The full update.
Server needs to be updated now as well!!!
1.6.1
(Includes 1.6)
General
Additions
Resource pack system
Replaces the texture pack system.[2]
A conversion tool which converts texture packs into resource packs was released by Dinnerbone and is available here.[2]
Contains:
Textures
Sounds[3]
Fonts[2] (partially)
Language file[4][5]
End credit[4]
End Poem
Splash text
New "missing texture" texture
Attribute system
Item attributes using NBT tags:
Attributes can be additive, subtractive and multiplicative using a set value
Some items have default modifiers in place of previously hard-coded attributes
Examples of possible changes players could make: A bow that slows the holder, a helm that buffs health, etc.
Entity attributes:
These properties can now be changed as easily as any other NBT attribute
Entity speed, base health, base attack
Other properties like weapon damage/bow draw speed/sword swing speed are yet to follow
Splash screens
"HURNERJSGER?"
"What's up Doc?"
Improvements & changes
Support for Java 5 and PowerPC users will be dropped[6][7]
If you have a PowerPC based computer and/or Java 5 installed, a warning will be shown at the main menu.
Internal chat system
Lots of messages should be translated now that were not previously
Messages are now better modularized
Server messages can be sent by their code-defined name, allowing the client to utilize the correct translation according to their language settings
Color can be specifically designated, preventing leakage into further messages
Launcher
Increases performance and stability
Minecraft game icon changed to a crafting table, presumably to differentiate between game and launcher
Allows LWJGL to be updated, fixing many launcher bugs
Supports multiple versions/installs[8]
Self updatable.[8]
New password storing system [9]
More user friendly.[10]
A major step towards the Plugin API.[10]
New authentication system - "Yggdrasil", which is more secure and has more features
Gameplay
Additions
Status effects
Health Boost effect
Gives player 4 (Empty Heart.svgEmpty Heart.svg) base health; extra health vanishes when the effect ends
Can be acquired ingame by the command /effect <playername> 21 <duration in seconds> <amplifier>
Absorption effect
Gives player 4 (Heart.svgHeart.svg) "absorption" health that cannot be replenished by natural regeneration or other effects, but would return every 30 seconds, regardless of the state of the rest of the health bar; extra health vanishes when the effect ends
Can be acquired ingame by the command /effect <playername> 22 <duration in seconds> <amplifier> or by eating either tier of Golden Apple
Saturation effect
Causes food meter to be replenished by 1 (Half Hunger.svg) per tick.
Can be acquired ingame by the command /effect <playername> 23 <duration in seconds> <amplifier>
Commands
/spreadplayers
Spreads certain players from an origin point
Has a Max Spread and Minimum Distance from player to player
Can be used with the teams scoreboard functionality to spread team members to the same location
/playsound
Can use to play sound to player
Can change the pitch and/or volume
Can use sound from resource pack
Added /gamerule arguments
naturalRegeneration
Toggles natural health regeneration
doDaylightCycle
Toggles the day-night cycle (the sun stops moving and stays where it is)
Improvements & changes
Riding mounts
When riding a mob, its health is on the Heads-up display
When riding on an entity, dismounting has changed from right-clicking the entity to using the Sneak key (⇧ Left Shift by default)
Boat controls have been changed from the A, S, and D keys to mouse control[11]
Respiration enchantment
Now also helps seeing underwater
Changed the idea of mob difficulty[12]
Regional difficulty: The longer you spend in one area, the harder it gets
Scales with difficulty - items, enchants or AI improve with difficulty
Tooltips
Added extra tooltip info in the search tab for the creative inventory, which shows what category a block/item is in
Tooltips for swords, pickaxes, shovels, axes, and potions show how much damage the sword/tool does and what effect a potion will give
Status effect
Balanced to improve gameplay
Instant Health nerfed by 33% (heals only 4 health points/2 hearts at level I)
Regeneration nerfed by 50% (takes 50 ticks/2.5 seconds to restore 1 health point/.5 heart at level I)
Hunger
Natural health regeneration now costs hunger points/saturation points
Creative mode
It is no longer possible to break blocks with swords in Creative mode
Blocks & items
Additions
Horse Armor
Exist in diamond, iron and gold variants
Cannot be crafted. Can only be found in most types of generated chests, including in Dungeons, Nether Fortresses, Desert Temples, and Jungle Temples
Horse Spawn Egg
Works like any other spawn egg
Just like naturally spawned Horses, these Horses will have one of seven base colours and one of five variations of markings
Sometimes a Donkey will be spawned instead
Hay Bale
Can be placed in all orientations
Crafted with wheat in a 3x3 arrangement
Lead
Can be used to bind mobs to fences or lead them around
Right click mob first, then right-click fence or right-click the mob again to get the leash back
Crafted with 4 string and 1 slimeball, yields 2 leads
Carpets
Crafted with 2 colors of wool in a horizontal line, yields 3 carpets
Can be placed on any block (even translucent ones)
Name Tag
Found in dungeon chests
Name it in an anvil, then right click a mob to name it.
Hardened Clay
Obtained by smelting a clay block in a furnace
Stained Clay
Comes in 16 colors, one for each dye.
Similar to wool.
Made by surrounding any dye with hardened clay
Block of Coal
Crafted with 3x3 coal.
Crafted only with coal, not charcoal.
Can be used as furnace fuel and smelts 80 items, more than 9 coal (72 smelted items).
Improvements & changes
Charcoal
Retextured, with more brown shading to differentiate from coal
Lapis Lazuli Block
Retextured subtly, it now has a border around it
Saddle
You can now put a saddle on a horse [13]
Redstone Comparator
Now give out a signal for Cauldrons and End Portal frames depending on their state
Cauldrons give from zero signal (empty) to three signal strength (full) depending on water inside
End Portal frame varies between zero and fifteen signal strength, depending on if an Eye of Ender is present
Golden Apple
Golden apples now require gold ingots instead of gold nuggets to craft
Golden apples now give Regeneration II for 10 seconds and both tiers give Absorption for 1 min 30 seconds
Glistering Melon
Glistering melons now require 8 gold nuggets
Spawn Eggs
Spawn eggs work on water
Mobs
Additions
Horses
Must be tamed before use
Ridable by right-clicking them with a saddle - Hold the jump key to fill up their jump bar, release it to jump accordingly, steer them by using the usual movement keys - maximum movement speed and jump height differ between horses
Have various amounts of maximum health - Regenerates naturally, but wheat can be used to speed it up
When killed they drop leather, as well as any equipment that they were wearing
Can be bred using Golden Apples - Baby horses can be grown using Wheat, Sugar, Bread, Apples, and Golden Apples
Creation assisted by DrZhark
Donkeys
Like horses, but smaller and grey, and can carry chests on their saddles that can be opened if sneaking and then right-clicking the donkey or mule. The chest has 15 inventory slots.
Mules
Similar to donkeys, just brown and taller than a normal donkey
Obtained by breeding a horse and a donkey
Can wear chests on their saddles, just like donkeys
Not breedable with horses, donkeys, or other mules
Skeleton and Zombie Horses
Introduced as the code of the normal Horse, although require third-party modifications to be used in the game. There is no current use at this time.
Improvements & changes
All mobs
Mobs named "Dinnerbone" or "Grumm" are now flipped upside down
Zombies
Now have a small chance to spawn additional zombies when damaged or not being looked at
Able to lock onto the player from 40 blocks away (formerly 16 blocks).
Mobbing zombies can now move when further than 32 blocks from player
Villagers
Now have sounds.
Spiders
Now have a chance to spawn with potion effects
World Generation
Additions
Improvements & changes
Deserts
No longer contain water lakes
The Nether
Added chest generation in Nether Fortresses[14]
Server needs to be updated now as well!!!
