Despite its huge popularity I have never played Minecraft, but was recently asked to join a server for the Java version and I thought why not give it ago!

I ran the MinecraftInstaller.exe and it dumped itself into C:\XboxGames without prompt! What the hell Microsoft? After finding it has no other option, I uninstalled it and switched to the ‘MultiMC’ launcher, a fantastic tool which solves this problem, but adds its own complications.

I needed Java, which is fragmented these days from Oracle being dicks. So went to the recommended Azul site, chose the ‘zip’ version to download, extracted to my game drive and pointed MultiMC to it. Next in MultiMC settings, Accounts, linked my Microsoft account. Finally added an ‘Instance’ of the ‘1.20.1’ version I needed, ran the game and created my first Minecraft world!

Now to make it pretty, I was recommended BSL shaders, but they have a dependency on a mod called ‘Optifine’ and its a JAR installer that expects the crappy official launcher. To solve this you need ‘Fabric’ a mod tool and ‘Optifabric’ that allows the installer to be directly loaded. Fabric is built into MultiMC, you just need to edit an instance, select ‘Version’ on left, ‘Install Fabric’ on right. Searching ‘Optifabric’ took me to CurseForge but their big download button gave me an old incompatible version, instead I needed to select a Minecraft version on the right of the site to get the correct download.

Also in edit instance, you can select ‘Loader mods’ on left, ‘View folder’ on right to open your mods folder, this is where I added ‘OptiFine_1.20.1_HD_U_I5.jar’ and ‘optifabric-1.13.25.jar’ before running the game and confirming I had a new Shaders option in Video Settings.

The Shader option has a handy ‘Shaders Folder’ button, which I could then add my ‘BSL_v8.2.05.zip’ into and finally enable the shader. After admiring transparent water, I noticed everything looked super hazy or foggy. The solution was Video Settings, Shaders, Shader Options, Camera, set Bloom OFF.

Now I just have to learn how to actually play the game 😀