The Spawn Chunks 158: The Elytra Experiment

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FROM: Shunosaurus
DISCORD MEMBER: Landscape Artist Member
SUBJECT: Calcite And Minecraft Geology

Hey Pix and Joel,

I’ve been building with a fair deal of andesite really, and I recently learned that the three decorative stone types (Granite, Diorite, and Andesite) all have crafting recipes that involve combining differing proportions of cobblestone and quartz. This reminded me of real world igneous rock formation. Diorite in the real world is formed with a high silica content, reflected by the use of quartz in the crafting recipe. Andesite has a lesser silica percentage, so diluting the diorite with cobblestone creates this more felsic material. In turn, Granite has a greater silica percentage, so it is formed by increasing the silica content of the rock. 

Igneous geology lesson aside, these crafting recipes got me thinking about one of the newest decorative stone type in the game, Calcite. Unlike the three stone types just mentioned, Calcite is not an igneous rock, and therefore doesn’t have the silica content of the other rocks mentioned. Calcite is formed by calcium carbonate, made from the shells of marine organisms like corals or plankton. This got me thinking, what if Calcite could be crafted in a similar vein to the three decorative stone types?

I was thinking of a combination of cobblestone and bone meal to represent the calcium carbonate. This leads to my question for y’all, what other blocks would you like to have a crafting recipe? Are there any blocks in the game that you think should stay uncraftable and nonrenewable to encourage exploration and quarrying?

Sorry for the long winded geology lesson, I just think that tiny aspect of Minecraft’s education goes underappreciated. Thank you both for the wonderful podcast, it has been a part of my weekly routine for over a year now.

Shunosaurus fell into lava, and became an igneous rock.

FROM: JPumpoletz
SUBJECT: The End And The Deep Dark

Johnny, Joel – keeping it brief as per your request.

I feel spoiled with 1.18 already, and so I feel greedy even thinking ahead, but if I had to make a choice between an update to The End or a select biome (or two) I feel The End would make more sense considering how all the overworld biomes are going to look new with the terrain gen updates anyway.

Had an idea for The End too, thought I’d run it by you:

Skulk sensors have an End look about them right? I swear one of you said this at some point. What about finding the odd patch of skulk blocks which act as a one way portal back to the overworld and straight into a Deep Dark biome?

If the End and Deep Dark are somehow connected, which their textures suggest, this would give some sort of lore as to how the Warden came to be in the overworld in the first place. (If lore is even required, maybe it doesn’t need a back story.) It gives a new reason to go to The End – as an easier way to locate Deep Dark biomes through exploring The End – and some decision making element to the player. I.E. Do I traverse back to the central island to get home – or – go through this skulk puddle on the floor and risk getting past the warden? I’m not saying the Deep Dark can’t be accessed through the overworld, but just suggesting another route.

Thanks for the podcast, absolutely loving it!

JPumpoletz got poked in the arm from an unsafe distance.

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