Revision as of 00:01, 21 February 2016

After you get accepted as a prototype tester and send @tcvs your Minecraft username, we will set you up as soon as possible. Starting up the game is not difficult at all. However, we strongly recommend you follow all of the additional steps, as it will make your experience a lot more fun in the long term.

Setting Up

This section will cover everything from registering, to the point when you connect to our server. Follow these steps and you should have the perfect Minecraft Frontiers experience. If you ever get lost, feel free to post on our forums. We are more than happy to help you with the process!

Prototype Registration

We are eager to let you in as much as you are. To keep our playerbase up to a set standard, we require every player to go through a registration process. As a result, every player on our server can be sure the community is pre-selected. This should make for an interesting storytelling experience, but is also designed to keep the amount of negative behaviour to a minimum.

To register for Prototype access, follow the steps listed here.

After your biography gets approved (your thread is clearly marked with an "Approved" label), please contact @tcvs on our forums with your Minecraft username.

Downloading Conquest

Downloading Conquest is possibly the biggest improvement you can make to your experience. Have a look at the images below for a before/after comparison. All of our builders used Conquest to put the world together and having it really brings the environments to life!

Conquest Enabled

Conquest Disabled

A community member Saphiria has put together a guide to Optifine on our forums. To then install Conquest, follow the official instructions.

Music Options

Our server uses custom music. It is difficult to put in words just how impactful music can be. Lucky for you, it is delivered automatically the first time you connect. All you need to do is set up the correct volumes in your Minecraft client.

Open up Minecraft, start the game. Go into "Options" -> "Music & Sound".

Set "Music" to 0% (OFF). This disables vanilla (original Minecraft) music. Set "Jukebox/Noteblocks" to 60%. This slider controls our custom music. You can set it to your liking. As our music is quite loud, we recommend 60%.

Connecting

The server IP address is prototype.minecraftfrontiers.com .

Simply add the server in your multiplayer section, with the IP address mentioned above.

The first time you connect, the server will ask you if you would like to download a custom texture pack. Make sure to click Yes (Allow). This will download the custom music for you. Note that the download may take a while, depending on your network connection. You only have to do this once.

First Steps

So you connected. Now what? Minecraft Frontiers is a sandbox experience. This means the world is there for you to explore. There is no one way to play the game. A crafter may play the game very differently to an explorer. Still, the freedom may be overwhelming at first. This section is designed to guide you through the first few steps you might want to take. It is not necessary to follow the guide at all, but it may be useful.

Arriving in Elpida

Elpidan Docks

Every new player starts out in the docks. This area holds the exports office - a key building used for exporting goods. The goods export process is fairly simple. You harvest resources, you craft an item, you export it, you earn money. This is the most basic way of making a living in Elpida - and also a guaranteed way. The list of items you can export changes regularly, so be sure to check the office every once in a while to know what you can export at the time.

After arrival, follow the path up the hill. This will lead you to the main town. Elpida is organised into districts. Take some time to explore the town. If you bump into an NPC, say "hello" to start a dialogue with them. You may chat with them like you would with any other player. If they recognise your words, they will respond. Feel free to stroll through the streets, meet some players, visit a few buildings that interest you. Visiting the taverns is particularly important, as the bartenders know quite a bit about the local rumors. Just ask them.

Your first axe

Map of the island.

To do anything productive, you will need tools. The basic tools are made out of wood. However, using unprocessed wooden logs won't be any good. You will need to split logs using an axe. To get your trusty axe, you will need to get your hands on wooden logs. Luckily for you, the Mining Village has a saw mill where you can get as many logs as you want.

Head off North from Elpida and follow the path by the shore. Travel all the way to the Northern part of the island. The saw mill is located on a hill overlooking the village. Once there, the log processing building on the little lake produces logs. Simply click the lever to collect your logs.

The axe recipe.

Once you have enough logs, go to one of the houses to find a crafting bench. It takes three logs to make an axe.

Crafting is usually a lot more complex than this. In most cases, you will need to turn your resources into components. Components are items that have no use, but act as resources for further crafting. With your newly crafted axe, you are now able to split logs.

Splitting Logs

The log splitting station.

The process of splitting logs converts the logs you have into split logs. Split logs can then be used in further crafting. For most recipes, you will have to split logs first.

The log splitting station is also located in the Mining Town, right next to the Blacksmith's tent. It looks like a wooden stump. Walk up to it with a wooden log in your hand and right-click it. This will place the log on to the splitter. Then take your trusty axe and hit it like you mean it!

Logs will split in no time. Make sure you do this a couple of times to have enough split logs for making your first pickaxe.

Logs or split logs do not have any immediate value. You can't export them at the office. They are a crucial part of the crafting cycle though, as they are needed in many of the components. Even rare items will often need at least a few of the basic ingredients.

Crafting a Pickaxe

A wooden pickaxe will let you mine ores quite efficiently. Well, not super efficiently, but it sure if better than mining with your hands. There are no limits on which ores you can mine, so even with your wooden pickaxe, you'll be able to get the good stuff!

As mentioned before, crafting often works in steps. A pickaxe has several steps. It may take time, but it is that more rewarding for you. Remember, the harder something is to make, the more expensive it will be. Prices at the export office will depend on how many people sell the stuff. If you find an item that is very hard to make, chances are not many players will take the time to craft the item. As a result, you will be one very happy crafter as your pockets start overflowing with gold coins!

Step 1: Make crude planks

Basic plank recipe.

A A A

- - -

- - -

A = Split Log

Outcome = Crude planks.

Step 2: Turn planks into a pick.

Wooden pick recipe.

- A -

A - A

- - -

A = Crude Plank

Outcome = Wooden Pick

Step 3: Make a stick.

Stick recipe.

A - -

A - -

- - -

A = Split Logs

Outcome = Simple Stick

Step 4: Turn sticks into a handle.

Cheap handle recipe.

- A -

- A -

- - -

A = Simple Stick

Outcome = Cheap Handle

Step 5: Combine handles and picks into a pickaxe.

Wooden pickaxe recipe.

- B B

- A -

- A -

A = Cheap Handle

B = Wooden Pick

Outcome = Wooden Pickaxe

Final Decision

With your new pickaxe, you are now free to visit the mine and try to obtain some metals. Alternatively, you could also make a trip back to the docks, visit the exports office, and see if they are buying wooden pickaxes (if yes, with what you now know, you could make a nice profit!).

You now know how to craft items. Making a wooden pickaxe is hard work, but it is only the tip of the unique and dynamic crafting gameplay. If you enjoy it, consider learning about new recipes. Who knows - you might make a nice living crafting items and exporting them! If you are more of a warrior, try to get your hands on a sword. With a weapon, you can explore the wilderness and try your luck with hunting. Animals often drop materials that you may either use or trade with other players. Most importantly, don't forget to have fun. Elpida is a living experience, with adventure waiting on every corner. We are constantly adding additional features, meaning there will always be new stuff for you to learn, new areas to explore, and fresh things to do!

Useful tips:

• Visit the bank to deposit your earned money. This will prevent you from accidentally losing it, or dropping it on death.
• Talk to NPCs. Some of them might share information that may make your life easier, including crafting recipes or directions to hidden areas!
• Make friends. You may be a one-man (or woman) army, but Elpida is a complex community. You will achieve things far easier when you team up with others.
• Write down things as you discover them. There is a lot to learn, so make sure you note down that odd recipe you find or that peculiar structure you located. You never know when you'll need these!