Redstone Update

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 "title": "Redstone Update",
 "images": [
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 "rows": [
 {
 "field": "March 13, 2013",
 "label": "Release date"
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 {
 "field": "(link to Java Edition 1.5 article, displayed as Java Edition 1.5)",
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 "invimages": [],
 "footer": "<div style=\"display:inline-block\">\n<div style=\"display:inline-block;padding:0 .4em\"><span style=\"margin-right:-0.35em\">◄</span>◄ [[Pretty Scary Update]]</div>\n\n</div><div style=\"display:inline-block\">\n\n<div style=\"display:inline-block;padding:0 .4em\">[[Horse Update]] <span style=\"margin-right:-0.35em\">►</span>►</div>\n</div>"
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The Redstone Update is the name for Java Edition 1.5, a major update released on March 13, 2013. Among the main changes were a number of new redstone-related blocks, including the comparator, hopper, dropper, daylight sensor, trapped chest, weighted pressure plates and block of redstone. A new decorative block – block of quartz, crafted from Nether quartz – was also added. Also included was a scoreboard system, a new texture pack format and a lighting engine optimization.

The Redstone Update was announced at the Future Updates with the Minecraft PC Team and The Future of Mod API talks at MINECON 2012.^[1]

Development began shortly after 1.4.6 was released. Sixteen development snapshots were released, from 13w01a to 13w10b, with a few snapshots being quickly re-released straight after to fix bugs without changing the client version number. During the development period, 1.4.7 was released. Nearer the end of the snapshot cycle for the 1.5 update, Mojang focused primarily on fixing bugs, rather than adding new features.

Mojang originally planned to release a pre-release version of The Redstone Update on February 28, 2013, and the official update in the first week of March.^[2] However, the pre-release was delayed as Mojang was trying to fix more bugs before a stable release,^[3][4] and was subsequently released on March 7.

New blocks

• 👁 Image
  Activator Rail
  • Crafted using six iron ingots, two sticks, and a redstone torch.
  • When activated by redstone, it stops item flow for minecart with hopper and activates minecart with TNT.
• 👁 Image
  Block of Redstone
  • Mineral block crafted using nine redstone dust.
  • Also acts as a redstone component, having an active redstone signal.
• 👁 Image
  Daylight Detector
  • Crafted using three wooden slabs, three Nether quartz, and three glass.
  • Used to output a redstone signal depending on the intensity of the sun.
• 👁 Image
  Dropper
  • Crafted using seven cobblestone and one redstone dust.
  • Ejects an item similar to a dispenser, but does not do any special functions that a dispenser would normally do, such as shooting an arrow.
  • Also transfers items to a container when faced to it.
• 👁 Image
  Hopper
  • Crafted using five iron ingots and a chest.
  • Used to collect items and drop them to a corresponding container.
  • Any container objects placed above the hopper automatically has their items removed by the hopper.
• 👁 Image
  Redstone Comparator
  • Crafted using three redstone torches, a Nether quartz, and three stone.
  • Reads inputs from any adjacent blocks and sends an output.
  • Can also be used to compared redstone signals.
    • If signal A is stronger or equal to signal B, it repeats the signal or outputs the difference between signal A and B.
    • If signal A is weaker than signal B, no output is given.
• 👁 Image
  Trapped Chest
  • Crafted using a chest and a tripwire hook.
  • Give an output whenever the player looks into the chest.
• 👁 Image
  Light Weighted Pressure Plate & 👁 Image
  Heavy Weighted Pressure Plate
  • Used to detect item drops and give a redstone output.
  • Light weighted pressure plate reach full strength at 60 items.
  • Heavy weighted pressure plate reach full strength at 600 items.
• New quartz blocks:
  • 👁 Image
    Nether Quartz Ore
    • Found in the Nether, in y-levels between 10 and 117.
    • Drops Nether quartz when mined without Silk Touch.
  • 👁 Image
    Block of Quartz
    • Mineral block crafted using four Nether quartz.
    • Unlike other mineral blocks, it cannot be used to store Nether quartz as it cannot be crafted back into it.
    • 👁 Image
      Quartz Stairs
    • 👁 Image
      Quartz Slab
  • 👁 Image
    Quartz Pillar
  • 👁 Image
    Chiseled Quartz Block

New items

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  Nether Brick
  • Obtained from smelting netherrack.
  • Used to craft Nether bricks.
• 👁 Image
  Nether Quartz
  • Obtained by mining Nether quartz ore.
  • Used to craft block of quartz, daylight sensor, and a redstone comparator.

New non-mob entities

• 👁 Image
  Minecart with Hopper
  • Crafted using a hopper and a minecart.
  • Collects items from above when in motion.
• 👁 Image
  Minecart with TNT
  • Crafted using a TNT and a minecart.
  • Activates when over a powered activator rail.
  • Can also explode when hitting a nearby block.
• 👁 Image
  Minecart with Spawner
  • Obtainable only through NBT editing.
  • Spawns mobs when in motion.

Other additions

• Realms
  • A subscription-based service allowing players to host a server with help by Mojang Studios.
  • Provided only to 100 random players.
• Scoreboard system
  • Allows for the tracking of objectives per player, such as health or kill count.
• 3 new commands: /testfor, /effect, and /scoreboard

Notable changes

• Better light
• Bone meal no longer instantly grows a plant, and now increases the chances of said plant growing into their next stage.
• Tools enchanted with Efficiency speed up only the mining speed of the intended blocks for that tool
• New inventory management features
• More specific death messages
• Increased range of beacon effects
• Brewing stands, chests, detector rails, dispensers, and jukeboxes now emit a redstone signal when a redstone comparator is placed against them.
• Nether brick is now craftable
• Changed the shooting mechanics of skeletons
• The spawn rate of slimes in swamps now depends on the moon phase

• 1.5.1 gave the players the ability to combine enchanted books to get a higher enchantment level, and allowed hoppers to take empty buckets out of furnace fuel slots and fixed performance issues.
• 1.5.2 fixed bugs, crashes and additional performance issues.

The following videos are fan trailers created by the community and shown on the official Mojang blog.^[5]