The wait is practically over, next Tuesday July 8 we will be able to start enjoying the news of Minecraft 1.17 Caves & Cliff Update part 1. We do not know when the launch will take place, but it will be a global update, that is, which will arrive for both Minecraft Java and Minecraft Bedrock, and we also know that five pre-releases have been published, plus a release candidate last Friday. Could there still be a release candidate 2? Maybe, but everything seems pretty polished already.
This is not it, yes, the Minecraft 1.17 that they announced to us at Minecraft Live last year, problems during development and Mojang’s firm intention to provide backward compatibility, have forced the developer to divide Caves & Cliffs Updates into two parts : Minecraft 1.17, which will be released in two days, and Minecraft 1.18 Caves & Cliffs Update part 2, which will arrive, except unforeseen, for next Christmas. The news of Minecraft 1.17 initially planned will arrive in two batches.
Although Mojang has made an important informative effort to make it clear what we can find in each of the two updates, in recent weeks I have verified that there is still a lot of confusion about the news of Minecraft 1.17, that is, what we can enjoy from next Tuesday. And although it is undeniable that the main course will arrive in December, it is also true that Minecraft 1.17 offers us some interesting news, which will help us to kill the bug , while waiting for Minecraft 1.18.
What’s New in Minecraft 1.17: Mobs
As a general rule, the new mobs are the elements that generate the most expectations with each new version of Minecraft. It is true that I test this update as the previous one they have focused on much broader developments, the nether, the caves and the mountains, but even so, mobs are a key element in the gameplay of Minecraft. These are the news of Minecraft 1.17 in this regard:
Goat
Probably one of the most anticipated mobs for a long time. The goat is, in principle, neutral, but at any moment it can start charging at all the creatures around it, and that includes the players too. We must add this to the fact that, as a general rule, we will find them in the mountains, to begin to imagine the risk they pose. Yes, a goat can throw you off the top of the mountain, so watch out for them.
If you want to tame it you will have to use wheat and, once you have it in your pen, you can milk it with a bucket to get milk. In this regard, and although there was some rumor about it, Minecraft will not distinguish between cow’s milk and goat’s milk, milking both creatures will always give a bucket of milk.
Another important aspect is that, as good high mountain connoisseurs, goats know how to avoid powder snow (we will talk about this new material later). Therefore, if you are traveling the top of a snowy mountain, or any other region covered with snow, it is recommended that you observe the goats, as it will indicate where you can confidently tread, and which blocks are better not to tread.
If the goat collides with a block during a lunge, it could lose one of its two horns, an item that you can collect. It has not yet been given a function, but it is expected to be related to the deepest areas of the subsoil and, to be more exact, with the fearsome Warden that will be waiting for us in them from Minecraft 1.18.
Axolotl
Do not be fooled by the adorable appearance of this creature, which in Minecraft 1.17 can only be found in underground lakes (it will be in Minecraft 1.18 where it shines fully). And it is that you will be able to swim calmly between them, but we cannot say the same of the rest of mobs, with which they will be markedly hostile. So much so that if you manage to capture them, you can use them to keep your water areas free from drowning and other malicious creatures. Of course, do not put them in your exotic fish pond, as they will also give a good account of them.
This aggressive nature makes the axolotl an ideal ally to face certain threats. It is not a secret that its presence in the subsoil is not accidental, on the contrary, it was designed thinking, in other things, to become one of your main allies to face the Warden of Minecraft 1.18.
And in case you are wondering, yes, indeed, like the rest of marine creatures (except the dolphin, of course), you can catch the axolotl practicing bucket fishing. And a good time to do it may be when you have just suffered an attack, because as a distraction technique you will play dead for a few seconds, to try to deceive your rival.
Glowing Squid
During the presentation of the Minecraft 1.17 news last year, a vote was held for players to choose a new mob, and the result was this creature, which some enchants and others horrifies (I am among the first). If it looks familiar to you, do not be surprised, it is not a new creature in the Minecraft universe, it was already part of the sadly disappeared Minecraft Earth.
Similar in everything else to the normal squid, its main difference is, indeed, its shiny appearance. However, this luminescence is purely aesthetic, that is, you will not be able to use them to illuminate aquatic areas in order to prevent the appearance of hostile mobs. And, yes, when you die, you drop a bag of bright ink that you can use to… then we’ll tell you about it.
What’s New in Minecraft 1.17: Blocks
The name Minecraft refers directly to mining, so it would be strange if some of the news in Minecraft 1.17 was not related to this activity. Indeed there are new blocks, to the point that this is one of the points where it has come closest to what was expected last year. Let’s see what we will find.
Copper
This ore is undoubtedly the most relevant novelty of Minecraft 1.17 in terms of blocks. You can find it mining underground and it has various uses and has some very interesting mechanics. The most striking thing, without a doubt, is that as it happens in the real world, copper will oxidize over time, going from its initial color, to the more than recognizable green that we can see in so many monuments and constructions in which it was used. said material in the past.
Once extracted and processed in the furnace, the copper block, as well as the objects that you can craft with it, have five different states : the initial one (which is called cut in stairs, slabs, etc.), exposed, weathered and oxidized. And the fifth, whose visual aspect is similar to the initial one, is the wax-up. And yes, with beeswax we can treat the copper to maintain its shine and its initial color. Thus, if you build with copper in Minecraft 1.17, remember to wax it every so often to maintain its initial appearance, unless you prefer its rusty appearance.
Amethyst
Although we will have to wait until Minecraft 1.18 for the great changes in the subsoil, what we will already find in Minecraft 1.17 are the amethyst geodes, a new specific structure of the subsoil, covered with calcite (another new material) and in which we will find some blocks in which amethyst crystals sprout.
The amethyst block can be mined with a pickaxe and in doing so it will emit a sound that varies from block to block, so a curious melody will occur when you find one of these geodes. Their presence has decreased as snapshots progressed, but it is still reasonably easy to find them.
Powder snow
Another of the most interesting novelties in Minecraft 1.17, as I mentioned before, goats are specialists in detecting and avoiding it. And it is that its appearance is similar to that of common snow, so it is very possible that you will not identify it with the naked eye. And the problem is that if you fall into it and do not have any type of protection, after a few seconds you will begin to freeze, which will affect your health .
Deep slate
Although the new caves will not arrive until Minecraft 1.18, Mojang has already wanted to bring us a small preview, in the form of a block. Do you remember that the new caves will have deep slate, which will replace the rock as we get closer and, especially, when we get into the negative coordinates of the Y layer? Well, although the -64 layer will still be late in coming, we can already find the deep slate in the lower layers of Minecraft 1.17 and, along with it, we will also find basalt, which debuted last year with Minecraft 1.16.
Speleothem
Were you waiting for the stalactites and stalagmites of Minecraft 1.17? Well, you’re in luck, since the speleothem is among the novelties of Minecraft 1.17. You can mine it and, although at least for the moment there are no other uses for it, you can use it with decorative effects.
Raw minerals
Until Minecraft 1.16 (inclusive) some ores (diamonds, coal, redstone and lapis lazuli), when chopped, threw the raw mineral, while others were kept in the same format as when they were part of the ground (iron and gold). However, with Minecraft 1.17 this is unified, and all ores, when minced, are delivered raw, like diamonds. This makes it less useful to go down to mine with a pick with a touch of silk. Of course, gold, iron and copper will still have to go through the furnace to be able to use them.
What’s New in Minecraft 1.17: Crafting
With the new materials come, of course, new crafts. There are not many, but given the new materials, everything indicates that this list will grow in the future. These are the main novelties of Minecraft 1.17 when you stand in front of the crafting table.
Copper blocks
This is undoubtedly the most important ore in Minecraft 1.17. As we have already indicated before, you will obtain it raw and, to obtain copper ingots, you will have to process it in a furnace, in the same way as gold and iron. Once this step is taken, you can create copper blocks (similar to those of diamonds, gems, gold, etc.) to store them more efficiently or, if you want, you can use them directly for construction.
You can also create cut copper blocks, stairs and slabs, similar to those that can be crafted with wood, rock, etc. As we have already indicated before, these blocks will also be subject to oxidation, so you will have to decide if you like the greenish appearance they take or, on the contrary, if you are willing to wax them from time to time to maintain their original appearance.
Lightning rod
With three copper ingots you can create a lightning rod that, as you can imagine, will allow you to attract the rays of the storms to them. It is most useful in areas where you want to prevent a storm from causing a fire, such as in leafy biomes, wooden buildings, etc. Additionally, when a lightning rod receives a discharge it emits a redstone signal, so it can be used as a trigger for mechanisms.
Spyglass
With two copper ingots and a fragment of amethyst, which you will obtain by chopping the crystals of this material, you can build a spyglass. Users of the popular Optifine plugin have already had this feature for years, but the spyglass debuting in Minecraft 1.17 seems to offer something more far-reaching, as well as better integrate into the gaming experience.
Candles
With a honeycomb and thread, you can create candles with which to illuminate interiors and exteriors. Also, if you use dyes, you can make them of all the colors available through them in the game. Another object that has existed for a long time through plugins, but that is now part of the official Minecraft 1.17 experience.
Illuminated signs
Remember we talked about the glowing ink of the glowing squid? Well, you can use it on posters. You just have to create the poster in the usual way and, once you have put it, add the glossy ink. at that moment its appearance will change, going to have shiny text, something that can be very useful for the subsoil, outside at night to create signs, and so on.
Minecraft 1.17 is not what was raised last year but, as you can see, it does provide the necessary news to make it worthwhile that Mojang has launched it already, instead of waiting to have everything planned for Caves & Cliffs. I already said it at the time, and I still think it to this day, Mojang has acted in the best possible way.
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