The ABC of megabuilding

Hi all minecrafters.

This blog will be about the thing I'm personally developping the most. I created my full Minecraft name thinking about that ( Blitzgrutel The Megastructor). The starting logo of my videos shows the first letter of each word of my full Minecraft name (BTM).

So as I am, I never develop something without finding the base rules of it. Knowing the base rules ensure that you only have to remember a few precise things to be able to build without making thousands blocks errors or forget important things. Perhaps that you found some other rules, and it's ok. If you want to suggest some rule that may be pertinent to add in, feel free to tell it.

Before starting, let's see what's a megabuild. There's plenty of descriptions around the web. I choosed to make a technical one for the needs of this blog:

The width of a megabuild is normally counted in hundreds of blocks, if not thousands and more. It contain nearely everytime a main building and the surrounding terrain or garden, sometimes other buildings too. But it's not primordial. It can be ships, various forms, megabeasts, etc.

Megabuilds differs from traditional builds in the quantity of details. And the quantity differs by default because with smaller builds, it's just impossible to build such quantity of details because Minecraft is a cube-style world. A megabuild also give a feeling of immersion due to its size.

So let's see these rules I found along the way :

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1 : The number of blocks is not important

I tought a lot before putting this rule in first, but too many peoples begin a megabuild and stops just because of that. Sometimes very cool things are lost forever for this reason. So before anything, know that it's a long lasting project full of blocks. Before long you will cease to count the blocks, trust me. So you have to also forget the possibility to rush your work. Let's say that a small correct megabuild takes minimum around a week to build. A good big one could take a month and more, and why not a year...



2 : Calculate your terrain

This is important because if you really megabuild, the finish product is normally a little bigger than what you tought at first. So when you choose your megabuild location, be sure to have the space for bigger needs. And if your build is smaller than you tought, the remaining space will be usable to create a greater garden if it's the case.



3 : Begin with the interior

If your megabuild don't need an interior, you can skip this rule. It naturally comes with the second rule. Begining a megabuild with the interior ensure that when the exterior will be builded, you will not have some issues inside of it like the ceiling being 1 block less wide or high than you tought for your idea. Or realising that if you build the inside walls and floors, everything will be too tiny, like having rooms 3X2 blocks large. I see that issue very often.



4 : Begin with the smallest

This is a key rule. A megabuild is containing a great number of elements. Sometimes the thing is so huge and contain so many details that you don't know where to put the first block. The key is to begin with the smallest thing you want to clearly recognize in your megabuild, and then build around it while respecting proportions. Sometimes the smallest thing cannot let you know where to put the first block. In that case, choose another object or create a test world and build around the smallest thing to be able to figure out the size of each other elements. Then you'll be able to begin your megabuild with bigger things and everything will still respect proportions.



5 : Scenery is everything

The scenery IS what will make your megabuils attractive. And in the case of a megabuild, the interior is also a part of it (if it's the case). The scenery can be build as far as possible. It means that if changing all what you can see with a far view could be a good idea, it is a good idea. The scenery is also a great part of the immersive feeling.



6 : Pictures helps

In a megabuild, there's so much details to have in mind that having pictures for inspiration is very important. The more detailed are the pictures, the more things you will be able to build without loosing time remembering them. A simple look at the pics will be needed. It also applies if you want to build a reproduction. In that case, the most pictures you will be able to find about the thing, the more it'll be helpful to you. As an example, for my Koln cathedral reproduction, I choosed 36 pictures of various places outside and inside of it, out of hundreds I found on the Net.

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So this is it for now. I hope that this rules can help you. I will surely found other rules in the future and will add them here. If you think that a rule can be added here, feel free to tell it in the comments.