Growing old is mandatory - growing up is optional!

Minecraft. It's a kids' game - right? That is what the statistics would suggest:

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"According to an online survey, 65 per cent of players are under the age of 21. And it is, predominantly, a boy thing. A poll on a Minecraft forum revealed that 87 per cent who responded were male." Ben Machell The Australian, December 7,2013 

Ah - but what about the other 35% that are not under 21, and the 13% that are female? That is where I fit into the statistical analysis. I'm old enough to be a grandmother though I am not that lucky - yet - and I love Minecraft!

I began playing it because I am just a big kid at heart - my older kids were playing it, I was playing it. That was in the days of playing 1.8 mostly on single player, before the wide world of the internet became affordable.

Jump forward to time when multiplayer becomes commonplace - I wanted to see what sort of community my youngest son would be encountering if he played online. (And yes, everything you hear about is true - like most of life there are lots and lots of nice people out there and some not at all nice people too).

And now? My youngest dips into the game from time to time though his study schedule prevents much game time. And I revisit regularly! At my 'most active point I have even done some builds for a small server.

For me it is an escape from the real world - it is being 8-10 yrs old again, building cubbies and tree-houses and making the world exactly how you want it.

This blog is primarily for me but with the aim of showing mums and grandmas the pleasure that can be had playing with your children or grandchildren. If you can't beat them - join them! There is a lot of fun to be had opening a game to LAN and playing on your own private world.

I currently play between the latest version (1.13.2 - the aquatic update) and 1.12 (so that I can play Skyblock).

My plan is to start a new Skyblock and add hints and tips as they crop up. And yes, if I remember I will put the hints and tips in bold. I will also start an 'absolute beginners' single player survival world to show how I tackle the game. If you get a taste for the game there are untold resources out there to help you along:

• Your child/grandchild - they will probably love showing you what they know - possibly with lots of eye rolling!
• The internet - if in doubt Google it - someone will have done a YouTube video or there will be an answer on a forum.
• Your local library - there are numerous well written handbooks

My hope is that this blog will give you a few tricks up your sleeve to impress your young co-player/s. Here's one to file away for later ... fish when it is raining.

I also hope that in doing this I will be drawn in to learning new things - I would like to learn  how to record some of my play sessions to share on YouTube.

If you ever get to watch me play or if you join me on a server (I play as Ramohth), you will see that I "play like a girl". I am a female - enough said? I usually play as a vegetarian. Yes I know the 'cows, sheep and pigs' are just pixels but I prefer not to kill them in order to eat. I am a total wimp when it comes to fighting the 'hostile mobs'. I am also uncomfortable at heights - how sad is it that a game can have me with sweaty palms and elevated heart rate just because the ground looks so far away - or isn't there at all in the case of a Skyblock.

Enough waffle for my first post - let's go Mining!!