Anybody else feel that minecraft slipped after Microsoft bought it. Before microsoft, every update felt like it added something of content, but now every update feels like its just added to make the game look better. Take the caves and cliffs update: those giant caves may look cool, but whats the fucking point? The mining experience is not really “supposed” to be this open. There was nothing wrong with the old caves, and now the new caves are not the same. I miss the pre 1.8 days of adding brand new mechanics like restone.
The updates have definitely gotten less substantial, but to me Minecraft has always thrived as a platform for mods and other fun ways to play. The base game imo is more geared towards hooking a young audience and giving a fun, creative, if shallow, experience that’s easy to pick up and get to grips with. If you want more in depth stuff there’s plenty of complicated mods, and if you’re clinically insane there’s always Gregtech. Yes Microsoft has pretty much only done aesthetic upgrades and I really miss y:12 strip mining but I’ve also accepted I’m no longer the target demographic of Minecraft’s and that’s okay.