::RAAR News:: 2015 Wrap-Up

Welcome back to another edition of RAAR News. It's been quite some time since our last post and there are many construction updates since then... so let's get to it!

WHERE THE RAAR HAVE WE BEEN?

Just like the 1.9 update, we've been taking a long time to bring you a new post on our blog. Why is that you might ask? Since we last crafted with you, Talamer and Little Owl Girl have packed up their home in Canada and moved to the United States. It was a long process, but now that they have settled in a bit, we are able to get this blog back online. Hopefully the 1.9 update will follow suit.

SUSPENDED

The Packer Suspension Bridge has been completed. The new bridge now spans the gulf between the New World Village and the town of Whistlestop. This new transportation corridor opens up new paths from the northern lands to the south where expansion is rapidly taking place.  

3:10 TO WHISTLESTOP

The wild west town of Whistlestop now has a place to wet your whistle. The Whistlestop Saloon is now open for business. It aims to quench the thirsts of wayward wanderers who may be passing on through the small community. However, if trouble begins to brew, the local sheriff has set up shop right next door.

FEELING DRAINED?

Sam Co. Construction has done it again. In an effort to increase the landmass of a new project, Sam Co. has drained an entire lake. Utilizing the 1.8 technology of sponges, the lake was drained in a matter of hours. This stunning feat has showed the great potential of sponges in the terraforming process and has opened the door to reclaiming land beneath the sea.

CHATEAU CENTRAL

Three new chateau's have sprung forth to overlook the freshly drained lake. Built by Sam Co., the chateau's each have a distinctive look and feel. No other information on the site has been revealed as of yet.

LAST RESORT

Looking for a little getaway? Developer, Sammy Macman is in the process of putting the finishing touches on a new beach town aimed at giving world of RAAR residents a place to relax and lay under the square sun. 

NEW BUILDER?

Another builder may be opening up a new land in the World of RAAR. Late last year, lands to the north of Imperial City were granted to the new builder so that he may try his hand at building. In his first attempt, he built a large temple.

Hopes are high that this new builder will continue to create and we here at RAAR News will be ready to share his creative visions.

GLACIER ICE WALK

Stoney Mountain National Park is preparing to make available another area within it's realm; the Glacier Ice Walk. Once open, the Ice Walk will allow visitors to explore and journey over the Stoney Mountain Glacier via a network of wooden walkways and bridges. There will be many scenic points along the way. Pictures will be a must.

JUNGLE TEMPLE

Deep in the heart of the dark jungle south of Jursammic Park, a monumental structure has been discovered by a passing survey team. In order to learn more about this mysterious building, RAAR News has begun putting together an expeditionary force to investigate. We will bring you more as this news develops.   

PERRY HOTEL

Another skyscraper is on the rise in Imperial City. The Perry Hotel has started to take shape near the north corner of the canal. Tri-C Engineering has taken the lead on the design and construction of the project which aims to give tourists a place to stay while visiting the world of RAAR's largest city.

Construction crews haven't eluded to a date of completion but note that the building has so far gone ahead of schedule.

HONORING A FRIEND

In mid 2015, a dear friend of Mayor Talamer of Imperial City passed away suddenly. To honor the memory of this friend, the mayor proposed to rename the road that ascends to Holland Hills, Van den Berg Road. The measure passed unanimously and Van den Berg Road was adopted.

RAAR NEWS ARCHIVE 

Have you ever wanted to read past versions of RAAR News without having to scroll through the entire blog history? Well now you can! RAAR News is pleased to announce the launch of a new page on this blog; The RAAR News Archive. Readers can now explore all the headlines of the past. A simple click of the button will take you from the headlines to the full news post where you can read the complete in depth articles. Check it out here or look to the menu bar at the top of the page.

2016

We hope you have enjoyed this return edition of RAAR News. Be sure to stay tuned for more Spotlights, News and Sneak Peeks that will be coming your way shortly. We are grateful for your support of this blog and our YouTube channel. Until we meet again, Happy Crafting!

~RAAR News Team

::SNEAK PEEK:: TIELAND Area 61

A new futuristic ride area has begun to be built in TIELAND. It will be called Area 61. The USS Frontier will become one of the show pieces for this section of the amusement park. 

::EXPO 1.9:: Command Blocks & Maps

Today new features were released for our viewing and testing so let's have a look.

Command blocks got an update. There are now 3 types of command blocks that can be used. The first is the normal single command block. It runs exactly how it always has. Type in a command and apply power.

The second type is called a Chain command block (Green Block). It requires another command block in order to run. How it works is if the first command block is powered, the second one will run right after the first. This will allow for several of these command blocks to be chained together without having to worry about applying redstone power to every single one. This will help with more compact designs. To know which block is next in the chain, the texture includes a directional arrow as seen on the blue command block above. To determine the direction, command blocks are now placed like tree trunks allowing the designer to determine which way to string the command blocks.

The third type of command block is the Repeat command block. As long as the power is applied to this block, the command will run every game tick. This means if you never wanted it to rain in your world, you could power this block and it will run the clear skies command forever. Downfall of doing that is you would never be able to message any other player without it getting lost in the jumble.

Maps had a quick update as well. The zoom level has been changed again to make the maps more useful when in hand. Unfortunately this will mess up pre-existing map walls/rooms.  Guess we will have to remap this bad boy:

Thanks for checking out this post. If you liked it, let me know and be sure to check out the many other builds and stories on this blog. 

Until we meet again, Happy Crafting!

::EXPO 1.9:: Shields Up!

Welcome back to Expo 1.9! Today shields were unveiled to the public and I was able to get a hold of a few to check them out.

The shields come in a variety of colors and my hopes are that they will be even more customizable in the future like banners are. Who doesn't want a Creeper face shield? 

For Interior Blockor designs, shields will become another alternative cabinet handle for Crafty Miners. Now we can customize our cupboards and filing cabinets! 

Well that wraps it up for this look at the sneak peek Expo 1.9 items. Let me know if you find some more creative uses for the shield. You can send me a pic via Google+, Pinterest or on our community page. Thanks for liking and commenting, you guys rock! 

Until we meet again, Happy Crafting!

::SPOTLIGHT:: Stoney Mountain Lodge

In keeping in with the summer vacation theme, this week we Spotlight the Stoney Mountain Lodge. There's lots to see in this grand build, so let's get to it.

The story goes that as SammyMacman traveled south in search of new lands, he came upon the Stoney Mountain. While camping out for the night among the giant trees at the foot of the mountain, he planned in his mind a national park where all could come and enjoy the natural wonder.

Shortly after and due to the success of the Stoney Mountain Campground, the mountain lodge was conceptualized. The main idea being a place where you could stay and not have to worry about the rain... which is frequently the case in the World of RAAR. The lodge was designed and constructed by the Sam Co. Construction Company. It took months of research  and scouting a location before ground was broken on the massive complex.

The interior boasts many large guest rooms, a penthouse, a great room, a games room, a cafe and even a gift shop. The design is craftsman style utilizing the many woods located in the region. Sam Co. crews worked several long months on the project before it was finally completed. Since its opening, tourists have flocked to the lodge seeking a getaway from the daily grind. 

Thanks for joining us in exploring another element of the Stoney Mountain National Park. Until we meet again... Happy Crafting!!

STONEY MOUNTAIN LODGE LOBBY

ENTRANCE TO THE GAMES ROOM

THE GAMES ROOM

THE GREAT ROOM

HALLWAY TO THE BRIDAL SUITE

THE PENTHOUSE

THE CAFE

CAFE DINING ROOM

CAMPING SUPPLY & GIFT SHOP

CAMPING SUPPLY & GIFT SHOP

::Expo 1.9:: Pathways and The End

Hello Crafty Miners! Welcome back to another Crafty Wednesday. For a second week in a row we have a new snapshot, which means we get to take a look at what will be coming our way in the 1.9 release. Let's get to it!

This week pathways have been added. You can make them by simply using a shovel. Just like a hoe is used for tilling a garden, the shovel removes the top layer of grass and leaves behind a yellowish-brown patch of earth. 

As you can see in the above picture, the new path block is slightly shorter then the grass block, much like how snow is slightly taller then the same block. Grass and plants will not grow on the pathway and snow will not accumulate on it.

Some of the other features discovered since last week's look at 1.9, was the new Ender City and Ships. They can be explored in after the Ender Dragon has been defeated and offers up a few goodie items if you're a survival player scavenging around for chests. With the expanded End realm, this could open the door for some new creative buildings. 

Ender City

Random items found in one of the city structures.

A new mob that disguises itself as a block; Shulker

Chorus Plants

Floating Ender Ship. There are chests filled with loot inside

That's it for this week. Thanks for commenting and liking this post. We appreciate all the support and look forward to continuing to bring you the latest updates and building ideas. Until we meet again, Happy Crafting!