(THIS IS NOT A SUGGESTION OR IDEA... THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN ME PUTTING WHAT CAME TO MIND IN THE SHOWER... THOUGHT TO PAPER AS IT WERE)
In real life, Apples grow on Apple Trees and Oak Trees grow Acorns.
BUT in Minecraft, Oak Trees reproduce via Saplings and produce (rarely) Apples... which has never made a whole lot of sense to... well anyone so I understand.
I think however that I figured out a good way for it to make sense (and this may allow Mojang to be able to update and modify tree physics in the future if they should so desire) ...
... Apples...
... are the fruit of a tree parasite!
Much like Missletoe, which produces small berries to reproduce IRL; in Minecraft Apples are the fruit of some kind of parasitic fungus, lichen, or other plant organism that latches onto trees. This particular fungus (which is not actually programmed in obviously, I posit this forum as just a way to make it make more sense in the minds of players) only effects Oak Trees in Minecraft. This would be a good way to also explain how an OAK Tree, which by nature is not a tree that produces Apples or other types edible "fruit" (and yes I know Acorns are technically edible fruit, I mean the word "fruit" in the colloquial generalization of the word) IRL, drops an Apple in game now and again. It would have to be something other than the tree itself producing the Apples due to them being a semi-rare drop and not the primary production of the tree itself.
---------------
In the future of Minecraft, if Mojang and the community so deemed it or if a mod-maker wanted a bit more realism, Tree Physics could be updated to make it so trees would fall over when you chopped them down and then you could chop the logs. It could even add danger to it as the tree hitting the player could cause damage. If that were the case it could also be argued that when the tree fell it would break some of the "branches" and leaf blocks would be destroyed producing Apples, Dead Bush, Sticks, and "Cuttings". The Dead Bush would replicate chunks of wood flying off the tree when it breaks, the sticks the same, and Saplings would become "Cuttings"... this of course would then require Mojang to modify the Saplings Mechanic so that trees would not drop Saplings but Cuttings... which then you would have to "graft" to a stump (where it would grow up into a tree directly) or stick it in a bucket of water or a flower pot full of water/next to water (which would mean those would have to be modified too) or a cauldron or something so that the cutting grew roots and became a sapling which could then be planted. Then they could possibly even make it so you might be able to see Apples on Oak Trees sometimes as they could add an "Apple Fungus" that grew on the tree somewhere and if it was on the side of a log you could knock it off to get the Apple but if you chopped the log with the Apple still on it, it would break the log into planks and sticks and any leaf blocks directly adjacent to it into dead bush and sticks.
:-P
Meh... or... just leave it as it is now and us players just know it is a parasitic fungus that makes for a rare and tasty treat and healing item.
(Once again, this is not a suggestion of something I want to see in game... it is just my thoughts that occurred to me. I intend this as nothing more than me making sense of something in game that does not make sense right now. Thank you.)
It makes no IRL sense... its not supposed to of course... nothing to worry about, just kind of a random thought that occurred to me that made sense at the time. Lol... no worries. :-P
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No one is more professional that I. I am a Non-Commissioned Officer, a Leader of Soldiers.
Lol. Nice. That is a really neat way of thinking of it too!
Perhaps it is a tesseract virus that spawns tiny tesseracts that Steve and Alex's eyes can only comprehend in 3 dimensions so their brains imply the shape of it as an Apple instead of the mind numbing hypnotic wobble of its true self. :-P
There are a massive number of things in the game which make no sense in the real world.
Ever tried punching a tree to get logs? Punched a cow to death (and ate it)? Seen many flying dragons lately? All chickens lay eggs, and are fertile, even alone. Oh, unless a zombie has ridden them. And so on... hundreds of examples, even with the very basics.
Eh, it's a game; why worry.
Think about the floating mobs if put on water it don't sink.
Your hypothetical fungus idea strikes pretty close to the truth. The parasite isn't a fungus, though.
In the real world there are things called "oak apples". They're galls — abnormal growths caused by wasps that lay their eggs in leaf buds (wasp larvae hatch and grow inside the protective gall). Historically these galls have been used to make writing ink. They aren't edible, though, and don't resemble actual apples.
While walking through forests near my home I often find light brownish, papery oak apples resembling the first photo in the Gallery on the Wikipedia page. I don't even have to punch an oak tree to get one! No good for taming horses, I'm afraid.
(THIS IS NOT A SUGGESTION OR IDEA... THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN ME PUTTING WHAT CAME TO MIND IN THE SHOWER... THOUGHT TO PAPER AS IT WERE)
In real life, Apples grow on Apple Trees and Oak Trees grow Acorns.
BUT in Minecraft, Oak Trees reproduce via Saplings and produce (rarely) Apples... which has never made a whole lot of sense to... well anyone so I understand.
I think however that I figured out a good way for it to make sense (and this may allow Mojang to be able to update and modify tree physics in the future if they should so desire) ...
... Apples...
... are the fruit of a tree parasite!
Much like Missletoe, which produces small berries to reproduce IRL; in Minecraft Apples are the fruit of some kind of parasitic fungus, lichen, or other plant organism that latches onto trees. This particular fungus (which is not actually programmed in obviously, I posit this forum as just a way to make it make more sense in the minds of players) only effects Oak Trees in Minecraft. This would be a good way to also explain how an OAK Tree, which by nature is not a tree that produces Apples or other types edible "fruit" (and yes I know Acorns are technically edible fruit, I mean the word "fruit" in the colloquial generalization of the word) IRL, drops an Apple in game now and again. It would have to be something other than the tree itself producing the Apples due to them being a semi-rare drop and not the primary production of the tree itself.
---------------
In the future of Minecraft, if Mojang and the community so deemed it or if a mod-maker wanted a bit more realism, Tree Physics could be updated to make it so trees would fall over when you chopped them down and then you could chop the logs. It could even add danger to it as the tree hitting the player could cause damage. If that were the case it could also be argued that when the tree fell it would break some of the "branches" and leaf blocks would be destroyed producing Apples, Dead Bush, Sticks, and "Cuttings". The Dead Bush would replicate chunks of wood flying off the tree when it breaks, the sticks the same, and Saplings would become "Cuttings"... this of course would then require Mojang to modify the Saplings Mechanic so that trees would not drop Saplings but Cuttings... which then you would have to "graft" to a stump (where it would grow up into a tree directly) or stick it in a bucket of water or a flower pot full of water/next to water (which would mean those would have to be modified too) or a cauldron or something so that the cutting grew roots and became a sapling which could then be planted. Then they could possibly even make it so you might be able to see Apples on Oak Trees sometimes as they could add an "Apple Fungus" that grew on the tree somewhere and if it was on the side of a log you could knock it off to get the Apple but if you chopped the log with the Apple still on it, it would break the log into planks and sticks and any leaf blocks directly adjacent to it into dead bush and sticks.
:-P
Meh... or... just leave it as it is now and us players just know it is a parasitic fungus that makes for a rare and tasty treat and healing item.
(Once again, this is not a suggestion of something I want to see in game... it is just my thoughts that occurred to me. I intend this as nothing more than me making sense of something in game that does not make sense right now. Thank you.)
No one is more professional that I. I am a Non-Commissioned Officer, a Leader of Soldiers.
Heh, indeed!
It makes no IRL sense... its not supposed to of course... nothing to worry about, just kind of a random thought that occurred to me that made sense at the time. Lol... no worries. :-P
No one is more professional that I. I am a Non-Commissioned Officer, a Leader of Soldiers.
Lol. Nice. That is a really neat way of thinking of it too!
Perhaps it is a tesseract virus that spawns tiny tesseracts that Steve and Alex's eyes can only comprehend in 3 dimensions so their brains imply the shape of it as an Apple instead of the mind numbing hypnotic wobble of its true self. :-P
Tesseract Apple Oak Tree Fungus... I like it!
No one is more professional that I. I am a Non-Commissioned Officer, a Leader of Soldiers.
Think about the floating mobs if put on water it don't sink.
Apple is no crap away from that!
Your hypothetical fungus idea strikes pretty close to the truth. The parasite isn't a fungus, though.
In the real world there are things called "oak apples". They're galls — abnormal growths caused by wasps that lay their eggs in leaf buds (wasp larvae hatch and grow inside the protective gall). Historically these galls have been used to make writing ink. They aren't edible, though, and don't resemble actual apples.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_apple
While walking through forests near my home I often find light brownish, papery oak apples resembling the first photo in the Gallery on the Wikipedia page. I don't even have to punch an oak tree to get one! No good for taming horses, I'm afraid.