Through my Minecraft journey, I have noticed something- The Nether is fairly disappointing. Don't get me wrong, the aesthetic aspect is well done, and it has the feel of a dangerous place. However, I feel there is a crucial element missing. This element is replay value. From my experience, there isn't really much reason to go there. Netherock and glowstone is pretty looking and soul sand can be fun, and Blaze rods are necessary to get to The End. Really, though, that's about it. Aside from a few minutes of farming for these materials, in my personal experience, I've never found a reason to go back.
The area is filled with lava and dangerous mobs that make it feel really awesome. Unfortunately, there is not much reward for such excursions. So, I've done some thinking on the matter and have a proposed plan for an overhaul which would make the Nether less of a chore and more of a destination which players would not only return to, but enjoy returning to.
First and foremost, there should be more THINGS in the nether. There are only six types of block in the nether, and they are almost all purely cosmetic. This makes the nether interesting for a few minutes of farming these relatively rare resources. However, since this is all that is there, actually finding them is simple. The relative rarity comes from the inconvenience of going to the nether. Therefore, I propose the inclusion of diamond, obsidian and emerald. Diamond, I feel, should be about as rare in the Nether as in the overworld. Its simple inclusion will be a draw to players, and a cool discovery for those who stumble upon it. It is also appropriate as diamond is endgame quality, and the Nether is a moderately endgame area.
Obsidian should be included for the same reason, though likely as decoration in fortresses to work with the color scheme and provide more reason to explore said fortresses.
With the release of NPC trading, I find natural emerald to be too rare at the moment. According to the Minecraft Wiki, it only occurs in two locations, and even then it does so rarely. This is why I propose it for the nether. The Nether is a "common" location- Everyone can get there. They don't have to get a lucky biome placement in order to find emerald. Should emerald be placed in the Nether, it will be accessable to all who can survive its perils. And since the Nether is near endgame, the inclusion of emerald will not break the trading balance, but speed up the process for players who have advanced enough to farm the Nether. I would suggest using the same rarity as gold or redstone on the overworld. This rarity would cause emerald to be rare enough to require a decent search effort without making it overabundant, and without causing frustration due to excess rarity.
Due to the inclusion of experience gain from mining certain ores and completing non-mob-hunting tasks, I also suggest including "magic veins" in the Nether, which are simply special Netherock blocks which contain experience points, to the tune of 15-25 experience per block. This is because the Nether is, again, a nearly endgame area. This would be a prime area to establish as a "magic farming" zone and really give players a reason to come back, in order work on their endgame enchantments.
One final suggestion is a new type of tree for the Nether. I propose a gnarled-looking black tree. There are two simple reasons for this- Firstly, it would provide another cosmetic touch to the landscape. Secondly, it would provide players who lose their resources or for whatever reason fail to have building materials a chance to build objects, be it sticks for pickaxes or simply a crafting table in emergencies. Of course, I respect the concept of needing preparation before entering the Nether, so I would suggest that these trees should be very few and far between, around half of what would be found in the Extreme Hills biome.
I hope you read and consider my proposal. I feel these changes would create a powerful interest in the Nether, and get players to be more active in that zone.
I agree that the Nether needs more content. For the reasons you brought to light I, too, do not often return to the nether after my initial visit.
I must argue, though, your premise that the Nether is an end-game area.
When I play alone or with my friends the option to go to the nether becomes available the moment we acquire iron and find lava deposits.
Because of poured-obsidian construction, diamonds (the reason access to the Nether might be considered end-game) are not at all necessary to gain access.
For this reason I object to the idea of experience veins.
I disagree also with the inclusion of emeralds in the Nether, mainly because their rarity is something I feel should be preserved. Emeralds are some of the few items in Minecraft that truly pose a challenge to acquire - what with Minecraft having large biomes now and the emeralds spawning only in certain areas at an extremely low rate.
MInecraft (multiplayer) faces an interesting problem: that all materials are, on the whole, approximately uniformly distributed throughout the "infinite" world. This renders most items, even basic necessities, utterly valueless fairly early on in gameplay. Trading becomes difficult and eventually pointless, and exploration becomes less and less profitable.
Aside from the ease of trading with villagers, emeralds are the first item I can think of that break the pattern of uniformity, forcing exploration and stimulating trade.
The idea of gemstones in the Nether does seem to fit, though. Diamonds would work, and perhaps a new kind of gem - like Rubies or Amethyst. These could be decorative and perhaps, if they were increasingly rare, they could even be denominational currency, assuming Emerald as a base. They might also serve enchanting or potion-making purposes.
Obsidian in the nether, despite the absolute lack of water, does seem make sense. I would likewise enjoy seeing obsidian veins or deposits in the landscape or, as you suggest, in fortresses.
Trees in the Nether - I think this is also a good idea. Charred and mangled and only barely useful as a wood source, it would be a good touch.
On the whole I wholeheartedly agree that the Nether needs a stimulus package. It is beautiful, as you say, and it is dangerous.
It simply isn't profitable or, after a point, necessary.
if you ask me, there dosnt really need to be that many new ores for the nether. glowstone is an ore. instead, maybe obsidian deposits can be found underground away from lava, making it safe to mine. maybe sulphur could bee added and drop gunpowder? the magic ore sounds cool too, but the name is dumb.
The idea is really good. I think diamonds should be a little more common but harder to get. diamonds are found near lava, and the nether has a lot of lava if you think about. Im thinking it would be protected by blazes or something. Its just my opinion so feel free to disagree.
Ah, well, I wasn't expecting so many replies so soon. Thanks for the interest and responses.
I agree with Gameguy, I also found trading to be not at all about mining for emerald (given that I was nowhere near extreme hills), and the rewards granted are around mid-level anyway. So should I acquire the means to mine emerald, I'm probably to a point where the things I get from trade are irrelevant anyway. I just sheared about ten stacks of wool and bought stuff with that. It seems a shame that this cool new resource is simply impossible for some players to find due to unlucky biome placement.
And true, if you are clever about it, nether portals early on are quite possible. Of course, it should be noted that Minecraft is unique in that what could be considered "level" for other games has more to do with skill and knowhow than actual equipment. That you know the tricks required to get to the nether early proves that you belong there, if that makes sense. However, should diamond remain at roughly the same rarity in the nether, I can't see how that would cause imbalance. It would just make it around as profitable to be there as in the overworld. Probably less, due to the liability of the lava, ghasts, and potentially losing your spoils.
@ Johnny, I wasn't suggesting new unique ores in the Nether, just the inclusion of some of the other ores in order to give people a reason to stick around. And yes, Glowstone is an ore. The only ore you can find in the nether. Grab a chestful and you're done with the nether. Unless you want a whole glowstone mansion.
The area is filled with lava and dangerous mobs that make it feel really awesome. Unfortunately, there is not much reward for such excursions. So, I've done some thinking on the matter and have a proposed plan for an overhaul which would make the Nether less of a chore and more of a destination which players would not only return to, but enjoy returning to.
First and foremost, there should be more THINGS in the nether. There are only six types of block in the nether, and they are almost all purely cosmetic. This makes the nether interesting for a few minutes of farming these relatively rare resources. However, since this is all that is there, actually finding them is simple. The relative rarity comes from the inconvenience of going to the nether. Therefore, I propose the inclusion of diamond, obsidian and emerald. Diamond, I feel, should be about as rare in the Nether as in the overworld. Its simple inclusion will be a draw to players, and a cool discovery for those who stumble upon it. It is also appropriate as diamond is endgame quality, and the Nether is a moderately endgame area.
Obsidian should be included for the same reason, though likely as decoration in fortresses to work with the color scheme and provide more reason to explore said fortresses.
With the release of NPC trading, I find natural emerald to be too rare at the moment. According to the Minecraft Wiki, it only occurs in two locations, and even then it does so rarely. This is why I propose it for the nether. The Nether is a "common" location- Everyone can get there. They don't have to get a lucky biome placement in order to find emerald. Should emerald be placed in the Nether, it will be accessable to all who can survive its perils. And since the Nether is near endgame, the inclusion of emerald will not break the trading balance, but speed up the process for players who have advanced enough to farm the Nether. I would suggest using the same rarity as gold or redstone on the overworld. This rarity would cause emerald to be rare enough to require a decent search effort without making it overabundant, and without causing frustration due to excess rarity.
Due to the inclusion of experience gain from mining certain ores and completing non-mob-hunting tasks, I also suggest including "magic veins" in the Nether, which are simply special Netherock blocks which contain experience points, to the tune of 15-25 experience per block. This is because the Nether is, again, a nearly endgame area. This would be a prime area to establish as a "magic farming" zone and really give players a reason to come back, in order work on their endgame enchantments.
One final suggestion is a new type of tree for the Nether. I propose a gnarled-looking black tree. There are two simple reasons for this- Firstly, it would provide another cosmetic touch to the landscape. Secondly, it would provide players who lose their resources or for whatever reason fail to have building materials a chance to build objects, be it sticks for pickaxes or simply a crafting table in emergencies. Of course, I respect the concept of needing preparation before entering the Nether, so I would suggest that these trees should be very few and far between, around half of what would be found in the Extreme Hills biome.
I hope you read and consider my proposal. I feel these changes would create a powerful interest in the Nether, and get players to be more active in that zone.
I must argue, though, your premise that the Nether is an end-game area.
When I play alone or with my friends the option to go to the nether becomes available the moment we acquire iron and find lava deposits.
Because of poured-obsidian construction, diamonds (the reason access to the Nether might be considered end-game) are not at all necessary to gain access.
For this reason I object to the idea of experience veins.
I disagree also with the inclusion of emeralds in the Nether, mainly because their rarity is something I feel should be preserved. Emeralds are some of the few items in Minecraft that truly pose a challenge to acquire - what with Minecraft having large biomes now and the emeralds spawning only in certain areas at an extremely low rate.
MInecraft (multiplayer) faces an interesting problem: that all materials are, on the whole, approximately uniformly distributed throughout the "infinite" world. This renders most items, even basic necessities, utterly valueless fairly early on in gameplay. Trading becomes difficult and eventually pointless, and exploration becomes less and less profitable.
Aside from the ease of trading with villagers, emeralds are the first item I can think of that break the pattern of uniformity, forcing exploration and stimulating trade.
The idea of gemstones in the Nether does seem to fit, though. Diamonds would work, and perhaps a new kind of gem - like Rubies or Amethyst. These could be decorative and perhaps, if they were increasingly rare, they could even be denominational currency, assuming Emerald as a base. They might also serve enchanting or potion-making purposes.
Obsidian in the nether, despite the absolute lack of water, does seem make sense. I would likewise enjoy seeing obsidian veins or deposits in the landscape or, as you suggest, in fortresses.
Trees in the Nether - I think this is also a good idea. Charred and mangled and only barely useful as a wood source, it would be a good touch.
On the whole I wholeheartedly agree that the Nether needs a stimulus package. It is beautiful, as you say, and it is dangerous.
It simply isn't profitable or, after a point, necessary.
I like the idea of rare experience ores though.
To read the haiku that you
Just finished reading
I lol'ed.
I agree with Gameguy, I also found trading to be not at all about mining for emerald (given that I was nowhere near extreme hills), and the rewards granted are around mid-level anyway. So should I acquire the means to mine emerald, I'm probably to a point where the things I get from trade are irrelevant anyway. I just sheared about ten stacks of wool and bought stuff with that. It seems a shame that this cool new resource is simply impossible for some players to find due to unlucky biome placement.
And true, if you are clever about it, nether portals early on are quite possible. Of course, it should be noted that Minecraft is unique in that what could be considered "level" for other games has more to do with skill and knowhow than actual equipment. That you know the tricks required to get to the nether early proves that you belong there, if that makes sense. However, should diamond remain at roughly the same rarity in the nether, I can't see how that would cause imbalance. It would just make it around as profitable to be there as in the overworld. Probably less, due to the liability of the lava, ghasts, and potentially losing your spoils.
@ Johnny, I wasn't suggesting new unique ores in the Nether, just the inclusion of some of the other ores in order to give people a reason to stick around. And yes, Glowstone is an ore. The only ore you can find in the nether. Grab a chestful and you're done with the nether. Unless you want a whole glowstone mansion.