I generally agree, especially with the author intent thing, but I think it's fine to enjoy mods as long you don't try to make them replace the core game. I've been playing with the Technic pack and it feels very different. It's just nice to do something new when I'm a bit bored, but I still jump back onto my vanilla games when I feel like it.

Ultra hardcore is interesting though, I don't even really think of it as a mod although it technically is, obviously. If you haven't checked the videos yet, what it does is stop your health from replenishing automatically. The only way to heal is either a golden apple (which now requires gold ingots instead of nuggets) or health potions (which uses a glistering melon, which now requires a gold block instead of a gold nugget). They did two series of it where they attempt to kill the Ender Dragon, then 5+ series where they had 8+ people doing free-for-all or team PvP, Battle Royale style. It's really interesting how you have to play so much differently in those situations, and a lot of the people who do it are very entertaining as well (they're all YouTube users so they all upload the footage of them playing).

Pwetty pwease? :>

We're playing on Teh 2012 right now in 1.2.5 (if anyone wants to join). I've just got my enchanting table but ideally I'd like to wait to use the 1.3 enchanting system since it's much easier.

Oh yeah :-$

I'll try and get it done this weekend. I really will.

Make one! I'd actually prefer King of the Ladder or even Race for Wool as opposed to the paintball arena, but more people would probably be required for any of them.

Do you not find Etho a bit dull on his own? He seems like a nice guy and he's okay in a group but most of the other Mindcrack guys are far more entertaining as solo commentators.

Dunno, I do generally enjoy the group Mindcrack stuff most, but there's something about Etho that just makes him watchable for me. I have watched a few of the others, and some of them are okay, whilst others are just unwatchably dull (as indeed is the case with most Minecraft videos).

I can't remember if I said I'm watching OOG/Legendary at the moment, but I'm struggling through it because of how badly they play, not to mention the constant "I've never seen so many mobs" every time there's more than two zombies. :/

Probably the most depressing thing is that we're both having to watch another group of online friends on YouTube, because none of our "real" online friends want to play with us. :'(

Anyway, yeah, I'll happily go build an arena or two, including a big ladder thing, if there's a chance it'll get used. As you say, they all really need more than two people to work.