The Spawn Chunks 381: Better Faster Stronger

Dec 22, 2025 | podcast

Jonny, and Joel update their copper aging, and command center progress then answer listener emails about echo gear, mining villagers, and Minecraft transmogrified transportation in the Holiday Chunkmail Dispenser.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to all of our listeners!

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  • The Citadel | Mushroom Island
    • Command Center exterior.
      • Filling in he wing panels, and he mid section panels on the command center is taking some time.
      • Ironically when building something large, and symmetrical like this, the building becomes more efficient at around the same time that you finish repeating the pattern. LOL!
      • Filling In South Wing Panels (YouTube.com/JoelDugganVODs)
      • Filling In Mid Section Panels (YouTube.com/JoelDugganVODs)
    • Command Center interior.
      • Starting to think about how to handle the internal shapes, and lighting of the command center.
        • How big should the central room be? Does it have an open atrium-like design? How many floors does it have? What’s the best method of traveling between floors?
        • Leaning on an octagonal shaped central area with some sort of power core extending deep into the ground, potentially beneath a glass floor.
  • The Minecraft Survival Guide, Season 3
    • Encountered two zombie horsemen while demonstrating the spear for The Survival Guide.
      • Unseated one rider while on horseback, and tamed the zombie horse.
      • The second rider was a melee fight with lots of damage.
      • The damed zombie horse has average statistics but it was a good excuse to craft netherite horse armour, which really good on zombie horses!
      • Zombie horses look cool, but it’s just another horse.
    • Beacon Mine Then Elden Ring – Minecraft Survival Guide LIVE! (Twitch.tv/Pixlriffs)

FROM: Kaleb With a K
SUBJECT: Netherite Alternatives

Hello Jonny and Joel,

Ever since Minecraft 1.16 came out I have been intrigued by the idea of upgrading old diamond equipment to netherite. I’m surprised that no other similar armor types have been added.

What if you combined chain armor with diamond armor to give extra protection against melee attacks, which would give an actual use to chain mail armor? 

Also, what if you had echo equipment that eliminated the five minute despawn timer, and possibly even gave an occasional audio cue when on the ground, so that you never lose your pickaxe because it took too long to find it with your recovery compass?

What do you think? Where could we find the upgrade templates for these?

Kaleb with a K got the achievement “Eternal Dedication” for obtaining an Echoing Hoe.

FROM: Arthur J. (And Natalie)
SUBJECT: New Villager Type

Hello Jonny, and Joel!

I love listening to your podcast, and just listened to “Nautilus And Novelty.” In the Chunk Mail section you suggested a new type of carpentry villager. I really like mining, and archaeology but wish there was an easier way to locate trail ruins. Maybe there could be some ruins that had a new villager with a small campsite. The new “miner” could tell you about nearby archaeological sites, ores or structures. 

Thanks!

Player Coolkids was bored to death while trying to locate a trail ruin, and didn’t even find an abandoned mineshaft.

FROM: Kenny The Logician
SUBJECT: Transportation Terrified

Hello Joel, and Jonny,

I’m new to the podcast, and wondering how you feel about the mechanical differentiation, and balance of transportation methods in Minecraft, whether they are different and balanced enough, whether these are a priority even if only temporarily for what’s coming in this next update, and whether the differentiation of transportation methods needs reconfigured or redirected?

I ask since, in the last few episodes when assessing the nautilus, it seems exploration was not really on your radar as an end for transportation methods, which affects balance; on differing, it is basically a sea camel that’s better by a bit, but it is the first submersible mount, not the fifth equine.

I could continue with more examples, and scenarios to analyze like speeding up minecarts, saddling shulkers, or transplanting the ice boat glitch, but I presume this will be long enough.

Looking forward to the discussion,

Kenny

FROM: Donoraffe
MEMBER: Community Miner
SUBJECT: Gotta Go Fast

Just responding to the conversation you had around rollerblading in Minecraft. There are mods today that add roller skates into the game, and I think that you’re onto something here for longer traversal. The one thing that’s a must, and is in the Reliquary mod implementation is that it gives you step assist, much like you get with horses, as well as a lot of speed. 

All that said, I would love to see the elytra skip come back because it was simply so satisfying when you hit it right, even if they remove the momentum you can get from it. 

Thanks for the topic, and I really love listening to your takes every week!

Donoraffe plummeted to his death by misjudging his jump over a ravine on his new roller skates.

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