Talk:Tutorials/Achievement guide

On a Rail
TL;DR: Guide is too vague. Requirements are ambiguous. I spent gobs of time on a track that should qualify, but didn't. Others might, too, using this guide. Without certainty, I'm reluctant to edit the guide myself.

Long Version: I made an eventually successful attempt at the On a Rail achievement, and have a couple notes. Taking into account the "no looping" restriction, and that I have no need for long rails on the regular map (My transit system is Nether-based), I tried a continuous but compact layout.

It was on a 108x10 grid with the track running lengthwise, U-turning to the next row at each end. This gave me exactly 1000 standard rail pieces plus 4 detector/power pairs per long stretch. I also added a 4 power rail starting run sticking out at one end of the track (not part of the 108x10 grid). So while the track wasn't in a straight line, and only took me about 100-110m from my start point, I still traveled "1km from my start point" (an odometer would agree) on non-repeated track.

Attempt 1 failed, so I added another long row in case there were something I missed. Nothing. After adding two more long rows, testing after each, I still hadn't got the award. But I was certainly traveling well over 1000m per run at that point.

I demolished the project, built a straight-line track from near my original spawn point, and that worked the first time. It used the same materials as the earlier attempts (1000 standard track, plus 84 special track).

Questions I think need explicit answering in the guide:

1) What means "start point" exactly? Spawn point? First piece of track traveled?

2) What means "1km from" exactly? 1km of track length (apparently not)? 1km straight-line?

2) If it means riding from the start to a point past some boundary marking 1km, what is the shape of the boundary? 2000x2000 square centered on the start? Approximate Euclidean circle centered on the start? A taxicab circle (diamond shape)?

I'm reluctant to edit the guide without certainty, though, so I'll leave it to someone who has access to the code or design details or something. Or if someone posts details, I'm happy to add them. Treefingers 13:37, 11 May 2011 (UTC)

I made the same mistake, with about 200 or 300 blocks going in one direction, then doing a u-turn and coming back in the same sort of direction without using old track. I think "1km from starting point" means that you take the place where you start, and draw a circle around it with a 1km radius. Anywhere on the circumference will be the achievement marker.

Basically a 1km straight line is your best bet for certainty, but I agree both the achievement and the article are too vague.--Scutterman 06:59, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

As far as the taxicab idea goes, I tried building a 950m straight line that then veered off to the side for ~60m. Travelling this rail didn't get the achievement. I then dismantled the side branch and used those materials to extend the main line, and it did work. Another experiment was to have a stopping point around the middle of the track where the minecart came to a halt but was relaunched by a button (in a different direction). Even with a point in the middle where the minecart came to a halt, the overall trip did count for the achievement.

So it seems that minecraft is just picking the greater of abs(starting x coordinate - ending x coordinate) and abs(starting z coordinate - ending z coordinate).SteveTheRed 06:24, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

When Pigs Fly
Is it enough for the pig to be damaged from the fall, or does it need to die? Treefingers 14:02, 11 May 2011 (UTC)

It needs to die, but it can be damaged beforehand I believe.--Scutterman 06:59, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

Calculation Errors
In the achievement "Time to Mine" it is stated that at least 375 iron ingots are required to craft 1000 rails. That is incorrect. 375 iron ingots will only make 992 rails, with 3 iron ingots left over. It is impossible to create "half a set of rails" (8 rails) so 1008 rails will have to be made with 378 iron ingots, to leave 8 rails left over after crafting. --HexZyle 05:36, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

Sniper Duel
there is no guide for the "sniper duel" achievement is anyone going to make it?
 * I added the achievement. I tested the method and, as I noted at the end, I was able to kill skeletons from over 50 meters away but I didn't get the achievement.  When testing it (SSP, no mods) I started in Creative mode, that didn't work so I mode switched to Survival and it still didn't work.  I did have some of their life depleted before I moved 50 meters away.  Has anyone gotten this achievement? Pareidolon 23:11, 4 November 2011 (UTC)