Minecraft adventure update to add NPC villages

Yesterday Notch revealed that the upcoming adventure update for Minecraft would be split up. Pistons will be hitting soon with the 1.7 update, but the major, game changing additions will be polished up and released as patch 1.8.

Today Notch announces that he's going to be slightly less secretive about the contents of the adventure update, but just secretive enough to keep us guessing. He is becoming wise in the dark arts of marketing. While the precise contents of the new update remain sort-of under wraps, the aim is clear.

"The update is pretty big," says Notch "and will change a lot of how Minecraft is played, focusing on making exploration and combat much more rewarding, and bringing in a bigger sense of adventure to the game."

So what do we really know about the adventure update? Notch promises "new complex terrain features, at least one new mob, some interesting new combat mechanics, a new lighting engine, and some experimental new gameplay ideas."

"To come is more interesting farming, bigger incentives to explore," he adds, before casually dropping a bomb shell, adding "and npc villages."

NPCs in Minecraft? With their own towns? Will we be able to talk to them? Trade with them? Kill ten boars for them? Only time will tell. There's no release window for updates 1.7 or 1.8 just yet, but "1.8 is still a significant time away," according to Notch.