Dryout — desert redone
Visit the newly revamped desert with Dryout, an addon that fills the biome with much-needed fresh content. I've previously covered another attempt to overhaul the desert with the Kemet addon — and while both addons take on the exact same challenge, their approaches couldn't be more different.
Credits: RaysOnLive
A Classic Combo
The addon uses a classic combination of new mobs and structures as its foundation. You can almost never go wrong with this approach — in fact, Minecraft's developers have historically used a similar blueprint when reworking biomes. What really matters is how naturally the additions fit the biome's theme and how unique the new mobs feel.
- Mobs: Scorpions, Scarabs, Mummies, Tarantulas, and Tumbleweeds.
- Structures: Tombs, Towers, Altars, and Temples.
While some of these mobs are fairly basic with standard behaviors, the Tarantula is a standout boss fight. Not only was the battle challenging, but the boss also actively summoned minions and used powerful area-of-effect (AoE) attacks. To survive that fight, I had to rely on another key mechanic introduced in this addon: Elemental Books.
A Touch of Magic
Elemental Books and Trinkets are two types of magical items introduced in this addon. There are elemental books for Fire, Nature, Water, Earth, and Thunder — each bound with three distinct spells. Tapping while holding a book casts its base spell at the cost of mana (yes, the addon introduces a full mana system!). However, if you crouch and tap, the book opens a sub-menu to let you select from additional spells.
Trinkets provide passive buffs as long as you hold them in either hand. Both books and trinkets can be found as rare loot inside temples and ancient structures throughout the desert.
As a cherry on top, the addon includes its own custom achievements with goals like visiting specific structures or defeating certain mobs. It's a great touch that actively incentivizes players to go out and explore!