Hey there, Minecraft Forums! I decided to join up so that I could post a few of my opinions on how to improve Minecraft as a gaming experience.
Now, I've been around since the Alpha, and even though there has been a lot added to the game since then, the starting experience is still pretty much the same. While some people may think of this as a good thing, it irks me quite a bit, for this reason: the beginning experience of Minecraft was the way it was only because the rest of the game was so limited. Today, Minecraft just has so much more to offer to the player, and I think that the game's beginning should be just as much a reflection of that as the end. The following suggestions are meant to meet that philosophy.
One of my biggest issues with Minecraft is the integration of the "magic" system. It takes an incredibly long time and an enormous amount of resources (when you really think about it) just to get to the point where you're capable of using magic at all, and that, in my opinion, is inherently flawed. Magic should be accessible to the player early on, or at least known to them early on. Note that this DOES NOT mean that I think new players should be able to craft potions and enchantments like the greatest of Minecraft pros right off the bat: I only mean that magic should be revealed as a gameplay mechanic early on. One idea of mine is the enchanted scroll: a special, enchanted piece of paper that can be crafted with an item in order to enchant said item. These scrolls should be found in dungeon chests, and should be bound to relatively low-level enchantments.
The advantage of the scroll system is that it presents a challenge in finding it (because the player still must be skilled enough to clear a dungeon) but easy-to-find enough that it doesn't take an eternity just to unlock enchanting as a gameplay mechanic. It also adds more of an incentive to try to clear dungeons; frankly, when I'm starting a new game and I come across a dungeon filled with skeletons, it's a little frustrating to go through all of that effort just to find some bread and cocoa beans, and a bit of string. A nice enchantment for my armor or tools, alternatively, would be a great find, indeed!
That's only one example, I know, and a long-winded one at that, but I'd like to hear your feedback. Tell me not only what you think of that, but whether or not you have your own ideas to the same end.
Day 1: Finds a cave. "Hey, I can stay in here. I can't die in a dark cave." Doesn't know that mobs spawn in caves. Dies.
This was before magic and that stuff, and I personally think the scroll is a great idea. If there was a similar item hidden in dungeons like a Magic Book (yeah that sounds lame) that sort of gives you tips and crafting recipes for magical items, that would be even better. Supports
I'm pretty sure this has been suggested before. However, with the new Enchanted Books coming out in 1.5 somethings similar to this will hopefully be able to found in dungeons.
Personally, I can get an enchantment table in about 45 minutes in Minecraft. I see what you mean by beginner-friendly, but discovering new things and learning how they work and are made is part of the game. It's an aspect of Minecraft that made it appeal to me more, that they don't have tutorials for everything, and you are left to your own devices. I could see this working, but I'm not so sure that it would be good for Minecraft.
Half support.
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My current avatar is: Raistlin Majere from the Dragonlance novels.
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Now, I've been around since the Alpha, and even though there has been a lot added to the game since then, the starting experience is still pretty much the same. While some people may think of this as a good thing, it irks me quite a bit, for this reason: the beginning experience of Minecraft was the way it was only because the rest of the game was so limited. Today, Minecraft just has so much more to offer to the player, and I think that the game's beginning should be just as much a reflection of that as the end. The following suggestions are meant to meet that philosophy.
One of my biggest issues with Minecraft is the integration of the "magic" system. It takes an incredibly long time and an enormous amount of resources (when you really think about it) just to get to the point where you're capable of using magic at all, and that, in my opinion, is inherently flawed. Magic should be accessible to the player early on, or at least known to them early on. Note that this DOES NOT mean that I think new players should be able to craft potions and enchantments like the greatest of Minecraft pros right off the bat: I only mean that magic should be revealed as a gameplay mechanic early on. One idea of mine is the enchanted scroll: a special, enchanted piece of paper that can be crafted with an item in order to enchant said item. These scrolls should be found in dungeon chests, and should be bound to relatively low-level enchantments.
The advantage of the scroll system is that it presents a challenge in finding it (because the player still must be skilled enough to clear a dungeon) but easy-to-find enough that it doesn't take an eternity just to unlock enchanting as a gameplay mechanic. It also adds more of an incentive to try to clear dungeons; frankly, when I'm starting a new game and I come across a dungeon filled with skeletons, it's a little frustrating to go through all of that effort just to find some bread and cocoa beans, and a bit of string. A nice enchantment for my armor or tools, alternatively, would be a great find, indeed!
That's only one example, I know, and a long-winded one at that, but I'd like to hear your feedback. Tell me not only what you think of that, but whether or not you have your own ideas to the same end.
Day 1: Finds a cave. "Hey, I can stay in here. I can't die in a dark cave." Doesn't know that mobs spawn in caves. Dies.
This was before magic and that stuff, and I personally think the scroll is a great idea. If there was a similar item hidden in dungeons like a Magic Book (yeah that sounds lame) that sort of gives you tips and crafting recipes for magical items, that would be even better. Supports
Half support.