Answering Common Minecraft Questions
Minecraft Questions
Your complete guide to everything you need to know
Minecraft is a vast game with countless mechanics, items, and features to discover. Whether you're a new player or a seasoned veteran, you might find yourself wondering how to accomplish certain tasks or understand specific game mechanics. In this comprehensive guide, we answer the most commonly asked Minecraft questions to help you navigate the blocky world with confidence.
Table of Contents
How to Make Smooth Stone in Minecraft
Smooth stone is a refined building block that gives your constructions a clean, modern look. Creating smooth stone requires a two-step smelting process:
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Mine regular stone - Use a pickaxe to mine stone blocks (not cobblestone).
- First smelting - Place the stone in a furnace with fuel to create stone (smooth texture).
- Second smelting - Take the stone from the furnace and smelt it again to create smooth stone.
You'll need fuel for both smelting operations. Coal or charcoal works well, with each piece allowing you to smelt 8 items.
Pro Tip: Use multiple furnaces in parallel to speed up the process when creating large quantities of smooth stone.
How to Tame Axolotls in Minecraft
Axolotls are adorable aquatic mobs introduced in the Caves & Cliffs update. While you can't technically "tame" axolotls like wolves or cats, you can capture and breed them to create your own collection.
How to Capture Axolotls:
- Find axolotls - They spawn in underground water sources in lush caves biomes below Y=63.
- Prepare a water bucket - You'll need an empty bucket to scoop them up.
- Capture the axolotl - Right-click on the axolotl with the water bucket to pick it up.
- Transport and release - You can then carry the bucket to your desired location and right-click to release the axolotl.
How to Breed Axolotls:
- Gather tropical fish buckets - You'll need to catch tropical fish using a water bucket.
- Place two axolotls near each other - Make sure they're in water.
- Feed each axolotl - Right-click on each axolotl with a tropical fish bucket.
- Wait for breeding - The axolotls will enter love mode and produce a baby axolotl.
Pro Tip: Baby axolotls have a small chance (1/1200) of spawning as the rare blue variant!
When Did Minecraft Come Out?
Minecraft has a rich development history with several key release dates:
- May 17, 2009 - Initial development release (now called Pre-Classic)
- November 18, 2011 - Official full release of Minecraft at MineCon 2011 (version 1.0)
- September 20, 2014 - Release of Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition
- May 9, 2012 - Release of Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition
- October 7, 2011 - Release of Minecraft: Pocket Edition (now called Bedrock Edition)
- June 6, 2017 - Release of the Better Together Update, unifying most platforms under Bedrock Edition
- May 26, 2020 - Release of Minecraft Dungeons
- April 18, 2023 - Release of Minecraft Legends
The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson and later developed by Mojang Studios. Microsoft acquired Mojang and the Minecraft intellectual property in 2014 for $2.5 billion.
Since its release, Minecraft has become one of the best-selling video games of all time, with over 300 million copies sold across all platforms and more than 140 million monthly active users as of 2023.
Is Minecraft Cross Platform?
Yes, Minecraft is cross-platform, but with some important distinctions:
Minecraft Bedrock Edition:
Bedrock Edition offers full cross-platform play across:
- Windows 10/11 PCs
- Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
- PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
- Nintendo Switch
- iOS and Android mobile devices
- Amazon Fire devices
Players on any of these platforms can play together seamlessly, join the same servers, and even access the Minecraft Marketplace using a Microsoft account.
Minecraft Java Edition:
Java Edition is only available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Players on Java Edition can only play with other Java Edition players, not with Bedrock Edition players.
Important Note: As of June 7, 2022, if you purchase Minecraft for PC, you get both Java and Bedrock editions bundled together in the Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC. However, you still can't play between editions.
How to Make a Map in Minecraft
Maps are essential tools for navigation in Minecraft. Here's how to create and use them:
Basic Map Crafting:
- Gather materials - You'll need 8 pieces of paper and 1 compass.
- Craft paper - Place 3 sugar canes in a row in the crafting table to make 3 pieces of paper. Repeat to get 9 pieces (you'll need 8).
- Craft a compass - Place 4 iron ingots around 1 redstone dust in a plus pattern in the crafting table.
- Craft the map - Place the compass in the center of the crafting table and surround it with the 8 pieces of paper.
Empty Map (No Compass):
You can also craft an empty map without a compass by placing 9 pieces of paper in the crafting table. This map won't show your position marker.
Using Your Map:
- Hold the map - Select the map in your hotbar.
- Right-click to activate - This will create a map of the area around you.
- Explore - As you move around, the map will fill in with the terrain you've explored.
Pro Tip: Place your map in an item frame to create a wall map display for your base!
How to Allocate More RAM to Minecraft
Allocating more RAM can help Minecraft run smoother, especially with mods or resource packs. The process differs depending on which launcher you're using:
- Open the Minecraft Launcher and log in.
- Click on "Installations" at the top of the launcher.
- Find your profile (like "Latest Release") and click the three dots, then select "Edit".
- Click "More Options" to expand additional settings.
- Find "JVM Arguments" - This is where you'll modify the RAM allocation.
- Locate the "-Xmx2G" parameter - This sets the maximum RAM (2GB in this example).
- Change the number to your desired amount (e.g., "-Xmx4G" for 4GB or "-Xmx8G" for 8GB).
- Click "Save" to apply the changes.
Important: Don't allocate more RAM than your computer has available. As a general rule, never allocate more than 50% of your total RAM to Minecraft.
When Was Minecraft Made?
Minecraft's development began in 2009, with several key milestones in its creation:
Key Dates in Minecraft's Creation:
- May 10, 2009 - Markus "Notch" Persson began developing the game
- May 17, 2009 - First development version released (Pre-Classic)
- June 28, 2010 - Alpha version released
- December 20, 2010 - Beta version released
- November 18, 2011 - Full release (version 1.0) at MineCon
Minecraft was initially created as a side project by Markus Persson, who was inspired by games like Infiniminer, Dwarf Fortress, and Dungeon Keeper. The game's development company, Mojang, was founded in 2009 to support the game's growing popularity.
Fun Fact: The original name for Minecraft was "Cave Game" before Notch changed it to "Minecraft: Order of the Stone" and finally just "Minecraft."
What Do Armadillos Eat in Minecraft?
Armadillos were introduced in Minecraft 1.21 and have specific feeding requirements:
Armadillo Diet:
- Spider Eyes - This is the only food armadillos will eat in Minecraft
How to Feed Armadillos:
- Obtain spider eyes - You can get these by killing spiders (30% drop chance) or by finding them in dungeon chests.
- Find an armadillo - They spawn naturally in savanna biomes.
- Approach carefully - Armadillos will roll into a ball if you move too quickly near them.
- Feed the armadillo - Right-click on the armadillo with a spider eye in hand.
Breeding Armadillos:
You can breed two armadillos by feeding each of them a spider eye. After feeding, they will enter love mode and produce a baby armadillo.
Armadillo Scutes:
Baby armadillos will drop an armadillo scute when they grow into adults. These scutes can be used to craft wolf armor, which provides protection for your tamed wolves during combat.
Pro Tip: Create a spider eye farm using a spider spawner to ensure a steady supply of food for your armadillos.
How to Make a Minecraft Server
Creating your own Minecraft server allows you to play with friends in a customized world. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Setting Up a Java Edition Server:
- Install Java - Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed.
- Download the server software - Go to the official Minecraft website and download the server JAR file.
- Create a dedicated folder - Make a new folder on your computer to store all server files.
- Move the JAR file - Place the downloaded server JAR file in your new folder.
- Create a startup script - Create a text file with the following command:java -Xmx2G -Xms1G -jar server.jar noguiSave this as "start.bat" (Windows) or "start.sh" (Mac/Linux).
- Run the server - Double-click your startup script to run the server for the first time.
- Accept the EULA - Open the generated eula.txt file and change "eula=false" to "eula=true".
- Run the server again - Double-click your startup script to start the server properly.
- Configure server settings - Edit the server.properties file to customize your server.
- Port forwarding - Set up port forwarding on your router to allow others to connect (port 25565).
Important: Running a Minecraft server requires a decent computer with good internet connection. For more than a few players, consider using a dedicated hosting service.
How to Install Minecraft Mods
Mods can enhance your Minecraft experience with new features, items, and mechanics. Here's how to install them:
Installing Mods with Forge:
- Install Forge:
- Go to the Forge website and download the installer for your Minecraft version.
- Run the installer and select "Install client".
- Click "OK" to complete the installation.
- Find mods - Download mods from trusted sites like CurseForge or Modrinth.
- Locate your mods folder:
- Windows: Press Win+R, type %appdata%\.minecraft\mods, and press Enter.
- Mac: Finder → Go → Go to Folder → ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods
- Linux: ~/.minecraft/mods
- Install the mods - Copy the downloaded .jar files into the mods folder.
- Launch Minecraft - Open the Minecraft launcher, select the Forge profile, and click Play.
Pro Tip: Always back up your Minecraft world before installing mods, and make sure the mods you download are compatible with your Minecraft version.
How to Get Honeycomb in Minecraft
Honeycomb is a versatile material used for crafting beehives, waxing copper, and making candles. Here's how to obtain it:
Method 1: Harvesting from Bee Nests/Hives
- Find a bee nest - These generate naturally on oak and birch trees in plains, sunflower plains, flower forests, and forests.
- Wait for honey level 5 - The front of the nest will be visibly dripping with honey.
- Use shears - Right-click on the nest with shears to collect 3 honeycomb.
- Use a campfire - Place a campfire beneath the nest to prevent the bees from becoming aggressive when you harvest.
Method 2: Creating a Bee Farm
- Craft beehives - Combine 6 wooden planks and 3 honeycomb in a crafting table.
- Place beehives - Set up your beehives near flowers.
- Attract bees - Lead bees to your hives using flowers.
- Wait for honey production - Bees will collect pollen from flowers and return to fill the hive.
- Harvest with shears - Use shears on full hives to collect honeycomb.
Uses for Honeycomb:
- Crafting beehives - 3 honeycomb + 6 wooden planks
- Making honeycomb blocks - Place 4 honeycomb in a 2x2 grid
- Crafting candles - 1 honeycomb + 1 string
- Waxing copper - Combine honeycomb with copper blocks to prevent oxidation
Pro Tip: Use the silk touch enchantment to collect entire bee nests with the bees inside, allowing you to relocate them to your base.
How to Make Concrete in Minecraft
Concrete is a solid-colored building block available in 16 different colors. Creating it is a two-step process:
Step 1: Craft Concrete Powder
- Gather materials - You'll need:
- 4 sand blocks
- 4 gravel blocks
- 1 dye of your chosen color
- Craft concrete powder - Place the sand, gravel, and dye in any arrangement in the crafting table.
- Collect the powder - This creates 8 concrete powder blocks of your chosen color.
Step 2: Convert Powder to Concrete
- Place concrete powder - Put the powder blocks where you want them.
- Add water - Expose the powder to water (flowing or source blocks).
- Instant conversion - The powder immediately hardens into solid concrete blocks.
Efficient Concrete Production:
- Create a water pool - Dig a shallow pool and fill it with water.
- Place powder above water - The blocks will fall into the water and convert.
- Break and collect - Mine the hardened concrete blocks.
Pro Tip: Unlike wool, concrete doesn't fade or change appearance when wet, making it perfect for underwater builds.
How to Make a Saddle in Minecraft
Saddles are used to ride horses, pigs, striders, and other mountable mobs in Minecraft. However, it's important to note that saddles cannot be crafted in vanilla Minecraft. Instead, you must find them through various methods:
Ways to Obtain Saddles:
- Dungeon chests - Saddles have a 28% chance of appearing in dungeon chests.
- Nether fortress chests - You can find saddles in chests within Nether fortresses.
- Desert temple chests - Check the hidden chests beneath the colored clay in desert temples.
- Village chests - Saddles may appear in chests in village tannery houses.
- Fishing - There's a small chance (0.8%) of catching a saddle while fishing with a regular fishing rod. Enchanting your rod with Luck of the Sea increases this chance.
- Trading - Master-level leatherworker villagers have a chance to sell saddles for 6 emeralds.
- Ravager drops - Ravagers (the beasts in pillager raids) always drop a saddle when killed.
Using a Saddle:
- For horses, donkeys, and mules - Right-click on the animal with the saddle in hand, or right-click the animal and place the saddle in its equipment slot.
- For pigs - Right-click on the pig with the saddle. To control a saddled pig, you'll need to use a carrot on a stick.
- For striders - Right-click on the strider with the saddle. To control a saddled strider, you'll need to use a warped fungus on a stick.
Pro Tip: If you're having trouble finding a saddle, focus on exploring Nether fortresses or fishing with a Luck of the Sea III fishing rod for the best chances.
How to Teleport in Minecraft
There are several ways to teleport in Minecraft, both through in-game mechanics and commands:
Teleportation in Survival Mode:
- Ender Pearls:
- Obtain ender pearls by killing Endermen or trading with villagers.
- Throw the pearl by right-clicking (or pressing the use button).
- You'll teleport to where the pearl lands, taking 5 points of fall damage.
- Nether Portals:
- Build a frame of obsidian blocks (minimum 4x5).
- Light the inside with flint and steel.
- Enter the portal to teleport to the Nether (1 block in the Nether = 8 blocks in the Overworld).
- End Portals:
- Find a stronghold with an End portal frame.
- Place Eyes of Ender in each frame slot.
- Jump into the activated portal to teleport to the End dimension.
- Chorus Fruit:
- Find chorus plants in the End dimension.
- Break the chorus flowers to get chorus fruit.
- Cook the chorus fruit in a furnace to get popped chorus fruit.
- Eat the fruit to teleport randomly within a short distance.
Pro Tip: In multiplayer servers, you can often use commands like /home, /spawn, or /warp if the server has those plugins installed.
How to Make Paper in Minecraft
Paper is a versatile crafting material used for maps, books, cartography tables, and more. Here's how to make it:
Materials Needed:
- Sugar Cane (3 pieces per batch of paper)
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Find sugar cane - Sugar cane grows naturally near water in most biomes.
- Harvest the sugar cane - Break the sugar cane stalks by hand or with any tool.
- Open your crafting table - Right-click on a crafting table to open the 3x3 crafting grid.
- Place the sugar cane - Arrange 3 sugar cane in a horizontal row in the crafting grid.
- Collect your paper - Take the 3 pieces of paper from the result slot.
Pro Tip: Build your sugar cane farm near your base for a constant supply of paper. Automated farms can be created using pistons and redstone.
How to Make a Shield in Minecraft
Shields are defensive items that can block attacks from mobs and other players. Here's how to craft and use them:
Materials Needed:
- 6 Wooden Planks (any type)
- 1 Iron Ingot
Crafting Steps:
- Open your crafting table - Right-click on a crafting table to open the 3x3 crafting grid.
- Arrange the materials:
- Place 1 iron ingot in the center of the middle row.
- Place wooden planks in all remaining slots except the bottom middle slot (forming a Y shape).
- Collect your shield - Take the shield from the result slot.
Pro Tip: Shields are especially effective against skeletons and pillagers, as they can block arrows completely.
How Long is a Minecraft Day?
Understanding the length of a Minecraft day is crucial for planning activities and managing your time effectively.
Minecraft Day Cycle:
- Total Cycle: 20 minutes (real-time)
- Daytime: 10 minutes
- Sunset: 1.5 minutes
- Nighttime: 7 minutes
- Sunrise: 1.5 minutes
Therefore, one Minecraft day (sunrise to sunrise) lasts exactly 20 real-world minutes.
Tips for Managing Time:
- Use a clock: Craft a clock to monitor the time in-game.
- Plan activities: Schedule tasks based on the day/night cycle.
- Build a shelter: Protect yourself from mobs during nighttime.
Pro Tip: Beds can be used to skip the night, but only if there are no hostile mobs nearby.
How to Make Glass in Minecraft
Glass is a transparent block used for windows, greenhouses, and other decorative purposes. Here's how to make it:
Materials Needed:
- Sand (any type)
- Fuel (Coal, Charcoal, Wood, etc.)
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Gather sand - Sand can be found in beaches, deserts, and riverbeds.
- Build a furnace - Combine 8 cobblestone in a crafting table.
- Place the sand in the furnace - Put the sand in the top slot of the furnace.
- Add fuel - Place coal, charcoal, or wood in the bottom slot.
- Wait for smelting - The furnace will smelt the sand into glass.
- Collect your glass - Take the glass from the result slot.
Pro Tip: Use a silk touch pickaxe to retrieve glass blocks without breaking them.
What Does Density Do in Minecraft?
Density is not a mechanic directly implemented in vanilla Minecraft. It is likely a feature introduced by a mod or plugin.
Possible Interpretations:
- Modded Ores: In some mods, density might affect the frequency or size of ore veins.
- Custom Blocks: Density could influence the weight or blast resistance of custom blocks.
- Resource Packs: Density might be a visual property altered by resource packs.
If you encountered "density" in your game, consult the documentation or description of the mod or plugin that introduced it.
Pro Tip: Check the mod's configuration files or in-game settings for options related to density.
What Does Smite Do in Minecraft?
Smite is an enchantment for swords and axes that increases damage against undead mobs.
Smite Enchantment:
- Increases damage against undead mobs (zombies, skeletons, wither skeletons, etc.).
- Each level of Smite adds 2.5 (half heart) damage per attack.
- Maximum level: Smite V (adds 12.5 damage).
How to Obtain Smite:
- Enchanting table: Use an enchanting table to add Smite to a sword or axe.
- Loot chests: Find enchanted weapons with Smite in dungeon or temple chests.
- Trading: Trade with librarian villagers for enchanted books with Smite.
Pro Tip: Use Smite swords in the Nether to quickly eliminate skeletons and wither skeletons.
How to Make a Blast Furnace in Minecraft
A blast furnace is a utility block that smelts ores, metal tools, and armor twice as fast as a regular furnace, but it can't be used for cooking food or smelting other materials.
Materials Needed:
- 1 Furnace
- 5 Iron Ingots
- 3 Smooth Stone (not cobblestone or regular stone)
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Craft a regular furnace - Combine 8 cobblestone blocks in a crafting table, leaving the center empty.
- Create smooth stone:
- Mine stone blocks with a pickaxe (not cobblestone).
- Smelt the stone blocks in a furnace to get regular stone.
- Smelt the regular stone again to get smooth stone.
- Gather iron ingots - Mine iron ore and smelt it in a furnace, or find iron ingots in village chests.
- Open your crafting table - Right-click on a crafting table to open the 3x3 crafting grid.
- Arrange the materials:
- Place the furnace in the center.
- Place the 3 smooth stone blocks along the bottom row.
- Place the 5 iron ingots in the remaining slots (top row and middle left and right).
- Collect your blast furnace - Take the blast furnace from the result slot.
Using a Blast Furnace:
- Place the blast furnace - Right-click to place it in your world.
- Add fuel - Place coal, charcoal, or other fuel in the bottom slot.
- Add ores or metal items - Place ores, metal tools, or armor in the top slot.
- Wait for smelting - The blast furnace will process items twice as fast as a regular furnace.
- Collect the results - Take the smelted items from the result slot.
Pro Tip: Blast furnaces are also used as job site blocks for armorer villagers. Place one in a village to potentially create or assign an armorer profession to a villager.
Conclusion
Minecraft is a game of endless possibilities, and knowing how to accomplish various tasks can greatly enhance your gameplay experience. Whether you're crafting essential items, taming creatures, or exploring the game's mechanics, we hope this guide has answered your most pressing Minecraft questions.
Remember that part of the fun of Minecraft is experimenting and discovering things for yourself. Don't be afraid to try new approaches and techniques beyond what we've covered here.
If you have more Minecraft questions, check out our other guides or leave a comment below!
