On July 22nd, 2011,
one of the community's first,
and most impactful Minecraft overhaul mods,
was released for the public for everybody to enjoy.
After its release, the mod gained immediate attention all around the world.
Understandably, the title of the mod became synonymous with terms like
"quality",
"fun",
"entertaining",
and "expansive".
With the mod's release, players were introduced to a completely new world,
known simply as the Aether.
In this video, we're gonna talk about the Minecraft mod that started it all;
the Minecraft mod that changed everything.
So, without further ado, let's get right into it.
So what is the Aether?
Simply put, the Aether was one of,
if not the largest
single modification to reach Minecraft at the time of the mod's release,
and arguably is still one of the largest even up to this very day.
Featuring an entirely new and expansive realm,
primarily defined as an opposite to the Nether and as a heaven to the Overworld,
the mod showed something that had never been done before,
or at least not to this scale.
Giving players an entirely new and unexplored realm to adventure around in was... interesting.
For many, the Aether was a territory to gawk in
and be in awe of,
while for others it was a place to build, thrive, and conquer.
As an opposite to the Nether,
the world was bright and exciting,
rather than dark and gloomy.
However, that's not to say it was simply a cakewalk.
The Aether offered up various challenges,
one of which practically having to relearn the entire game.
What would work in the Overworld and the Nether wouldn't always work in the Aether:
If you fell off the Aether island,
you didn't just die like you would falling into the void,
but rather, you would actually fall into the Overworld.
On top of that, most things in the Aether that seemed fairly normal and regular to Minecraft
usually had a second level of depth that made you slightly more cautious, or even more cautious, as you explored.
The Aether's approach to creating an entirely unique world didn't go unnoticed amongst players --
if anything, it was applauded and revered.
Unlike most mods at the time,
the Aether was truly unique at how large-scale it was as a project,
featuring twenty-two (22) mobs,
an insane amount of different and unique blocks,
loads of different weapons and tools,
plenty of armor,
interesting foods,
a fully developed accessory system,
plenty of unique materials,
and genuinely fun mechanics to mess around with,
the Aether seemed like a truly complete project from the very beginning.
And that's just the beginning!
Because this world was so unknown,
it offered up plenty of new creative ideas for players,
and allowed the developers to really stretch their creativity.
This different environment allowed for massive ideas to be able to be created.
Not only was this a place that you could survive,
but, as I said previously, it was a place that you were intended to conquer.
With bronze, silver, and gold dungeons littered all throughout the world,
posing a challenge to anybody brave enough to enter,
the aether became more than just a dimension to live in.
Not only could you survive here,
but you could also thrive here.
The Aether, for many, was intended as an endgame realm,
meaning that once you did what you wanted to do in the Overworld,
you could pack up your stuff and head to the Aether.
Needless to say, many took the challenge,
and because of that,
one of Minecraft's biggest mods ever was pushed to the forefront of the community,
and gained worldwide recognition amongst players.
Simply put,
the Aether did what other mods didn't even dream of doing at the time.
When the mod's popularity became apparent,
its spark lit the modding community on fire,
inspiring mod makers to up their game and work towards creating a bigger and better Minecraft.
A very common phrase heard throughout the community at the time of the mod's popularity was
"If it's not as good as the Aether,
why would I play it?"
As I said previously,
the Aether became synonymous with
"quality",
"fun",
"entertainment",
and "expansiveness".
and thus,
hundreds of developers attempted to also have the same polish and commitment as the Aether did.
However, sadly, because the mod was so massive,
its journey to uphold and constantly keep updated
was always quite the struggle.
However, with the currently ongoing Aether II project,
it definitely seems like they've got everything figured out.
Most Minecraft modding teams can only dream to achieve what the Aether did in its lifespan,
and Guilded Games, the team behind the Aether II,
is hoping to recapture that lightning in a bottle,
and present it to the community as they continue to push forward with the mod's development.
Inspiring countless YouTube series,
inspiring mod makers,
and as well as just inspiring a general playing base for the product itself,
the Aether's rise within Minecraft is definitely one to take note of.
Looking back on the Aether itself,
its signs of impact can still be seen to this very day.
With the way that things are going in the Minecraft community
as far as advancements and what players are able to create are concerned,
hopefully,
we'll be seeing more and more massive projects
just like this one.
So, yeah.
What do you think about the original Aether?
Did you ever play it?
Do you have any specific memories of it?
Have you ever played the Aether II as well?
Let me know in the comments section down below.
But other than that, that just about does it for me for now.
And sorry if my voice sounded a little off in this video,
but I'm really quite sick right now,
though it doesn't hurt to talk or anything like that.
But if you guys enjoyed this video,
please consider leaving a like on it,
because it would really help out myself and Michaelmcchill,
who co-wrote and edited this video,
the channel, and the video quite a lot.
But anyways, guys, I hope you all enjoyed,
my name is AntVenom,
and I bid you all farewell.
Thanks so much for watching! :P
