuring characters and other stuff from the world of Minecraft. Given Minecraft’s reach, and this game’s attractive competence, it’s possible that Dungeons will introduce monster-crawling to a larger audience than all the previously games in this hallowed genre, combined.

I play as a solo adventurer, or as part of a team of up to four players, in online or couch co-op. I venture into an underworld, and am soon fighting familiar foes from Minecraft, such as Skeletons, Spiders and Husks.

I pick up emeralds to spend on upgrades, like weapons, potions and armor. It’s worth noting that the currency is all in-game; there are no loot boxes or micro-transactions. Loot drops also give me random goodies, including health boosts and other consumables.

The rooms are randomly generated, as are drops and enemies. My weapons are melee and range, and they’re all boosted heavily by random enchantments which I spend as and when I feel the need. The game’s upgrade path is all about increasing my ability to use these boosts, rather than statistically upgrading my character or its individual weapons.

I can also collect “artifacts” which are special weapons that cool-down after use. A big part of the fun is equipping stuff that’s appropriate to individual challenges, as well as working with teammates to maximize team effectiveness.

Basic lever-style puzzles break up the combat, as well as dangerous traps. During my play session, I found the game to be pretty forgiving and fun, though it’s worth noting that the last dungeon crawler I played was the intensely challenging Below.

Minecraft Dungeons looks like a family favorite, which kids will greatly enjoy. It’s due out for around $20 in spring 2020, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One. Mobile versions have not yet been announced, but I wouldn’t bet against their appearance in due course.

Check out these hands on videos with Minecraft Earth for a closer look at the newest Minecraft experience

While Minecraft Dungeons seems to be limited to beefier consoles and Windows 10 devices at the moment, that’s not to say that mobile phones are left out. Minecraft Earth will bring a new perspective to the vanilla game on iOS and Android devices, and we mean that quite literally.

Hands-on demos of the game were featured at the E3 2019 event last week, which showed off a couple of YouTubers, Strawburry17 and Graser, taking a look at the game themselves. As can be seen in the video below, buildings and other structures can be placed on top of a real-world object, such as a table, and then scaled to real-world size allowing users to move around and explore the virtual blocky world as though they are actually in it.

And if you think this is just going to be some lame AR game with no Survival mode or game challenges, think again. The second video below shows that hostile mobs are no less aggressive in AR than they are inside your phone. Animals will still see you, and the entire mining, crafting, building, and even gardening experience are all included in Minecraft Earth.

If you’re as excited about the game as we are, you can sign up to try the closed beta starting this summer on the Minecraft Earth website. Of course, you’ll have to have a Microsoft account to sign up, as well as a device running either Android 7.0 (Nougat)  or iOS 10 or better. Feel free to leave your thoughts on the game below.

Minecraft notes a transcultural success in China with over 1.36 billion mod downloads

[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource GamesPress.]
According to Minecraft’s local publisher NetEase Games, 25,000 Minecraft mods created by over 2,100 developers have been downloaded 1.36 billion times in China with its domestic registered players passing a milestone of 200 million, making China one of the biggest blocks of the sandbox legend.

When navigating the world largest and fast-growing game market, many western games are facing cultural barriers. Minecraft’s transcultural success, however, could be explained by how it has become integrated into modern China and also its glorious past. Thanks to a dynamic and creative Minecraft community deeply rooted in the local culture, many projects are currently being built to represent the ancient Chinese architecture in the game.

Minecraft China is being used to revive historic icons, such as the Forbidden City, and to provide the public a more interactive way to cherish them on mobile devices or PCs. The National Architect & Cthuwork Studio spent over three years recreating the Imperial Palace within the Forbidden city which used over 100 million Minecraft blocks in its construction.

The team spent time doing extensive research before building in the city in the game. They went into painstaking detail to accurately recreate the palace interior allowing players to truly explore the city in depth. Thanks to 3D printing, their in-game recreation was printed and displayed within the real Imperial Palace for locals and tourists to see.

It is not the first time that Minecraft is employed as an agent to pay tribute to the world heritage sites. Even before the tragic destruction of Notre-Dame in Paris, an independent development studio named Huanling has built a cyber version of the famous church in high detail using digital technology and art. The team has revived a breathtaking replica of the original by capturing and simulating the natural light passing through its tangible construction at a meticulous level.

Speaking of preserving precious memories, Minecraft China was rewarded last month at International Advertising Awards (IAI) for its 2019 Mother’s Day-themed video. Aiming to show how the world-renown sandbox game helps bring the good old days back to life, the video tells a story about a group of Chinese kids who rebuild their childhood memories with their mothers in Minecraft China.

To view the award-winning video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhBU9Yo9NMc

About NetEase Games

NetEase Games, the world 7th largest game developer and publisher by revenue in 2018, has made some of the most popular games in China and global markets, such as Fantasy Westward Journey, Rules of Survival, Onmyoji, Knive Out, Identity V, etc. It also partners with Blizzard, Microsoft, Konami, The Pokémon Company, Quantic Dream, etc., for global co-production and publishing.