Minecraft - Pandemic Simulation Map Now Available
A message about the creation of a new map - Blockdown - appeared on the official website of Minecraft. It is supposed to make players, especially the younger ones, aware of the threat of COVID-19 and how it is spreading. The project was created by AKQA in support of the #TommorowTogether initiative.
IN A NUTSHELL
- AKQA has created a map for Minecraft, which enables us to observe the development of a pandemic.
- The map is available for free to all owners of Java version of the game.
Representatives of Mojang AB informed that owners of Minecraft's Java version now have an opportunity to simulate the coronavirus pandemic. They can do so thanks to the free Blockdown map, which can be downloaded here. It was created by AKQA, in support of the #TomorrowTogether information campaign organized by the United Nations Development Programme and the Heart17 initiative. The scenario enables us to observe how a zombie epidemic is spreading among the inhabitants, and we can even stop it (killing the infected is not an option). Of course, as the devs emphasize, it is not a 100% faithful representation of the problem - but it will enable the players, especially the younger ones, to better understand the mechanisms of spreading of the virus and ways to fight it.
The map consists of 2 parts. We will spend most of our time in and around the tower. This is our command center. There are various mechanisms that allow the player to control the environment. It is also a place where the inhabitants (healthy and infected) appear.
If we get bored of playing with the functions of the tower or passively watching what is happening around us, we can play the role of a nurse as there is a hospital underground. It is there where we will have to chase the infected peasants with hidden traps and it is there that we will be able to cure our patients.
In order to fully experience the scenario, it is recommended to play in creative mode, supposedly this is where everything works best. Both devs and representatives of Mojang AB encourage the community to mod the map. As they stress - Blockdown will never come out of the beta phase.
