Minecraft Legends: PvP will embrace chaos and fun
Today, Mojang and Blackbird Interactive unveiled a detailed glimpse of the PvP mode in Minecraft Legends, their forthcoming spinoff strategy game, and announced its release date as April 18. Prior to the unveiling at Microsoft’s showcase, I had the opportunity to speak with Mojang’s executive producer Dennis Ries and Blackbird’s executive producer Lee McKinnon Pederson about the actual gameplay experience of participating in a head-to-head match in Legends.
Mojang and Blackbird have redefined Minecraft Legends as an “action strategy” game instead of a traditional RTS. Players will control their own character, mounted on a steed, to direct troops and construct buildings on the dynamically generated maps. The PvP component also adheres to this feature. According to Pederson, “Each world is unique, with varying landscapes and enemy bases. It’s both recognizable and exclusive.”
Ries explains that players can opt for a redstone or diamond strategy, depending on the proximity of these materials to their base. Each strategy demands a distinct approach for gathering resources. These resources also provide access to specific structures, such as the formidable redstone launcher that bombards an enemy’s stronghold with TNT mortars, as seen in the latest gameplay footage.
According to Ries, the game’s creators aim to limit PvP matches to about 20-30 minutes. This objective involved modifying some aspects of the campaign. For example, the procedurally generated maps are smaller compared to the campaign maps since it wasn’t feasible to have bases that were fifteen minutes apart. Additionally, essential resources like wood and stone are more accessible near the starting area to hasten production. Resource gathering with ally helpers is also faster in these matches.
The piglin hordes of the enemy pose a significant challenge in PvP gameplay. As the match progresses, these piglins intensify their attacks on both you and your adversaries. They are not merely a peripheral annoyance but instead become an integral component of the PvP gameplay as the match unfolds, according to Pederson.
Ries opines that Legends is unmistakably Minecraft, yet it is also distinctly different from the vanilla version. The game’s unique strategic gameplay sets it apart from the original game. However, it appears that the developers have successfully retained the collaborative and immersive Minecraft essence.
Pederson elucidates on how you can assign tasks based on individual preferences among teammates such as base building, gathering resources or offense. However, the game does not impose any strict roles on players. During the PvP gameplay reveal, participants expressed their fondness for various roles such as fort building, resource gathering or combat, thereby exemplifying the concept of division of labor.
Pederson asserts that a collaborative effort is essential. It is imperative that the team works together, especially when it comes to utilizing shared resources. Every team member must comprehend how they are collectively contributing to the overall strategy.
It doesn’t evoke memories of the chaotic player-run minigame servers of Minecraft PvP. Instead, it reminds us of the harmonious ways in which friends collaborate on survival servers. Each person knows their role, whether they are responsible for mining and fighting or building and homemaking. Similarly, in PvP, one need not necessarily take on a leadership role if they excel at designing bases. Although honing all skills is crucial to succeed in the campaign, player combat may not be a prerequisite.