Update 1.9, AKA Snapshot 15w31a, was unveiled by Mojang today. They promised they would do it soon, and they also promised a number of features beforehand that are indeed making it in.
There is so much in the update that we can’t possibly recount it all, even if we tried (and we can’t try because we’re busy people), so check out Mojang’s full list of updates below and see what you like.
An option for players to change their dominant hand on their player model
Dual wielding
- Screenshot/Album/Animation
- Maps appear much smaller and only require one hand to hold now – Animation
- Only the main hand can be used for attacking
- Bows can be used even when something is in the other hand
- The other hand is invisible in first person view when not holding something
- Key to swap items between hands, default: F
- If the item in the main hand doesn’t have a right-click action, the other item will be used; Workaround for placing blocks while holding tools with right-click action
- The off-hand slot is displayed next to the hotbar, possibly on the off-hand side – Screenshot
New inventory slot
- Screenshots, Animation
- Off-hand slot (Hand outline): Decides which item is held in the other hand
Improvements for block models
- Different models/textures for different damage values, stack sizes (maybe) and item states
- Works on compass, clock and everything that can have a durability bar, bows have different property states for pulling, how far it’s been pulled & fishing rods differentiate between cast and not cast
- Example
- Screenshots
- Models can be put together based on BlockState attributes – Example: fences – As a result, the vanilla set of block models was reduced by almost 300 models
- Better rotation & translation handling and consistent left hand support
- You can set different models for use in the off-hand and head slot
All items will now render in head armor slots
The Carrot on a Stick now changes texture as it is eaten
Bow behavior changes
- The bow in your hotbar now shows an arrow when being drawn –Screenshot
- Arrows held in the off-hand are prioritized over those in the inventory
Arrows can be tipped with potions
- Screenshots
- Each differently tipped arrow is available in the creative menu, just like enchanted books – Screenshot
- Effect is applied on hit
Spectral arrow
- Not very hurtful
- Shows mob and player outlines in their team color when hit – even when invisible
- NBT tag for entities to disable outlines
- The glowing is a status effect
Armor stands and mobs can now have items in both hands
- Screenshots
- Mobs only use their right hand item
Attributes and enchantments can be set to apply in the off-hand, too
- Probably internally only
Skeleton AI changes
- Animation, Animation
- Skeletons now animate their bow
- They pull it out when becoming hostile and draw it back to shoot arrows
- Mapmakers can make skeletons shoot potion-tipped arrows
Zombie AI changes
- Some zombies will now spawn left handed – LeftHandedboolean tag on mobs
Death messages now show up on the death screen
Added pathway blocks
- Screenshots
- 15/16 blocks high
- Probably obtainable by right-clicking dirt with a shovel
Boss bar improvements
Main end island generation changes
- Screenshots
- A set amount of differently-sized pillars are arranged in a circular fashion
- Some of the pillars have iron bars around their ender crystal
- The exit portal is pre-generated, but without the dragon egg and portal blocks
A new ender dragon fight
- Similar to the one on console edition, but a step further
- The dragon can be respawned as often as you want by placing player-made craftable ender crystals, but subsequent dragons don’t drop as much XP
- Screenshots, Animation
- The dragon breathes fire/purple particles on players and mobs
- The dragon will defend the obsidian pillars more the further the fight progresses
- Every dragon drops dragon breath, but only one dragon egg can be obtained
- For now, you can respawn the dragon by drawing a creeper face with clay, but it won’t respawn everything yet
Ender dragon head item
End gateway
- Screenshots
- Appears after killing the dragon
- New type of portal, due to its size it is only accessible using ender pearls
- Used to warp to other end islands depending on the direction of the ender pearl throw
End City
- Screenshots
- Dungeon-type structure: “Tree”houses made of endstone and new blocks, including stairs
- Generates on separate end islands arranged around the main island in a donut fashion
End stone bricks
White glowing pole blocks
- Screenshots
- Placable horizonally and vertically
- Produce white particles
Chorus plants
- Screenshots
- Tree/cactus-like arrangements of new purple block
- Drop when supporting block is destroyed, like cacti
- Drop edible Chorus Fruit items
- Can be farmed by planting the Chorus Fruit flowers on top of the plants
- Flowers don’t drop when the supporting block is destroyed so you need to hand-pick them
- Grow in stages
- Can be planted on endstone in any dimension
Hostile End City mob: The Shulker
- Screenshots
- Short for “Shell Lurker”
- Disguises as a block on the ground or on walls
- When attacking, it opens up and shoots projectiles which only move along the x/y/z axis
- Projectiles give levitation potion effect
Levitation potion effect
- Screenshots
- Will make you float upwards until it wears off
Status effect HUD
- Screenshot
- Displays status effect icons ordered by time left
- Positive effects are on the top row, negative effects on the bottom row
- Effects that are about to run out blink, faster when closer to running out
Removed/moved the Super Secret Settings
Removed the Broadcast Settings
Maybe: Ender pearls can now be thrown in creative mode
Maybe: /clone can now mirror and rotate structures
Dead bushes can now drop sticks when broken
Fixed some bugs
- Fixed the boss health bar being temporarily in any world loaded after unloading a world with a boss bar
- Fixed the boss health bar only being visible when looking at the boss
- Fixed the end music stopping every time the ender dragon goes out of view
- Fixed arrows sometimes just bouncing
- Fixed doors generating mis-oriented in strongholds
- Fixed sometimes eating a second piece of food accidentally
- Fixed arms being misplaced on skeletons holding bows
- Fixed name tags, xp orbs and splash potions being angled in F5mode
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