Mason Moffitt - Blog Post 3: The Nether & Minecraft

 So, I am a fan of the game Minecraft. Released in 2009, Minecraft is best described as a 3D sandbox game that has been continually developed by Mojang Studios out of Sweden.

In the game, as many of you may be aware, there are three "dimensions" for the player to explore. They include the Overworld (the default dimension the player spawns in), the Nether (analogous to a Minecraft-y Hell), and the End (typically portrayed as the end of the game, with a dragon to fight, the Ender Dragon).

This blog post will ultimately focus on the aspects of the Nether as it relates to course content.

The Nether, accessed by building a portal frame using obsidian and using a fire source to light, offers the player a change of scenery compared to the Overworld. It is a primarily red and brown place, largely composed of a block called netherrack. There are several other biomes in the Nether, including ones that use a form of sand called soul sand, which makes a sound reminiscent of screams when broken by the player. 

Creatures that live in the Nether include the flying Ghast, a tentacled creature that shoots fireballs, the hovering Blaze, which also shoots fireballs and is usually found in the Nether Fortress structure generated by the game, and the Wither Skeleton, black skeletal creatures that inflict high-damaging attacks on the player. Others include the humanoid Piglins, the large boar-like Hoglins, and some other smaller and friendlier creatures.

Ultimately, the Nether seems to be partially influenced by Christian perceptions of Hell. Through utilizing common motifs, like redness, fire (that never burns out on the netherrack), and the presence of lava, the Nether resembles both understandings from the Bible and from popular culture on "what Hell looks like," and gives religiosity to a game that is usually seen as very non-religious.

What do you guys think? This may be my goofiest post. I just like blocks...