Minecraft Forums

OVERVIEW: The creation of small components, which can be crafted together to make items, or even larger components, which themselves can be crafted together. This station allows for a more realistic creation of complex items. I.E. Vehicles, mechanical objects, robots, and other complex objects that can't be made by smooching together blocks of dirt and wood, or by attaching sticks to metal or feathers to string. Essentially, it's a more complex crafting system, with the ability to progress technologically.

EDIT: I have changed the title to attract attention. (again) I'm sorry if at first it seems misleading. Trust me, it's not, you'll get there.

I'm borrowing some ideas here. For those that I know that I'm borrowing, I'll link to the thread.
I'm sorry for any ideas that I have unknowingly stolen from others.
EDIT:
Credit goes to Rubs10 for the original idea of placing tables side by side to create larger tables. He does something similar to what I suggest in this post.http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7205

Crafting Stations

Furnaces:
The same as they are now.

Workbenches:
Fundamentally the same. See below for further details.

Alchemy Workstation:
http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8856
This is completely LightWarriorK's idea, and I think the system sound excellent.
I'm not sure where all the necessary materials will come from, but that's small stuff.

Advanced Workstation / Mechanical Workstation:
This is my idea. The station would be crafted form the workbench like so
[S ] = cobblestone [W] = wood [_ ] = air [I ] = Iron ingot [G] = glass

[_ ][G][I ]
[W][W][W]
[S ][S ][S ]

The idea is that the station will have a bigger grid, 4x4, but it will be for crafting smaller more complex objects. The glass and iron in the craft are meant to represent a magnifying glass. The station would allow you to craft small components for complex objects, that could then be assembled on the normal workbench (This is what I was referring to earlier). This station would also be able to craft small, complex objects fully.

Large Workbench:
This is something that could not be supported with the current system. It would be twice as long as a normal workbench, crafted by combining two normal workbenches. It would work to assemble larger objects, possibly vehicles, boats, whatever Notch decides to implement that is larger than the average object. Mechanical servants anyone? Anyway, it could work with the same principle as the advanced workbench/normal workbench relationship. You could craft components on the normal workbench that could be assembled on this workbench. The end result is that you can make large, complex objects in a system that makes sense. You start with small components assembled on a fine workbench, assemble multiple small components to make medium components or objects on the normal workbench, and finally assemble the medium components to make large objects that are highly complex on the large work bench.

EDITED:
Anvil:
An anvil for crafting very small metal components for the advanced workstation. Using a bunch of ingots for a tiny object just doesn't make sense. To use the anvil, there would be three fields. One single box for inputting an ingot, a 3x3 grid where you could specify how the ingot was to be hammered out, and finally a single output box for the result. EDIT: There would be two input boxes. One for material, and another for the tool to use. I.E. You might also be able to cut glass with this station, with the right tool.

Possible Other Station:
-(sigh) A magic workstation. I am NOT an advocate for magic in Minecraft, I don't think it's a good idea beyond alchemy. It's going to look gaudy and over the top. Not classy at all. I only put it in here to argue against it before people inevitably suggested it.
-Maybe a potion making workstation that could make better food as well. Including it with the alchemy workstation doesn't make much sense.
-Anything I haven't thought of!

Again, I'm sorry for any ideas that I have unknowingly stolen from others.

Comments? Feedback? If you love the idea, e-mail Notch. If you hate the idea, please don't demean me. Offer constructive criticism.

One final comment in my hideously long rant: I want cool renaissance-era themed, steam-punk style robots. Badly.

Chances are steam-punk will be implemented in one way or another, from steam engines to mechanical devices.
By mechanical, I do not necessarily mean ELECTRICAL.

Thanks for replying. Yeah, I'm looking forward to the implementation of steam-punk, but more importantly, I think this sort of component and assembly system would allow for many other suggestions to take effect: i.e. simple vehicles, better weapons, other methods of transportation, mechanical devices, etc. In combination with Alchemy and a Forge, I think it would make a great overall crafting system.

Quote from kholhaus »

Chances are steam-punk will be implemented in one way or another, from steam engines to mechanical devices.
By mechanical, I do not necessarily mean ELECTRICAL.

That's why guard turrets have a stesm engine.

One more thing: Notch said he was going to implement lanterns. A more complicated crafting table will be needed for an object that complex. Just sayin'.

Complex table generates light?

Quote from mrwormy »

Complex table generates light?

What do you mean?

When I say the Advanced table is needed, I just mean that a Lantern is a bit more complicated than a torch. It needs a glass enclosure, a fuel source, a wick, a handle or hook, a lot of parts in general. Try building one in a 3x3 crafting grid.

[iron]
[iron] [iron]
[iron] [iron] [iron]

With iron being glass, and the iron ore being a lightable mechanism, such as a bowl of oil or torch.

Point made, but...
Where's the handle?
Or if there is no handle, never mind. I still like the idea of an Advanced Crafting Table.
XD

You forgot the part where you credit me for having the original idea.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7205

Apologies. The post has been edited to credit you.

Not multiple crafting tables, because that has been suggested tons of times, but the idea of placing tables side by side to create larger tables was suggested by me.

I like the robot and anvil idea, but I think the function of an anvil and a workstation should be reversed. You want to be able to create small items on an anvil, but forge swords and armor on a wooden desk?

Flip those around, and it's set. :wink.gif:

Quote from Soggy »

I like the robot and anvil idea, but I think the function of an anvil and a workstation should be reversed. You want to be able to create small items on an anvil, but forge swords and armor on a wooden desk?

Flip those around, and it's set. :wink.gif:

Any sort of fine metal shaping should be done in something better than a wood bench.
Work benches are made for coarse work, and lower tool tiers.

Quote from Foe »

Work benches are made for coarse work, and lower tool tiers.

Is that an official assessment?

Can you no longer walk on dirt tiles if you're wearing gold boots? Will we be able to plant diamonds to increase the grounds tier? :tongue.gif:
Why should an entire crafting element go obsolete just because tools are of a higher tier? What else could be used besides some modified version of the same 'lower tier' work bench? An anvil is too heavy duty for little metal works, and a wood bench is too fragile to be pounding swords and helmets... that's my point.

Quote from Soggy »

Quote from Foe »

Work benches are made for coarse work, and lower tool tiers.

Is that an official assessment?

Can you no longer walk on dirt tiles if you're wearing gold boots? Will we be able to plant diamonds to increase the grounds tier? :tongue.gif:
Why should an entire crafting element go obsolete just because tools are of a higher tier? What else could be used besides some modified version of the same 'lower tier' work bench? An anvil is too heavy duty for little metal works, and a wood bench is too fragile to be pounding swords and helmets... that's my point.

What about a metal-plated workbench? A workbench + one ingot allows you to create simple metal objects.

[iron] [iron] (2 iron makes everything even, but 1 is fine too)
= tinkering bench, yeah? :biggrin.gif:

Quote from kholhaus »

Chances are steam-punk will be implemented in one way or another, from steam engines to mechanical devices.
By mechanical, I do not necessarily mean ELECTRICAL.

Steam power generates electricity.

Quote from Foe »

Quote from Soggy »

I like the robot and anvil idea, but I think the function of an anvil and a workstation should be reversed. You want to be able to create small items on an anvil, but forge swords and armor on a wooden desk?

Flip those around, and it's set. :wink.gif:

Any sort of fine metal shaping should be done in something better than a wood bench.
Work benches are made for coarse work, and lower tool tiers.

I agree with both of you, somewhat. I think an anvil could be used for large and small objects alike. It could be a five by five crafting grid. Every ingot you put into the input box allows for three squares of the grid to be filled. You could use one ingot to make something like a metal wire, or an axle, but it would take two ingots to craft a sword blade. You would lose a bit of metal in the crafting each time, because the crafting patter doesn't necessarily require as many spaces as you're allowed from your input of ingots, but that makes sense. Nobody can make something perfectly. You'd always be left with a little useless scrap metal (I don't mean you get scrap metal in your inventory, just that any metal you don't use disappears.).

Quote from Soggy »

[iron] [iron] (2 iron makes everything even, but 1 is fine too)
= tinkering bench, yeah? :biggrin.gif:

I like that idea for the advanced workbench better than mine. Possibly have it include 1 diamond somewhere, to have it be less easily attainable. Or maybe a gold block.