I'm walking through the desert biomes one day, and I notice they're a bit...boring. Even more boring then the flat grasslands. Aside from the cacti, nothing's really special...there's no precipitation, no angry kebab camels, nothing. Just a darkened sky when it's thunderstorming in the extreme hills on my right.
What if there were sandstorms? Damaging grits of black sand? Perhaps thirstiness?
-Sandstorms-
It's raining or snowing in other biomes. The massive wind from this weather blows into the desert, creating sandstorms. Sandstorms are big, annoying winds that carry grit and blocks of sand with them. Every three seconds you're out in a sandstorm, you take half a heart of damage. Not only will the storm damage you; at nighttime or early dawn, the sharp pieces of sand will also proceed to damage skeletons, creepers, zombies, spiders, endermen, and unlucky NPC villagers.
Sandstorms will also carry blocks of sand, gravel, primed TNT, etc, with them. Anything that's affected by gravity will be blown in the air continuously by the storm, until they hit something solid, or are blown right out of the desert. An exception to this is dirt; they will also carry dirt. Therefore, a house made out of something sturdy, like cobblestone or brick, will do well to protect you against a sandstorm, but a house made out of gravel will be destroyed rather quickly. A wall facing the direction of the winds may help, but beware, the air will blow in random directions at random times. If you are unfortunate enough to get hit by a flying block, you will suffer two hearts of damage, knockback, and temporary blindness. A hole in the ground can suffice, but if it is only one or two blocks wide, the storm might blow some sand blocks into the hole, and you could suffocate to death.
Sandstorm winds will put out fires. Sandstorms will constantly slightly push you. Sandstorms can also blow away lava, water, boats, derailed minecarts, items dropped on the ground, and EXP orbs. They may also blow away snow, although the high temperatures of the desert will cause the snow to melt into nothing. In a sandstorm, it is possible to get burning lava or primed TNT blown onto your face.
Also, I think it might be humorous for chickens to be blown away as if they were sheets or paper.
Aftermath of a sandstorm
Sandstorms can potentially ruin big construction projects in the desert, since the storms will sweep blocks of sand and gravel onto your structure. During a sandstorm, big rivers and ponds are usually drastically shaped out, and can be emptied. Sandstorms can blow lava, so beware if you decide to make a house out of wood and leaves. Since winds can blow in any random direction, a sandstorm could completely cover a house. Storms will reshape landscape. Any livestock that was wandering in the desert is most likely dead. Sandstorms have a 40% chance of ruining crops that are out in the open. Sandstorms can blow blocks of sand into other biomes.
Thirstiness
After I decided that the desert still wasn't realistic enough, I came up with thirstiness. Thirstiness is simply a factor that can cause death to come quicker. When one on the surface in the desert, a new bar comes up, the "water intake" bar. The water intake bar runs out just like hunger does, except at a faster rate than hunger. Hunger will deplete normally. When the water intake bar runs out, hunger depletes very quickly and after the hunger depletes, well, you can't live on an empty stomach. To restore the water intake bar, one must drink water or milk out of a bucket, or submerge themselves in a water, which will fill up the water intake bar at a constant rate, but also drain the water block that you are floating on. Both sources and flowing water will work. Source water springs last longer. Thirstiness will not apply when you are at least four blocks below the surface.
These are my suggestions. In my opinion, they will make the desert a much more realistic,special place. Now the desert can have it's own unique attributes, which it should have. :biggrin.gif:
well I didn't like your ideas, because they would change the game very much, I mean it's something like adding a new and un-blocky sight to the game. I think you should search a bit and find a modder to contact,you can tell him your ideas. I am not trying to be rude or something. But let me tell you, I am a peacefull player but I still go monster hunting very often, I carry a clock, a compass and good armors/weapons with me and I go to the desert because spawning of enderman is much more often there and I need some ender pearls. But if they do the sandstorm and thirstiness it would be very hard to go monster hunting. But they might use it in the planned world type (like hardcore, survival)
adventure when they add it and creating a mod or contacting with a moder is a really good idea right now
This would definitely add to the desert as it is much needed. This aspect of minecraft is one of the worst, Biome Diversity. If only there were a few more ideas actually as good as this one for biomes and minecraft can be 100% better.
What if there were sandstorms? Damaging grits of black sand? Perhaps thirstiness?
-Sandstorms-
It's raining or snowing in other biomes. The massive wind from this weather blows into the desert, creating sandstorms. Sandstorms are big, annoying winds that carry grit and blocks of sand with them. Every three seconds you're out in a sandstorm, you take half a heart of damage. Not only will the storm damage you; at nighttime or early dawn, the sharp pieces of sand will also proceed to damage skeletons, creepers, zombies, spiders, endermen, and unlucky NPC villagers.
Sandstorms will also carry blocks of sand, gravel, primed TNT, etc, with them. Anything that's affected by gravity will be blown in the air continuously by the storm, until they hit something solid, or are blown right out of the desert. An exception to this is dirt; they will also carry dirt. Therefore, a house made out of something sturdy, like cobblestone or brick, will do well to protect you against a sandstorm, but a house made out of gravel will be destroyed rather quickly. A wall facing the direction of the winds may help, but beware, the air will blow in random directions at random times. If you are unfortunate enough to get hit by a flying block, you will suffer two hearts of damage, knockback, and temporary blindness. A hole in the ground can suffice, but if it is only one or two blocks wide, the storm might blow some sand blocks into the hole, and you could suffocate to death.
Sandstorm winds will put out fires. Sandstorms will constantly slightly push you. Sandstorms can also blow away lava, water, boats, derailed minecarts, items dropped on the ground, and EXP orbs. They may also blow away snow, although the high temperatures of the desert will cause the snow to melt into nothing. In a sandstorm, it is possible to get burning lava or primed TNT blown onto your face.
Also, I think it might be humorous for chickens to be blown away as if they were sheets or paper.
Aftermath of a sandstorm
Sandstorms can potentially ruin big construction projects in the desert, since the storms will sweep blocks of sand and gravel onto your structure. During a sandstorm, big rivers and ponds are usually drastically shaped out, and can be emptied. Sandstorms can blow lava, so beware if you decide to make a house out of wood and leaves. Since winds can blow in any random direction, a sandstorm could completely cover a house. Storms will reshape landscape. Any livestock that was wandering in the desert is most likely dead. Sandstorms have a 40% chance of ruining crops that are out in the open. Sandstorms can blow blocks of sand into other biomes.
Thirstiness
After I decided that the desert still wasn't realistic enough, I came up with thirstiness. Thirstiness is simply a factor that can cause death to come quicker. When one on the surface in the desert, a new bar comes up, the "water intake" bar. The water intake bar runs out just like hunger does, except at a faster rate than hunger. Hunger will deplete normally. When the water intake bar runs out, hunger depletes very quickly and after the hunger depletes, well, you can't live on an empty stomach. To restore the water intake bar, one must drink water or milk out of a bucket, or submerge themselves in a water, which will fill up the water intake bar at a constant rate, but also drain the water block that you are floating on. Both sources and flowing water will work. Source water springs last longer. Thirstiness will not apply when you are at least four blocks below the surface.
These are my suggestions. In my opinion, they will make the desert a much more realistic,special place. Now the desert can have it's own unique attributes, which it should have. :biggrin.gif:
adventure when they add it and creating a mod or contacting with a moder is a really good idea right now