The pre-Classic version rd-20090515 was developed on May 16, 2009, around 00:25 CEST. This update introduced several new features, including new blocks, block picking, fullscreen support, hills, and more. The version was never officially released. Although the launcher contains a version labeled “rd-20090515,” it actually runs rd-161348, which is a later pre-Classic version.
Additions
Blocks
- Cobblestone – Reused the previous stone texture with slight modifications.
- Dirt – A new block generated beneath grass; it can transform into grass when next to existing grass blocks.
- Planks – A new wooden building block.
Gameplay
- Controls – Introduced a thin crosshair (+) for aiming.
- Block Picking – Players can now select blocks using number keys 1–4.
- The currently selected block is displayed in the top-right corner.
- Fullscreen Mode – Added support for fullscreen gameplay.
- Mob Spawning – Pressing G spawns mobs in the world.
General
- Added support for different block types and dynamic blocks.
- A thin layer of fog now appears in the distance on lit surfaces.
Changes
Blocks
- Grass Block – Texture updated; grass reverts to dirt over time when unlit or blocked from above. Placement of grass blocks was removed.
- Stone – Texture updated from the previous version.
Mobs
- Mob Count – Reduced from 100 to 10.
- Mobs falling below Y = -100 are removed from the world.
- Mobs now appear darker when in shade.
Non-Mob Entities
- Player Physics – Improved movement: jumping farther, faster walking and falling. Movement in midair is slower.
World Generation
- Terrain – Introduced hills and occasional cliffs, replacing the fully flat world of earlier pre-Classic versions.
General
- The game was temporarily renamed from “Cave Game” to “Minecraft: Order of the Stone” in this version.
- Shadows and lighting were brightened for better visibility.
Technical
Level Generation
- Worlds created in this version are no longer fully flat.
- Loading older pre-Classic worlds converts most blocks to stone with some patches of grass.
Trivia
- This version is featured in the “Minecraft progress” video.
- The “rd” in the version number stands for RubyDung, a game Notch worked on before Minecraft, whose code was reused.
- Although a duplicate labeled rd-20090515 exists in the launcher, attempting to download it retrieves rd-161348, a later pre-Classic version.