I bring you today, a new suggestion to possibly help fix an itch a lot of people tend to have -- which is the game often times is not difficult enough. Even on Hardcore, I find the game far to easy to play. This often leads me to just playing on a personal server and running a Plugin which lets me basically tune my mobs to be increasingly more difficult -- where even Enchanted Diamond Armor won't save you!
My idea is for a new difficulty, above hardcore, called "Insane". This would be unchangeable, because of how some of the mechanics of the game happen -- which I will explain. This is why it's not under a changeable difficulty level.
Now, while most difficulties change just how much damage the mobs do -- I was thinking of taking it a little further. Changing more than JUST monster damage.
First off: Changes to Mobs
I think the first change, like each difficulty change -- would be to change how the mobs work. The spawn rate should increase first off at night -- I figure that all basic mainland mobs should spawn at a 1.5x - 2.0x rate. This would change how dangerous night would actually be -- no more could you easily just run around avoiding monsters. I also thing where mobs spawn should be changed -- in higher light levels!! Now, I don't mean in your house, but in areas not super well lit, stuff will not spawn -- what if stuff could spawn in shade? Or could spawn in areas where a torch every 10 blocks isn't enough?
Next off, I think the item drops should be nerfed! (gasp). Now, I don't mean REMOVE the items from the mobs, no no no. I believe ALL mobs should have a lower chance to drop items -- and reducing the amount they CAN drop to one for every item, things like bones, gunpowder, rotten flesh, spider eyes would all only ever drop one at a time with a much lower spawn rate. This sort of thing should also work for COWS, and cows should only ever drop ONE piece of beef at a time, where Pigs could drop upward of TWO pieces of pork. This would help balance out the Cows and Pigs since, well cows drop more food and leather and pigs drop, well nothing but 1 or two pork tops.
Mob life should also be increased! I would suggest an additional 6 hearts on-top of all mobs, except for skeletons (this is because after weeks of tuning skeleton damage and health, I found increasing the health on a mob who generally hits from a far distance makes them way to difficult to deal with). But don't worry! I am not leaving you fellow minecrafters out in the dark (well in one of my ideas I kind of am but... just keep reading!)
Mob damage should go up! Now, I propose two ways of doing this:
A straight forward buff that increases the damage by an extra 4 (which is two hearts of damage). This would help make the starting survival alot more dangerous, because after a few hits at night, you're screwed! So you better get that shelter up! Unfortunately, by the time you have Iron or Diamond armor, this is pretty close to becoming no issue at all.
or
Adding a form of true damage. True damage is something that cannot be negated by anything, including armour, no matter what tier it is. I would suggest making upward of Two to three damage (1 or 1.5 hearts) of true damage. This would make the start of the difficulty a little less difficult than the first way -- but you'd still be in danger further into the game, where you will automatically be taking a a heart or a heart and a half of damage, ontop of whatever damage the mob normally does!
Secondly!: World Generation Specific
Now before you go up in arms and start throwing fire around, rioting about the world generation, read a bit further.
What I mean about this is changing how specific things generate, and more specifically how MUCH of those things generate. I propose having a slightly altered generation used which removes a lot of the ores found within the world. As it stands, it is possible to have a fully usable set of Iron Tools and armour in less than an hour of playing -- as a matter of fact -- in one of my own worlds, I had a full set of Iron Tools (to me a full set is 2x of each), and an Iron chestplate and Iron Leggings -- before I even had a house! I find that resources are MUCH to abundant and basically remove the survival aspect. So I suggest removing the amount of materials that spawn -- by 3-4x. This would not only make Iron hard to find, but coal would also be more difficult. Making cooking food and making torches more difficult in turn. I would personally not touch the diamond spawn rate in the generation, but that is debatable. I personally do not find diamond that often, so a reduction of about 2x might not be to bad.
Items!: Why would you change items? Because we can!
I am not suggesting a massive overhaul for items. As a matter of fact, the only thing I AM suggesting is the damage swords do be increased by maybe 1-4 damage, on top of what they do normally. This would help offset the health increase slightly against the mobs. Weapons could also be left alone, and just have the monster health reduced slightly more than what I suggested but -- I wouldn't mind having a useful Stone Sword, especially with Iron becoming rarer in this idea!
What about hunger?!?! Don't worry, I didn't forget hunger
I probably wouldn't touch this -- but I would add a thirst bar. Why? Because when I sprint in real life, I don't find myself craving 14 uncooked porkchops! I want some damned water! I would suggest that sprinting decrease some sort of thirst meter, while hunger went down from manual labour, such as mining, digging, chopping and using any of the tools, including fighting, as well as building! Not only would this add some realism to the game, it wouldn't punish people for trying to get places quicker -- and the water could be used through the glass-bottles we use for enchanting. or this idea could be scrapped all together. It is not a hugely necessary change, but it adds some realism! I would however, suggest making the hunger bar go down slower when not engaging in some sort of manual labour activity in minecraft. Otherwise people will find themselves starving to death!
In a nut shell, this is my idea. It probably won't get noticed, and even less likely to ever end up in the game. But this is just my two-cents on how to give a real hardcore mode to real hardcore players -- because let's be honest. Hardcore mode is a bit of a joke, and so is the survival aspect outside of mods that make stuff stronger and harder to deal with.
A new difficulty, a more real difficulty, particularly in Hard/Hardcore mode (since those two are basically identical) is one of the most important updates Minecraft could have, and personally, I agree with most of what you say here (However, I'd actually vote to change the present Hard and Hardcore modes to something like this and make Normal the old Hard and Easy the old Normal).
What caught the brunt of my attention was the thirst/hunger "changes" and rarer coal/iron (maybe also make charcoal much less effective than coal? but still more effective than wood, obviously). I mean, the player's first armour set should really be leather. And I don't know about you, but my first armour set is almost always iron. By reducing the rate at which iron spawns, leather will have more of a use. Perhaps the thirst bar ought to be turned off in Normal and Easy modes, though...Less micromanaging to worry about for the casual player.
However, in reference to how hostile mobs act I would say that, yes, their spawn radius and activity should be increased in a Hard/Hardcore mode, but I don't think that the damage they deal nor the health they have should be increased. Maybe in the "insane" mode you mentioned (or Hardcore and leave Hard mode for everything else), but if these other ideas were to be added to a Hard/Hardcore mode, then I don't think their damage/health should be changed. My reason for believing this is that by decreasing the frequency of iron/coal and adding a thirst meter and a modified hunger meter (both of which could act as a sort of "stamina" meter) the hostile mobs are strong enough as it is, especially after increasing their spawn rate.
Maybe instead of making mobs stronger, they could be made smarter, or, rather, proportionally dumber. For example, the hostile mobs could keep their AI in Hard/Hardcore (with perhaps some tweaks when being shot at from a distance with arrows; i.e. they turn towards the direction of the shot and rush you, even if you are beyond their field of vision--or allow zombies the ability to break ALL wooden door-type objects--gates, trapdoors). The hostile mobs could use the older style AI in Normal and Easy modes.
Now, about the passive mobs such as cows and pigs, I agree wholehartedly with your idea that pigs should drop 1-2 pork and cows should drop only 1 beef with the addition of leather. This just makes sense to me, especially in Hard/Hardcore mode where you can actually starve to death. Additionally, I like the idea that drops should be reduced from other mobs in Hard/Hardcore (or "insane"). This would truly enforce each hostile mob's value as well as more frequently force the player into dangerous situations in which he or she is constantly on the brink of death (as should happen in a Hard/Hardcore mode).
...Well, I suppose this is my two cents on your two cents :3 Unfortunately, you're right that none of these things will be added to the game, but maybe we'll end up seeing some sort of incarnation of them in years to come. I do like the way you think. The Hard/Hardcore mode is really nothing but a joke. I don't even see the point in playing Hard mode, really. What're the differences? Between Hard and Normal, I mean. Zombies break your doors and you can starve to death. That's essentially it. So I usually play Hardcore, just to add a bit of danger to my death. Even then it's pretty sad...
1) Having a mode of unabridged difficulty is a boon. Having an "extreme" mode seems fine for this reason; especially when you cannot change the difficulty.
2) Human psychology and learning dictate: the longer you perform a task; the better you become at performing the task. Repetition yields improvement. Creating a higher difficulty would cause players to perform better making the challenge significantly easier simply due to replaying. Slippery slope here, carry the two, in the end; this "extreme" mode would pave way for an "even more extreme mode" when "extreme" is not challenging enough.
A new difficulty, a more real difficulty, particularly in Hard/Hardcore mode (since those two are basically identical) is one of the most important updates Minecraft could have, and personally, I agree with most of what you say here (However, I'd actually vote to change the present Hard and Hardcore modes to something like this and make Normal the old Hard and Easy the old Normal).
What caught the brunt of my attention was the thirst/hunger "changes" and rarer coal/iron (maybe also make charcoal much less effective than coal? but still more effective than wood, obviously). I mean, the player's first armour set should really be leather. And I don't know about you, but my first armour set is almost always iron. By reducing the rate at which iron spawns, leather will have more of a use. Perhaps the thirst bar ought to be turned off in Normal and Easy modes, though...Less micromanaging to worry about for the casual player.
However, in reference to how hostile mobs act I would say that, yes, their spawn radius and activity should be increased in a Hard/Hardcore mode, but I don't think that the damage they deal nor the health they have should be increased. Maybe in the "insane" mode you mentioned (or Hardcore and leave Hard mode for everything else), but if these other ideas were to be added to a Hard/Hardcore mode, then I don't think their damage/health should be changed. My reason for believing this is that by decreasing the frequency of iron/coal and adding a thirst meter and a modified hunger meter (both of which could act as a sort of "stamina" meter) the hostile mobs are strong enough as it is, especially after increasing their spawn rate.
Maybe instead of making mobs stronger, they could be made smarter, or, rather, proportionally dumber. For example, the hostile mobs could keep their AI in Hard/Hardcore (with perhaps some tweaks when being shot at from a distance with arrows; i.e. they turn towards the direction of the shot and rush you, even if you are beyond their field of vision--or allow zombies the ability to break ALL wooden door-type objects--gates, trapdoors). The hostile mobs could use the older style AI in Normal and Easy modes.
Now, about the passive mobs such as cows and pigs, I agree wholehartedly with your idea that pigs should drop 1-2 pork and cows should drop only 1 beef with the addition of leather. This just makes sense to me, especially in Hard/Hardcore mode where you can actually starve to death. Additionally, I like the idea that drops should be reduced from other mobs in Hard/Hardcore (or "insane"). This would truly enforce each hostile mob's value as well as more frequently force the player into dangerous situations in which he or she is constantly on the brink of death (as should happen in a Hard/Hardcore mode).
...Well, I suppose this is my two cents on your two cents :3 Unfortunately, you're right that none of these things will be added to the game, but maybe we'll end up seeing some sort of incarnation of them in years to come. I do like the way you think. The Hard/Hardcore mode is really nothing but a joke. I don't even see the point in playing Hard mode, really. What're the differences? Between Hard and Normal, I mean. Zombies break your doors and you can starve to death. That's essentially it. So I usually play Hardcore, just to add a bit of danger to my death. Even then it's pretty sad...
Yeah, I always find I never really use leather, and end up having multiple stacks of it because cows are the best source of food. And Iron is just so common. I can find a hole in the ground walking around and get 4-8 Iron just by jumping in with a stone pickaxe.
You have a point on the mobs -- I suppose if I wanted to increase the same, I would remove 1 heart of damage they do, and make it one true damage. That way you will take more damage at a higher armor tier compared to with no armor at all.
As for Mob behaviour -- I wouldn't mind if creepers would actually explode to try and get you if you say, ran in doors to hide, or built yourself a small crappy shelter to keep them at bay. And I like the idea of having the different AI on different difficulties. But I would settle for keeping the AI as it is for all modes.
And my main issue is the drop rates and spawn rates of mobs and the ores. Everything seems TO easy to get and in a "hardcore" game, I am generally carrying around 20-30 pieces of cooked beef anywhere I go soley because it is so easy to get.
And thanks for the replies on it. Good to hear some opinion on it. And yeah, I figure this probably would never get an attempt at being implemented, soley because the size of everything. I just thought I might as well put my thoughts out and see who else agree'd with it, and how else they thought about it. Definitely liked the good feedbacks, thanks alot.
As for me, I just use mods now that limit the amount of hearts I have to 5. Definitely makes everything more challenging.
1) Having a mode of unabridged difficulty is a boon. Having an "extreme" mode seems fine for this reason; especially when you cannot change the difficulty.
2) Human psychology and learning dictate: the longer you perform a task; the better you become at performing the task. Repetition yields improvement. Creating a higher difficulty would cause players to perform better making the challenge significantly easier simply due to replaying. Slippery slope here, carry the two, in the end; this "extreme" mode would pave way for an "even more extreme mode" when "extreme" is not challenging enough.
I agree, but at the same time -- a person can only get so good at something before some sort of hardcap is, effectively reached. This is why I am trying to aim for. Yeah, people will eventually get to a point where it is not as much as a challenge -- but there will still always be a hardcap that, once hit, you're relying on luck and general hope that you aren't going to die. It becomes more of actually SURVIVING, than surviving for 10 minutes and never having to survive again.
They took minecraft originally in the right direction with the hunger bar, and how you can't eat food to instantly gain health back -- but I feel they went about it in a very linear, short and rather unachievable way. Now it's at the point, if I HAVE food, no fight is "scary" and food, now can be found in abundance, isn't even that important because you can just regenerate your health for the cost of, usually, two pieces of food max, to restore your food bar.
I understand where you are going, but I am trying to suggest an idea, that at a certain point, you can only do so much before the game starts requiring actual survival.
1) Having a mode of unabridged difficulty is a boon. Having an "extreme" mode seems fine for this reason; especially when you cannot change the difficulty.
2) Human psychology and learning dictate: the longer you perform a task; the better you become at performing the task. Repetition yields improvement. Creating a higher difficulty would cause players to perform better making the challenge significantly easier simply due to replaying. Slippery slope here, carry the two, in the end; this "extreme" mode would pave way for an "even more extreme mode" when "extreme" is not challenging enough.
While that is true, and while humans may be able to adapt and improve on most things, if luck and chance of an event occurring is .5%, that event will continue to be .5% despite the level of skill someone may have. Lowering drop rates or spawn rates, as well as increasing drop rates or spawn rates, for example, would not be affected by how skilled someone is.
In my opinion, the real point of these threads is to request a balance o the unbalanced progression of difficulty throughout the three (four) levels. Between Easy and Normal there is no real change, and Hard really isn't all that different from Normal. Hardcore is basically Hard mode with permadeath. What Minecraft needs is a drastic change between each of the three (four) levels that sets each respective stage apart from the last. In order to do this, I've agreed with PurpleTopHat on many things, but none more so than the changes to mob mechanics he's suggested. Instead of a single static, conglomerate hunk of game, a more dynamic approach would be taken. This is how three difficulties ought to be set apart from one another.
Thus far, with each update to the mobs' AI, the AI has remained the same throughout the difficulty levels. To me this makes no sense. Not only should the AI be proportionally stronger or weaker between Easy and Hard but the AI should also take such leaps and bounds between the three that each step the player takes in the game should have a deciding factor on whether he or she lives or dies.
What Minecraft needs isn't necessarily a new mode, I agree. But Minecraft nonetheless needs a rebalancing of difficulties. Without this order, then becoming a "pro" at Easy will mean Normal does absouletly nothing for you. And if you become "pro" at Normal, then what are the new challenges in Hard? Two or three differences throughout all three (four) levels doesn't present much of a learning curve and thus does not increase your skill much at the game. Moving through the ranks of Minecraft should, in my opinion, be a palpable exerpience, unlike the blind staggering from one level to the next like it is at the moment.
Each difficulty level should cater to each person's skill level. Easy mode should ease the player into some monsters with limited AI and a simple hunger system to deal with. Frequent and plentiful item drops and minerals. Normal should increase the number of monsters spawning ingame and increase the difficulty of the hunger system. Slightly less plentiful item drops and minerals. Hard should greatly increase the number of monsters spawned as well as put the player in great danger with the presence of starvation. Scarce item drops and minerals. Finally, hardcore, in my opinion, should increase everything, from monster health and damage, to a thirst bar, fatigue bar, and hunger bar. Walls should cave in. Creepers should go kamikaze. Zombies should break down any doors or windows. Endermen should use their teleportation to their advantage. In short, Hardcore should be Hardcore.
Thankfully, Mojang has gotten one mode right: Peaceful. This is the first stage of Minecraft Survival. The stage that eases the player into gathering materials for the first time, testing the spawn rates of minerals, basking in the accomplishment of building an enormous mansion. But when the player becomes bored of this monotony, he or she should be able to hop into Easy mode and have an idea of what's going on without being overwhelmed the first time he or she steps into a cave (unless the player wants to be overwhelmed, then they can pick Normal or Hard).
As the game stands today, we have three difficulties: Peaceful and Normal and Permadeath. No Easy. No Hard. No Hardcore. Any of these transitional elements are practically nonexistant. And I simply believe that this should change.
Don't forget to nerf the slimes! You know, make em' 50 blocks high, and make them split into 2 25-block slimes, which split into 2 10- block slimes, which split into three 2.4 block high slimes(the slimes that are currently the biggest ones). And don't forget to add the ranch dressing. :3
Don't forget to nerf the slimes! You know, make em' 50 blocks high, and make them split into 2 25-block slimes, which split into 2 10- block slimes, which split into three 2.4 block high slimes(the slimes that are currently the biggest ones). And don't forget to add the ranch dressing. :3
Can't tell if sarcasm, or you have no real actual well thought out argument to suggest why any of these wouldn't be viable.
This is a pretty good idea, I like it, but I'm worrying that if we increase the mob spawn rate at night, There would be a tremendous amount of lag, and it would be impossible to go anywhere without getting trampled. I like the "spawn-in-shade" idea, and the rest (world gen, thirst bar, etc.).
I also propose another addition- the possibility of silverfish blocks spawning outside of strongholds, so that out of every 100 or so blocks generated, one silverfish block would spawn, making mining more dangerous (you could look out for silverfish blocks by paying attention to the time it takes you to mine a block (silverfish blocks are mined slightly slower with a pickaxe, and much faster with your bare hand).
I would also nerf the cave generation, making caves and generated structures (mineshafts, villages, etc.) rarer, so you would need to actually explore to find them.
As another possibility, lava should melt through "weak" blocks (dirt, gravel), which could cause a lava flow if you're not careful.
The enderdragon should have the ability to shoot fireballs (one at a time) at you (much like ghasts), because I think many people find the only hard part about the end is the ender crystals, which is just a lot of tedious work, and distracts you from the enderdragon fight, leaving you vulnerable.
And finally, I think that potion effects should be shortened, or else you could go, drink a potion, and be almost invincible.
Note: If these are to be added, other aspects, such as the increased mob spawning rate and increased mob damage, becuase that would make the game impossible.
This is a pretty good idea, I like it, but I'm worrying that if we increase the mob spawn rate at night, There would be a tremendous amount of lag, and it would be impossible to go anywhere without getting trampled. I like the "spawn-in-shade" idea, and the rest (world gen, thirst bar, etc.).
I also propose another addition- the possibility of silverfish blocks spawning outside of strongholds, so that out of every 100 or so blocks generated, one silverfish block would spawn, making mining more dangerous (you could look out for silverfish blocks by paying attention to the time it takes you to mine a block (silverfish blocks are mined slightly slower with a pickaxe, and much faster with your bare hand).
I would also nerf the cave generation, making caves and generated structures (mineshafts, villages, etc.) rarer, so you would need to actually explore to find them.
As another possibility, lava should melt through "weak" blocks (dirt, gravel), which could cause a lava flow if you're not careful.
The enderdragon should have the ability to shoot fireballs (one at a time) at you (much like ghasts), because I think many people find the only hard part about the end is the ender crystals, which is just a lot of tedious work, and distracts you from the enderdragon fight, leaving you vulnerable.
And finally, I think that potion effects should be shortened, or else you could go, drink a potion, and be almost invincible.
Note: If these are to be added, other aspects, such as the increased mob spawning rate and increased mob damage, becuase that would make the game impossible.
I actually did not take into account the aspect of lag since I have a very well spec'd computer, so you are right on that idea!
I am also liking your ideas alot. However, the silverfish one seems a little problematic due to the nature of how the blocks work. That and i'v never known a single person to think the silverfish mob was a good idea! xD
I also like the idea of mineshafts being a rarer occurrence, I find anywhere I mine I am near a minecraft, generally because of how large they can get.
If I keep getting feedback like this, I am going to scrap the whole opening thread and re-make it with peoples suggestions.
I actually did not take into account the aspect of lag since I have a very well spec'd computer, so you are right on that idea!
I am also liking your ideas alot. However, the silverfish one seems a little problematic due to the nature of how the blocks work. That and i'v never known a single person to think the silverfish mob was a good idea! xD
I also like the idea of mineshafts being a rarer occurrence, I find anywhere I mine I am near a minecraft, generally because of how large they can get.
If I keep getting feedback like this, I am going to scrap the whole opening thread and re-make it with peoples suggestions.
Im glad you like the ideas. Im just a little confused...how do the blocks work to make the silverfish problematic? Thanks.
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What caught the brunt of my attention was the thirst/hunger "changes" and rarer coal/iron (maybe also make charcoal much less effective than coal? but still more effective than wood, obviously). I mean, the player's first armour set should really be leather. And I don't know about you, but my first armour set is almost always iron. By reducing the rate at which iron spawns, leather will have more of a use. Perhaps the thirst bar ought to be turned off in Normal and Easy modes, though...Less micromanaging to worry about for the casual player.
However, in reference to how hostile mobs act I would say that, yes, their spawn radius and activity should be increased in a Hard/Hardcore mode, but I don't think that the damage they deal nor the health they have should be increased. Maybe in the "insane" mode you mentioned (or Hardcore and leave Hard mode for everything else), but if these other ideas were to be added to a Hard/Hardcore mode, then I don't think their damage/health should be changed. My reason for believing this is that by decreasing the frequency of iron/coal and adding a thirst meter and a modified hunger meter (both of which could act as a sort of "stamina" meter) the hostile mobs are strong enough as it is, especially after increasing their spawn rate.
Maybe instead of making mobs stronger, they could be made smarter, or, rather, proportionally dumber. For example, the hostile mobs could keep their AI in Hard/Hardcore (with perhaps some tweaks when being shot at from a distance with arrows; i.e. they turn towards the direction of the shot and rush you, even if you are beyond their field of vision--or allow zombies the ability to break ALL wooden door-type objects--gates, trapdoors). The hostile mobs could use the older style AI in Normal and Easy modes.
Now, about the passive mobs such as cows and pigs, I agree wholehartedly with your idea that pigs should drop 1-2 pork and cows should drop only 1 beef with the addition of leather. This just makes sense to me, especially in Hard/Hardcore mode where you can actually starve to death. Additionally, I like the idea that drops should be reduced from other mobs in Hard/Hardcore (or "insane"). This would truly enforce each hostile mob's value as well as more frequently force the player into dangerous situations in which he or she is constantly on the brink of death (as should happen in a Hard/Hardcore mode).
...Well, I suppose this is my two cents on your two cents :3 Unfortunately, you're right that none of these things will be added to the game, but maybe we'll end up seeing some sort of incarnation of them in years to come. I do like the way you think. The Hard/Hardcore mode is really nothing but a joke. I don't even see the point in playing Hard mode, really. What're the differences? Between Hard and Normal, I mean. Zombies break your doors and you can starve to death. That's essentially it. So I usually play Hardcore, just to add a bit of danger to my death. Even then it's pretty sad...
1) Having a mode of unabridged difficulty is a boon. Having an "extreme" mode seems fine for this reason; especially when you cannot change the difficulty.
2) Human psychology and learning dictate: the longer you perform a task; the better you become at performing the task. Repetition yields improvement. Creating a higher difficulty would cause players to perform better making the challenge significantly easier simply due to replaying. Slippery slope here, carry the two, in the end; this "extreme" mode would pave way for an "even more extreme mode" when "extreme" is not challenging enough.
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Yeah, I always find I never really use leather, and end up having multiple stacks of it because cows are the best source of food. And Iron is just so common. I can find a hole in the ground walking around and get 4-8 Iron just by jumping in with a stone pickaxe.
You have a point on the mobs -- I suppose if I wanted to increase the same, I would remove 1 heart of damage they do, and make it one true damage. That way you will take more damage at a higher armor tier compared to with no armor at all.
As for Mob behaviour -- I wouldn't mind if creepers would actually explode to try and get you if you say, ran in doors to hide, or built yourself a small crappy shelter to keep them at bay. And I like the idea of having the different AI on different difficulties. But I would settle for keeping the AI as it is for all modes.
And my main issue is the drop rates and spawn rates of mobs and the ores. Everything seems TO easy to get and in a "hardcore" game, I am generally carrying around 20-30 pieces of cooked beef anywhere I go soley because it is so easy to get.
And thanks for the replies on it. Good to hear some opinion on it. And yeah, I figure this probably would never get an attempt at being implemented, soley because the size of everything. I just thought I might as well put my thoughts out and see who else agree'd with it, and how else they thought about it. Definitely liked the good feedbacks, thanks alot.
As for me, I just use mods now that limit the amount of hearts I have to 5. Definitely makes everything more challenging.
I agree, but at the same time -- a person can only get so good at something before some sort of hardcap is, effectively reached. This is why I am trying to aim for. Yeah, people will eventually get to a point where it is not as much as a challenge -- but there will still always be a hardcap that, once hit, you're relying on luck and general hope that you aren't going to die. It becomes more of actually SURVIVING, than surviving for 10 minutes and never having to survive again.
They took minecraft originally in the right direction with the hunger bar, and how you can't eat food to instantly gain health back -- but I feel they went about it in a very linear, short and rather unachievable way. Now it's at the point, if I HAVE food, no fight is "scary" and food, now can be found in abundance, isn't even that important because you can just regenerate your health for the cost of, usually, two pieces of food max, to restore your food bar.
I understand where you are going, but I am trying to suggest an idea, that at a certain point, you can only do so much before the game starts requiring actual survival.
While that is true, and while humans may be able to adapt and improve on most things, if luck and chance of an event occurring is .5%, that event will continue to be .5% despite the level of skill someone may have. Lowering drop rates or spawn rates, as well as increasing drop rates or spawn rates, for example, would not be affected by how skilled someone is.
In my opinion, the real point of these threads is to request a balance o the unbalanced progression of difficulty throughout the three (four) levels. Between Easy and Normal there is no real change, and Hard really isn't all that different from Normal. Hardcore is basically Hard mode with permadeath. What Minecraft needs is a drastic change between each of the three (four) levels that sets each respective stage apart from the last. In order to do this, I've agreed with PurpleTopHat on many things, but none more so than the changes to mob mechanics he's suggested. Instead of a single static, conglomerate hunk of game, a more dynamic approach would be taken. This is how three difficulties ought to be set apart from one another.
Thus far, with each update to the mobs' AI, the AI has remained the same throughout the difficulty levels. To me this makes no sense. Not only should the AI be proportionally stronger or weaker between Easy and Hard but the AI should also take such leaps and bounds between the three that each step the player takes in the game should have a deciding factor on whether he or she lives or dies.
What Minecraft needs isn't necessarily a new mode, I agree. But Minecraft nonetheless needs a rebalancing of difficulties. Without this order, then becoming a "pro" at Easy will mean Normal does absouletly nothing for you. And if you become "pro" at Normal, then what are the new challenges in Hard? Two or three differences throughout all three (four) levels doesn't present much of a learning curve and thus does not increase your skill much at the game. Moving through the ranks of Minecraft should, in my opinion, be a palpable exerpience, unlike the blind staggering from one level to the next like it is at the moment.
Each difficulty level should cater to each person's skill level. Easy mode should ease the player into some monsters with limited AI and a simple hunger system to deal with. Frequent and plentiful item drops and minerals. Normal should increase the number of monsters spawning ingame and increase the difficulty of the hunger system. Slightly less plentiful item drops and minerals. Hard should greatly increase the number of monsters spawned as well as put the player in great danger with the presence of starvation. Scarce item drops and minerals. Finally, hardcore, in my opinion, should increase everything, from monster health and damage, to a thirst bar, fatigue bar, and hunger bar. Walls should cave in. Creepers should go kamikaze. Zombies should break down any doors or windows. Endermen should use their teleportation to their advantage. In short, Hardcore should be Hardcore.
Thankfully, Mojang has gotten one mode right: Peaceful. This is the first stage of Minecraft Survival. The stage that eases the player into gathering materials for the first time, testing the spawn rates of minerals, basking in the accomplishment of building an enormous mansion. But when the player becomes bored of this monotony, he or she should be able to hop into Easy mode and have an idea of what's going on without being overwhelmed the first time he or she steps into a cave (unless the player wants to be overwhelmed, then they can pick Normal or Hard).
As the game stands today, we have three difficulties: Peaceful and Normal and Permadeath. No Easy. No Hard. No Hardcore. Any of these transitional elements are practically nonexistant. And I simply believe that this should change.
Can't tell if sarcasm, or you have no real actual well thought out argument to suggest why any of these wouldn't be viable.
I also propose another addition- the possibility of silverfish blocks spawning outside of strongholds, so that out of every 100 or so blocks generated, one silverfish block would spawn, making mining more dangerous (you could look out for silverfish blocks by paying attention to the time it takes you to mine a block (silverfish blocks are mined slightly slower with a pickaxe, and much faster with your bare hand).
I would also nerf the cave generation, making caves and generated structures (mineshafts, villages, etc.) rarer, so you would need to actually explore to find them.
As another possibility, lava should melt through "weak" blocks (dirt, gravel), which could cause a lava flow if you're not careful.
The enderdragon should have the ability to shoot fireballs (one at a time) at you (much like ghasts), because I think many people find the only hard part about the end is the ender crystals, which is just a lot of tedious work, and distracts you from the enderdragon fight, leaving you vulnerable.
And finally, I think that potion effects should be shortened, or else you could go, drink a potion, and be almost invincible.
Note: If these are to be added, other aspects, such as the increased mob spawning rate and increased mob damage, becuase that would make the game impossible.
I actually did not take into account the aspect of lag since I have a very well spec'd computer, so you are right on that idea!
I am also liking your ideas alot. However, the silverfish one seems a little problematic due to the nature of how the blocks work. That and i'v never known a single person to think the silverfish mob was a good idea! xD
I also like the idea of mineshafts being a rarer occurrence, I find anywhere I mine I am near a minecraft, generally because of how large they can get.
If I keep getting feedback like this, I am going to scrap the whole opening thread and re-make it with peoples suggestions.
Im glad you like the ideas. Im just a little confused...how do the blocks work to make the silverfish problematic? Thanks.