Many changes and additions have expanded Minecraft since its official release in 2011, and a fan has created a visual representation of these transitions by comparing the best gear over the years. Minecraft entered Beta in 2009, possessing just a fraction of the content now available in the base game. A decade later, new ore types, mobs, and weapons have changed gameplay and given modders even more content to expand through fan-built additions.
Minecraft offers a unique type of sandbox experience compared to other exploration and survival titles. Procedurally generated Minecraft world seeds ensure a unique map for every new adventure and a loose narrative with flexible progression points leaves the player in charge of how gameplay will unfold. While the original content was greatly limited, years of steady development have fleshed out the base mechanics and features, while player-built mods continue to transform the game with creative additions.
A Minecraft fan known as Kelometer on Reddit captured the transformation of Minecraft's content in a simple screenshot showing the most desirable gear a player can obtain between 2011 and 2021. When the game was released, there was little to buff a player outside of diamond armor and a good sword. With a stack of cooked beef to regenerate health, players remained vulnerable to any angry mob they might encounter. However, in 2021, diamond armor is now second to Netherite, which was added in the 1.16 update during 2020. The Elytra, which enables players to glide through the world, wasn't added until the 1.9 update in 2016, but has since become a staple of a prepared player's arsenal. Another key item, the Totem of Undying, acts like a Phoenix Down from Final Fantasy, saving players from deadly damage when equipped during combat. Even the sword has been replaced, with the Netherite Axe now taking its place.
See the original post on Reddit here.
It is likely Minecraft's gameplay will continue to change and shift in future years. The Caves and Cliffs Part 2 update, which was released November 30, 2021, has completely overhauled the way terrain spawns and forms in Minecraft worlds. This includes the structure of biome environments and even how ore veins spawn in the new massive caverns underground. These changes will affect the availability of certain resources, making some more accessible and others harder to obtain. The new challenges will require players to think differently about previously effective strategies and freshen exploration that may have become formulaic over the last several years.
The constant improvements to Minecraft's gameplay have helped keep the game relevant throughout the past decade. The updates and widespread use and support of player-made Minecraft mod packs have created gameplay that is never the same a second time, encouraging players to start and restart new saves in the game. Hopefully, with the Caves and Cliffs update released, Minecraft will announce further planned update projects in the coming months.
Source: Kelometer/Reddit