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Minecraft worlds can generate some pretty wild terrain. This has been a fact since before the game was even officially released. As such, players have always had to find ways to traverse such unkempt landscapes. The builder’s solution is simple: just build bridges over gaps. Why go around when one can go over it?
But the general building sense of the Minecraft community has changed a lot over the years, with current standards being much higher than they were a decade ago. This means that players trying to get into building now may be intimidated and feel like they have a lot of catching up to do, but there are some simple tips and ideas to keep in mind that can help players jumpstart their bridge building abilities.
5 tips to take Minecraft bridges to the next level
5) Arches and changes in elevation
While modern bridges can be almost totally straight and parallel to the ground, that is not necessarily true for all of history. Arched bridges are iconic for a reason, the shape makes them more structurally sound, and that aged arched look works wonderfully within the block world of Minecraft.
Now, players can absolutely make bridges in a more ultra-modern style, in which case these elevation changes might not be nearly as important, or thematically appropriate. But players should ensure that they lean into other design aspects to add additional excitement to the bridge.
4) Pathways off either side of the bridge
There is always a chance that a bridge could stick out of the landscape particularly badly. One way to mitigate this is to incorporate the bridge into the surrounding area and environment by adding a pathway to either end of the bridge. This makes the bridge look more like a natural extension of the surrounding builds rather than something that exists on its own for no reason.
If this bridge is far away from the player’s base, and has no nearby builds to be incorporated into, the pathway idea could still work, but players should then use a full pathway that slowly fades out into the natural blocks of the environment, as if there used to be buildings and civilization in the area that has since faded, and the bridge is the last reminder of that city or village.
3) Thick support stands or overhead support ropes/beams
Another important thing for builders to keep in mind is that bridges do not typically just exist on their own. They are attached to the environment around them, depending on the style of bridge.
Classic bridges generally have large and thick support legs on either side, whereas modern bridges have thinner supports that span the entire length of the bridge. There are also hanging bridges and rope bridges, giving structural support from above instead of below.
The inspiration and possibilities are near limitless, depending only on the player's creativity and the location where the bridge needs to be built in a specific Minecraft world.
2) Details
While this sounds vague, all this refers to is using all the items available in the game to break up flat surfaces, adding depth and detail to keep the eyes interested and engaged with the build. Examples of detail items and blocks include:
- Trapdoors
- Stairs
- Fences
- Buttons
- Slabs
- Glass and glass panes
- Flowers
- Leaves
- Vines
While there are only certain kinds of these detail items that players can use depending on what would fit the build thematically and esthetically, keeping these items in mind when envisioning and executing builds will help take bridges to a higher level.
1) Mix materials
Minecraft builds can become especially monotonous if too much of a single block is used. But thankfully, there are so many varieties of blocks within certain themes or colors that players can easily break up this monotony by incorporating different blocks with different textures to keep the eye interested.
For example, players can incorporate different types of stone or earthen blocks into a stone bridge to add detail and interest, rather than just having it all be smooth stone, or cobblestone, or stone bricks.
This article reflects the personal views of the author.
