1.8.2 Seed & Map: raslebol!

Total Score
78.4 / 170.0 ( 46.1% )
Ratings*
FLAT	5.2	V	7.8	M/H	7.6
RAV	4.8	C	1.3	AMS	--
HOLD	--	DW	2.7	OH	2
LB	7.7	FLOAT	8.1	SHADE	6
W	5.5	CLAY	3.3	LAVA	7.5
WF	6.7	LF	2.2

*Each rating has a maximum value of 10.0

Awards

• Anti-gravity! 8.0 or higher in floaters.

Rating

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• ++ Expert ++
• Suicidal Expert

Technical Details

Seed Number: -465506209
Version: XBL 1.8.2 (equiv PC 1.2)

Etymology

"Ras le bol" is a French phrase similar to being "fed up". Both exclamations imply that the speaker can't take any more. Note: this seed name has an exclamation point at the end.

My Review

This seed is the best post-update seed I've found to date. In fact, it's so good that I'm thinking about changing my criterion for awarding the title "premium" to a seed. But sadly, it's not for everyone. This is a very difficult seed with lots of shadows and very difficult terrain. The mountains are epic, there are very few caves to clue you in to where the underground stuff is located, and when you do find something amazing underground it's covered in lava. If you're looking for a serious challenge, look no further: you just found it!

Villages

• [260.72.20] village, x11 buildings, blacksmith, guard tower, water well
• [116.72.-188] village, x8 buildings, water well, lava pit
• [85.73.341] village, x5 buildings, guard tower, water well

Underground

• [24.13.101] x4 lapis, x5 red stone
• [135.13.106] x3 diamonds
• [99.33.72] medium underground ravine, Y=12

Above Ground

• [32.75.122] dig down for large cave system
• [100.70.37] abandoned water well; small pitfall cave
• [308.66.97] small open-air ravine
• [229.70.112] lava pit
• [384.79.-257] deep dark dead drop
• [386.123.-285] large floater
• [364.70.-315] mega triple land bridge (photo above)
• [336.116.-299] medium floater
• [325.69.-358] large waterfall, large floater
• [150.123.-364] large mesa with small arête
• [122.99.-388] tall waterfall
• [-76.79.-302] lava pit
• [-384.108.104] "The Swan" (photo below)
• [-334.103.302] small cove
• [-216.100.253] small floater and medium butte
• [-171.77.266] abandoned water well
• [305.77.375] lava pits

1.8.2 Seed & Map: 2002

Total Score
68.3 / 170.0 ( 40.2% )
Ratings*
FLAT	2.8	V	2.1	M/H	6.6
RAV	5.3	C	6.2	AMS	4.7
HOLD	--	DW	3.8	OH	4.2
LB	4.1	FLOAT	1.1	SHADE	5.2
W	5.3	CLAY	3.2	LAVA	5.7
WF	4.7	LF	3.3

*Each rating has a maximum value of 10.0

Rating

• ++ Beginner ++
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Expert
• Suicidal Expert

Technical Details

Seed Number: 2002
Version: XBL 1.8.2 (equiv PC 1.2)

Etymology

It's my cousin's favorite number. I don't know why, but she's quite passionate about it. I suspect it's because it's a palindrome. My favorite number is an irrational number that can't be properly expressed here, but is so complex it requires two Greek letters (theta and omega) to represent it in scientific equations.

In case you were wondering, my favorite palindrome is "Was it a car or a cat I saw". Ha! Gets me every time.

My Review

While this seed failed to distinguish itself with a high score in any one area, it came in second today because across the board it scored well in almost every category. There was a little bit of everything -- as evidenced in the laundry list of landmarks and resource coordinates I found. This seed has a high amount of visible diamonds; I found nineteen without breaking a sweat. The northwest corner is covered with trees; so much so that they provide shade for day-walkers. There are a lot of amazing features like we used to get before the update. Your personal experience will depend entirely on where you spawn, but I still think this seed is good for beginners.

Villages

• [52.70.69] village, x5 buildings, blacksmith, water well

Underground

• [-387.12.-298] x5 diamonds
• [-195.12.258] x4 diamonds
• [-224.15.264] x5 diamonds
• [111.13.-321] x5 diamonds
• [1.31.250] abandoned mineshaft, x1 chest, seeds
• [79.26.221] abandoned mineshaft
• [26.31.221] abandoned mineshaft, x1 chest, awesome!
• [142.13.-131] lava lake
• [-111.15.-159] x4 gold, x4 red stone
• [-152.43.-129] huge underground ravine
• [-370.29.-326] dead drop

Above Ground

• [190.77.207] ugly overhang
• [296.120.342] large butte, tallest point on the map
• [378.73.365] shadowy land bridge
• [371.76.254] medium land bridge
• [273.86.93] small overhang, medium overhang
• [340.66.20] sister waterfalls, one small, one medium
• [21.77.-340] dig down for three cave systems
• [-400.66.-317] underground dead drop
• [0.65.366] pumpkins
• [16.58.256] deep cave under erosion
• [-68.65.168] pumpkins
• [-100.65.131] large ravine, Y=39
• [143.50.144] small T-shaped double ravine
• [296.91.67] pumpkins
• [286.67.102] crater lake
• [276.98.96] epic cliff dive
• [231.100.-66] small floater
• [247.80.-196] medium sinkhole
• [276.72.-148] tall waterfall, nook, and dead drop
• [-56.66.-140] wolves; medium ravine, Y=42
• [-99.68.-108] erosion with coal

1.8.2 Seed & Map: merveilleux

Total Score
65.9 / 170.0 ( 38.8% )
Ratings*
FLAT	3.3	V	2.9	M/H	4.8
RAV	5.2	C	4.4	AMS	2.1
HOLD	--	DW	5.7	OH	3.3
LB	4.2	FLOAT	--	SHADE	3.8
W	4.2	CLAY	2.1	LAVA	8.1
WF	6.3	LF	5.5

*Each rating has a maximum value of 10.0

Awards

• Fiery! 8.0 or higher in pooled lava.

Rating

• Beginner
• ++ Intermediate ++
• Advanced
• Expert
• Suicidal Expert

Technical Details

Seed Number: 1187291336
Version: XBL 1.8.2 (equiv PC 1.2)

Etymology

It's simply "marvelous", baby!

My Review

So, this seed has the most photographs I've ever attached to a blog post. There was an additional four images that didn't make the cut. This is without a doubt the most scenic seed I've found post-update. This seed has only the second black waterfall I've ever found -- albeit less spectacular than the first one. The epic cliff dive at 188.112.4 was so beautiful, I took a photo of it before I jumped. Despite the ring of desert and arctic ice surrounding it, this seed is a fantastic one to try for players of every level.

Villages

• [-395.75.-251] village, x11 buildings, blacksmith, water well

Underground

• [408.58.272] underground ravine, follow waterfall down to bottom, medium abandoned mineshaft
• [362.34.298] dead drop
• [316.16.-234] large underground cavern
• [323.12.-211] x1 diamond
• [330.15.-189] x4 diamond
• [310.13.-228] x18 red stone, x3 lapis

Above Ground

• [128.67.188] multiple underwater medium cave entrances
• [199.107.3] tall craggy spire
• [188.112.4] epic cliff dive
• [161.96.17] pumpkins
• [102.118.-174] eroded mountain with coal
• [87.78.-101] a black waterfall
• [70.88.-222] medium cascading waterfall
• [46.103.-294] tall cascading waterfall
• [-17.90.-358] pumpkins
• [-326.66.13] medium desert
• [-240.64.391] medium arctic overhang
• [-74.64.361] medium erosion with lots of coal
• [122.64.307] small pitfall cave

1.8.2 Seed & Map: faireculsec

Total Score
55.4 / 170.0 ( 32.6% )
Ratings*
FLAT	2.8	V	--	M/H	6.6
RAV	2.8	C	3.3	AMS	--
HOLD	--	DW	7.7	OH	3.7
LB	6.3	FLOAT	2.1	SHADE	3.2
W	4.8	CLAY	2.2	LAVA	4.4
WF	3.7	LF	1.8

*Each rating has a maximum value of 10.0

Rating

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• ++ Advanced ++
• Expert
• Suicidal Expert

Technical Details

Seed Number: -2085400360
Version: XBL 1.8.2 (equiv PC 1.2)

Etymology

The French idiom "faire cul sec" translates into English as "make it dry". It's the equivalent to the American idiom "bottom's up!" when out drinking with your buddies.

My Review

The two big draws of this seed are the two mountain ranges found in the southwest and eastern parts of the map. There is also a fairly deep crater at 254.64.69. This board is riddled with shadows, making it unsuited for beginners. However, for users with enough experience, hiking these mountains is an interesting challenge. Negatives: there's no villages and the center of the map is basically a huge bay so getting around is a pain. But aside from that, it's a quality seed.

Villages

• None

Underground

• [177.27.-143] x8 gold
• [163.15.-102] underground ravine, Y=12, lava floor
• [197.14.-123] x13 red stone
• [184.13.-149] x5 diamonds

Above Ground

• [-71.66.90] pumpkins
• [309.87.-129] double land bridge
• [254.64.69] deep crater
• [329.71.295] dune-side abandoned water well
• [93.70.141] medium land bridge
• [-202.78.328] medium overhang, medium waterfall
• [-329.99.175] small floater
• [-352.65.129] small pitfall cave

1.8.2 Seed & Map: tournerauvinaigre

Total Score
49.3 / 170.0 ( 29.0% )
Ratings*
FLAT	4.7	V	4.2	M/H	3.3
RAV	--	C	2.1	AMS	--
HOLD	--	DW	2.9	OH	--
LB	--	FLOAT	--	SHADE	2.4
W	6.3	CLAY	8.3	LAVA	7.7
WF	5.3	LF	2.1

*Each rating has a maximum value of 10.0

Awards

• Kiln 'em! 8.0 or higher in clay.

Rating

• ++ Beginner ++
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Expert
• Suicidal Expert

Technical Details

Seed Number: 2098111790
Version: XBL 1.8.2 (equiv PC 1.2)

Etymology

The expression "tourner au vinaigre", which translates to "turned to vinegar", refers to a conversation that may have once had potential but has now gone south due to the insanity of the person you're having it with.

My Review

I'm diggin' the clay on this one (that's a pun, people; you should all be laughing). In fact, while this is hardly the best seed I've found, it is a seriously good spot for those of you who like building with bricks. There is little underground to speak of. I tried on several occasions to punch down looking for hidden caves and came up empty handed. However, I will say that for those few cave systems I found, I discovered no less than three huge caverns. The northeast corner has the trees and the south has the mountains. Sitting between them is the key for beginners looking to enjoy this nice seed.

Villages

• [276.70.-171] village, x8 buildings, guard tower, water well
• [-219.77.293] village, x3 building, guard tower, water well; sugar

Underground

• [81.23.153] large cavern with small lava fall
• [-246.24.12] large waterfall cavern, x2 gold
• [-264.12.-52] large lava reservoir

Above Ground

• [59.64.-49] clay field, x7 deposits
• [30.65.-317] lava pit
• [261.77.20] abandoned water well
• [259.70.-37] medium flatland
• [199.65.42] lava pit/obsidian generator
• [133.73.332] shortcut cave inside of tall waterfall
• [78.65.322] erosion with iron
• [112.105.377] pumpkins
• [-341.84.36] clay bay

Today's Seeds: Oct 28, 2012

So, just in time before the hurricane destroys my home, job, and blog, I've posted the remainder of the good French seeds I found and a request from my cousin (2002) that turned out to be one of the best I've seen so far.

Given the unpredictable nature of hurricanes, there may be some delay in my next seeds coming out. I apologize in advance.

• [ 78.4 ] raslebol!
• [ 68.3 ] 2002
• [ 65.9 ] merveilleux
• [ 55.4 ] faireculsec
• [ 49.3 ] tournerauvinaigre

Mark of the Ninja, Level 1

Hey, everybody. I took a break today in between Minecraft levels (I'll post them tomorrow) to play the first level of the new Xbox Live game, Mark of the Ninja -- a stealth platform game in which you play as a member of a besieged clan of ninjutsu warriors.

In this video, I play the entire first level of the game. It was very enjoyable and I would encourage anyone who enjoys platformers, stealth games, or stabbing people in the face to try the demo or buy it outright (cost: 1200 XBP).

1.8.2 Seed & Map: enrevanche

Total Score
70.1 / 170.0 ( 41.2% )
Ratings*
FLAT	5.5	V	8.7	M/H	4.4
RAV	6.1	C	7.9	AMS	8.9
HOLD	--	DW	1.7	OH	3.3
LB	2.8	FLOAT	--	SHADE	2.8
W	2.5	CLAY	3.3	LAVA	4.2
WF	6.3	LF	1.7

*Each rating has a maximum value of 10.0

Awards

• Populated! 8.0 or higher in villages.
• Tubular! 8.0 or higher in abandoned mineshafts.

Rating

• ++ Beginner ++
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Expert
• Suicidal Expert

Technical Details

Seed Number: 107147833
Version: XBL 1.8.2 (equiv PC 1.2)

Etymology

"En revanche" is a French idiom that means, basically, "on the other hand...".

My Review

This was a fantastic seed. Clearly the five villages I found would make this something special all on their own. However, this seed also contains multiple dungeons as well. Together -- along with the nice ravines and flaming trees -- they combine to give you the highest ranking seed so far. Beginners should absolutely try this one out; experts might get a little bored if they already have a multi-village seed. All around, very exciting.

By the way, if you look closely at the photo above, you'll see that what you're actually looking at is two dungeons right next to each other. How 'bout that?

Villages

• [-178.78.-406] village, x8 buildings
• [20.71.21] village, x8 buildings, guard tower, water well
• [309.73.117] village, x5 buildings, blacksmith, water well
• [47.83.-390] village, x8 buildings, guard tower
• [340.70.-412] village, x5 buildings, guard tower, water well
• [325.71.-252] abandoned water well

Underground

• [-49.14.84] x6 diamonds
• [-33.29.371] medium flooded abandoned mineshaft
• [27.16.412] underground ravine with abandoned mineshaft
• [-27.47.345] underwater large ravine
• [-144.16.-414] x6 diamonds, x4 gold on ceiling
• [-169.16.-392] x5 lapis, x4 gold
• [-170.23.-393] medium cavern
• [-154.17.-352] three waterfalls in cavern
• [-112.29.-341] medium ravine with abandoned mineshaft
• [-126.28.-327] abandoned mineshaft dungeon
• [-137.26.-326] other dungeon, x1 chest, gunpowder, saddle
• [-79.26.-345] other abandoned mineshaft dungeon

Above Ground

• [-80.70.63] square lake, dig down for caves
• [-27.66.-75] open-air dungeon, x1 chest, gunpowder, red stone
• [362.80.85] medium cascading waterfall
• [381.84.116] shortcut cave with medium cave, Y=42
• [334.73.241] medium spire and medium cascading waterfall
• [23.70.373] open-air dungeon, x1 large chest, saddle
• [-144.70.314] clay field, x3 deposits
• [-217.64.347] small erosion with large coal
• [-316.65.240] t-shaped small ravine
• [-289.65.176] lake emptying into large ravine
• [-390.65.-295] clay field, x3 deposits

1.8.2 Seed & Map: pouvez-vousm'aider

Total Score
61.2 / 170.0 ( 36.0% )
Ratings*
FLAT	0.4	V	2	M/H	4.7
RAV	3.1	C	2.6	AMS	7.3
HOLD	--	DW	10	OH	5.9
LB	2.1	FLOAT	3.6	SHADE	4.4
W	1.3	CLAY	--	LAVA	5.8
WF	4.7	LF	3.3

*Each rating has a maximum value of 10.0

Awards

• Perfection! This seed has achieved one or more perfect scores.
• Abyssal! 8.0 or higher in deep water.

Rating

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• ++ Expert ++
• Suicidal Expert

Technical Details

Seed Number: 1715469984
Version: XBL 1.8.2 (equiv PC 1.2)

Etymology

So I'm expanding my seed influences to include other languages now. "Pouvez-vous m'aider" is French for "can you help me?"

My Review

Well, you can't ask for a better water world. This seed consists of two remote islands in the middle of what appears to be a vast ocean. Searching the depths could take weeks. However, I did find some goodies. Specifically, this is a great place to get your hands on some red stone. Beyond that, I found two dungeons and more than a handful of gold deposits. I'd say this is an expert level because even swimming between islands is a struggle and the underground is chock full of pitfalls and traps. Novices garde! (That's "Beginners beware!" in case you were wondering)

Villages

• [-203.84.277] village, x6 buildings on a small hill

Underground

• [16.10.-326] x15 red stone
• [72.37.-372] tiny abandoned mineshaft
• [-13.27.-375] abandoned mineshaft, chest x1, gold
• [5.27.-375] abandoned mineshaft, dungeon
• [62.37.-335] large ravine, medium abandoned mineshaft Y=17
• [11.29.-351] abandoned mineshaft, chest x1, gold
• [-20.28.-422] x3 gold
• [355.38.-265] hidden cave with mega coal
• [373.12.-295] x4 red stone, x4 lapis, obsidian generator
• [426.31.-365] five waterfalls in medium cavern
• [421.15.-346] x9 gold
• [404.32.-357] mysterious dirt dungeon, x1 chest, x1 diamond, x8 melon seed, x9 red stone
• [371.45.83] dead drop chasm, deep cave Y=12
• [333.13.35] abandoned mineshaft, parts of which are on fire due to contact with lava
• [330.13.8] x6 diamonds
• [217.14.-17] x4 lapis, x6 red stone

Above Ground

• [-212.59.37] underwater land bridge
• [-148.67.218] small waterfall
• [-131.64.199] medium land bridge, erosion, and waterfall
• [349.96.-80] bulbous medium overhang (photo above)
• [332.111.-31] medium floater
• [351.80.-10] small overhang
• [324.74.10] small floating spire
• [187.66.83] lava pit
• [117.81.52] pitfall cave

Review: XCOM Enemy Unknown

I wanted to take a minute to break from my usual X-box Minecraft obsession to talk about some of my other obsessions. Actually, there's just the one other obsession and I'm totally obsessed with it.

XCOM Enemy Unknown is a turn-based strategy game (TBS) in which you take control of a group of elite soldiers in order to do battle against an alien invasion of Earth. The game revolves around the upgrading of technology, application of stealth and position on the battlefield, and the management of resources -- namely your injured and dying soldiers.

XCOM:EU is a re-imagining of the original XCOM (also a TBS). What makes this version of the game awesome is the stellar graphics and gameplay.

This game is not without it's faults and while I encourage you to play the demo (available on XBL), I would caution you that the structured and restricted gameplay that you experience in the demo is a complete departure from the actual game. So in that way, the demo is a little misleading. But you'll get the idea.

The entire Internet is abuzz about this game and I totally back their ringing endorsement. If you have some downtime in between stronghold searching, load this one up and have a go. It will probably become your newest obsession.

Verified Rumor: 304694186

So, normally I never bother checking out other people's seeds because usually it's a load of crap. Especially when someone types in a word or phrase as the seed, then forgets what they typed in, and then has to post just the number. That's really annoying. However, when I heard a rumor on GameFAQs.com from a guy named Burnmad about a seed with an open-air library -- I was all up on that jawn.

I played 304694186 [XBL 1.8.2 (equiv PC 1.2)] and indeed found the open-air library at -310.63.-128, about fifty squares from a really nice village. The stronghold itself is not the best I've seen, but it's still quality. But that's not all! Behold...

This is an underground ravine with stalactites. How about that! Since I hadn't seen anything like that on any of my seeds, I figured you'd want to see this. But wait... there's more!

This is a small portion of a triple (that's right, I said triple) underground ravine intersection at -308.70.394 in the southwest corner. As you can see, it goes all the way down to Y=12 and there are plenty of gemstones and such down here. But just when you thought you couldn't take any more...

There's more! This is an extensive underground abandoned mineshaft that takes up a humongous section of the east side of the map. You can find it at 331.22.95. Among the vast tubes and bridges, you'll find no less than three crates. The booty includes melon seeds, books, and some other stuff. But wait, there's...

Actually, that was everything. But all that constitutes a really awesome find. BTW, here's what the map looks like. I'm not one for praising another man's seed, but this was too good to leave buried in a forum post.

1.8.2 Seed & Map: .party()

Total Score
73.4 / 170.0 ( 43.2% )
Ratings*
FLAT	2.9	V	5.9	M/H	5.5
RAV	7.3	C	4.7	AMS	--
HOLD	--	DW	5.2	OH	4.7
LB	3.3	FLOAT	2.9	SHADE	5.3
W	4.7	CLAY	6.3	LAVA	7.2
WF	4.4	LF	3.1

*Each rating has a maximum value of 10.0

Rating

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• ++ Expert ++
• Suicidal Expert

Technical Details

Seed Number: 2066943609
Version: XBL 1.8.2 (equiv PC 1.2)

Etymology

For some reason, one of the new pop-up messages on the X-box Minecraft loading screen has ".party()" in the text field. I don't know why, but it turns out that maybe someone over at the Minecraft development suite was trying to clue me in on something.

My Review

I've got two words for you: "dueling villages". Team one takes the north village; team two the south village. Then you go to war. These villages are evenly matched and sit on almost the exact same latitude 170 meters apart. This is going to be my favorite seed for quite some time.

Villages

• [393.72.50] south village, x11 buildings, water well; deep cave under well, Y=12
• [360.69.-123] north village, x12 buildings, guard tower, water well
• [-260.68.74] abandoned water well
• [118.77.-216] elevated abandoned well

Underground

• [270.42.193] deep underwater cave, rest of cave is behind waterfall
• [236.16.180] x5 diamonds
• [245.17.207] x2 lapis, x3 gold
• [341.28.52] x4 gold
• [-250.24.47] x2 gold, iron, coal
• [-199.14.298] x2 red stone, x9 gold
• [-205.22.229] double ravine, Y=22 (under the deep lake)
• [-171.45.273] underwater medium cavern
• [35.43.276] underwater ravine
• [67.17.243] x4 lapis
• [98.12.236] x4 diamonds
• [102.24.186] x6 gold
• [120.12.197] obsidian, river of lava
• [-268.65.56] deep cave, Y=22

Above Ground

• [211.63.250] small clay
• [241.61.236] small underwater ravine
• [245.68.263] clay field, x9 deposits
• [255.68.343] swamp islands
• [89.83.-330] two medium tabletop overhangs
• [-88.99.-304] crazy medium deep crater
• [-295.77.-273] clay field, x5 deposits
• [-127.100.-256] medium cove with large surrounding cliffs, medium waterfall
• [-168.76.-212] medium ravine cuts through the side of mountain
• [-216.92.-189] double spires, both medium
• [-266.72.-53] small ravine, Y=43, iron, lava fall, waterfall
• [-403.91.169] cliff dive
• [-326.64.93] dead drop hole
• [-340.99.316] x2 medium floater
• [-393.67.365] small cave
• [-367.73.369] x2 small spires
• [152.63.324] medium clay
• [68.87.-151] medium lava fall
• [83.81.-175] small waterfall
• [-99.89.-127] large tabletop land bridge