Gameplay Journal Entry #4

Minecraft again! We have a recurring theme it seems.

This week, I will be talking about RLCraft for Minecraft. This mod introduces multiple factors into Minecraft, such as a temperature system (that can kill you), a hydration system, different mechanics for items dropping on the ground, hundreds of mobs (most of them being hostile), and changed other key functions of minecraft. The mod itself mixes different mods together into one big pack to completely alter Minecraft. The result? The player dies… a LOT. In the writing of Alexander Galloway, he lists 3 ways a game can be modified: “A video game may be modified in three basic ways: (1) at the level of its visual design, substituting new level maps, new artwork, new character models, and so on; (2) at the level of the rules of the game, changing how 5 Countergaming gameplay unfolds — who wins, who loses, and what the repercussions of various gamic acts are; or (3) at the level of its software technology, changing character behavior, game physics, lighting techniques, and so on.”

RLCraft fits into the 3rd option of modification- the mod changes character behavior, game physics, lighting techniques, and more. Because of the drastic changes this mod introduces into Minecraft, one could argue that the mod counters the rules, theme, and feel of original Minecraft. By adding in so many new systems, the player has a lot more factors to worry about and deal with. Some of the most basic functions of the game get altered, such as punching a tree (in RLCraft, this requires a special tool made by GRAVEL). By including so many different functions, tools, and creatures, it completely revolutionizes the game and one could even struggle to call it Minecraft still. Besides the basic functions and look of the game, everything is changed.

Galloway, A. R. (2010). Countergaming. In Gaming: Essays on algorithmic culture (pp. 107–108). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.