My personal belief is that a good Minecraft developer also actively plays the game, both in survival and creative. This keeps you sharp on all the latest updates and newly added features, while also letting you play with new techniques and designs in a space that is more focused on creativity and imagination than specific goals.
Outside of Minecraft, it's also important to just have fun with the various tools that we use in development. I probably spend as much time creating in tools like Blockbench, Amulet and World Painter, as I do in Minecraft. Many of the assets below are military in nature, so they will never be featured in the Minecraft Education Library, but they may end up in a history experience at some point that I'll be willing to share. Here's a quick tour of some of the more interesting things I've created over the years that don't have a home in a specific project.
The redcoats featured here were actually ordered for a specific experience. During beta testing, it was decided the NPCs were surplus to requirements, and they were removed from the addon.
These British Army redcoat uniforms are from the 1860s-1880s, and the rifle is a Snider-Enfield, which along with the mutton-chop sideburns, was standard issue during this period.
This character was inspired by Sean Bean from the Sharpe television series.
This soldier is just happy to take off his woolen tunic for a few minutes in the 25c degree heat.
This is a 19th century artillery piece. I just wanted to see how well I could build a cannon.
I've always had a passion for old aircraft, civilian or military and made tons of models as a kid. Now I don't need to purchase kits, don't need to worry about running out of space for them and I can make as many as I want in Blockbench.
This is a "kit-bash" of the Sopwith Triplane. It was relatively easy to modify and re-texture the model into the Red Baron's famous aircraft.
The HMS Argus was Britain's first aircraft carrier. I created it block-by-block during several of my Sunday Minecraft Club sessions. You can view a short video tour of it, here.
Roger Wilco is the playable character from the 1980s 3D adventure series, Space Quest. Here he is as he appears in Space Quest 1: The Sarien Encounter. Sierra On-Line made many 3D adventure games during the 80s and early 90s, and the logic and style behind their adventure game puzzles continue to inspire me in my own creations today.
It's no secret that I'm a massive space nerd. I love all things related to space exploration, fictional and real life. This is an asset still in progress... a probe lander for Mars, or perhaps destinations beyond!
If you haven't figured it out, I also a massive ship nerd. This is the USS Monitor, built from memory during several of my Sunday Minecraft club sessions. Strictly speaking, it's not 100% accurate, but not bad for not using any picture references.
I love experimenting with house designs. This "modern" open plan design is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
This is my grandmother's house. It's passed out of family ownership now, but while being sold I was able to download the floorplan, and reconstruct it in all it's unfashionably gaudy 1950s decor.
This is my other grandmother's 1950s council house. Built from memory and pictures, it's also been reconstructed in all it's unfashionably gaudy 1950s decor.
Having a large stash of pre-built houses from various eras in different styles is useful when you need to knock together a Minecraft neighbourhood quickly. All these houses are from my Model Homes world, which is where I build houses when I fancy experimenting and creating new homes.