Map
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The map is the entire space in which construction can occur in the game. The map is 3D: as well as extending in every direction on one plane, it reaches up to the level ceiling and down to bedrock.
The map is randomly generated at the start of a game, unless it has been edited by the administrator of a server. The random generation of maps includes sheer cliffs, trees, caverns and hills. Maps can be generated in "small", "normal" and "huge" sizes. A "compass" in the game is the clouds, because they always move North. Some block types are generated in the map which cannot be created by the player, such as water and lava, which can be overridden by the server admin via Omen.
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[edit] Map features
[edit] Hills
Hills are randomly generated pieces of land in the map. Like stairs, hills are always traversable to their highest point by virtue of the algorithm which generates them; there is always a place on each level from where the next level can be accessed, meaning that the player can climb a hill one level at a time until they reach the top.
[edit] Cliffs
Cliffs are carved into hills, and contain the same blocks that that layer in the hill it is carved out of would contain. This includes ore, rock, and dirt.
[edit] Oceans
The ocean is an infinite supply of water, outside of the map. It is a body of water, but is not accessible, due to it being outside the playable borders. However, on island maps in indev, players can leave the map borders and swim out into the ocean, at the risk of drowning.
[edit] Lakes
Lakes are geographical features of the map which occur where the level of the land drops below ocean level. Lakes are large bodies of water in which the player is able to swim, and are a large collection of water blocks. Lakes are not part of the ocean, and therefore are finite and may be drained with the proper technique.
[edit] Trees
Trees are the structures created both by the automatic generation of the map, and by players. They are built out of trunk blocks and leaves. When generated by the map, they are frequently found in groups, in the style of a forest.
[edit] Caves
Caves are big holes and tunnels, automatically generated under the ground in various places. Whether they are man-made or generated with the map, they can be useful for several things, such as dungeons, underground structures and lakes. Caves are composed mostly of stone, but frequently contain small amounts of ores, and may contain water or lava.
[edit] Veins
Underground while mining, players may come across veins of materials, including coal, iron, gold and diamond. When destroyed, veins can drop the above mentioned materials, which can be used to smelt metals or make torches in the current indev version of the game.
