I rather like the things that have been added to deserts thus far. Even the subtle things, like the alteration to world gen that means desert hills are more likely to be completely covered in sand, instead of having visible stone exposed. That's all great!
But I would like to see Desert Biomes made both more challenging, and a viable challenge. If you spawn in a desert, you'd better hope that there are other land biomes relatively close by, because otherwise you'll have no trees. And without trees (and thus wood), crafting is extremely limited, and there aren't really any available food sources - the harvesting techs. usually need wood products at some point. If there are close biomes, you can just leave and exploit them - but there's not a whole lot you can do with the desert. By itself, it's almost impossible to survive in - with other biomes, there's no challenge to it.
So, here are my suggestions:
1) Remove almost all of the water lakes which normally spawn in the top levels of the terrain.
2) Have occasional 'oasis' locations occur in deserts instead of the removed lakes. These would essentially be standard lakes, perhaps surrounded by a thin strip of green grass and plants. Some work would have to be done to make sure they weren't partly underground as desert lakes often are now.
3) Create a new type of tree - a date palm - which provides wood and fruit, and is found only around oases. And regrows only very slowly, possibly only if at least one nearby block is water (somewhat like reeds). Eating the fruit can provide a seed, which can be planted to create a sapling.
4) Implement a thirst bar - I know, it's controversial, but I think it's interesting.
5) Instead of rain never occurring in a desert, it occurs uncommonly. This can provide a way to refill cauldrons without generating new water blocks.
Does anyone else have any suggestions?
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1) Remove almost all of the water lakes which normally spawn in the top levels of the terrain.
2) Have occasional 'oasis' locations occur in deserts instead of the removed lakes. These would essentially be standard lakes, perhaps surrounded by a thin strip of green grass and plants. Some work would have to be done to make sure they weren't partly underground as desert lakes often are now.
3) Create a new type of tree - a date palm - which provides wood and fruit, and is found only around oases. And regrows only very slowly, possibly only if at least one nearby block is water (somewhat like reeds). Eating the fruit can provide a seed, which can be planted to create a sapling. Well, I agree. Except not about removing the current lakes; if these trees are implemented, all you have to do is make them spawn occasionally. I also don't agree with the new food, simply because there's so much food already.
4) Implement a thirst bar - I know, it's controversial, but I think it's interesting. No, like Rabidbadger said above. Simplified: Hunger bad adds challenge, thirst bar adds annoyance.
5) Instead of rain never occurring in a desert, it occurs uncommonly. This can provide a way to refill cauldrons without generating new water blocks. Stereotypical deserts have no rain, that's why they're deserts. I understand this is unrealistic, but it adds challenge which, if I'm not mistaken, you're trying to add in the first place.
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[quote=Badgerz]You have to keep in mind that people are stupid.
[quote=Catelite]Just because you don't understand how something works, doesn't make it broken or pointless. >_<
I'm with you up to the end. Rain almost never falls in deserts and just for cauldrons seems pointless. Besides that we don't really need a thirst bar. Maybe hardcore but it really seems like too much.
Besides that I'd like to add less likely to generate cacti and desert shrubs. They're really ugly and nearly pointless.
I'm with you up to the end. Rain almost never falls in deserts and just for cauldrons seems pointless. Besides that we don't really need a thirst bar. Maybe hardcore but it really seems like too much.
Besides that I'd like to add less likely to generate cacti and desert shrubs. They're really ugly and nearly pointless.
Instead of a thirst bar you should be able to drink milk, and it will restore like 2 or 4 hunger bars, and water will restore half a hunger bar from a bottle, and two from a bucket. Well, maybe.
But I would like to see Desert Biomes made both more challenging, and a viable challenge. If you spawn in a desert, you'd better hope that there are other land biomes relatively close by, because otherwise you'll have no trees. And without trees (and thus wood), crafting is extremely limited, and there aren't really any available food sources - the harvesting techs. usually need wood products at some point. If there are close biomes, you can just leave and exploit them - but there's not a whole lot you can do with the desert. By itself, it's almost impossible to survive in - with other biomes, there's no challenge to it.
So, here are my suggestions:
1) Remove almost all of the water lakes which normally spawn in the top levels of the terrain.
2) Have occasional 'oasis' locations occur in deserts instead of the removed lakes. These would essentially be standard lakes, perhaps surrounded by a thin strip of green grass and plants. Some work would have to be done to make sure they weren't partly underground as desert lakes often are now.
3) Create a new type of tree - a date palm - which provides wood and fruit, and is found only around oases. And regrows only very slowly, possibly only if at least one nearby block is water (somewhat like reeds). Eating the fruit can provide a seed, which can be planted to create a sapling.
4) Implement a thirst bar - I know, it's controversial, but I think it's interesting.
5) Instead of rain never occurring in a desert, it occurs uncommonly. This can provide a way to refill cauldrons without generating new water blocks.
Does anyone else have any suggestions?
[quote=Badgerz]You have to keep in mind that people are stupid.
[quote=Catelite]Just because you don't understand how something works, doesn't make it broken or pointless. >_<
Besides that I'd like to add less likely to generate cacti and desert shrubs. They're really ugly and nearly pointless.