The new 1.8 adventure update has been leaked online somehow and rather than bitch about it, notch has decided to use it as a bug testing method and hosted the files himself for all to play. Can get client and server files here .

I'm first to admit that Minecraft did get boring after awhile but this new version has really gotten me into the game again. Changes are as follows...

- Biomes are MUCH larger and uniform than before
- Swamp biome was added to the list of existing biomes
- look for vines on trees! - Vines Can be collected with shears, in the manner of leaf blocks. Vines will grow on any surface they are placed on
- Beef and Chicken added
- Strongholds - spawn once per world
- Ruins (basically strongholds on the ground)
- Giant mushrooms (Do not generate yet)
- Silverfish
- Creative mode Allows flying, insta-break, unlimited items from an item palette, no damage, and more
- Abandoned mine shafts
- Endermen Normally passive, these night-spawning mobs will teleport to (and attack) you if you look directly at them. When defeated, they can drop Ender Pearls, which presently do nothing
- Bow charging Variable damage with charge, can also land critical hits. Additionally, attacks can crit if you hit a player or mob when descending from a jump
- Sprinting Run faster, knock mobs back that are hit during a sprint
- appears to deplete the hunger bar faster
- New high-quality Main Menu
- Chest animation (lids open, close)
- Player list on SMP; Server listings
- Setting gamemode on SMP "/gamemode username 0/1", 1 being Creative and 0 being Survival
- Hunger Depletes slowly over time, can be filled by eating food. At 9 more more bars, you will regenerate health slowly.
- Eating animation
- Arrows stick to mobs
- Xp bar (Gain xp from killing mobs and other players)
- New lighting engine (Colored lights, smoother lighting)
- Clouds are now at the ceiling of the world
- Cave spiders
- Zombies drop rotten flesh, which can be consumed
- Watermelons (as well as watermelon and pumpkin seeds)
- Glass panes These can be crafted at a crafting table by making a 3x2 grid of Glass Blocks - makes 16 panes. These panes can be placed in lines, corners and crosses, and they will adjoin with the nearest adjacent block.
- Iron Bars Created by making a 3x2 grid of iron ingots at a crafting table. Can be placed in the same manner as glass panes - Brick, Stone Brick stairs - Smooth stone brick Can be crafted by placing Stone in a 2x2 grid, makes 4 Stone Bricks - F6 & F7 Adjust the time of day when pressed/held

From what I've seen, EXP has no use right now since there is no menu (that I've found) to spend the points you supposedly get. The new lighting system is pretty awesome as light from torches and such no longer fades in blocky ways but rather a smooth yellowish tinge. Double tap forward to sprint which is useful for escaping mobs. Beef and chicken now stack as well so 64 steaks in 1 grid space but eating them is no longer instant. takes about 3 seconds. New swamp areas are great and make me feel very wind wakery with huge areas under water. Not found any pre-built towns yet but apparently they are pretty big. Great update IMO. promoted forum item