You might be asking yourself "why beta minecraft? Why not just play the newest version?"
Because I want to, that's why.
Jokes aside, the reason I'm starting this series on beta Minecraft is for a few reasons:
Nostalgia. Beta Minecraft holds a certain nostalgia for me. I first played Minecraft circa release 1.2, however outside of playing at a friend's house or playing on my parent's outdated Dell Optiplex, I didn't really get to play much. When Xbox 360 edition came out, this was when I REALLY got into Minecraft. While Java edition was in release 1.2/1.3, Xbox 360 edition launched copying beta 1.6.6. Where you had to punch sheep to get wool. The next big update mirrored beta 1.7.3. I'm nostalgic for both 1.6.6 and 1.7.3, but I find I enjoy the features added by 1.7.3, most notable being pistons and using a sheer in order sheer sheep (though this is a take-it-or-leave-it feature).
Simplicity. The game has less features (duh, its a beta). However, it is not incomplete. There is a lot that can be done in this version of Minecraft, however the simplicity prevents being overwhelm. The simple palette forces you to be creative in your block choices when building. There isn't a progression system you follow (outside of getting better tools). I feel like in modern versions of minecraft, in order to progress you have to do these complex builds which are basically just resource farms. XP farms, Iron farms, villager farms, enderman farms, etc. It's not required by any means, but it is HEAVILY encouraged.
Gameplay style. 1.7.3 is the last update that had the old health system. Before sprint and hunger came out, food healed any lost hearts directly.
Will I update the game in the future? Possibly. I want to keep the game in the "Golden Era" of Minecraft, so if I DO update, it'll only be up-to release 1.2.5. The idea is to take the game slow, and REALLY delve into the world, enjoy the simplicity.
My aim is to avoid the seeming "youtubification", where you're just trying to make these crazy builds to retain an audience's attention and get pushed in the algorithm rather than just trying to enjoy the game for what it is.
No "100 days" challenges, no insane mega-structures, just simple bare-bones Minecraft.