With the arrival of new biomes, I can only hope that there will be volcanoes.
If there isn't, what I suggest is the implementation of volcanoes, which would be infrequently found, and have the shape of hills/mountains. Periodically (maybe 30 in-game days?), volcanoes will create a lava flow in a radius around it (depending on height of the mountain), basically burning every around it in a circle. The lava recedes/disappears in about 7 in-game days.
When the lava recedes, however, if it touches a dirt block, that dirt block will be converted to a volcanic ash block (yes I know that's not how volcanic ash works). Only the top layer of dirt will be converted.
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Breaking in down will result in maybe 4 pieces of volcanic ash, which can be used to fertilise your crops, giving them maybe 2x faster growth for 2-3 crop cycles (or perhaps the chance for additional crops harvested). This can be done by right-clicking with the ash in hand over the field block, and the graphical effect could be like snow covering the block, except it's dark grey.
I think this could create an interesting risk/reward harvesting mechanic.
EDIT: Hmm, one limitation I just realised would be that people would simply farm this by placing dirt blocks under a lava spring. Maybe make it an extremely low chance to turn into volcanic ash?
I was just thinking it would be interesting to have active volcanos on islands. It would be exciting to be underground mining around a lava spring, and all of a sudden the lava just starts rising and flowing everywhere as you try to escape.
Volcanoes are already being considered, including with occasional eruptions. Don't get your high hopes on the eruptions, though. Notch is thinking about leaving disasters for the mods.
If there isn't, what I suggest is the implementation of volcanoes, which would be infrequently found, and have the shape of hills/mountains. Periodically (maybe 30 in-game days?), volcanoes will create a lava flow in a radius around it (depending on height of the mountain), basically burning every around it in a circle. The lava recedes/disappears in about 7 in-game days.
When the lava recedes, however, if it touches a dirt block, that dirt block will be converted to a volcanic ash block (yes I know that's not how volcanic ash works). Only the top layer of dirt will be converted.
=
Breaking in down will result in maybe 4 pieces of volcanic ash, which can be used to fertilise your crops, giving them maybe 2x faster growth for 2-3 crop cycles (or perhaps the chance for additional crops harvested). This can be done by right-clicking with the ash in hand over the field block, and the graphical effect could be like snow covering the block, except it's dark grey.
I think this could create an interesting risk/reward harvesting mechanic.
EDIT: Hmm, one limitation I just realised would be that people would simply farm this by placing dirt blocks under a lava spring. Maybe make it an extremely low chance to turn into volcanic ash?
MINECRAFT FACTS: BIG LIST OF WHAT NOTCH HAS ACTUALLY SAID ABOUT THE PLANNED FEATURES OF MINECRAFT