Okay, so, beaches. What do you think of when you think of the beach? Swimming in the ocean? Getting a tan? Making a sandcastle, perhaps?
But you can't really do most of that in Minecraft...and let's be honest, who actually swims in the ocean? Too slow! Get a boat, go fast. There's currently nothing in the ocean for you anyway.
My thought is to add waves to beach biomes. This would be done visually by the water of the ocean occasionally rising a bit. You know how, when you place a bucket, only the first block is a full block, and then all the rest are gradually lower and lower in height? Waves would work kinda like that. Somewhat close to the beach itself, the water would rise to the height of the SECOND block out of a bucket; that almost full state. It would then spread closer and closer to the beach. Sometimes it would reach it, then evaporate on the shores, or the water would trickle back into the ocean. Sometimes it wouldn't. You could get the ocean to make you a water trench by digging a hole within the ~5 block range of water landing on the beach. The waves would sweep in, and eventually one of those waves would hit your hole, filling it up with water due to the basic mechanics of it; When it goes downhill the cycle starts over. Full block -> almost full -> just under almost full, and so on. If it falls into your pit, and then you dig outwards, your hole gradually becomes a water trench.
Other than making trenches, though, this is purely an aesthetic thing. Just walking along the beach in peaceful mode, the moon your only light, and a gentle wave pushes you a little further inland. Small occurrences like that, y'know? I suppose it could occasionally drop a fish or gold ingot on the shores, to represent items being rolled in with the tide. Maybe even, very very rarely, a diamond. The diamond would be like a 0.10% chance, though.
That was an aside, and not a part of it I favor personally. I know people like to get something from a new feature, because "lulululu no new item no gain no point." And trust me...0.10% chance, you'd see it once, maybe; But again...I don't want the diamond either. I just know others would want something from it.
But you can't really do most of that in Minecraft...and let's be honest, who actually swims in the ocean? Too slow! Get a boat, go fast. There's currently nothing in the ocean for you anyway.
My thought is to add waves to beach biomes. This would be done visually by the water of the ocean occasionally rising a bit. You know how, when you place a bucket, only the first block is a full block, and then all the rest are gradually lower and lower in height? Waves would work kinda like that. Somewhat close to the beach itself, the water would rise to the height of the SECOND block out of a bucket; that almost full state. It would then spread closer and closer to the beach. Sometimes it would reach it, then evaporate on the shores, or the water would trickle back into the ocean. Sometimes it wouldn't. You could get the ocean to make you a water trench by digging a hole within the ~5 block range of water landing on the beach. The waves would sweep in, and eventually one of those waves would hit your hole, filling it up with water due to the basic mechanics of it; When it goes downhill the cycle starts over. Full block -> almost full -> just under almost full, and so on. If it falls into your pit, and then you dig outwards, your hole gradually becomes a water trench.
Other than making trenches, though, this is purely an aesthetic thing. Just walking along the beach in peaceful mode, the moon your only light, and a gentle wave pushes you a little further inland. Small occurrences like that, y'know? I suppose it could occasionally drop a fish or gold ingot on the shores, to represent items being rolled in with the tide. Maybe even, very very rarely, a diamond. The diamond would be like a 0.10% chance, though.
Thoughts?
That was an aside, and not a part of it I favor personally. I know people like to get something from a new feature, because "lulululu no new item no gain no point." And trust me...0.10% chance, you'd see it once, maybe; But again...I don't want the diamond either. I just know others would want something from it.