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    Duncan Geere
    Written By
    Duncan Geere
    Published
    7/2/20

    Around the Block: Crimson Forest

    Red all about it

    Minecraft’s new update has changed the Nether forever. The dark, fiery dimension used to consist of a single biome composed mostly of Netherrack and huge lava seas, with the odd patch of gravel or soul sand, or a Nether Fortress poking out of the gloom.

    In the new update, however, there are five different Nether biomes – all with their own unique features. As well as the traditional Nether (now called Nether Wastes), you’ll also find Soulsand Valleys, Warped Forests, Basalt Deltas, and the biome we’re featuring this week – the Crimson Forest.

    The Crimson Forest feels alive in a way that you might not be used to in the Nether. The floor is made of organic nylium, with Nether wart, huge crimson fungi, shroomlights and weeping vines dotting the landscape. Lead Gameplay Developer Agnes Larsson explains:

    It was really interesting to play around with the shape of the huge fungi. In one early version, the cap was like a flat plane, and in another early version, the cap looked too cube-shaped. It was when we added the "drips" on the bottom of the caps we really started to like the looks of them.

    Agnes

    The plants of the Crimson Forest are grazed by the Striders and Hoglins that make it their home. The latter are hunted and farmed by communities of Piglins which also live there. Both Piglins and Hoglins can be dangerous for inexperienced travellers. However, the Piglins love gold, so they’ll be rather more friendly to players who can find a fashionable way to show off their wealth. And the Hoglins? Well, let’s just say they’re not fond of warped fungus, so keep some on hand to avoid getting tackled right into lava.

    Besides organic materials, you’ll also find various inorganic resources in Crimson Forests. There are the standard features of the Nether: glowstone clusters, magma blocks, lava springs. But you can also find Nether gold ore, nether quartz ore, and ancient debris – as well as the occasional Nether fortress or bastion remnant. Agnes says that it was necessary to blend familiar Nether aspects with the new ones added in the update:

    When working on the Nether biomes it was important for us to keep that unique Nether atmosphere in all of them, at the same time as each biome needs to be unique. For example, the Crimson Forest should feel very vibrant and alive while the Soulsand Valley is barren and scary. What really added that extra vibrant touch to the Crimson Forest was the swirling particles. We just quickly added them with an ugly code hack – and it looked so good! And, I promise, the code has been cleaned up now!

    Agnes

    It’s tough to recommend setting up camp in a Crimson Forest. If you find smart ways to repel Hoglins and pacify the Piglins then it can be possible, but it’s often better to opt for a safer biome. 

    Stay tuned to this series to find out where in the Nether regions we like to set up home, and share your Crimson Forest survival tips by tweeting us at @minecraft.

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