How to Create a Minecraft Adventure Map - Planning your maps

Minecraft has been one of the most popular indie games over the past few years after its initial release. It can be played however you wish, since there are no rules you must follow to get to where you want. Some people use this freedom to make other types of games within Minecraft. One of the popular ways to play is through adventure maps. An adventure map in Minecraft is a quest to get from point A to point B, with certain restrictions to follow. Restrictions such as you can only explore the interior of the map, you cannot go into creative, you cannot break blocks unless you have this, and the list can go on. But here's the question, how does one simply create an adventure map?

1. Plan your map. Planning is one of the most important steps; while you can try to make a map on the fly, it is more likely to turn out badly.

2. Pick a type of map. There is a wide range of different map types; some of the more popular map types are:
- Survival. These maps involve the player trying to survive within the parameters of the map. Players can break blocks, build items and generally do whatever it takes to reach their goals.
- Adventure. This particular map type is much more linear. Usually the player isn't allowed to break or place blocks, and generally has to follow whatever path the map maker has set for them, although the adventure can be more open.
- Parkour. A subset of the adventure theme that has gained a following all of its own. In this type of map, you have to reach whatever the goal is, usually by going through a series of skill based challenges, such as a series of very precise jumps.

3. Write your story. Write down everything that is necessary to your story, whether it be backstory, notes the player will find, dialogue, or anything else.

4. Draw the map. Once you have the story fleshed out, and you know what type of map you are going to be building, draw out the floor plans for your map. Include everything you feel is necessary for the map.
- Grid paper is recommended for this step.
- Figure out how you will implement all the features that the map should have. Observe the latest update and decide how will you have it all figured out. Remember that the game is limited and that it might have changed in your favor or not with the ongoing updates. If there is an upcoming update that might drastically change the game, you might want to wait for it. Decide what are the requirements for the map.