9. Minecraft Interstate
http://youtu.be/asImTDkPWKA I picked this mostly for the awesome video, true, but it goes to show how simple builds can sometimes be the most effective. Uploaded by brt547o (real name Brett), this map incorporates a 7.67 mile long track, which in real time takes 27 minutes to traverse. I picked this however for the enigmatic video that was made by Brett himself; a time-lapse of 3:24 minutes set to a hauntingly beautiful song from Mindthings. As an art student based in Florida, Brett was asked how found his motivation for mining in a literal straight line. What I can say, is that if you're finding yourself lacking creativity or simply don't want to finish something, set a goal and take a break. For me, my goals were, OK, next mountain, next hill, let's get to the other side of the river/ocean ... Setting up your project into chunks or sections is a nice way to progressively develop your project. Wise words. 10. Welcome to Rapture
http://youtu.be/MNxcxnKYPOc My favourite, and unfortunately one of the most well known Minecraft creations, but it is undeniably a god send for fans of Bioshock. Uploaded by Adam "Ein" Shefki, he managed to recreate the opening of Bioshock using only blocks that he mined himself, and yes, it's set entirely underwater. Developed with the help of many user from Penny Arcade, it's a breathtaking glimpse at how powerful a tool Minecraft actually is, and is so in tune with the original opening that they even keep the swimming whale, as it glides through the glass intersections of Rapture. In an interview for The Escapist, he tells about the problems encountered with making this epic. "When we first started building Rapture, we weren't very comfortable with underwater building, so our initial structures were made by digging down into the sea floor, hollowing out a giant space inside, and then building our structures within that area. When they were done, we cracked the roof over the structures and dug them out so they would be exposed." Luckily, they developed a better system, and with a team of 30 members over five weeks, Rapture was finished. It'll never be totally finished, though, as there are a myriad of ways to improve the map, as well as implementing new systems that were not available for the original build. Neither is the map perfect; but with the limitation of Minecraft, it's astounding that they've been able to create such a masterpiece with so few pieces of in-game equipment.
Jay Unsworth
Contributor
My name is Jay. You may have guessed.
I am a writer, a blogger, a visionary, a lover. On occasion.
Music, Technology and Sport are areas I would love to progress rapidly, as they are a core part of my life outside of writing. A myriad of interests take up the rest of my time, and when I’m not doing anything in particular, I’m doing very fascinating and significant stuff.
See more from
Jay