The compass definitely needs a little lovin', here is how it could become a better tool.
Compass Modes
In the Nether, the needle would always rotates wildly no matter what it should point to. In all modes the needle will rotate wildly if whatever it should point to can't be found anymore.
By right-clicking with the Compass on a storage-block (i.e. crafted using 9 of a valuable ore drop or smelted ingots - Blocks crafted using only 4 items would *not* be valid choices), you select in which mode the Compass will function, and the needle color will change to reflect this. Valuable storage blocks never happen naturally by random chance, so they are a good choice for this.
Mode #1 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Gold block would make the needle turn yellow and point to the original Spawn point. This is also the default mode for all newly crafted Compasses.
Mode #2 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Redstone block would make the needle turn red and point toward the last bed that you slept in. I used the red needle color for this one simply because beds are red, so it's less confusing for new players.
Mode #3 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Steel block would make the needle turn light grey and like a real-life compass point north. Yeah I know that there are lots of ways to know which way is north (see http://www.minecraft...ound_Navigation), but those usually feel more indirect or are slower, and hey its a compass with several modes, so *not* having it able to also point north would seem bad.
Mode #4 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Diamond block would make the needle turn cyan and point to the last beacon that you opened the interface of.
Mode #5 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Lapis Lazuli block would make the needle turn blue and point to the player whose name is exactly the name of the Compass (so it need to be renamed in an Anvil first), but only if the player is also currently carrying in his inventory a Compass renamed to *your* player name. Otherwise, the needle simply turns wildly. The special requirement that the other player must voluntarily allow you to trace him and be able to trace you back in return is there in order to limit griefing.
You could fill up your entire inventory with 36 Compasses all renamed to other players and follow the movement of all those players currently logged-in and carrying a Compass renamed to your name.
Mode #6 - Right-Clicking the Compass on an Emerald block would make the needle turn light green and point to the last Testificate NPC Villager that you made a successful trade with.
Mode #7 - Right-clicking with the compass on a Coal block would make the needle turn either black (and thus hard to see against the Compass dark grey background, specially in low light conditions) or white (and thus very easy to see), and point to a coordinate that can be defined by an admin-only server command that is also accessible through a Command Block command (still admin only). The command has an optional "easier to see" flag to set the needle to white instead of black. The definition of the coordinate can also be "removed" by the same command and in that case the needle will simply turn wildly. This would be a great tool for helping to guide players towards special server community events, and for making adventure maps. The defined coordinates (and needle color) can be defined per-player, per-team, or per-server.
Mode #8 - Reserved for future use (and only after we get a new valuable ore resource that is craftable into a storage block, and a real new good use for the compass - we don't want to waste the last mode slot!).
Compasses "remember" which mode they are currently in using item damage values. Damage values 1 to 8 are for the normal modes #1 to #8 above. Damage values 9 to 16 are again for modes #1 to #8, but this time with the Compass being locked into that specific mode. These Compasses are available only by special commands and are mostly useful for adventure maps where the map designer wants to give players access to a specific Compass mode without giving access to the entire set of Compass modes. Or for servers admin to make lots of white needle Compasses that are locked into Mode #7 and named "Today's Big Event" to give to all their players.
Forcing the player to click on specific valuable blocks is also a somewhat balancing thing: otherwise, you'd just bring only 1 compass with you and suddenly you'd automatically always have access to all of the Compass modes, which would be a little it too convenient and potentially also a tad overpowered. This way, the player has to think forward a bit about which functions he needs the most.
I just saw that you posted it on the compass thread, so I already knew about it.
Anyways, you forgot Quartz.
In addition, why not have different needles on the compass for different things, that way, we could have more in one.
(Credit to Badprenup.)
I don't know about No.6, it doesn't seem useful to me.
Compasses, require conversation.
I agree with United: 6th is useless. Maybe instead of that, point to the nearest village.
But full support, really useful.
I made #6 that way because I didn't want that mode to actually be a "divining rod" for finding villages that you never actually personally went to before.
So yeah, it's usage is more limited, but essentially it's used to find back the path to a village you not only already went to, but also did something worthwhile there.
Still, you are right, it's definitely the weakest of all the modes.
How about this instead:
Mode #6 (2nd version) - Right-clicking with the Compass on an Emerald block would make the needle turn light green and point to the village matching the title of a Signed Book within the player's inventory. If there are no such book, the needle will simply rotate wildly. If there are several Signed books in the player inventory, the title of the first Signed book found in the topmost row, and then leftmost column in that row, will be the one that is used for the name.
To establish a village's name, right-click with a Compass on any of the topmost 4 water source blocks that are inside the village's well. You don't actually really need to click on the water source blocks from within the well itself: The water sources blocks need only be to be one of the 4 topmost "right under air" water blocks in a 2x2x2 water source block configuration and also within the village's limit. Note that in the case of some really big villages, these can actually be split into several smaller villages while leaving the village's well itself outside all village limits, so it is often better to simply use a 2x2 wide by 2 deep water pool that is placed near some Villagers, as those areas are certainly within a village limit.
The village naming is made using the name of the first Signed Book found in the player's inventory (topmost row, and then leftmost column in that row). when a naming is done, a clear sound is heard accompanied with a chat text:
"Village <Title> has been named."
If no Signed Book is found in the player's inventory, nothing happens.
If a village limit changes so that the village can't be found anymore, usually because the village died, then that village name will be removed from the player's list and thus the needle will rotate wildly just like when trying to find a village where there is no defined village name for it.
Each player can define a maximum of 200 names. Shapeless crafting using 1 Emerald + 1 Compass + 1 Book + 1 Feather + 1 Ink Sac will create a Signed Book titled "Atlas" containing all the village names currently defined by that player, 4 per book page, with each entry consisting of the village name (all alphabetically sorted) followed by the coordinates the player used for that name followed by an empty line.
Trying to name a village using a valid 2x2x2 water source formation, but outside of any village limit, will "remove" that name from the list of compass village names.
Each name can point only to a single village, while villages can be named with multiple names, and not the other way around. Trying to name another village using a name previously used by the player, will simply make the name switch to now indicating the location of the second village.
These names are per-player data, meaning that if 2 players give the same name each to a different village, when carrying a Signed Book with that name each player's Compass will point to the village that he named himself, even if they switch their Signed Books the result is the same. Thus, players cannot get easy directions to an unknown village by use of a Compass without having first gone there themselves and gave a name to the village themselves.
Even if you fill your entire inventory with 36 Compasses all in this mode, all of them will always point to the same village (or will all rotate wildly if the title of the first Signed Book in inventory doesn't match a previously named village).
Compass Modes
In the Nether, the needle would always rotates wildly no matter what it should point to. In all modes the needle will rotate wildly if whatever it should point to can't be found anymore.
By right-clicking with the Compass on a storage-block (i.e. crafted using 9 of a valuable ore drop or smelted ingots - Blocks crafted using only 4 items would *not* be valid choices), you select in which mode the Compass will function, and the needle color will change to reflect this. Valuable storage blocks never happen naturally by random chance, so they are a good choice for this.
Mode #1 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Gold block would make the needle turn yellow and point to the original Spawn point. This is also the default mode for all newly crafted Compasses.
Mode #2 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Redstone block would make the needle turn red and point toward the last bed that you slept in. I used the red needle color for this one simply because beds are red, so it's less confusing for new players.
Mode #3 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Steel block would make the needle turn light grey and like a real-life compass point north. Yeah I know that there are lots of ways to know which way is north (see http://www.minecraft...ound_Navigation), but those usually feel more indirect or are slower, and hey its a compass with several modes, so *not* having it able to also point north would seem bad.
Mode #4 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Diamond block would make the needle turn cyan and point to the last beacon that you opened the interface of.
Mode #5 - Right-clicking with the Compass on a Lapis Lazuli block would make the needle turn blue and point to the player whose name is exactly the name of the Compass (so it need to be renamed in an Anvil first), but only if the player is also currently carrying in his inventory a Compass renamed to *your* player name. Otherwise, the needle simply turns wildly. The special requirement that the other player must voluntarily allow you to trace him and be able to trace you back in return is there in order to limit griefing.
You could fill up your entire inventory with 36 Compasses all renamed to other players and follow the movement of all those players currently logged-in and carrying a Compass renamed to your name.
Mode #6 - Right-Clicking the Compass on an Emerald block would make the needle turn light green and point to the last Testificate NPC Villager that you made a successful trade with.
Mode #7 - Right-clicking with the compass on a Coal block would make the needle turn either black (and thus hard to see against the Compass dark grey background, specially in low light conditions) or white (and thus very easy to see), and point to a coordinate that can be defined by an admin-only server command that is also accessible through a Command Block command (still admin only). The command has an optional "easier to see" flag to set the needle to white instead of black. The definition of the coordinate can also be "removed" by the same command and in that case the needle will simply turn wildly. This would be a great tool for helping to guide players towards special server community events, and for making adventure maps. The defined coordinates (and needle color) can be defined per-player, per-team, or per-server.
Mode #8 - Reserved for future use (and only after we get a new valuable ore resource that is craftable into a storage block, and a real new good use for the compass - we don't want to waste the last mode slot!).
Compasses "remember" which mode they are currently in using item damage values. Damage values 1 to 8 are for the normal modes #1 to #8 above. Damage values 9 to 16 are again for modes #1 to #8, but this time with the Compass being locked into that specific mode. These Compasses are available only by special commands and are mostly useful for adventure maps where the map designer wants to give players access to a specific Compass mode without giving access to the entire set of Compass modes. Or for servers admin to make lots of white needle Compasses that are locked into Mode #7 and named "Today's Big Event" to give to all their players.
Forcing the player to click on specific valuable blocks is also a somewhat balancing thing: otherwise, you'd just bring only 1 compass with you and suddenly you'd automatically always have access to all of the Compass modes, which would be a little it too convenient and potentially also a tad overpowered. This way, the player has to think forward a bit about which functions he needs the most.
Anyways, you forgot Quartz.
In addition, why not have different needles on the compass for different things, that way, we could have more in one.
(Credit to Badprenup.)
I don't know about No.6, it doesn't seem useful to me.
Compasses, require conversation.
Quartz uses a 4-items crafting recipe only. And eventually structures with quartz blocks in them will probably be naturally generated.
I deliberately chose not to use it.
What do you mean by "require conversation"?
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I made #6 that way because I didn't want that mode to actually be a "divining rod" for finding villages that you never actually personally went to before.
So yeah, it's usage is more limited, but essentially it's used to find back the path to a village you not only already went to, but also did something worthwhile there.
Still, you are right, it's definitely the weakest of all the modes.
How about this instead:
Mode #6 (2nd version) - Right-clicking with the Compass on an Emerald block would make the needle turn light green and point to the village matching the title of a Signed Book within the player's inventory. If there are no such book, the needle will simply rotate wildly. If there are several Signed books in the player inventory, the title of the first Signed book found in the topmost row, and then leftmost column in that row, will be the one that is used for the name.
To establish a village's name, right-click with a Compass on any of the topmost 4 water source blocks that are inside the village's well. You don't actually really need to click on the water source blocks from within the well itself: The water sources blocks need only be to be one of the 4 topmost "right under air" water blocks in a 2x2x2 water source block configuration and also within the village's limit. Note that in the case of some really big villages, these can actually be split into several smaller villages while leaving the village's well itself outside all village limits, so it is often better to simply use a 2x2 wide by 2 deep water pool that is placed near some Villagers, as those areas are certainly within a village limit.
The village naming is made using the name of the first Signed Book found in the player's inventory (topmost row, and then leftmost column in that row). when a naming is done, a clear sound is heard accompanied with a chat text:
"Village <Title> has been named."
If no Signed Book is found in the player's inventory, nothing happens.
If a village limit changes so that the village can't be found anymore, usually because the village died, then that village name will be removed from the player's list and thus the needle will rotate wildly just like when trying to find a village where there is no defined village name for it.
Each player can define a maximum of 200 names. Shapeless crafting using 1 Emerald + 1 Compass + 1 Book + 1 Feather + 1 Ink Sac will create a Signed Book titled "Atlas" containing all the village names currently defined by that player, 4 per book page, with each entry consisting of the village name (all alphabetically sorted) followed by the coordinates the player used for that name followed by an empty line.
Trying to name a village using a valid 2x2x2 water source formation, but outside of any village limit, will "remove" that name from the list of compass village names.
Each name can point only to a single village, while villages can be named with multiple names, and not the other way around. Trying to name another village using a name previously used by the player, will simply make the name switch to now indicating the location of the second village.
These names are per-player data, meaning that if 2 players give the same name each to a different village, when carrying a Signed Book with that name each player's Compass will point to the village that he named himself, even if they switch their Signed Books the result is the same. Thus, players cannot get easy directions to an unknown village by use of a Compass without having first gone there themselves and gave a name to the village themselves.
Even if you fill your entire inventory with 36 Compasses all in this mode, all of them will always point to the same village (or will all rotate wildly if the title of the first Signed Book in inventory doesn't match a previously named village).
Care to explain what 'alternative way' means?