Junk Jack Texture Pack
Junk Jack Texture Pack
I had two goals: to adapt the 2D style of Junk Jack to the 3D world of Minecraft, and to ensure a cohesive gameplay experience for players of both games.
I started the project by identifing common materials that could be directly ported, such as dirt, stone, and wooden planks. This was more than identifying similar-looking textures, though, as I also had to learn the mechanics of both games to take the use of materials into account.
The world of Minecraft is mostly made up of cubes, but some items have unique 3D models. For these assets (like beds, storage chests, torches, and doors) I used Photoshop to create completely new textures that fit the Minecraft models while staying true to Junk Jack's endearing aesthetic. This challenge also extended to user interfaces. I designed UIs that were reminiscent of those in Junk Jack, while working with a wildly different set of UI constraints.
I specifically wanted to bring the charm and atmosphere of Junk Jack to Minecraft. I did this by leveraging new atmospheric and environmental features added by community-made mods. These new mods added support for high resolution textures, simple animations, material variations, and custom sky elements, such as fog colors, skyboxes, stars, and planets.
In 2013, I started working on my own add-on pack, which introduced gameplay aspects from Junk Jack. This mod added an array of elements, including blocks for construction, and new ores and types of stone. The focus of this mod, though, was expanding on Minecraft's culinary possibilities. I added new crops (like tomatoes, corn, and eggplants,) berry bushes, and the ability to obtain ingredients like sea salt to make cheeses. These items could combine with food from the base game to create over 70 unique craftable meals.
As the project progressed, I learned what "scope creep" was, and realized I had more ambition than time. Minecraft was undergoing rapid development in these days, and each update could break everything. Ultimately, I only managed to complete about 60% of the planned add-on pack, and made the decision to not release an unfinished beta version.
Learning to work with the Minecraft engine was extremely fun, and presented interesting challenges along the way. This process introduced me to a world brimming with possibilities yet governed by a unique set of limitations. Over the course of a year I made changes and refinements based on feedback from the Minecraft community and Youtube reviews. This feedback was a compass that led me to implement meaningful changes and enhancements, elevating the project to new heights.
In total, I released 13 updates to the texture pack adding new environment elements and items as well as refinements and bug fixes. During the period that I worked on the texture pack, it was featured by many Youtube reviewers and received over 60,000 downloads. The texture pack was particularly loved by pixel artists who embraced its vibrant color palette and distinctive look.
This collective appreciation solidified the texture pack's place in the hearts of players, reinforcing the idea that a collaborative creative process driven by user feedback can truly shape and enhance a project's resonance.
