Jens and Notch have just announced that the 1.8 pre-release .jar is available for public testing. It is important to remember that this is NOT The final release of 1.8, and is still extremely buggy. If you find any bugs, or need support, please join the #minecraft channel on irc.esper.net using your favorite IRC client!

NOTICE: This version will only work if you've paid for Minecraft, all the more reason to step up!


Here's the download links:

Client: http://assets.minecraft.net/1_8-pre/minecraft.jar
Server: http://assets.minecraft.net/1_8-pre/min ... server.jar

For directions on installing, MCF user GmZ has written a very brief tutorial for Windows located here.

If you'd like to discuss the leak on the forums, please do so in this thread: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/611 ... re-release

The 1.8 Pre-Release is available for testing right now! We've done some extensive testing, and discovered the following features:

- 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


New features and discoveries will be added as they are found. Stay tuned!

Ok, so here's the second "pre-release," only use it if you know what to do with the JAR: http://assets.minecraft.net/1_8-pre2/minecraft.jar

You set your own goals in life right Kaffis?

So minecraft looks interesting.

If you create a new world and use the seed "Water", you'll start on a deserted island with no other land in sight. There is one tree in the corner of the island, and there's some tall grass you can try to harvest for seeds. There's also a hole that drops ~25 meters into a cave system.

As Paulsoaresjr puts it, survive and thrive. Have fun!