Java Edition 21w16a

21w16a is the eighteenth snapshot for Java Edition 1.17, released on April 21, 2021, which adds dripstone growth and the ability to grow azalea trees.

Gameplay

 * Pointed dripstone growth
 * If a stalactite is hanging from a dripstone block with a water source above, it will slowly grow both the stalactite from above and a stalagmite from below.
 * Growth speed is random but very slow; a single growth step can take several in-game days.
 * A stalactite will only grow up to 7 blocks long.
 * A stalactite will only cause stalagmite growth if the floor or stalagmite below is within 10 blocks.
 * If the stalactite tip is inside water it won’t drip, and therefore will not trigger any growth.
 * If the stalagmite tip is inside water or there is a fluid between the two dripstone blocks, it will not receive the water drops, and therefore will not be grown by a dripping stalactite.
 * A stalagmite or stalactite will never grow into a fluid.

General

 * Tags
 * Added the block tag.
 * Contains the #base_stone_overworld block tag, the #cave_vines block tag, and the #dirt block tag.


 * Language
 * Added Russian (Pre-revolutionary) language.
 * Added Chinese Traditional (Hong Kong) language.

Experimental
Changes have been made to the official Caves & Cliffs world generation preview datapack, which gives early access to the world generation coming in Java Edition 1.18.


 * Ore veins
 * Large rare snaking collections of ore found underground.
 * Copper mixed with granite is found at and above Y=0; iron mixed with tuff is found below Y=0.

Blocks

 * Azalea and flowering azalea
 * Can now be bonemealed to form Azalea Trees.


 * Block of raw iron and block of raw gold
 * Tweaked the textures of these blocks.


 * Infested deepslate
 * Can now have random texture rotation like deepslate.


 * Small dripleaf
 * The model was slightly changed.


 * Grass block, mycelium, moss block
 * Grass, tall grass, ferns, tall ferns, sweet berry bushes, saplings, flowers, azaleas, sugar cane, dead bushes, and bamboo can now be placed on these blocks.
 * Pumpkins and melons can now grow onto these blocks.
 * Endermen can now pick up these blocks.

Items

 * Raw metal
 * Tweaked the texture of raw ores.

Gameplay

 * Recipe book
 * The recipes for stonecutting diorite into polished diorite slabs and stairs now unlocks when the player has diorite as opposed to polished diorite.

General

 * Statistics
 * Renamed the statistic for play time to.
 * Included time when game paused for "Time with World Open".


 * Resource pack prompt
 * Users who previously permanently declined server resource packs will now still be shown the pack prompt if the pack is mandatory, instead of being immediately disconnected.


 * Tags
 * Added grass blocks, mycelium, and moss blocks to the block tag.
 * Tweaked some tags to no longer unnecessarily mention blocks if they're in the dirt block tag.
 * Tweaked the block tag to call the  tag instead of the  tag, as well as adding gravel and sand.
 * Removed the block tag.


 * Textures
 * Removed the unused texture.
 * Removed stray pixels from the recipe book GUI button.

Experimental
Changes have been made to the official Caves & Cliffs world generation preview datapack, which gives early access to the world generation coming in Java Edition 1.18.


 * Aquifers
 * Aquifers below Y=0 will sometimes be made of lava.

Video
Videos made by slicedlime: