Minecraft "Adventure Update"

Here is a little sneak peak at the next update, Minecraft 1.8 (dubbed "The Adventure Update") which is quickly turning into the biggest update we've ever seen. Adding in tons of new items, game mechanics, and even creatures, it aims to make adventuring in the massive Minecraft world even more rewarding, as well as making combat much more enjoyable.

So, what can we look forward to in this update? Here's a run-down of a few things we know so far taken from the wiki:

• • Dubbed the Adventure Update, meant to flesh out the game a bit and make exploration and combat more rewarding. Note that this is not Adventure Mode.
  • 46 new features planned (as of July 4th, 2011)
  • New features in the terrain generator; things which will only appear in new worlds/new generated areas.
    • Underground Ravines including canyons on the surface and ledges to walk on.
    • Ruins, consisting of 4 new blocks: Stone Brick, Mossy Stone Brick, Cracked Stone Brick, and Iron Bars. (names unconfirmed)
    • Strongholds, which might be an expansion, improvement, or continuation of ruins and could be underground.
    • New Mushroom biome which will include Huge Mushrooms, both brown and red.
    • Larger Biomes
  • Shift+Click on items will work correctly.
  • Labels for items will be added.
  • Multiplayer server list
    • Improved server join screen: The server join screen will feature a list of servers
  • Spike blocks, Jeb initially considered Spike Pistons, but then decided to make a Spike block that can be pushed by the Sticky Piston.
  • Player List - Press tab in multiplayer and player list comes up.
  • At least one new mob.
  • New improved lighting — day/night cycles will not require chunk updates. Lighting will be updated via a texture, whose coordinates are the block's sky light and block light levels.
    • Warmer light from torches.
  • Maybe Experience Orbs
  • Redstone circuits not working after time set (x) glitch going to be fixed in SMP.
  • NPC Villages with farms.
  • New combat Mechanics
  • New texture for Moss Stone
  • New and more farming options/items.
    • This could be the Cocoa Bean tree Jeb was talking about.
    • Plantable pumpkins and melons, each with a central stem that grows to max size and spawns a fruit next to it.
    • Possibly farming animals and baby animals 
  • Different game modes.
    • Limited flying in Creative mode
  • The ability to allow moderators to enter creative mode in SMP.
  • Sliders for field of view, gamma and brightness in video options.
  • New launcher (Possibly).
    • Possibly a web Applet launcher.
    • Confirmed new launcher "features".
  • User placed leaf blocks won't decay.
  • A lot of new sounds and some changes, such as minecart sounds and shear sounds, also a change in the sound of rain.
    • New bow sounds (including hits), new door sounds, big slimes sound, and walking skeletons sound more skeletony.
  • Sprinting: By double pressing the forward button, the player will move faster.
  • Critical hits
  • Hold-to-charge bows^[45]
  • Animal breeding^[46]
  • Player blocking attack animation and hostile mob attack animations, possibly more player animations^[47][48]
    • Food eating animation 
  • New achievements
    • Possibly Shoot the Moon with an arrow.
    • Kill a skeleton with an arrow at 50 meters
  • Perhaps new particle effects.
  • New Food & Hunger System:
    • Food no longer heals directly but indirectly
    • There is now a hunger bar
    • Food will be stackable 
    • Food takes now 1.6 seconds to consume
    • There is now a food eating animation There will be most likely sound effects for consuming food.
    • Hunger is possibly optional since according to Notch it will be possible to play without food
  • 5 new food items
    • Cooked Chicken 
    • Raw Chicken
    • Potentially Steak (or some other food item from cows)
    • Possibly Melons as food.
  • Redesigned HUD, including two new features, hunger and possibly XP bars.
  • Modding Support
    • Including easier Modding of the max level (map) height.
  • Glass Panes are introduced.
  • Other secret projects
  
  
  I personally happen to be a huge fan of Minecraft as you can see from some of my earlier reviews/articles on the game:  
  Minecraft Review
  Minecraft Survival Guide
  A Connection Between Minecraft and Online Marketing