Java Edition 15w37a

15w37a is the twenty-third snapshot released for 1.9.

Additions

 * Gamerules
 * New gamerule:.
 * Prevents spectators from generating chunks.
 * Defaults to true
 * Superflat
 * New Superflat preset: The Void.
 * Spawns the player on a stone platform. No other terrain generates.
 * The Void is now a biome (id is 127).
 * NBT Tags
 * entity
 * (byte): Determines whether or not the minecart hopper will pick up items into its inventory

Changes

 * Hardcore
 * Upon death the player now has the choice to respawn in spectator mode, rather than the world being deleted.
 * Combat
 * Bows can now be used when in the offhand.
 * Sword attack speed increased from 1.45 to 1.6.
 * Axe attack speed is now based on the type, rather than being exactly 0.8.
 * Wooden and stone axes have as speed of 0.8.
 * Iron axes have a speed of 0.9.
 * Gold and diamond axes have a speed of 1.
 * Axe attack damage changed.
 * Stone and diamond axes now deal 9 damage, instead of 8 and 10 respectively.
 * Shields
 * Now rebalanced.
 * Now have a new crafting recipe.
 * Do not have a base color anymore.
 * Texture shows a wooden face.
 * Crafting a shield with a banner still yields a patterned shield.
 * Arrows now bounce off shields and can ricochet off a shield to hit other entities.
 * Golden Apples
 * Enchanted Golden Apple regeneration level has been reduced from V to II.
 * Enchanted Golden Apple regeneration time has been reduced from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.
 * However, the Enchanted Golden Apple absorption level has been increased from I to IV to balance this.
 * Golden Apple regeneration level has been reduced from II to I.
 * Chorus Fruit
 * Teleportation range reduced from ±32 to ±8.
 * Performance
 * Improved chunk generation, loading and sending
 * Improved rendering "by building a chunk only once where it was rebuilt up to 5 times in worst case"