lkubuntu
A listing of useful software, tips, tweaks and hacks for Ubuntu
How to install free alternatives to Minecraft
Well, I haven’t posted for a long time, but I have been very busy in all kinds of projects. Anyway, I’ve recently tried Minecraft, and I have to say it’s a pretty fun game. The problem is the cost, and it’s not open-source. I researched alternatives, and it’s amazing how many there are. Here is my little list of them, and a simple guide on how to install them.
Minetest:
Minetest is probably the best alternative I’ve found. The reason is that it’s relatively stable, has an amazing modding API (integrated, so no weird modding applications are necessary), and the textures are much better (IMHO). The random world generation is slower than Minecraft’s one, but it’s really good (I’m no expert at random world generators, but I’d say it’s pretty comparable to Minecraft’s one). It doesn’t have half as many features as Minecraft has, but most of the features it doesn’t have (and that they are adding) are made in mods. Minetest is programmed in C++ instead of Java, so it doesn’t have all of the limitations that Minecraft has. It has a maximum of 31000 blocks in all directions, compared to Minecraft’s 128. It’s also quite lightweight, with a download size of 5MB, and is relatively fast (though a bit slower than Minecraft, but it may also be that the guy who made it decided to slow down the movement).
So now to install it, they have 2 PPAs, one of them is the daily builds (the one I use), or the stable builds. Either one should work. Note that both (currently) only support Oneiric (11.10), Natty (11.04), and Maverick (10.10). So add either one of these PPAs to your software sources:
ppa:minetestdevs/daily-builds (daily builds)
or
ppa:minetestdevs/stable (stable)
Refresh your sources (using apt-get update, Refresh in Synaptic, or Check for updates/new software), then install minetestc55. After that, simply run it, and follow the instructions.
There is a whole repository of mods here: http://c55.me/minetest/forum/viewforum.php?id=9. To install a mod, simply unzip it, and copy the unzipped directory to /usr/share/minetest/mods.
Texture packs are here: http://c55.me/minetest/forum/viewforum.php?id=4, and are installed by extracting them in /usr/share/minetest/mods/default/textures/
Mythruna:
Mythruna could be #1, but it’s still in heavy development, and it’s not exactly a Minecraft clone. Nonetheless, it’s a really good game, even though it’s pre-alpha. It’s written in Java, and it has really good graphics (considerably better than Minecraft and Minetest). The world generator is simply amazing, as it generates caves and castles really well (they look like as if they were player-made). The problem is that it’s CPU/GPU intensive so you need a good graphics card to be able to play it. It’s also not really a Minecraft clone, but rather a 3D RPG with the Minecraft game design. This game is relatively easy to install, just download it from the webpage, extract it, and run the shell script.
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‘Minetest is programmed in C++ instead of Java, so it doesn’t have all of the limitations that Minecraft has.’
OK, maybe you dislike Java?
‘It has a maximum of 31000 blocks in all directions, compared to Minecraft’s 128.’
Minecraft expands in an infinite direction in two coordinates, current world height is 256.
‘It’s also quite lightweight, with a download size of 5MB’
Minecraft weighs in about the same with the library jar and natives.
‘and is relatively fast (though a bit slower than Minecraft’
I have to say, you’ve rather pointed out the limitations in Minetest compared to Minecraft
Not being overly serious, just its better to advertise the great things about Minetest! without making faulty comparisons to Minecraft.
No, I don’t have anything against Java, but it’s just that C++ doesn’t have as many limitations. Yes, I was aware that Minecraft is nearly infinite in both Y and Z (finite, as the world is finite), but it only has a maximum height of (as you say, with the new Anvil format) 256. I’d rather go with 31,000 for all, than to have nearly infinite for some, and very limited for others.
I wasn’t comparing it to Minecraft when I was talking about the size
seem to me these clones are not free alternatives – because what Minecraft is about is the Minecraft Community, not price. As per John, these are not the same thing at all IMO.