Okay, so I've been thinking about Skylands. Not The End, but the Skylands Notch had been working on before he decided to make it The End. The floating-continent-in-the-sky Skylands. Frankly, this was something I was immensely looking forward to, as I greatly miss playing on the sky islands way back in Indev, and I was very much let down when Notch decided to switch it out for The End as we see it today. However, I do respect his reason for it: it looked ugly, and wasn't really working well.
So naturally I started thinking about how I might make it better, if it were up to me, and I believe I've stumbled across a clever idea that would not only work, but look and feel really neat and add an interesting new dimension to gameplay.
The idea hinges on two basic principles. First is that Skylands, or the Aether as I prefer to think of it in this system, would not be a separate space that you go to, like the Nether and The End currently are. The Aether would be generated in and exist as a part of the normal minecraft world, or the 'Overworld' as it's called. And just to clear up potential confusion because a friend interpreted it this way, I don't mean that the Aether would be another map sitting on top of the existing one, but rather that the Aether would generate in the same exact space occupied by the overworld.
By this point I'm assuming some of you are rather confused. After all, how can the Aether and the Overworld exist at the same time, in the same map? The answer is in a new block property. Much as blocks have a property that describes whether or not they are transparent, blocks would have another property dictating whether or not they are an Aether block or an Overworld block. The purpose of this is that while you are in the Overworld, any and all Aether blocks are white, transparent, and most importantly, incorporeal. You can walk right through them, you can't target them, or interact with them in any way. As long as you remain in the Overworld, Aether blocks are essentially little more than fog, and interacting with them in any way, shape, or form is completely impossible, though if you manage to place an Overworld block where an Aether block currently is (by placing it against a neighboring Overworld block), the block you just placed will replace the Aether block that was there, much like placing a block in a pool of water will replace the block of water that was there before.
This principle also works in reverse: while in the Aether, Aether blocks are solid and tangible, and any and all Overworld blocks are mist-like and incorporeal. Transferring between the two planes is accomplished through the use of an Aether Portal. Aether Portal blocks would be the only blocks that are tangible in both the Overworld and the Aether. On the plus side, having the Aether as part of the same map as the Overworld means there's no guesswork involved; there is only one portal, and the only thing that changes when you pass through it is which blocks are solid and which blocks are not.
Moving on to Structure, the Aether would not be a large floating continent. Rather, it would be a series of sky islands, ranging from about thirty to maybe a hundred blocks across, and they would generate with plenty of space between them. Lots of free, open sky. Ideally, when standing on one you should be able to see a small number of your nearest neighbors, but not too many. Further, sky islands would not generate just at the top of the map, but through the entire map height!
And here's where we touch on why I REALLY like this idea. Remember back when I said that when you're in the Overworld, any and all Aether material is white, see-through, and intangible? If you're standing in the Overworld, what do those white, see through, intangible islands floating up there look like? If you said 'clouds', don't give yourself a pat on the back or anything, 'cause it's pretty obvious. Under this system, the Aether would actually add to the aesthetic of the game, because they would create large, irregularly-shaped clouds up in the sky. And that's not all; lower down they'd also create low hanging clouds to break dramatically against nearby mountains, or rolling banks of fog clinging to certain patches of land. And for those that spawn in the lower half of the map box (recalling that they spawn throughout the entire playable space), they would create mysterious mist-filled caverns underground.
This also works favorably inside the Aether. When in the Aether, the endless sea of Overworld blocks below creates an unbroken cloud layer that really adds to the appeal, even if you only see the highest parts of it due to the Strata.
Which brings me to one of the unique features that I think the Aether should possess. While the Overworld is divided into two strata (above sea level and below sea level), the Aether would be divided into four, each inhabiting a quarter of the playable space. The top strata would be clear skies, with only the normal game-generated cloud cover drifting lazily overhead. This would be the most player-friendly zone, due to the high visibility, virtually non-existant shadow from overhead islands, and daylight. It's also the only strata where you can see out to the far distance.
The top of the second strata could be called 'sea level' in the Aether, for from here on downwards, the world is filled with an endless sea of mist. This wouldn't be the block-mist of Overworld blocks as they exist in the Aether, but rather an endless, solid mist 'effect' like the clouds that drift overhead in the current game world. As a result, this mist layer defines the absolute lowest point of clear sky and the beginning of the sea of clouds that are a part of the Aether's aesthetic. This mist would reduce visibility somewhat, as well as block out some sunlight, but it would still be bright enough to keep hostile mobs from spawning during the day.
The third strata is where things start to get ugly. The mist effect is still present in the third strata, but it's thicker and darker. Worse, at this level it rains constantly, so hostile mobs don't de-spawn or take damage during the day, and the fog effect further reduces visibility, so you probably couldn't see more than about fifteen blocks away. The third strata is not friendly, nor is it the ideal place to take residence.
And then there's the fourth strata, at the bottom quarter of the world. Down here, it's dark even during the day, letting hostiles spawn continuously at all hours, and black as the depths of an unlit cave at night. The rain is still present, visibility is severely reduced, similar to what it is near the Void, and there's lightning. Constant, unceasing lightning. The fourth strata is a thunderstorm that never ends (though of course modifications would need to be made so you only hear lightning when you're below it; wouldn't want unending thundering booms while you're in the upper strata). Worse, the limited number of clocks lightning can actually hit, being FAR less in number than in the Overworld, exponentially increases the odds of being struck. Standing on the surface in the fourth strata for any sizeable length of time is a really, REALLY bad idea. Though of course you'll need to come down here; like in the Overworld, some materials in the Aether can only be found at certain depths.
Which leads to the concept of transport. Players need to be able to get around between the Aether islands, but building bridges between all of them is both inconvenient and unsightly to the cloud aesthetic the Aether creates while in the Overworld, and so some form of flying transport (possibly air balloons) would be required. Further, there's the trouble of liquid. The current liquids (water and lava) would make power-mining from the Aether a breeze. It would be far too easy to enter the Aether, make a small lake of water, bust out the bottom, and let it flood all the way down, wiping out any currently intangible overworld blocks on their way down and replacing them with air. So I thought to remove the current liquids entirely. The Aether has only one 'liquid', a white, flowing substance that looks like very thick, liquid fog. It spreads like a liquid, but it won't pass through Overworld blocks that are currently intangible; it'll just spread out and pool on top of them, the logic being that it's less dense than the 'block mist' that is the Overworld material. On the other hand, while the player character can suffocate in it, he cannot actually SWIM in it. You'll move, walk, and jump as if the liquid isn't there, but your breath meter will appear, then drain, and you will drown as long as you remain in it, so try not to fall into a pit of the stuff. As to water and lava, lava will immediately harden into obsidian upon being placed in the Aether, and water will evaporate into this white fog-stuff as soon as it's placed.
Lastly, there should ideally be a wide variety of 'stuff' in the Aether, much of which should be new. Perhaps not everything, but I would expect to see new mobs, both passive and hostile. New foliage and growable plants, new minerals to mine and excavate, etc etc.
If anyone is interested in this idea, please post your suggestions or revisions. Or, if you REALLY like it, try to get Notch's attention. I'm very interested to see what people have to say here. :3
I like the idea, but I think the top half should be layer 1. The top half of the remainder should be layer 2. The top half of the remainder is layer 3. The top 3/4 of the remainder is layer 4, and then the remainder should be layer 5. Layer 5 is constant thunderstorm, light level is 5 in the day and 0 at night, pools of liquid fog extremely common, and scattered primed TNT falls down.
So, here is the structure I would like to see (each new number represents a whole row of the map. I only do it since 128 rows would be a little too long.
Excellent idea, just structure your post a little better so people can read it more easily. ^^
Also, before getting Notch's attention, let's work more in the idea...
Now, some questions and suggestions:
-> If the Aether in this case are the clouds around, what happens with it when it rains? The islands go away to return later? They drop their contents in the ground? Water in this case can be used to create Aether content, evaporating it? This would make some steampunk disappointed(inability to work with steam), but hey, we could have some AETHERpunk crafting!
Or, of course, we still have normal clouds that rain, evaporate and become clouds again.
-> Idea for movement in the islands: in the Aether, wind currents there are impossible to see in the Overworld become tangible and alterable. So, players can use them to navigate in the two upper strata just jumping in them. Of course, with some care to avoid falling to the lower layers.
-> Idea for movement in the islands: in the Aether, gravity is lowered, and double and even triple jumping becomes a possibility. This lowers damage in falling and allows for quick travelling in the islands. To make the lower strata more omnious, the gravity there is normal, so getting in is harder than getting out.
-> Idea for movement in the islands: the Manta is a passive mob that floats around the both upper strata, looking for plants that use as food and other manta for mating. Planting the food that it eats assures that soon or later one will come for feeding and then will fly away. It size enables a courageous player to jump in it and take a ride to the next island.
-> Idea for a mob in the lower strata: when lightning falls too many times in the same small area, they stop falling. That means a Lightning Siphoon is born. A Lightning Siphoon is a natural magnet to lightning, that wanders in the lower strata, seeking for understanding it's own condition. In a 24 square around him, EVERY LIGHTNING goes straight into him, not in the ground. He's a passive mob, only attacking when threatned.
Still, when passive, every minute he does an eletrical discharge, making several travelling arcs of eletricity that does a slow amount of damage... except in case the player is using metal armor, in this case, except for 2x damage. The arcs flow around metal ore blocks, what helps to find them.
Also, he liberates randomly three-fours small Ball Lightning, a specific Aether phenomena that can exists without the Lightning Siphoon. The Ball Lightning(Wikipedia Link) floats around in random directions, making static noises and changing color, with enough light to avoid spawning. When the static gets louder, it's a signal that it will explodes.
Finally, the Ball Lightning is attracted by good amounts of metal... metal armor included.
-----------------------
The Lightning Siphoon and the Ball Lightning are there so the player can realize that the rules regarding his own safety changes dramatically while in the lower strata, so he has to change his strategies and seek material that allows him to defend himself there.
Also, i left some information about both missing, please be free to finish the gaps. ^^
This seems like a really nice idea, though not perfect. The first thing that comes to mind is the constant rain at lower strata. For a lot of people this would be hell on their performance. A possible alternative is simulated rain. The fog is given a blueish tinge, occasional particle effects play, though without the frequency of surface rain, light is reduced and there are constant storm sounds. There could be occasional "thunderstorms" where lightning strikes happen often, with the lowest level having lightning strikes able to occur at any time.
Another problem, though, comes from the overworld. If it becomes intangible when you go through a portal, and if the world is stratified, two problems occur. First is that you must build a portal high up, or you will appear in the most dangerous strata. This isn't too bad, but the second is worse. To have a usable portal, you would need to find a place where an aether cloud touches land, or else you would simply plummet to your doom when you stepped through, due to the lack of ground beneath your feet.
They should. I was just saying that as of now, the blocks don't have properties stating whether they're transparent or not, and other things.
When I say 'transparent', what I mean is whether or not sunlight can pass through them. That isn't decided by the textures. By means of example, for the longest time stairs, which have a solid texture, would let sunlight pass through them.
I like the idea, but I think the top half should be layer 1. The top half of the remainder should be layer 2. The top half of the remainder is layer 3. The top 3/4 of the remainder is layer 4, and then the remainder should be layer 5. Layer 5 is constant thunderstorm, light level is 5 in the day and 0 at night, pools of liquid fog extremely common, and scattered primed TNT falls down.
So, here is the structure I would like to see (each new number represents a whole row of the map. I only do it since 128 rows would be a little too long.
I thought about doing that for a while myself, but decided against it. I wanted each of the strata to have a playable space big enough to be worthwhile. And while this really expands the upper strata, the lower ones become very squished and confined. I mean, really, a five block wide layer considered a strata and possessed of its own properties? It just doesn't work very well.
Excellent idea, just structure your post a little better so people can read it more easily. ^^
Also, before getting Notch's attention, let's work more in the idea...
Now, some questions and suggestions:
-> If the Aether in this case are the clouds around, what happens with it when it rains? The islands go away to return later? They drop their contents in the ground? Water in this case can be used to create Aether content, evaporating it? This would make some steampunk disappointed(inability to work with steam), but hey, we could have some AETHERpunk crafting!
Or, of course, we still have normal clouds that rain, evaporate and become clouds again.
-> Idea for movement in the islands: in the Aether, wind currents there are impossible to see in the Overworld become tangible and alterable. So, players can use them to navigate in the two upper strata just jumping in them. Of course, with some care to avoid falling to the lower layers.
-> Idea for movement in the islands: in the Aether, gravity is lowered, and double and even triple jumping becomes a possibility. This lowers damage in falling and allows for quick travelling in the islands. To make the lower strata more omnious, the gravity there is normal, so getting in is harder than getting out.
-> Idea for movement in the islands: the Manta is a passive mob that floats around the both upper strata, looking for plants that use as food and other manta for mating. Planting the food that it eats assures that soon or later one will come for feeding and then will fly away. It size enables a courageous player to jump in it and take a ride to the next island.
-> Idea for a mob in the lower strata: when lightning falls too many times in the same small area, they stop falling. That means a Lightning Siphoon is born. A Lightning Siphoon is a natural magnet to lightning, that wanders in the lower strata, seeking for understanding it's own condition. In a 24 square around him, EVERY LIGHTNING goes straight into him, not in the ground. He's a passive mob, only attacking when threatned.
Still, when passive, every minute he does an eletrical discharge, making several travelling arcs of eletricity that does a slow amount of damage... except in case the player is using metal armor, in this case, except for 2x damage. The arcs flow around metal ore blocks, what helps to find them.
Also, he liberates randomly three-fours small Ball Lightning, a specific Aether phenomena that can exists without the Lightning Siphoon. The Ball Lightning(Wikipedia Link) floats around in random directions, making static noises and changing color, with enough light to avoid spawning. When the static gets louder, it's a signal that it will explodes.
Finally, the Ball Lightning is attracted by good amounts of metal... metal armor included.
-----------------------
The Lightning Siphoon and the Ball Lightning are there so the player can realize that the rules regarding his own safety changes dramatically while in the lower strata, so he has to change his strategies and seek material that allows him to defend himself there.
Also, i left some information about both missing, please be free to finish the gaps. ^^
Let's see, where to begin...
Well, first off, recall that aether and overworld blocks exist in the same map. It's just that at any given time, one is tangible to the player and one is not. This means that anything that would pass through the intangible matter, such as flowing water, would replace the existing matter with its own block ID. That's just how the logic of the game works. However, rain is not a block, nor does it effect blocks. Rain is a particle effect, and so it would do absolutely nothing to either Aether OR Overworld blocks whatsoever.
As to the transportation options, I have issues with the first two. Requiring the game to process the effects of a whole slew of very active and mobile wind currents might do bad things on slow computers. And as for the jump height, I have no idea how simple or difficult it would be to alter player physics for a different dimension, so that could go either way. The manta ray idea I like however.
As to the lightning siphoon, it sounds interesting. Keep posting interesting ideas and maybe they'll get somewhere. As for myself, I'm not really qualified to judge how well that would work in game, so I'll leave that to the experts.
This seems like a really nice idea, though not perfect. The first thing that comes to mind is the constant rain at lower strata. For a lot of people this would be hell on their performance. A possible alternative is simulated rain. The fog is given a blueish tinge, occasional particle effects play, though without the frequency of surface rain, light is reduced and there are constant storm sounds. There could be occasional "thunderstorms" where lightning strikes happen often, with the lowest level having lightning strikes able to occur at any time.
Another problem, though, comes from the overworld. If it becomes intangible when you go through a portal, and if the world is stratified, two problems occur. First is that you must build a portal high up, or you will appear in the most dangerous strata. This isn't too bad, but the second is worse. To have a usable portal, you would need to find a place where an aether cloud touches land, or else you would simply plummet to your doom when you stepped through, due to the lack of ground beneath your feet.
I'll admit I hadn't considered the processing power needed to create rain. You're right, it might do something to slower computers, so that's worth noting. The second concern, however, really isn't a concern at all. The whole point of being able to actually see the other, intangible plane as blocks of white mist allows you to know exactly where they are, and exactly where you'll be when you shift planes. You're not SUPPOSED to build an aether portal just any old place; you're supposed to build a structure to get yourself up to the clouds, like a big stairway or something, and build your portal there, or else tunnel down until you hit a mist-filled cavern that indicates a lower strata aether island and build there. Same thing with going back to the overworld: either go back through the portal you already made or go to where the overworld is (since, again, you can see it) and build a new portal there.
This may seem cool but in my view applying it would be inanely complex.
It would be far easier to just add a new dimension as you wouldn't have conflicting blocks.
Another problem is if someone wanted to make a combination of Aether and overworld blocks for mechanisms it wouldn't work.
The idea is good but the only manageable part would be the ground as decoration appearing in the aether. (i.e. under the height limit).
As for first suggestion wise very good and well thought through, it's just I think it would be easier to add a new realm.
Well, here's the thing. There would be at least some blocks in the Aether that do not naturally exist in the Overworld, and vice versa. However, any item in your inventory shifts planes along with you when you go into a portal. You could BRING overworld blocks into the Aether and place them there, and just as easily extract Aether materials and bring them back to the overworld. As to mechanisms between the two, it's entirely possible that one of the new aether materials might be capable of sending a 'charge' through to the other plane. This would allow for some extremely interesting contraptions.
And here I came thinking I would need to rage on some noob who wanted the Aether mod incorporated into the game.
This would take the Aether/Skylands to a whole new level...and one which I like a LOT. While the lack of water saddens me, it makes sense since you would be so high up (and thus water really couldn't exist in its regular state).
If anything, I like that you dealt more with the physics aspect of the Skylands rather than the content (mobs, ores, etc.). I'm able to take you far more seriously because you don't have any fluff material.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Teacher, gamer, and writer.
Creator of "The Wizard Gandy" Minecraft map series.
You bought a tear to my eye...this is by far the best idea i have heard in a long time - and not that The End is bad but I was also hoping for some sort of skylands.
Here is your full of cookies and cake.
And here I came thinking I would need to rage on some noob who wanted the Aether mod incorporated into the game.This would take the Aether/Skylands to a whole new level...and one which I like a LOT. While the lack of water saddens me, it makes sense since you would be so high up (and thus water really couldn't exist in its regular state).If anything, I like that you dealt more with the physics aspect of the Skylands rather than the content (mobs, ores, etc.). I'm able to take you far more seriously because you don't have any fluff material.
Yeah, I believe that the physics have to be solid and enjoyable to play in before the content can really do any good. I just wish I knew how to code; if I had any inkling at all of how to do coding, I might try and make a mod just to see what this kind of system would look/feel like. As it is though, all I can do is post the idea and hope someone else'll take interest. :3
So naturally I started thinking about how I might make it better, if it were up to me, and I believe I've stumbled across a clever idea that would not only work, but look and feel really neat and add an interesting new dimension to gameplay.
The idea hinges on two basic principles. First is that Skylands, or the Aether as I prefer to think of it in this system, would not be a separate space that you go to, like the Nether and The End currently are. The Aether would be generated in and exist as a part of the normal minecraft world, or the 'Overworld' as it's called. And just to clear up potential confusion because a friend interpreted it this way, I don't mean that the Aether would be another map sitting on top of the existing one, but rather that the Aether would generate in the same exact space occupied by the overworld.
By this point I'm assuming some of you are rather confused. After all, how can the Aether and the Overworld exist at the same time, in the same map? The answer is in a new block property. Much as blocks have a property that describes whether or not they are transparent, blocks would have another property dictating whether or not they are an Aether block or an Overworld block. The purpose of this is that while you are in the Overworld, any and all Aether blocks are white, transparent, and most importantly, incorporeal. You can walk right through them, you can't target them, or interact with them in any way. As long as you remain in the Overworld, Aether blocks are essentially little more than fog, and interacting with them in any way, shape, or form is completely impossible, though if you manage to place an Overworld block where an Aether block currently is (by placing it against a neighboring Overworld block), the block you just placed will replace the Aether block that was there, much like placing a block in a pool of water will replace the block of water that was there before.
This principle also works in reverse: while in the Aether, Aether blocks are solid and tangible, and any and all Overworld blocks are mist-like and incorporeal. Transferring between the two planes is accomplished through the use of an Aether Portal. Aether Portal blocks would be the only blocks that are tangible in both the Overworld and the Aether. On the plus side, having the Aether as part of the same map as the Overworld means there's no guesswork involved; there is only one portal, and the only thing that changes when you pass through it is which blocks are solid and which blocks are not.
Moving on to Structure, the Aether would not be a large floating continent. Rather, it would be a series of sky islands, ranging from about thirty to maybe a hundred blocks across, and they would generate with plenty of space between them. Lots of free, open sky. Ideally, when standing on one you should be able to see a small number of your nearest neighbors, but not too many. Further, sky islands would not generate just at the top of the map, but through the entire map height!
And here's where we touch on why I REALLY like this idea. Remember back when I said that when you're in the Overworld, any and all Aether material is white, see-through, and intangible? If you're standing in the Overworld, what do those white, see through, intangible islands floating up there look like? If you said 'clouds', don't give yourself a pat on the back or anything, 'cause it's pretty obvious. Under this system, the Aether would actually add to the aesthetic of the game, because they would create large, irregularly-shaped clouds up in the sky. And that's not all; lower down they'd also create low hanging clouds to break dramatically against nearby mountains, or rolling banks of fog clinging to certain patches of land. And for those that spawn in the lower half of the map box (recalling that they spawn throughout the entire playable space), they would create mysterious mist-filled caverns underground.
This also works favorably inside the Aether. When in the Aether, the endless sea of Overworld blocks below creates an unbroken cloud layer that really adds to the appeal, even if you only see the highest parts of it due to the Strata.
Which brings me to one of the unique features that I think the Aether should possess. While the Overworld is divided into two strata (above sea level and below sea level), the Aether would be divided into four, each inhabiting a quarter of the playable space. The top strata would be clear skies, with only the normal game-generated cloud cover drifting lazily overhead. This would be the most player-friendly zone, due to the high visibility, virtually non-existant shadow from overhead islands, and daylight. It's also the only strata where you can see out to the far distance.
The top of the second strata could be called 'sea level' in the Aether, for from here on downwards, the world is filled with an endless sea of mist. This wouldn't be the block-mist of Overworld blocks as they exist in the Aether, but rather an endless, solid mist 'effect' like the clouds that drift overhead in the current game world. As a result, this mist layer defines the absolute lowest point of clear sky and the beginning of the sea of clouds that are a part of the Aether's aesthetic. This mist would reduce visibility somewhat, as well as block out some sunlight, but it would still be bright enough to keep hostile mobs from spawning during the day.
The third strata is where things start to get ugly. The mist effect is still present in the third strata, but it's thicker and darker. Worse, at this level it rains constantly, so hostile mobs don't de-spawn or take damage during the day, and the fog effect further reduces visibility, so you probably couldn't see more than about fifteen blocks away. The third strata is not friendly, nor is it the ideal place to take residence.
And then there's the fourth strata, at the bottom quarter of the world. Down here, it's dark even during the day, letting hostiles spawn continuously at all hours, and black as the depths of an unlit cave at night. The rain is still present, visibility is severely reduced, similar to what it is near the Void, and there's lightning. Constant, unceasing lightning. The fourth strata is a thunderstorm that never ends (though of course modifications would need to be made so you only hear lightning when you're below it; wouldn't want unending thundering booms while you're in the upper strata). Worse, the limited number of clocks lightning can actually hit, being FAR less in number than in the Overworld, exponentially increases the odds of being struck. Standing on the surface in the fourth strata for any sizeable length of time is a really, REALLY bad idea. Though of course you'll need to come down here; like in the Overworld, some materials in the Aether can only be found at certain depths.
Which leads to the concept of transport. Players need to be able to get around between the Aether islands, but building bridges between all of them is both inconvenient and unsightly to the cloud aesthetic the Aether creates while in the Overworld, and so some form of flying transport (possibly air balloons) would be required. Further, there's the trouble of liquid. The current liquids (water and lava) would make power-mining from the Aether a breeze. It would be far too easy to enter the Aether, make a small lake of water, bust out the bottom, and let it flood all the way down, wiping out any currently intangible overworld blocks on their way down and replacing them with air. So I thought to remove the current liquids entirely. The Aether has only one 'liquid', a white, flowing substance that looks like very thick, liquid fog. It spreads like a liquid, but it won't pass through Overworld blocks that are currently intangible; it'll just spread out and pool on top of them, the logic being that it's less dense than the 'block mist' that is the Overworld material. On the other hand, while the player character can suffocate in it, he cannot actually SWIM in it. You'll move, walk, and jump as if the liquid isn't there, but your breath meter will appear, then drain, and you will drown as long as you remain in it, so try not to fall into a pit of the stuff. As to water and lava, lava will immediately harden into obsidian upon being placed in the Aether, and water will evaporate into this white fog-stuff as soon as it's placed.
Lastly, there should ideally be a wide variety of 'stuff' in the Aether, much of which should be new. Perhaps not everything, but I would expect to see new mobs, both passive and hostile. New foliage and growable plants, new minerals to mine and excavate, etc etc.
If anyone is interested in this idea, please post your suggestions or revisions. Or, if you REALLY like it, try to get Notch's attention. I'm very interested to see what people have to say here. :3
Hey, thanks! And that was a VERY fast reply. I JUST finished posting. xD
I'm not normally a forum-posting kinda guy. I'm on forums, but I'm more of a lurker. I only post if I have something I really, REALLY wanna say. xD
(As far as I know) Blocks don't have a property saying whether they're transparent or not. That's all decided by the textures.
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Note: I can say there is a mod for this as long as i also contribute to the suggestion which I did
Click them or they will click you
So, here is the structure I would like to see (each new number represents a whole row of the map. I only do it since 128 rows would be a little too long.
11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111112222222222222222222222222222222233333333333333334444444444445555
Why does everyone think I don't have an avatar? Is there anyone who can see the one black pixel.
Please click the dragons, they need to grow. Also, my fully grown dragons can be found in my bio.
Also, before getting Notch's attention, let's work more in the idea...
Now, some questions and suggestions:
-> If the Aether in this case are the clouds around, what happens with it when it rains? The islands go away to return later? They drop their contents in the ground? Water in this case can be used to create Aether content, evaporating it? This would make some steampunk disappointed(inability to work with steam), but hey, we could have some AETHERpunk crafting!
Or, of course, we still have normal clouds that rain, evaporate and become clouds again.
-> Idea for movement in the islands: in the Aether, wind currents there are impossible to see in the Overworld become tangible and alterable. So, players can use them to navigate in the two upper strata just jumping in them. Of course, with some care to avoid falling to the lower layers.
-> Idea for movement in the islands: in the Aether, gravity is lowered, and double and even triple jumping becomes a possibility. This lowers damage in falling and allows for quick travelling in the islands. To make the lower strata more omnious, the gravity there is normal, so getting in is harder than getting out.
-> Idea for movement in the islands: the Manta is a passive mob that floats around the both upper strata, looking for plants that use as food and other manta for mating. Planting the food that it eats assures that soon or later one will come for feeding and then will fly away. It size enables a courageous player to jump in it and take a ride to the next island.
-> Idea for a mob in the lower strata: when lightning falls too many times in the same small area, they stop falling. That means a Lightning Siphoon is born. A Lightning Siphoon is a natural magnet to lightning, that wanders in the lower strata, seeking for understanding it's own condition. In a 24 square around him, EVERY LIGHTNING goes straight into him, not in the ground. He's a passive mob, only attacking when threatned.
Still, when passive, every minute he does an eletrical discharge, making several travelling arcs of eletricity that does a slow amount of damage... except in case the player is using metal armor, in this case, except for 2x damage. The arcs flow around metal ore blocks, what helps to find them.
Also, he liberates randomly three-fours small Ball Lightning, a specific Aether phenomena that can exists without the Lightning Siphoon. The Ball Lightning(Wikipedia Link) floats around in random directions, making static noises and changing color, with enough light to avoid spawning. When the static gets louder, it's a signal that it will explodes.
Finally, the Ball Lightning is attracted by good amounts of metal... metal armor included.
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The Lightning Siphoon and the Ball Lightning are there so the player can realize that the rules regarding his own safety changes dramatically while in the lower strata, so he has to change his strategies and seek material that allows him to defend himself there.
Also, i left some information about both missing, please be free to finish the gaps. ^^
Another problem, though, comes from the overworld. If it becomes intangible when you go through a portal, and if the world is stratified, two problems occur. First is that you must build a portal high up, or you will appear in the most dangerous strata. This isn't too bad, but the second is worse. To have a usable portal, you would need to find a place where an aether cloud touches land, or else you would simply plummet to your doom when you stepped through, due to the lack of ground beneath your feet.
When I say 'transparent', what I mean is whether or not sunlight can pass through them. That isn't decided by the textures. By means of example, for the longest time stairs, which have a solid texture, would let sunlight pass through them.
I thought about doing that for a while myself, but decided against it. I wanted each of the strata to have a playable space big enough to be worthwhile. And while this really expands the upper strata, the lower ones become very squished and confined. I mean, really, a five block wide layer considered a strata and possessed of its own properties? It just doesn't work very well.
Let's see, where to begin...
Well, first off, recall that aether and overworld blocks exist in the same map. It's just that at any given time, one is tangible to the player and one is not. This means that anything that would pass through the intangible matter, such as flowing water, would replace the existing matter with its own block ID. That's just how the logic of the game works. However, rain is not a block, nor does it effect blocks. Rain is a particle effect, and so it would do absolutely nothing to either Aether OR Overworld blocks whatsoever.
As to the transportation options, I have issues with the first two. Requiring the game to process the effects of a whole slew of very active and mobile wind currents might do bad things on slow computers. And as for the jump height, I have no idea how simple or difficult it would be to alter player physics for a different dimension, so that could go either way. The manta ray idea I like however.
As to the lightning siphoon, it sounds interesting. Keep posting interesting ideas and maybe they'll get somewhere. As for myself, I'm not really qualified to judge how well that would work in game, so I'll leave that to the experts.
I'll admit I hadn't considered the processing power needed to create rain. You're right, it might do something to slower computers, so that's worth noting. The second concern, however, really isn't a concern at all. The whole point of being able to actually see the other, intangible plane as blocks of white mist allows you to know exactly where they are, and exactly where you'll be when you shift planes. You're not SUPPOSED to build an aether portal just any old place; you're supposed to build a structure to get yourself up to the clouds, like a big stairway or something, and build your portal there, or else tunnel down until you hit a mist-filled cavern that indicates a lower strata aether island and build there. Same thing with going back to the overworld: either go back through the portal you already made or go to where the overworld is (since, again, you can see it) and build a new portal there.
Well, here's the thing. There would be at least some blocks in the Aether that do not naturally exist in the Overworld, and vice versa. However, any item in your inventory shifts planes along with you when you go into a portal. You could BRING overworld blocks into the Aether and place them there, and just as easily extract Aether materials and bring them back to the overworld. As to mechanisms between the two, it's entirely possible that one of the new aether materials might be capable of sending a 'charge' through to the other plane. This would allow for some extremely interesting contraptions.
This would take the Aether/Skylands to a whole new level...and one which I like a LOT. While the lack of water saddens me, it makes sense since you would be so high up (and thus water really couldn't exist in its regular state).
If anything, I like that you dealt more with the physics aspect of the Skylands rather than the content (mobs, ores, etc.). I'm able to take you far more seriously because you don't have any fluff material.
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Yeah, I believe that the physics have to be solid and enjoyable to play in before the content can really do any good. I just wish I knew how to code; if I had any inkling at all of how to do coding, I might try and make a mod just to see what this kind of system would look/feel like. As it is though, all I can do is post the idea and hope someone else'll take interest. :3