Building Tips

Welcome to the Building Library for BetaMC. This page offers a number of tips and tricks for building amazing structures in Beta 1.7.3 as well as serves as a hub for people to link their own style guides, tutorials, or showcases!

Building in Beta 1.7.3

If you've never played legacy versions of Minecraft before, you'll notice that there are a few limitations and quirks that make building in these older versions a bit more challenging. But these limitations often lend themselves to greater creativity, and thanks to legacy Minecraft's consistent art style, almost anything you build will look good in this version!

Limitations

There are some hard limitations in this version that you'll find in this version that make building different.

• Height limit at Y=128 - One of the largest challenges for big builds, unfortunately cannot be changed without mods which isn't feasible for servers.
• No upside-down stairs - Stairs can only be placed facing up, they also do not connect in corners.
• Bottom slabs only - Slabs can only be placed on the bottom half of a the block. (They will also default to a full block when placing on top of each other, even with a half block of space)
• Logs always face up - No log rotation in this version
• Fences require a floor - You cannot place fences without a block underneath them. (Scaffolding doesn't need to be permanent.)
• Trapdoors require a block - In older versions, trapdoors can not be placed on their own, the must be connected to a block, like doors.

Choosing a Location

Depending on the type of build you are going for, the surrounding landscape can play a big part. Builds often look better when they are integrated into the landscape so take your time to find a spot that you really like.

• Mountains & Hills - Have great views but often require more effort to shape
• Forests & Plains - Usually flat and makes building easier, but can make towns feel small.
• Deserts - Plenty of sand, but no natural trees, good for desert themed builds (duh).
• Taiga - Snow and Spruce trees have great cozy vibes, but you'll have to deal with it covering the ground all the time
• Coastal Areas - Scenic and great for docks and boats

Common Styles

There are a couple of styles that are more common in Beta that you can use to great effect, but if you're more creative, it can be fun to develop your own unique style.

• Medieval / Rustic

This style uses primarily wood, cobblestone/stone, wool/sandstone for old-timey looking structures. This was and is one of the most popular building styles for this version of the game. These buildings are usually framed with logs and have a bottom floor of cobble and higher floors of wool or sandstone.

• Neo-Classical / Grand

A great style for more monumental structures that often uses many different stone types to create an imposing, yet beautiful structure. While this style can be difficult to pull off for inexperienced builders, much inspiration can be taken from real life buildings. These structures usually consist of Stone, Cobble, Smooth stone, Wool, or Sandstone, and use layering to create more detail.

• Modern

A very popular style in newer versions of the game, this style can be pulled off in Beta, however, it is more difficult due to the restricted block palate. Commonly using smooth stone, glass, planks and snow blocks, this clean and geometric style can be good for skyscrapers and city buildings.