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Minecraft is constantly evolving and getting new features added to it, and the latest snapshot for this title's Java Edition version 1.20.2 is no exception. Released on August 2, 2023, 23w31a introduces some massive changes to Mojang's sandbox offering. That said, it's worth noting some of these alterations are still being experimented with.
For instance, the latest snapshot introduces a toggle that rebalances villager trading and makes changes to diamond ore generation, barriers, sculk sensors, and more. This article will look at what 23w31a offers and how it affects gameplay.
Everything you need to know about Minecraft 1.20.2 snapshot 23w31a
Villager trade rebalance
A remarkable change in this snapshot is an experimental switch that modifies the wandering trader and librarian's trades. This toggle is not enabled by default, so you will have to turn it on in the Experiments menu when creating a new world if you want to test it out.
The developers explained that the reason for this change was to make villager trading more exciting and skill-based, as well as to reveal some clues about each village type's history through the enchantments sold there.
Librarian changes
Before this change, librarians could sell any enchantment in Minecraft, regardless of their level or biome. This made trading feel too random and overpowered compared to using the enchanting table or finding enchanted books in structures.
In this snapshot, librarians from different biomes offer distinct enchantments. Additionally, each village biome possesses an exclusive enchantment solely accessible through master librarians completing XP. This means that players will have to visit all seven village biomes to get the complete set of villager enchantments. And that's not all.
There are two secret village biomes as well, requiring players to construct them before being able to access trade. Some enchantments have been removed from villager trading altogether and must be found in other ways.
Another change this snapshot brings is that players will only get a discount once after curing a zombie villager. They won't receive any bonus after reinfecting and curing the same villager again, nerfing the villager-trading and emerald-farming method.
Wandering trader changes
The wandering trader also received some updates in this snapshot. Several players expressed dissatisfaction with the wandering trader due to their unfair prices and lack of valuable items. The developers lowered item costs, added more trades, and increased the costs and amounts of available ones to address this.
The mob now sells more relevant items for exploration and adventure. Another notable change is that wandering traders can now buy items such as baked potatoes, hay bales, milk buckets, and more from players instead of only selling them. Wandering traders also sell the Logs now.
Diamond ore generation changes
Another significant change in this snapshot is the diamond ore generation. This item is now generated more frequently in the deep slate layers of the overworld, making it easier to find them in lower Y-levels.
This change was made to balance the difficulty of mining in deep-slate areas with harder blocks and more hostile mobs. It also encourages players to explore deeper underground and discover new features such as geodes and lush caves.
Barrier changes
Barriers are invisible blocks that can only be seen when holding a barrier item in creative mode. They are helpful for map makers and builders who want to create invisible walls or boundaries.
In this snapshot, barriers received minor tweaks that made them more consistent and convenient. They no longer produce fall particles when entities fall on them or brush particles when players walk through them. They can also be waterlogged and placed underwater without creating air pockets.
Sculk sensor changes
Sculk sensors are blocks that can detect vibrations and emit redstone signals in Minecraft. They were introduced in Java Edition 1.20 as part of the Caves & Cliffs update.
In this snapshot, sculk sensors and calibrated sculk sensors can detect some new events that were previously missing. These include turtles clearing away sand, camels standing up or sitting down, camels dashing, and witches drinking potions in Minecraft.
Other changes and fixes
This snapshot also brings a lot of technical features to Minecraft and changes for map makers and modders — such as new commands, function macros, persistent command history, network performance improvements, and more. You can find the complete list of these changes on the official Minecraft website.
In addition to these features, this snapshot also fixes many bugs reported by the community. Some of these, as per the patch notes of this release, include:
- Several buttons and icons retain the old tooltip design upon hovering over them.
- The selected hotbar slot texture's bottom two rows of pixels do not appear in-game.
- The "/item" command is unable to replace items within jukeboxes.
- Entities riding vehicles always have the same offset.
- Entity models in the inventory can sometimes render outside the boundaries of the black box.
- Water freezes even if the randomTickSpeed is set to 0.
- On macOS, scrolling while holding SHIFT is not possible.
- Horizontal scrolling does not work on Mac [Magic Mouse].
- Text fields don't scroll while selecting text with Shift.
- The Shift key remains pressed until any other key is pressed.
- The discount for curing a villager is multiplied if the villager is reinfected and cured again.
- Shulker boxes don't conduct redstone when open but don't trigger redstone updates when opened.
- There are issues with world loading, falling through the world when joining a server, traveling between dimensions, and respawning.
- You experience slowdowns when riding a camel in a 3-block tall area.
How to install the Snapshot
If you want to try out this release for yourself, you will need to enable Minecraft snapshots in the Minecraft Launcher. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open the Minecraft Launcher and select the Installations tab.
- Click on the New option and give your installation a name.
- In the Version dropdown menu, select Latest Snapshot.
- Click on Create and then Play.
- Enjoy the snapshot!
Remember to back up your worlds before playing on snapshots, as they may corrupt your saves or cause compatibility issues. Such releases are experimental and may contain bugs or errors, so play at your own risk.
Verdict
Snapshot 23w31a is the first snapshot for Java Edition 1.20.2, and it brings a lot of changes and features that will affect the gameplay and performance. This release severely affects villager trading in Minecraft, adding a whole new level to it by having different villages with different trades as well.
Players will receive discount trades only once after curing the zombie, thereby nerfing the villager-emerald farming. Whether you are interested in diamond ore generation changes, barrier tweaks, sculk sensor updates, or technical features and bug fixes, there is something for everyone in this snapshot.
However, it is essential to note that this release features experimental changes that may or may not make it into the game. If you have any feedback, submit your request to Minecraft's official website.
