3,258
Salutations, ladies and gentlemen! This is the first installment of my 60 part series (more or less) called Year in Review, where I bring you the best of all things Minecraft. Some of you may have forgotten about some of the more noteworthy projects here on PMC, but I haven't. I never forget . . . I never forgive. o_o
Sorry, what was I saying? Oh yes, the review. This isn't going to be all that different from the regular format, but it's going to have some nice bonus goodies including interviews with some of the most renown PMC users of the year. Also, there will be some slight modifications to the qualifier system.
Qualifiers have been selected on a monthly basis. The best structure, terrain, and piece of organic work from each month automatically qualifies, along with the best projects from the first 3 months of the year (which occured before Week in Review ever existed). There will also be 3 wild card nominations for each category.
The one rule concerning trophies is that there's a 1-trophy-limit for each category. You can get as many nominations as possible, but you can only have one trophy for each category. Before we begin, here's some statistics that you might find meaningful.
Also, don't forget to check out the video version of this review. It's located over on the Week in Review - Video Archive.
So, let us begin our journey into the sands of time- no wait, I mean into the book of the past- no that still sounds stupid. Let's just do the review. -_-
When I say ‘best structure of the year’, it’s not the same as saying ‘the best structure of the week’. The pool of competitors is so much more dense, and the quality of work is so much higher, that it becomes all the more arduous to sift through it all. For reference, there are 52 weeks in a year. Of those 52 weeks, there were a grand total of nearly 1,000 structures featured on Week in Review. Of 1,000 structures, I can only talk about one here today.
But, of all of them, the one that truly stood out amongst the pack was Deep Sea, created by BlockWorks on July 30th. As most of you remember, this was the winning entry in the Underwater Wonderland contest here on PMC.
Runner Up: Stalingrad - Blood on the Volga by Cephyr
Firstly, let’s talk about why this project edged out some of it’s closer competition. There were three other projects that were seriously considered for Structure of the Year. And those projects were Tomorrowland, Stalingrad - Blood on the Volga, and TEMATOS. Of course, due to the 1 entry limit, Tomorrowland was automatically disqualified because it was made by BlockWorks.
Runner Up: TEMATOS by achiminecraft
Which leaves Stalingrad, TEMATOS, and Deep Sea. And while Stalingrad is certainly one of the most thematically impressive builds of the year, I decided to give the edge to the latter two builds because they stood out more in terms of originality. As awesome as Stalingrad was, it wasn’t as novel a concept as TEMATOS and Deep Sea.
And so, with only two builds left to choose from, it really just came down to execution and technique. Deep Sea, for all intents and purposes, was the most original and best executed structure of the year.
Deep Sea is an incredible build, not just because it looks awesome (which it most certainly does), but also because when you deconstruct it, you’re not left with repeated segments or spam of any kind. Instead, you’re left with a vast assortment of shapes and forms, all handmade to serve as a small component in what is undeniably a masterpiece.
There’s a variability here that can only be explained by one of two things: at least six months of hard work, or a build team. In this case, it was the latter. Deep Sea was the result of a massive collaboration, including Week in Review veterans like Carloooo, Rajkkor, Lindblumen, and many more.
It makes sense that so many great minds were involved in something like this. Only through the lens of several different build styles could something so intricate and so diverse be conceived. And that’s what makes Deep Sea so special. It’s not something that any one person could have built. It’s like the end product of a complex chemical reaction, where all the reagents are builders, each serving an indispensable purpose which adds up to a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.
One of the things that really stands out here is the seamless combination of architecture and organic work. Many of the apparatuses and structures in Deep Sea come in the form of a symbiotic fusion of organic matter and machinery. This is a concept that’s difficult to execute, but when it’s done right, it almost makes you forget that you’re looking at something made in Minecraft. It transcends the norm of blocky mishmash, and becomes an art form of itself.
To me, there is one surefire way to succeed in Minecraft. If you can fool people, even for a second, that your project wasn’t built in-game; that it’s an elaborate charade, a photograph, or a 3D-generated image, then you’ve done a tremendous job. It’s something you’ll see again in the next two categories as well. And when you first look at the renders for Deep Sea, it isn’t entirely clear wether you’re looking at the build itself or a piece of inspirational artwork. That’s the ultimate trick you can play, and it’s one that BlockWorks does better than anyone else.
Architecture is not easy to do, even with a limitless supply of free materials and virtually omnipotent methods of construction. Still, nobody makes it look easier than the fine folks over at BlockWorks.
BlockWorks was founded over 2 and a half years ago, and has since made 13 projects here on PMC. Here’s some fun facts about BlockWorks.
Much like structures, there were many landscapes vying for Terraforming of the Year. Some were 16 thousand blocks long, some were vibrant paradises, and some adopted new styles and techniques never seen before. But there was one that forsook size, vibrancy, and style for something else entirely. There was one that focused on realism above all else. And that extraordinary terrain, aptly named in the most ordinary way you could possibly imagine, was Custom Biome Terrain Map, created by imbilio.
There’s no secrets here, no hidden trinkets, and no complementary organic work. This is terraforming, pure and simple. This is a terrain so intricate, and so masterfully composed, that you may well think it wasn’t made in Minecraft at all. Remember what I said about fooling the audience earlier? Yes, that applies equally here.
The title of this terrain couldn’t have more stark contrast to the terrain itself. The title is formulaic and boring, and the terrain is the exact opposite of that. It’s an incredibly diverse, meticulously detailed, and downright magical, multi-biome terrain that challenges any and all preconceived notions of just how realistic Minecraft can be. Well, apparently it can be very realistic. Imbilio has certainly proven that.
With many terrains, you can see the impressions of World Painter still present in the end product. That isn’t true here. This map bears none of those red flags, and has a form and style all its own. It sports a natural beauty, and yet there is no place on Earth quite like it.
And with most multi-biome terrains, the divisions between biomes are stark and easily spotted. But here, there’s a sort of mellow progression from biome to biome. There is no ‘line’ between biomes, but rather a gradation that allows the whole map to bear a singular identity instead of being a mere collection of landscapes.
Consequently, there are no true biomes here, but rather a singular biome with evolving characteristics linked to latitude and longitude. It’s like living thing, with different tissues and cell types, all containing the same universal DNA within. And that’s what separates Custom Biome Terrain Map from its competition. There’s nothing particularly flashy or mind-blowing here. It simply makes sense, as a whole, in a strange and unprecedented way.
In a sense, this is the true pinnacle of biomes. The world-generated biomes in Minecraft are simple, repetitive, and have no true interaction with each other. This is a sort of satirical critique of that tedium, designed to show Minecraft’s true potential in a way that the programming never will.
In fact, all terraforming is just such a critique. The difference is that Custom Biome Terrain Map does it better than anything else. And so this map shall stand, for an indefinite period of time, as the pinnacle of terraforming in Minecraft. This is the bar, and it has been set ridiculously high, so that future generations of PMC users will strive to exceed it.
When it comes to terraforming, nobody is more on the forefront when it comes to innovation than Gabersid.
Gabersid has a rare and very identifiable, globular terraforming style. Since he joined PMC in 2013, Gabersid has posted 6 structures and 8 terrains. Here’s some fun facts about Gabersid.
Which brings us to the final category: the best Organic Work of the Year. Over the past year, we’ve seen a great variety of stunning organic work. There’s been giant-scale houses, dragons jamming on the guitar, and 3-dimensional recreations of 2-dimensional forms of artwork. But, there’s one map in particular that was more jaw-dropping than all of them combined. I’m speaking, of course, of Primal Portal - Steampunk Dinosaurs, created by Cephyr.
There’s no denying it. If there is a summit to how much detail can be compressed into a sculpture in Minecraft, this is definitely it. Primal Portal pushes the limits of Minecraft to the absolute maximum, and wipes away the preconceived notion that it’s impossible to escape the inherent blockiness. The fine folks at Cephyr have not only triumphed the blockiness, they’ve created something that could very well stand in a museum, if and only if that museum were comfortable with showcasing cybernetic dinosaurs from another dimension. Then again, there are museums out there that showcase dinosaurs being saddled and ridden by humans, so I guess it’s entirely possible that there’s an institution out there crazy enough to welcome robo-dinos into their lobby.
But enough about that; let’s talk about why this build is such an enormous achievement. Ethereal forms are difficult to execute in Minecraft, mainly because of the aforementioned blockiness. It’s hard to make thin, diagonal shapes and objects with blocks. Primal Portal, however, makes it look easy. The jagged bones, lush foliage, hanging appendages, rows of teeth, gears and wires are not limited by Minecraft. On the contrary, Cephyr has (in some strange way) embraced the inborn challenges, and created something chock full of a variety of organic and mechanical elements, seamlessly woven together in perfect harmony.
It’s a true show of skill, and a masterful utilization of Minecraft’s height limit. This build couldn’t have been made any larger, because it literally takes up the entire height of the map. Thus, these robo-dinosaurs are as large and as detailed as they possibly could be. There is simply no reasonable way to outdo this concept.
But, at the end of the day, this map makes a very important point. Many people out there are so frightened by the innate limitations of Minecraft, that they cannot allow their imaginations to carry them through the building process. Primal Portal proves, beyond reasonable doubt, that just about anything can be achieved in Minecraft, regardless of the limitations. It’s an extremely inspiring piece of organic work that I’m sure will spark the imaginations of countless PMC users in the foreseeable future.
When it comes to organic work, nobody does it better than Cephyr. Cephyr is a team of builders that was founded in 2012 here on PMC. Since it’s conception, Cephyr has posted 42 projects, ranging from a redstone computer hard drive to a scene of ravenous, robotic dinosaurs.
Though Cephyr is being honored as Top Artist here on Week in Review, they mostly specialize in structures accompanied with copious amounts of organic elements. Here’s some fun facts about Cephyr.
The ‘Top Jack’ Award goes to the PMC user who dominated all three categories here on Week in Review. To me, there’s nobody who fits that category better than MrBatou.
MrBatou started his PMC career a little over a year ago, but has quickly climbed the rungs with his incredible aptitudes. Here’s some fun facts about MrBatou:
Thank you so much for all the support, you guys! I'm so happy that you've stuck with me through this incredible journey, and I look forward to blowing your minds with the new and improved format of Week in Review in 2016. See you guys then!
Sorry, what was I saying? Oh yes, the review. This isn't going to be all that different from the regular format, but it's going to have some nice bonus goodies including interviews with some of the most renown PMC users of the year. Also, there will be some slight modifications to the qualifier system.
Qualifiers have been selected on a monthly basis. The best structure, terrain, and piece of organic work from each month automatically qualifies, along with the best projects from the first 3 months of the year (which occured before Week in Review ever existed). There will also be 3 wild card nominations for each category.
The one rule concerning trophies is that there's a 1-trophy-limit for each category. You can get as many nominations as possible, but you can only have one trophy for each category. Before we begin, here's some statistics that you might find meaningful.
Year in Review Statistics
-This year, of the tens of thousands of projects uploaded to PMC, nearly 2,000 projects have been featured on Week in Review.
-Of those 2,000 featured projects, 322 earned a medal here on Week in Review.
-Of those 322 award winning projects, 39 qualified for Year in Review.
-And of those 39 qualifiers, only 12 will come away with a trophy.
-Of those 2,000 featured projects, 322 earned a medal here on Week in Review.
-Of those 322 award winning projects, 39 qualified for Year in Review.
-And of those 39 qualifiers, only 12 will come away with a trophy.
Also, don't forget to check out the video version of this review. It's located over on the Week in Review - Video Archive.
So, let us begin our journey into the sands of time- no wait, I mean into the book of the past- no that still sounds stupid. Let's just do the review. -_-
When I say ‘best structure of the year’, it’s not the same as saying ‘the best structure of the week’. The pool of competitors is so much more dense, and the quality of work is so much higher, that it becomes all the more arduous to sift through it all. For reference, there are 52 weeks in a year. Of those 52 weeks, there were a grand total of nearly 1,000 structures featured on Week in Review. Of 1,000 structures, I can only talk about one here today.
But, of all of them, the one that truly stood out amongst the pack was Deep Sea, created by BlockWorks on July 30th. As most of you remember, this was the winning entry in the Underwater Wonderland contest here on PMC.
Runner Up: Stalingrad - Blood on the Volga by Cephyr
Firstly, let’s talk about why this project edged out some of it’s closer competition. There were three other projects that were seriously considered for Structure of the Year. And those projects were Tomorrowland, Stalingrad - Blood on the Volga, and TEMATOS. Of course, due to the 1 entry limit, Tomorrowland was automatically disqualified because it was made by BlockWorks.
Runner Up: TEMATOS by achiminecraft
Which leaves Stalingrad, TEMATOS, and Deep Sea. And while Stalingrad is certainly one of the most thematically impressive builds of the year, I decided to give the edge to the latter two builds because they stood out more in terms of originality. As awesome as Stalingrad was, it wasn’t as novel a concept as TEMATOS and Deep Sea.
And so, with only two builds left to choose from, it really just came down to execution and technique. Deep Sea, for all intents and purposes, was the most original and best executed structure of the year.
Deep Sea is an incredible build, not just because it looks awesome (which it most certainly does), but also because when you deconstruct it, you’re not left with repeated segments or spam of any kind. Instead, you’re left with a vast assortment of shapes and forms, all handmade to serve as a small component in what is undeniably a masterpiece.
There’s a variability here that can only be explained by one of two things: at least six months of hard work, or a build team. In this case, it was the latter. Deep Sea was the result of a massive collaboration, including Week in Review veterans like Carloooo, Rajkkor, Lindblumen, and many more.
It makes sense that so many great minds were involved in something like this. Only through the lens of several different build styles could something so intricate and so diverse be conceived. And that’s what makes Deep Sea so special. It’s not something that any one person could have built. It’s like the end product of a complex chemical reaction, where all the reagents are builders, each serving an indispensable purpose which adds up to a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.
One of the things that really stands out here is the seamless combination of architecture and organic work. Many of the apparatuses and structures in Deep Sea come in the form of a symbiotic fusion of organic matter and machinery. This is a concept that’s difficult to execute, but when it’s done right, it almost makes you forget that you’re looking at something made in Minecraft. It transcends the norm of blocky mishmash, and becomes an art form of itself.
To me, there is one surefire way to succeed in Minecraft. If you can fool people, even for a second, that your project wasn’t built in-game; that it’s an elaborate charade, a photograph, or a 3D-generated image, then you’ve done a tremendous job. It’s something you’ll see again in the next two categories as well. And when you first look at the renders for Deep Sea, it isn’t entirely clear wether you’re looking at the build itself or a piece of inspirational artwork. That’s the ultimate trick you can play, and it’s one that BlockWorks does better than anyone else.
Additional Credit
BloodBuilds - Builder
SuiCia1_M0nKeY - Builder
NergalBS - Builder
Carlooo - Builder
rajkkor - Builder/Renders
Lindblumen - Builder
NytDwellur - Builder/Graphics
Photoze - Builder
JamesD - Builder
DJPaulii - Renders
GoCreative - Renders
Nati797 - Renders
RubenDelight - Cinematic
Lentebriesje - Terraforming
SuiCia1_M0nKeY - Builder
NergalBS - Builder
Carlooo - Builder
rajkkor - Builder/Renders
Lindblumen - Builder
NytDwellur - Builder/Graphics
Photoze - Builder
JamesD - Builder
DJPaulii - Renders
GoCreative - Renders
Nati797 - Renders
RubenDelight - Cinematic
Lentebriesje - Terraforming
Architecture is not easy to do, even with a limitless supply of free materials and virtually omnipotent methods of construction. Still, nobody makes it look easier than the fine folks over at BlockWorks.
BlockWorks was founded over 2 and a half years ago, and has since made 13 projects here on PMC. Here’s some fun facts about BlockWorks.
- BlockWorks has competed in four PMC Contests, and has obtained 2 first place trophies, 1 second place trophy, and qualified as a finalist in 1.
- BlockWorks has never attained less than 85 diamonds for a single project here on PMC.
- BlockWorks has won 4 gold medals, a platinum trophy, and 2 qualifier plaques here on Week in Review.
- BlockWorks is currently the only user in the history of Week in Review to obtain the Niemeyer Badge, the highest award one can get for structures.
- BlockWorks finished in 2nd Place for the year of 2015 here on Week in Review.
Interview with BlockWorks
Gray: Hello James, and thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.
James: Hi there Gray, my pleasure - thanks for the questions!
Gray: I guess I’ll start with that amazing streak you had earlier this year. You had the best builds of the month in May, June, and July here on Week in Review. How do you energize your builders and crank out such incredible content so consistently?
James: Believe it or not, it's not really necessary for me to energize our builders; they're all very experienced at what they do and are largely independently motivated. Different builders have different motivations, but I think for many it's the satisfaction of the end result - they know what they're capable of producing and strive to accomplish that. For many of our larger projects, we work on a commissioned basis - in those situations our builders are working in a professional capacity, and simply have to complete the work by a deadline.
Gray: Back in July, you created an entry for the Underwater Wonderland Contest here on PMC. I found it to be a departure from your previous two projects (Tomorrowland & Climate Hope City), in that it really didn’t draw from any existing themes (a blockbuster film & environmentalism, respectively). What were your sources of inspiration for Deep Sea, and how did you guys formulate the plan to juxtapose concepts relating to deep space exploration and deep sea exploration?
James: Our starting point for this map was the existing terrain - what stood out was the bright colours and organic forms of the coral. The similarities between Deep Sea and Deep Space just clicked, and we went from there. In general, we all have our own creative interests and sources of inspiration - so a good brainstorm will usually bring out some unique concepts and ideas.
Gray: Speaking of Deep Sea, I’m a big fan of the way you guys integrated architectural components and organic elements into a lot of the machinery. What kind of teamwork did you guys have to engage in to make this seamless fusion of synthetic and organic structures possible?
James: Talking to each other and adapting our design was essential to bringing a large team project like this together; however there was certainly no master plan from the start - our designs always change and adapt during the building process. For this project each of our builders started by working on individual components for the build, for instance we had one builder focusing on spaceships, one on structural elements etc. Once we had enough assets, we could then think about piecing them together.
Gray: You bring a sort of professionalism to PMC that’s rarely seen, at least by me. Your descriptions, images, aftereffects, and visual aids are all polished, well edited, and simple. Why is presentation so important to you, and why do you have such a passion for producing high-quality content here on PMC? And, as a follow-up, who do you think produces the best renders for you and your team?
James: Presentation is essential for us since it gives the first impression of our work - whether that's for normal PMC users or potential clients. Only a small minority of our work is uploaded to PMC, we use it to share projects which we think can inspire and interest the community. Everyone has different rendering styles, Nati, Splekh, DJPaulii and Rajkkor have all produced great renders for us in the past.
Gray: As a person who doesn’t really partake in the team-building aspect of Minecraft, I’ve always wondered how one goes about organizing a large team of people to undergo large-scale building endeavors. Describe the planning phase that you and your team engages in before you start building. And, in addition, how do you keep people organized during the construction phase? How is power and responsibility delegated?
James: With an experienced and skilled team, delegation of power and responsibility is not necessary. Each of our builders know what their strengths are, and once they're aware of which section to work on can be trusted to crack on with it. Organization is simply positioning different people's work to create the bigger picture; the tricky stuff is the actual building!
Gray: Everyone goes through phases where they have a lapse in creativity, or just can’t get something to come together right. Do you guys ever just . . . go nuts and blow stuff up?
James: No.
Gray: You’re no fun. :P
Gray: What is the biggest construction error that your team has ever made during a build? You don’t have to name names, but I’ll give you an extra 10 points if you do name someone.
James: The typical error is finding an entire segment is 1 block out of position, but this is usually easily fixed - with the right tools there's really not much that can be difficult to correct!
Gray: Okay, final question. I’ve been working on something for the past few months, and I think it’s finally ready. This is my application for BlockWorks.
Gray: When do I start?
James: Tomorrow, 9am sharpish.
Gray: Excellent! I’m going to bring some TNT and show you guys how it’s done.
James: Hi there Gray, my pleasure - thanks for the questions!
Gray: I guess I’ll start with that amazing streak you had earlier this year. You had the best builds of the month in May, June, and July here on Week in Review. How do you energize your builders and crank out such incredible content so consistently?
James: Believe it or not, it's not really necessary for me to energize our builders; they're all very experienced at what they do and are largely independently motivated. Different builders have different motivations, but I think for many it's the satisfaction of the end result - they know what they're capable of producing and strive to accomplish that. For many of our larger projects, we work on a commissioned basis - in those situations our builders are working in a professional capacity, and simply have to complete the work by a deadline.
Gray: Back in July, you created an entry for the Underwater Wonderland Contest here on PMC. I found it to be a departure from your previous two projects (Tomorrowland & Climate Hope City), in that it really didn’t draw from any existing themes (a blockbuster film & environmentalism, respectively). What were your sources of inspiration for Deep Sea, and how did you guys formulate the plan to juxtapose concepts relating to deep space exploration and deep sea exploration?
James: Our starting point for this map was the existing terrain - what stood out was the bright colours and organic forms of the coral. The similarities between Deep Sea and Deep Space just clicked, and we went from there. In general, we all have our own creative interests and sources of inspiration - so a good brainstorm will usually bring out some unique concepts and ideas.
Gray: Speaking of Deep Sea, I’m a big fan of the way you guys integrated architectural components and organic elements into a lot of the machinery. What kind of teamwork did you guys have to engage in to make this seamless fusion of synthetic and organic structures possible?
James: Talking to each other and adapting our design was essential to bringing a large team project like this together; however there was certainly no master plan from the start - our designs always change and adapt during the building process. For this project each of our builders started by working on individual components for the build, for instance we had one builder focusing on spaceships, one on structural elements etc. Once we had enough assets, we could then think about piecing them together.
Gray: You bring a sort of professionalism to PMC that’s rarely seen, at least by me. Your descriptions, images, aftereffects, and visual aids are all polished, well edited, and simple. Why is presentation so important to you, and why do you have such a passion for producing high-quality content here on PMC? And, as a follow-up, who do you think produces the best renders for you and your team?
James: Presentation is essential for us since it gives the first impression of our work - whether that's for normal PMC users or potential clients. Only a small minority of our work is uploaded to PMC, we use it to share projects which we think can inspire and interest the community. Everyone has different rendering styles, Nati, Splekh, DJPaulii and Rajkkor have all produced great renders for us in the past.
Gray: As a person who doesn’t really partake in the team-building aspect of Minecraft, I’ve always wondered how one goes about organizing a large team of people to undergo large-scale building endeavors. Describe the planning phase that you and your team engages in before you start building. And, in addition, how do you keep people organized during the construction phase? How is power and responsibility delegated?
James: With an experienced and skilled team, delegation of power and responsibility is not necessary. Each of our builders know what their strengths are, and once they're aware of which section to work on can be trusted to crack on with it. Organization is simply positioning different people's work to create the bigger picture; the tricky stuff is the actual building!
Gray: Everyone goes through phases where they have a lapse in creativity, or just can’t get something to come together right. Do you guys ever just . . . go nuts and blow stuff up?
James: No.
Gray: You’re no fun. :P
Gray: What is the biggest construction error that your team has ever made during a build? You don’t have to name names, but I’ll give you an extra 10 points if you do name someone.
James: The typical error is finding an entire segment is 1 block out of position, but this is usually easily fixed - with the right tools there's really not much that can be difficult to correct!
Gray: Okay, final question. I’ve been working on something for the past few months, and I think it’s finally ready. This is my application for BlockWorks.
Gray: When do I start?
James: Tomorrow, 9am sharpish.
Gray: Excellent! I’m going to bring some TNT and show you guys how it’s done.
Much like structures, there were many landscapes vying for Terraforming of the Year. Some were 16 thousand blocks long, some were vibrant paradises, and some adopted new styles and techniques never seen before. But there was one that forsook size, vibrancy, and style for something else entirely. There was one that focused on realism above all else. And that extraordinary terrain, aptly named in the most ordinary way you could possibly imagine, was Custom Biome Terrain Map, created by imbilio.
There’s no secrets here, no hidden trinkets, and no complementary organic work. This is terraforming, pure and simple. This is a terrain so intricate, and so masterfully composed, that you may well think it wasn’t made in Minecraft at all. Remember what I said about fooling the audience earlier? Yes, that applies equally here.
The title of this terrain couldn’t have more stark contrast to the terrain itself. The title is formulaic and boring, and the terrain is the exact opposite of that. It’s an incredibly diverse, meticulously detailed, and downright magical, multi-biome terrain that challenges any and all preconceived notions of just how realistic Minecraft can be. Well, apparently it can be very realistic. Imbilio has certainly proven that.
With many terrains, you can see the impressions of World Painter still present in the end product. That isn’t true here. This map bears none of those red flags, and has a form and style all its own. It sports a natural beauty, and yet there is no place on Earth quite like it.
And with most multi-biome terrains, the divisions between biomes are stark and easily spotted. But here, there’s a sort of mellow progression from biome to biome. There is no ‘line’ between biomes, but rather a gradation that allows the whole map to bear a singular identity instead of being a mere collection of landscapes.
Consequently, there are no true biomes here, but rather a singular biome with evolving characteristics linked to latitude and longitude. It’s like living thing, with different tissues and cell types, all containing the same universal DNA within. And that’s what separates Custom Biome Terrain Map from its competition. There’s nothing particularly flashy or mind-blowing here. It simply makes sense, as a whole, in a strange and unprecedented way.
In a sense, this is the true pinnacle of biomes. The world-generated biomes in Minecraft are simple, repetitive, and have no true interaction with each other. This is a sort of satirical critique of that tedium, designed to show Minecraft’s true potential in a way that the programming never will.
In fact, all terraforming is just such a critique. The difference is that Custom Biome Terrain Map does it better than anything else. And so this map shall stand, for an indefinite period of time, as the pinnacle of terraforming in Minecraft. This is the bar, and it has been set ridiculously high, so that future generations of PMC users will strive to exceed it.
Additional Credit
When it comes to terraforming, nobody is more on the forefront when it comes to innovation than Gabersid.
Gabersid has a rare and very identifiable, globular terraforming style. Since he joined PMC in 2013, Gabersid has posted 6 structures and 8 terrains. Here’s some fun facts about Gabersid.
- Everything that Gabersid made this year has won a gold medal on Week in Review, and all 3 of those projects were also featured on Year in Review.
- Gabersid is currently the only user in the history of Week in Review to obtain the Maker of Worlds badge, the highest honor that can be handed out for terraforming.
- Gabersid has never gotten less than 100 diamonds for a terrain here on PMC.
- Gabersid finished in 3rd Place for the year of 2015 here on Week in Review.
Interview with Gabersid
Gray: Hello there, Gabersid. Thanks for taking some time to talk with me today.
Gabersid: Hey, Gray! Thanks for having me. I know you go though a lot of trouble to put all this together.
Gray: I guess we’ll start with your signature terraforming style. You use a lot of globular, pluming shapes in your terrains. It’s a style that you seem to have somewhat pioneered here on PMC. What inspired you to build like this?
Gabersid: I guess my "terraforming style" was crafted with my knowledge of World Machine and looking at real stuff, like mountains, rivers, valleys and other stuff. My earlier terraforms were heavily inspired off of my buddy, Aerios. A lot of my work, such as Nature's Wrath, was based heavily on a lot of Pandoras Block's work as I built that project on their server. My newest works are heavily based off of real life stuff. For my "The Rage of Hades" , I was inspired off an anthill outside my door. I feel the "style" of my work comes a lot from nature in general, taking a look outside or looking at photographs of real mountains, but giving them a look that you really like, over hangs, arches and whatever you like. The thing I really like about Minecraft, is that I can make and create whatever I want. It's awesome!
Gray: Holy crap! It does look like an ant-hill! Now I’ll never look at it the same way again. xD
Gray: Very seldom, here on PMC, I see people use terrain to create renditions of animals, objects, or other worldly ideas. There’s no greater example of this than Nature’s Wrath - Scorpio Islands, a terrain you made in the semblance of a giant scorpion. Describe your technique you used while building this behemoth. Did you use a reference image, or was it mainly improvised on the spot?
Gabersid: For "Nature's Wrath", I actually barely looked at a picture of an actual scorpion. If I look back at it, I wish I did look at more references for it haha. A lot of it was improvised, that's why the legs are so strait and not longer and more spread out.
Gray: Like many great terraformers on PMC, you actually started off building structures back in the day. I’ll ask you the same thing I asked kesteve: At what point did you discover you had a talent for terraforming? What is it about terraforming that you find so enjoyable?
Gabersid: I started really getting into terraforming when I was in a team called Octovon. My buddy showed me a mountain he was working on. I really loved it, so I started my own terraforms. At that time, I was kind of burnt out of doing structure, it felt too repetitive. I needed something different. My buddy showed me his terraforming, and I wanted to make my own work. It was love at first sight :P. I think the main reason I love terraforming and making landforms of all kinds is because there isn't a limit of what you can do. I really like making big landscapes that I dream about in my mind. It's another form of art.
Gray: You also made a project titled: The Rage of Hades. I can see that you put a lot of time and effort into this one. As I’m sure everyone is wondering, how in God’s name did you create this?
Gabersid: "The Rage of Hades" was a project that I actually thought I would never finish. I was originally looking to make a big anthill, but instead, I wanted to really mix it up. Thus the volcano project was born. I started it with making lines literally everywhere. I made tons of spheres then filled those areas with pyramid shapes. I then filled them in with voxel sniper's ./b e lift command. I then went in with the most tedious thing I've ever done. I went in and smoothed it by hand. The coloring was done with all sorts of world edit brushes.
Gray: Damn, that sounds horrifyingly tedious. Kudos to you for finishing it. xD
Gray: You like to take your time with your Minecraft projects, only uploading around 4-5 a year. Have you ever considered streamlining your building style, and uploading projects on a more weekly basis? If not, tell us a little bit about why you find a slower, deliberate, and more quality-focused regimen to be superior to some of your competition.
Gabersid: I've considered posting more projects to pmc. I've always come to the conclusion that I only want to upload quality projects to Planet Minecraft. I actually post a project almost weekly on twitter. I feel that twitter is perfect for smaller projects and Planet Minecraft is great for larger projects. I feel that I would rather have fewer Time well spent, Detailed, and Well done projects. Than having 50 okay projects. It's the classic Quality or Quantity ideal. That's why people who post on pmc, just to get levels on pmc kind of angers me. I always look up to the people who spend up to 2 years working on projects because when they are finished, the result is always awesome!
Gray: You’ve done work with GoCreative in the past, and you’ve recently joined DeepAcademy. Do you find commissions and team builds to be a more rewarding experience than solo projects? Or do you prefer the independence and loose schedule that working alone provides?
Gabersid: I find both goCreative projects, and my personal projects to be enjoyable. I love building with the goCreative friends. The goCreative guys are usually really laid back when we do team projects. So I usually have a lot of fun working with them. I also like doing projects on my own, but I feel that doing projects with goCreative is more enjoyable.
Gray: Some terraformers prefer to make smaller, more confined terrains, while others prefer to make large, multi-biome continents. You are one of the few who has experience with both. Which do you find to be a more rewarding experience and why?
Gabersid: Most of my "multi biome" maps are done with a tool called World Painter, lots of people love this tool. It's used to make massive maps using height maps. Really cool program actually. I enjoy making my single biome stuff more because it takes longer, and it is more of accomplishment. I also think my voxel and hand stuff are a lot better looking, than my World painter and World machine stuff. I do like using World painter to make more realistic terrain. So I guess both of them are really rewarding. :)
Gray: And for my final question, I’d like to talk briefly about your avatar. Why did you select Pepe to represent your PMC account? Why not Kermit or Miss Piggy?
Gabersid: I like pepe. The idea of pepe is actually an inside joke inside of goCreative. Pepe is by far my favorite movie character. He is so exciting and un-predictable.
Gabersid: Hey, Gray! Thanks for having me. I know you go though a lot of trouble to put all this together.
Gray: I guess we’ll start with your signature terraforming style. You use a lot of globular, pluming shapes in your terrains. It’s a style that you seem to have somewhat pioneered here on PMC. What inspired you to build like this?
Gabersid: I guess my "terraforming style" was crafted with my knowledge of World Machine and looking at real stuff, like mountains, rivers, valleys and other stuff. My earlier terraforms were heavily inspired off of my buddy, Aerios. A lot of my work, such as Nature's Wrath, was based heavily on a lot of Pandoras Block's work as I built that project on their server. My newest works are heavily based off of real life stuff. For my "The Rage of Hades" , I was inspired off an anthill outside my door. I feel the "style" of my work comes a lot from nature in general, taking a look outside or looking at photographs of real mountains, but giving them a look that you really like, over hangs, arches and whatever you like. The thing I really like about Minecraft, is that I can make and create whatever I want. It's awesome!
Gray: Holy crap! It does look like an ant-hill! Now I’ll never look at it the same way again. xD
Gray: Very seldom, here on PMC, I see people use terrain to create renditions of animals, objects, or other worldly ideas. There’s no greater example of this than Nature’s Wrath - Scorpio Islands, a terrain you made in the semblance of a giant scorpion. Describe your technique you used while building this behemoth. Did you use a reference image, or was it mainly improvised on the spot?
Gabersid: For "Nature's Wrath", I actually barely looked at a picture of an actual scorpion. If I look back at it, I wish I did look at more references for it haha. A lot of it was improvised, that's why the legs are so strait and not longer and more spread out.
Gray: Like many great terraformers on PMC, you actually started off building structures back in the day. I’ll ask you the same thing I asked kesteve: At what point did you discover you had a talent for terraforming? What is it about terraforming that you find so enjoyable?
Gabersid: I started really getting into terraforming when I was in a team called Octovon. My buddy showed me a mountain he was working on. I really loved it, so I started my own terraforms. At that time, I was kind of burnt out of doing structure, it felt too repetitive. I needed something different. My buddy showed me his terraforming, and I wanted to make my own work. It was love at first sight :P. I think the main reason I love terraforming and making landforms of all kinds is because there isn't a limit of what you can do. I really like making big landscapes that I dream about in my mind. It's another form of art.
Gray: You also made a project titled: The Rage of Hades. I can see that you put a lot of time and effort into this one. As I’m sure everyone is wondering, how in God’s name did you create this?
Gabersid: "The Rage of Hades" was a project that I actually thought I would never finish. I was originally looking to make a big anthill, but instead, I wanted to really mix it up. Thus the volcano project was born. I started it with making lines literally everywhere. I made tons of spheres then filled those areas with pyramid shapes. I then filled them in with voxel sniper's ./b e lift command. I then went in with the most tedious thing I've ever done. I went in and smoothed it by hand. The coloring was done with all sorts of world edit brushes.
Gray: Damn, that sounds horrifyingly tedious. Kudos to you for finishing it. xD
Gray: You like to take your time with your Minecraft projects, only uploading around 4-5 a year. Have you ever considered streamlining your building style, and uploading projects on a more weekly basis? If not, tell us a little bit about why you find a slower, deliberate, and more quality-focused regimen to be superior to some of your competition.
Gabersid: I've considered posting more projects to pmc. I've always come to the conclusion that I only want to upload quality projects to Planet Minecraft. I actually post a project almost weekly on twitter. I feel that twitter is perfect for smaller projects and Planet Minecraft is great for larger projects. I feel that I would rather have fewer Time well spent, Detailed, and Well done projects. Than having 50 okay projects. It's the classic Quality or Quantity ideal. That's why people who post on pmc, just to get levels on pmc kind of angers me. I always look up to the people who spend up to 2 years working on projects because when they are finished, the result is always awesome!
Gray: You’ve done work with GoCreative in the past, and you’ve recently joined DeepAcademy. Do you find commissions and team builds to be a more rewarding experience than solo projects? Or do you prefer the independence and loose schedule that working alone provides?
Gabersid: I find both goCreative projects, and my personal projects to be enjoyable. I love building with the goCreative friends. The goCreative guys are usually really laid back when we do team projects. So I usually have a lot of fun working with them. I also like doing projects on my own, but I feel that doing projects with goCreative is more enjoyable.
Gray: Some terraformers prefer to make smaller, more confined terrains, while others prefer to make large, multi-biome continents. You are one of the few who has experience with both. Which do you find to be a more rewarding experience and why?
Gabersid: Most of my "multi biome" maps are done with a tool called World Painter, lots of people love this tool. It's used to make massive maps using height maps. Really cool program actually. I enjoy making my single biome stuff more because it takes longer, and it is more of accomplishment. I also think my voxel and hand stuff are a lot better looking, than my World painter and World machine stuff. I do like using World painter to make more realistic terrain. So I guess both of them are really rewarding. :)
Gray: And for my final question, I’d like to talk briefly about your avatar. Why did you select Pepe to represent your PMC account? Why not Kermit or Miss Piggy?
Gabersid: I like pepe. The idea of pepe is actually an inside joke inside of goCreative. Pepe is by far my favorite movie character. He is so exciting and un-predictable.
Which brings us to the final category: the best Organic Work of the Year. Over the past year, we’ve seen a great variety of stunning organic work. There’s been giant-scale houses, dragons jamming on the guitar, and 3-dimensional recreations of 2-dimensional forms of artwork. But, there’s one map in particular that was more jaw-dropping than all of them combined. I’m speaking, of course, of Primal Portal - Steampunk Dinosaurs, created by Cephyr.
There’s no denying it. If there is a summit to how much detail can be compressed into a sculpture in Minecraft, this is definitely it. Primal Portal pushes the limits of Minecraft to the absolute maximum, and wipes away the preconceived notion that it’s impossible to escape the inherent blockiness. The fine folks at Cephyr have not only triumphed the blockiness, they’ve created something that could very well stand in a museum, if and only if that museum were comfortable with showcasing cybernetic dinosaurs from another dimension. Then again, there are museums out there that showcase dinosaurs being saddled and ridden by humans, so I guess it’s entirely possible that there’s an institution out there crazy enough to welcome robo-dinos into their lobby.
But enough about that; let’s talk about why this build is such an enormous achievement. Ethereal forms are difficult to execute in Minecraft, mainly because of the aforementioned blockiness. It’s hard to make thin, diagonal shapes and objects with blocks. Primal Portal, however, makes it look easy. The jagged bones, lush foliage, hanging appendages, rows of teeth, gears and wires are not limited by Minecraft. On the contrary, Cephyr has (in some strange way) embraced the inborn challenges, and created something chock full of a variety of organic and mechanical elements, seamlessly woven together in perfect harmony.
It’s a true show of skill, and a masterful utilization of Minecraft’s height limit. This build couldn’t have been made any larger, because it literally takes up the entire height of the map. Thus, these robo-dinosaurs are as large and as detailed as they possibly could be. There is simply no reasonable way to outdo this concept.
But, at the end of the day, this map makes a very important point. Many people out there are so frightened by the innate limitations of Minecraft, that they cannot allow their imaginations to carry them through the building process. Primal Portal proves, beyond reasonable doubt, that just about anything can be achieved in Minecraft, regardless of the limitations. It’s an extremely inspiring piece of organic work that I’m sure will spark the imaginations of countless PMC users in the foreseeable future.
Additional Credit
Splekh - Renders
When it comes to organic work, nobody does it better than Cephyr. Cephyr is a team of builders that was founded in 2012 here on PMC. Since it’s conception, Cephyr has posted 42 projects, ranging from a redstone computer hard drive to a scene of ravenous, robotic dinosaurs.
Though Cephyr is being honored as Top Artist here on Week in Review, they mostly specialize in structures accompanied with copious amounts of organic elements. Here’s some fun facts about Cephyr.
- Cephyr has won 4 gold medals, a platinum trophy, a silver trophy, and a qualifier plaque here on Week in Review.
- Cephyr has currently received more badges than any other user on Week in Review.
- Cephyr is currently the only user in the history of Week in Review to receive the Genius Architect badge and the Master of the Third Dimension badge, denoting extreme skill in the structure and organic work categories.
- Cephyr has never participated in a PMC contest.
- Cephyr finished in 1st Place for the year of 2015 here on Week in Review.
Interview with Cephyr
Gray: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today, Mick. Let’s get started.
Gray: Throughout the year, you guys have been at the forefront of all things epic. Be it your amazing server spawn, thematic structures, robot dinosaurs, and even your tower defense minigame, Cephyr is constantly cranking out high quality builds of all kinds. You are also the only Week in Review veteran to score trophies in two different categories in the same year. With all this in mind, my first question is this: Which 2015 submission are you most proud of and why?
Mick: I think that we can all agree in the team that Stalingrad: Blood on the Volga was our favourite submission to make. We largely focused on organics this year and it was definitely fun to go back to our roots and building some more architecture. If I remember correctly it was the project which took the longest this year, and for good reason. Every trench and street that we made was detailed by hand, each one hiding something unique to discover. We weren't under any time restraints so we had plenty of time to make everything as polished as possible. Another reason would be the atmosphere that we managed to achieve, which I don’t think was matched by any other project we had made to date. It really felt like a warzone, and in my opinion that is thanks to all those little details that we put in which in the end created a much bigger, and more interesting whole.
Gray: Some people may be unfamiliar with your past. You started your PMC career back in 2012, with a simple, Romanesque temple. Since then, you’ve recruited and worked with dozens of builders, and branched out to create organic work, commissions, air ships, and even an 8-bit redstone computer. What have you learned over that stretch of time? What kinds of builds have you developed the most passion for?
Mick: These 3 years definitely have been quite a ride for us, and they have taught us a lot, not only as a team but also as individuals. We have branched out in many directions (with varying degrees of success in some) and it is still as much of a learning experience now as it was back in 2012. With each build we try to do something much different from our previous build, so we constantly adapt and take on new styles to keep our projects fresh, interesting and as aesthetically pleasing as possible. We put lots of passion in to every creation we release, however some of the ones we have the most for are ones that were released in the "prime" of our existence, when we had the most activity within the team - such as the Minecade Server Spawn, as well as some un-released maps that we were working on for an RPG server that never really saw the light of day due to how ambitious it was.
Gray: I want to briefly talk about Stalingrad - Blood on the Volga. This is a build that has a sort of animated atmosphere surrounding it. It’s an extremely lively environment with a lot of disorder and chaos. After you guys poured so much time and effort into building Stalingrad, how much fun was it to let loose and knock holes in everything?
Mick: At the beginning of the destruction process it was quite sad to see all this work that we had done over the past months be destroyed, but as we further progressed the destruction really added to the overall effect on the build, and by the time we were done the effect was fantastic. The tedium of it definitely payed off in the end, and very strongly contributed to the atmosphere and end result of the project.
Gray: You guys also made the first command block minigame to be featured on Week in Review. Making a fully functional tower defense game is a much different process than building an elaborate castle. Tell me what it was like shifting focus from something visually aesthetic, to something interactive. Did you find it to be more or less rewarding than, say, Nuts and Bolts? What did you learn through the ordeal?
Mick: A lot of people would say that creating these interactive mini-games is just like building but with a bit of redstone. Well that’s not the case. Building an interactive map is a much more complex process, everything needs to be in exactly the right place, or the whole thing just falls apart. Whenever something new is built, it’s built with a purpose and has a reason to be there, so in a lot of ways functionality is much more important than aesthetics in projects like these. Another important thing is that there is an infinite amount of new options with redstone, allowing us to create some really awesome things and breathe a whole new amount of life into projects such as these. At the end it’s a very rewarding experience, more rewarding than building itself I would say, because it’s not just a project which is pleasant to look at, but also something that can be played and interacted with. We have a lot of plans and ideas for the future, and you will definitely be seeing more interactive redstone maps coming from us, who knows – perhaps even an adventure map one day?
Gray: Presentation is a big part of any PMC project. Time and time again, your projects have been presented in a very professional manner. Your renders are always exquisite, and provide your projects with a sense of excitement. At the same time, many of your projects come with as few as five screenshots. What is your rationale behind this tendency? Is it important for people to download and interact with your projects, rather than just looking at them? How significant is getting people to experience your work firsthand?
Mick: I’ve never personally thought of it that way, but now that you mention it, we definitely do encourage viewers and subscribers to download and look around our maps rather than view screenshots. In full honesty the reason why we have been having fewer screenshots is because our former renderer (Splekh) charges for every render now, and we see this team as a hobby more than anything and want to invest as least money into it as we can. We have an “in-house” renderer as of now, so you can expect to see a lot more screenshots of our projects in the future, but we definitely plan to keep the “mystery” of our builds, encouraging people to experience them first-hand.
Gray: One of the things that really stuns me is the fact that you guys have never made an entry for a PMC-sponsored contest. I for one would love to see you go head to head with BlockWorks. Why haven’t you tossed your hat into the ring?
Mick: We have never put much thought into taking part in a PMC contest in full honesty. When we build we usually have a very loose plan, and then keep expanding and expanding on it until we’re happy with the result. Having no time constraints allows us to do this and put as much time, passion and detail into each aspect of a build as possible. Creating builds for a contest is very limiting, not only time wise. Having to keep to a set theme is very restrictive for us, as many of our builds evolve from a set theme to something much more, and even something completely different than what we started with over time. Having a lack of freedom like this would mean that the build would be of much lesser quality than our usual standards. But who knows? Maybe one day when the team expands a little and we have a couple more members and the theme is right an entry with our name on it might appear. Only time will tell.
Gray: And now let’s talk about the thing that I’m sure everybody saw this year: Primal Portal. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything so sensational here on PMC. It’s just such an ambitious concept, and one that brings a lot of challenges with it. Describe what it was like to undergo such a test. How did you guys imbue such a high level of detail into this project? How difficult was it to merge the mechanical and organic components so seamlessly?
Mick: The project was one of the most challenging we have ever done, and we’re very proud of it. It might be quite surprising, but a lot of the project was done completely by hand. Incorporating some old buildings from other projects to structure the dinosaurs, such as an old factory from the Stalingrad project which was never used creating part of the creature’s back. It was quite challenging at first, but through trial and error we managed to accomplish what we think is an almost seamless transition between the two parts. And a lot of our organic work is done in a very similar way, evolving and developing through trial and error until we get an effect which we like. Which is also a reason why we take so long to release our projects.
Gray: Cephyr has been largely inactive since October, but I don’t think anybody doubts that you’ve got more great stuff in the works. What plans do you have for the immediate future? Do you have anything extra-special you can share with us?
Mick: We cant deny the fact that we have been quite inactive recently, but for good reason. After a few slight changes in team management between October and November we have slightly changed our direction. We are working on a server project, and plan to get a large part of the building community involved along with it. I can’t share any details quite yet, but I think it’s going to be something that a lot of people will like. After some deliberation, we have also decided to change our name to “Gamemode1” from Cephyr, just because we think that it’s more self-explanatory, easier to pronounce and relates to the subject a lot better, despite being slightly generic. Along with that we have some more redstone builds which should be coming out in the first quarter of 2016. After that we fully plan on returning to creating more team projects for everyone to enjoy. So we invite everyone to stay tuned and and see what we have in store for the future.
Gray: Throughout the year, you guys have been at the forefront of all things epic. Be it your amazing server spawn, thematic structures, robot dinosaurs, and even your tower defense minigame, Cephyr is constantly cranking out high quality builds of all kinds. You are also the only Week in Review veteran to score trophies in two different categories in the same year. With all this in mind, my first question is this: Which 2015 submission are you most proud of and why?
Mick: I think that we can all agree in the team that Stalingrad: Blood on the Volga was our favourite submission to make. We largely focused on organics this year and it was definitely fun to go back to our roots and building some more architecture. If I remember correctly it was the project which took the longest this year, and for good reason. Every trench and street that we made was detailed by hand, each one hiding something unique to discover. We weren't under any time restraints so we had plenty of time to make everything as polished as possible. Another reason would be the atmosphere that we managed to achieve, which I don’t think was matched by any other project we had made to date. It really felt like a warzone, and in my opinion that is thanks to all those little details that we put in which in the end created a much bigger, and more interesting whole.
Gray: Some people may be unfamiliar with your past. You started your PMC career back in 2012, with a simple, Romanesque temple. Since then, you’ve recruited and worked with dozens of builders, and branched out to create organic work, commissions, air ships, and even an 8-bit redstone computer. What have you learned over that stretch of time? What kinds of builds have you developed the most passion for?
Mick: These 3 years definitely have been quite a ride for us, and they have taught us a lot, not only as a team but also as individuals. We have branched out in many directions (with varying degrees of success in some) and it is still as much of a learning experience now as it was back in 2012. With each build we try to do something much different from our previous build, so we constantly adapt and take on new styles to keep our projects fresh, interesting and as aesthetically pleasing as possible. We put lots of passion in to every creation we release, however some of the ones we have the most for are ones that were released in the "prime" of our existence, when we had the most activity within the team - such as the Minecade Server Spawn, as well as some un-released maps that we were working on for an RPG server that never really saw the light of day due to how ambitious it was.
Gray: I want to briefly talk about Stalingrad - Blood on the Volga. This is a build that has a sort of animated atmosphere surrounding it. It’s an extremely lively environment with a lot of disorder and chaos. After you guys poured so much time and effort into building Stalingrad, how much fun was it to let loose and knock holes in everything?
Mick: At the beginning of the destruction process it was quite sad to see all this work that we had done over the past months be destroyed, but as we further progressed the destruction really added to the overall effect on the build, and by the time we were done the effect was fantastic. The tedium of it definitely payed off in the end, and very strongly contributed to the atmosphere and end result of the project.
Gray: You guys also made the first command block minigame to be featured on Week in Review. Making a fully functional tower defense game is a much different process than building an elaborate castle. Tell me what it was like shifting focus from something visually aesthetic, to something interactive. Did you find it to be more or less rewarding than, say, Nuts and Bolts? What did you learn through the ordeal?
Mick: A lot of people would say that creating these interactive mini-games is just like building but with a bit of redstone. Well that’s not the case. Building an interactive map is a much more complex process, everything needs to be in exactly the right place, or the whole thing just falls apart. Whenever something new is built, it’s built with a purpose and has a reason to be there, so in a lot of ways functionality is much more important than aesthetics in projects like these. Another important thing is that there is an infinite amount of new options with redstone, allowing us to create some really awesome things and breathe a whole new amount of life into projects such as these. At the end it’s a very rewarding experience, more rewarding than building itself I would say, because it’s not just a project which is pleasant to look at, but also something that can be played and interacted with. We have a lot of plans and ideas for the future, and you will definitely be seeing more interactive redstone maps coming from us, who knows – perhaps even an adventure map one day?
Gray: Presentation is a big part of any PMC project. Time and time again, your projects have been presented in a very professional manner. Your renders are always exquisite, and provide your projects with a sense of excitement. At the same time, many of your projects come with as few as five screenshots. What is your rationale behind this tendency? Is it important for people to download and interact with your projects, rather than just looking at them? How significant is getting people to experience your work firsthand?
Mick: I’ve never personally thought of it that way, but now that you mention it, we definitely do encourage viewers and subscribers to download and look around our maps rather than view screenshots. In full honesty the reason why we have been having fewer screenshots is because our former renderer (Splekh) charges for every render now, and we see this team as a hobby more than anything and want to invest as least money into it as we can. We have an “in-house” renderer as of now, so you can expect to see a lot more screenshots of our projects in the future, but we definitely plan to keep the “mystery” of our builds, encouraging people to experience them first-hand.
Gray: One of the things that really stuns me is the fact that you guys have never made an entry for a PMC-sponsored contest. I for one would love to see you go head to head with BlockWorks. Why haven’t you tossed your hat into the ring?
Mick: We have never put much thought into taking part in a PMC contest in full honesty. When we build we usually have a very loose plan, and then keep expanding and expanding on it until we’re happy with the result. Having no time constraints allows us to do this and put as much time, passion and detail into each aspect of a build as possible. Creating builds for a contest is very limiting, not only time wise. Having to keep to a set theme is very restrictive for us, as many of our builds evolve from a set theme to something much more, and even something completely different than what we started with over time. Having a lack of freedom like this would mean that the build would be of much lesser quality than our usual standards. But who knows? Maybe one day when the team expands a little and we have a couple more members and the theme is right an entry with our name on it might appear. Only time will tell.
Gray: And now let’s talk about the thing that I’m sure everybody saw this year: Primal Portal. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything so sensational here on PMC. It’s just such an ambitious concept, and one that brings a lot of challenges with it. Describe what it was like to undergo such a test. How did you guys imbue such a high level of detail into this project? How difficult was it to merge the mechanical and organic components so seamlessly?
Mick: The project was one of the most challenging we have ever done, and we’re very proud of it. It might be quite surprising, but a lot of the project was done completely by hand. Incorporating some old buildings from other projects to structure the dinosaurs, such as an old factory from the Stalingrad project which was never used creating part of the creature’s back. It was quite challenging at first, but through trial and error we managed to accomplish what we think is an almost seamless transition between the two parts. And a lot of our organic work is done in a very similar way, evolving and developing through trial and error until we get an effect which we like. Which is also a reason why we take so long to release our projects.
Gray: Cephyr has been largely inactive since October, but I don’t think anybody doubts that you’ve got more great stuff in the works. What plans do you have for the immediate future? Do you have anything extra-special you can share with us?
Mick: We cant deny the fact that we have been quite inactive recently, but for good reason. After a few slight changes in team management between October and November we have slightly changed our direction. We are working on a server project, and plan to get a large part of the building community involved along with it. I can’t share any details quite yet, but I think it’s going to be something that a lot of people will like. After some deliberation, we have also decided to change our name to “Gamemode1” from Cephyr, just because we think that it’s more self-explanatory, easier to pronounce and relates to the subject a lot better, despite being slightly generic. Along with that we have some more redstone builds which should be coming out in the first quarter of 2016. After that we fully plan on returning to creating more team projects for everyone to enjoy. So we invite everyone to stay tuned and and see what we have in store for the future.
The ‘Top Jack’ Award goes to the PMC user who dominated all three categories here on Week in Review. To me, there’s nobody who fits that category better than MrBatou.
MrBatou started his PMC career a little over a year ago, but has quickly climbed the rungs with his incredible aptitudes. Here’s some fun facts about MrBatou:
- MrBatou is currently the only user in the history of Week in Review to obtain a gold medal in every single category.
- MrBatou is currently the only user in the history of Week in Review to receive the Master of All badge, an extremely difficult award to unlock.
- MrBatou finished in 4th Place for the year of 2015 here on Week in Review.
Interview with MrBatou
Gray: Good day, MrBatou. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. Let’s get right to the questions.
MrBatou: Hey :D !
Gray: You’re a very versatile builder. You are the only person in the history of Week in Review to obtain a gold medal in all three categories. What drives you to create so many fascinating structures in Minecraft?
MrBatou: First of all thank you for these medals ^^ it's nice! In fact, I get tired very quickly, so as soon as I see a new style, I try!
Gray: You seem to like enlisting help from other Minecraft specialists (such as ParkVador) in many of your builds to add terraforming and organic elements. How important is teamwork to you?
MrBatou: I do not like working in a team. But sometimes I know recognize my inferiority relative to the other. ^^ I know ParkVadore is much better than I terraforming. If I can embelir its terra with one of my builds, and if he can beautify my build with its terra, why not? : D
Gray: Your architectural style relies on the use of a lot of organic shapes and motifs. Silvadera, The Organic Citadel is a shining example of this. How do you incorporate natural curves and forms into your building process?
MrBatou: I do not know ... it comes naturally to me. I do test, I do not ... I test build rapidmeent because the motive comes naturally to me.
Gray: One of my favorite projects made by you is Emerald Heart. I love the degree of asymmetry and variability that you use in that one. How do you go about outlining builds like this? What sort of preparations do you make before you start the building process?
MrBatou: In fact I made no plan. I make the paterns and I adhesives randomly. Then, seeing the buildings take shape, it gives me ideas. But it is especially the hazard. Then I tie it all.
Gray: Haha, well that explains why I’ve never gotten it to work. I should stop planning my builds out. xD
Gray: Your first PMC project was uploaded a month after my first project. Interestingly, it’s kind of like a significantly better version of mine. Why did you feel the need to personally shame me in front of the PMC community by 1-upping my building style? Do you have some kind of sick vendetta against me? What did I do to you to make you hate me so much? >:(
MrBatou: ^^ this is not personnal !
Gray: Getting back on track, you made an incredible entry for the Penthouse Sweet contest here on PMC. I really liked your interior decor. Have you ever considered doing some more interior-focused architecture? Personally, I find it to be a very tedious and frustrating process. What’s your opinion on it?
MrBatou: I made the statement just for fun :). In fact, I'm like you, I find it very painful. I miss making an interior.
Gray: I always like to ask master architects this one. Do you ever sit back, relax, and just play Minecraft in survival mode? If so, what’s the dumbest way you’ve ever died in Minecraft?
MrBatou: Haha oh yes, sometimes I play with friends a minecraft survival ^^ oh basic dead ... fall down, fall into the lava with a diamond stuff ... ^^
Gray: And for the final question, I’d like to ask you something hypothetical. If you had to live in one of the structures you’ve built for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?
MrBatou: Oh that's an interesting question! I'm a big fanatic of science fiction ... Emerald Heart is very tempting but I think I would choose Sylvia Station! And you? : P
Gray: Sylvia Station, without a doubt. I have no idea if any of the others have built-in plumbing. xD
MrBatou: Hey :D !
Gray: You’re a very versatile builder. You are the only person in the history of Week in Review to obtain a gold medal in all three categories. What drives you to create so many fascinating structures in Minecraft?
MrBatou: First of all thank you for these medals ^^ it's nice! In fact, I get tired very quickly, so as soon as I see a new style, I try!
Gray: You seem to like enlisting help from other Minecraft specialists (such as ParkVador) in many of your builds to add terraforming and organic elements. How important is teamwork to you?
MrBatou: I do not like working in a team. But sometimes I know recognize my inferiority relative to the other. ^^ I know ParkVadore is much better than I terraforming. If I can embelir its terra with one of my builds, and if he can beautify my build with its terra, why not? : D
Gray: Your architectural style relies on the use of a lot of organic shapes and motifs. Silvadera, The Organic Citadel is a shining example of this. How do you incorporate natural curves and forms into your building process?
MrBatou: I do not know ... it comes naturally to me. I do test, I do not ... I test build rapidmeent because the motive comes naturally to me.
Gray: One of my favorite projects made by you is Emerald Heart. I love the degree of asymmetry and variability that you use in that one. How do you go about outlining builds like this? What sort of preparations do you make before you start the building process?
MrBatou: In fact I made no plan. I make the paterns and I adhesives randomly. Then, seeing the buildings take shape, it gives me ideas. But it is especially the hazard. Then I tie it all.
Gray: Haha, well that explains why I’ve never gotten it to work. I should stop planning my builds out. xD
Gray: Your first PMC project was uploaded a month after my first project. Interestingly, it’s kind of like a significantly better version of mine. Why did you feel the need to personally shame me in front of the PMC community by 1-upping my building style? Do you have some kind of sick vendetta against me? What did I do to you to make you hate me so much? >:(
MrBatou: ^^ this is not personnal !
Gray: Getting back on track, you made an incredible entry for the Penthouse Sweet contest here on PMC. I really liked your interior decor. Have you ever considered doing some more interior-focused architecture? Personally, I find it to be a very tedious and frustrating process. What’s your opinion on it?
MrBatou: I made the statement just for fun :). In fact, I'm like you, I find it very painful. I miss making an interior.
Gray: I always like to ask master architects this one. Do you ever sit back, relax, and just play Minecraft in survival mode? If so, what’s the dumbest way you’ve ever died in Minecraft?
MrBatou: Haha oh yes, sometimes I play with friends a minecraft survival ^^ oh basic dead ... fall down, fall into the lava with a diamond stuff ... ^^
Gray: And for the final question, I’d like to ask you something hypothetical. If you had to live in one of the structures you’ve built for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?
MrBatou: Oh that's an interesting question! I'm a big fanatic of science fiction ... Emerald Heart is very tempting but I think I would choose Sylvia Station! And you? : P
Gray: Sylvia Station, without a doubt. I have no idea if any of the others have built-in plumbing. xD
Qualifiers
Before Week in Review:
Clockwork Isle
Feidlimid
Esther the Dragon plays guitar
Best of April:
Nuts and Bolts
Custom Biome Terrain Map
Draosia
Best of May:
Tomorrowland
Nature's Wrath - Scorpio Islands
Phaloria - Goddess Of The Sky
Best of June:
Climate Hope City
Jasmina - Fallen Kingdom
Eternal Garden
Best of July:
Deep Sea
When Ducks Gone Wild
Transmarine Treasure Map
Best of August:
Centurion
Celula
Primal Portal - Steampunk Dinosaurs
Best of September:
Westpoint City
Kait - Clash on the Big Bridge
Tornado
Best of October:
La Cite Feerique
Little Swamp
Battle of Zetura
Best of November:
TEMATOS
Maestria
Humble Homestead
Best of December:
Serenity Imperium, the Floating Fortress
The Rage of Hades
Calamitous Castle
Wild Cards:
Stalingrad - Blood on the Volga
Frostbite
Hard Rain
The Eighth Hour
Afterlife Island
Xephira
The City of Gallitzin
Gold Rush Island
The Ultimate Duel
Clockwork Isle
Feidlimid
Esther the Dragon plays guitar
Best of April:
Nuts and Bolts
Custom Biome Terrain Map
Draosia
Best of May:
Tomorrowland
Nature's Wrath - Scorpio Islands
Phaloria - Goddess Of The Sky
Best of June:
Climate Hope City
Jasmina - Fallen Kingdom
Eternal Garden
Best of July:
Deep Sea
When Ducks Gone Wild
Transmarine Treasure Map
Best of August:
Centurion
Celula
Primal Portal - Steampunk Dinosaurs
Best of September:
Westpoint City
Kait - Clash on the Big Bridge
Tornado
Best of October:
La Cite Feerique
Little Swamp
Battle of Zetura
Best of November:
TEMATOS
Maestria
Humble Homestead
Best of December:
Serenity Imperium, the Floating Fortress
The Rage of Hades
Calamitous Castle
Wild Cards:
Stalingrad - Blood on the Volga
Frostbite
Hard Rain
The Eighth Hour
Afterlife Island
Xephira
The City of Gallitzin
Gold Rush Island
The Ultimate Duel
Leaderboard
Top Ten - 2015
Thank you so much for all the support, you guys! I'm so happy that you've stuck with me through this incredible journey, and I look forward to blowing your minds with the new and improved format of Week in Review in 2016. See you guys then!
-Gray Remnant
| Tags |
3568683
6
CrystalRuby
Desbarmitar
slurpin
otagg
Pupa1239
Yuzukodo
MiJu
Dermugettum
SpellmakerTheHybrid
Sea_Beast
Create an account or sign in to comment.
I SUPPORTED YOU FROM LEVEL 1 IDC IF YOU HAVE A BAD OR GOOD MEMORY, YOU BETTER
I can still remember being a higher level than you :)
But, looking back on it, you were never a higher level than me. I had 8 or 9 builds uploaded before you posted your first project. :P