Despite all the recent tweaks to combat (examples: hostile mobs getting armor ratings and boosted damage, being able to carry weapons and armor, doing more damage, zombies being able to spawn reinforcements and have scaling damage) I still find the most unattractive feature of MineCraft is the unbalanced combat.
Let's look at the ups and downs of MineCraft combat difficulty.
Some ups are that we have good game difficulty scaling. It's a little confusing since when some people hear "difficulty scaling" they only think of the Difficulty setting. This is what this comment is referring to, but not what the thread means. Anyhow, the game does have a strong curve when you pump the difficulty up. Even then, Hard can still be just too easy later in game.
Another upside is enemies finally getting damage resistance, the ability to carry weapons and armor, and there is dimension scaling (Nether mobs are stronger than Overworld mobs and The End can be difficult even with enchanted diamond if you upset too many endermen).
The major downside is: the ability for mobs to carry armor and weapons is random. There are factors at play, but none are based on the player. The problem I find with this is that at an unarmored/wooden/stone tier, combat is difficult at Hard. At an iron tier, it is mediocre. One might even say balanced. At a diamond tier, it gets incredibly easy in the overworld. So much, that diamond is essentially /godmode. You're more at risk from forgetting to eat than being killed by a monster with diamond. And a player can get to the diamond tier fast.
When you're at the enchanted diamond level, even the Nether becomes easy and The End is rather mediocre (and perhaps also easy with the the right buff items). This is a problem. Put it in perspective of a linear RPG: It's like when an supposedly-unending game has no endgame content. You're more encouraged to start over than keep going.
So! The proposal:
Enemies should have a higher chance to have armor (and the chance to have more than one piece and higher tiers of armor), as well as the chance to have enchantments on weapons and armor and for zombies to carry swords, should be increased based on the players armor rating. As far as I know, spawning is based entirely on the player (a radius around them), so the game could check the player's armor rating (which gives a pretty good idea where they're at in the game) and increase chances to spawn more difficult enemies.
It's a pretty slight tweak, but I think it'd make the game more consistent with all the difficulty changes for those at higher tiers. One downside I know of is that, in SMP, if a player with a high armor rating is traveling with a player with a low armor rating - if the enemies spawn around the player with the high armor rating, they would be rather difficult for the low one. Though, again in the perspective of a traditional RPG, that's like a low level player trying to follow a high level player into a combat zone of the high level player's.
And yes, I understand some of you are against the RPG features being added into MineCraft (though a sandbox and RPG elements tend to go hand and hand in almost every sandbox game) - but the comparisons in this thread weren't to try argue that point. They were just comparisons to help people who have played games like that picture what I'm talking about.
Anyhow.. opinions?
CLARIFICATION
Since, somehow, several people are misunderstanding what combat scaling is, let me explain this.
Diamond armor gives you 80% damage mitigation. Enchanted diamond armor can give you an effective 96% damage mitigation (this is a LOT. It reduces 10 hearts of damage to 1 heart).
A skeleton, on Hard, can shoot you for 6 HP. Reduced by 80% is (rounded to) 1 HP. By 96% is negated entirely.
To still do 6 HP vs 80% reduction would require FIVE-HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE (500%). Versus 96% requires TWO-THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE (2500%).
There is NO ENCHANTMENT in this entire game that could produce that increase in damage (legitimately). This suggestion in no way suggests adding NEW enchantments. It increases the chances of a system that already exists. YOUR ARMOR WOULD, IN NO WAY, BE INEFFECTIVE.
If it goes based on armor rating, what if someone didn't use armor? That could make fighting with armor more difficult than fighting with a diamond sword and no armor in some cases.
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This doesn't work in Minecraft. You craft armor to protect you. Basically, you're making that equivalent to fighting without armor. So you're basically making armor obsolete.
So what you're trying to say is that there shouldn't be any armor in the game in the first place, because crafting the right equipment to make the armor and equipping it would result in mobs getting stronger, thus resulting in your protective gear useless? I'll pass on that one.
This seems a bit flawed... Like, it couldn't be good in the end. No support.
... Zombies and skeletons cannot spawn in the End. Endermen cannot spawn with armor or weapons. So, this literally, in no way, could affect The End. At all. Please fully read the suggestion before commenting on it.
If it goes based on armor rating, what if someone didn't use armor? That could make fighting with armor more difficult than fighting with a diamond sword and no armor in some cases.
In most cases of game combat, the what matters is testing Attack vs Defense, not Attack vs Attack. The scaling of weaponry is also minimal compared to the damage mitigation of armor and how it scales (4% per half-bar). Also, if you're not carrying suitable weaponry at a diamond armor tier - you're doing something wrong. It'd be like playing an RPG and carrying your starting weapon at level 30.
This doesn't work in Minecraft. You craft armor to protect you. Basically, you're making that equivalent to fighting without armor. So you're basically making armor obsolete.
You wear armor to protect you in ever game ever. The suggestion increases the chance for zombies and skeletons to spawn with armor and enchantments and weaponry. Your damage mitigation still exists. And mind you, diamond armor mitigates damage by 80%. At that point, it's essentially a negation.
Have you ever fought monsters in the overworld with a full diamond suit?
So what you're trying to say is that there shouldn't be any armor in the game in the first place, because crafting the right equipment to make the armor and equipping it would result in mobs getting stronger, thus resulting in your protective gear useless? I'll pass on that one.
I don't think you understand combat scaling at all. Most games, perhaps all but MineCraft, have combat scaling. The equipment is meant to scale you to deal with tougher enemies. Not overpower you. Do you understand the term "overpower"?
Having a damage mitigation of 80% and dealing with somewhat stronger enemies is still easier than having 0% mitigation and dealing with enemies that have a RANDOM (the current system) strength of enemies.
Let's look at the ups and downs of MineCraft combat difficulty.
Some ups are that we have good game difficulty scaling. It's a little confusing since when some people hear "difficulty scaling" they only think of the Difficulty setting. This is what this comment is referring to, but not what the thread means. Anyhow, the game does have a strong curve when you pump the difficulty up. Even then, Hard can still be just too easy later in game.
Another upside is enemies finally getting damage resistance, the ability to carry weapons and armor, and there is dimension scaling (Nether mobs are stronger than Overworld mobs and The End can be difficult even with enchanted diamond if you upset too many endermen).
The major downside is: the ability for mobs to carry armor and weapons is random. There are factors at play, but none are based on the player. The problem I find with this is that at an unarmored/wooden/stone tier, combat is difficult at Hard. At an iron tier, it is mediocre. One might even say balanced. At a diamond tier, it gets incredibly easy in the overworld. So much, that diamond is essentially /godmode. You're more at risk from forgetting to eat than being killed by a monster with diamond. And a player can get to the diamond tier fast.
When you're at the enchanted diamond level, even the Nether becomes easy and The End is rather mediocre (and perhaps also easy with the the right buff items). This is a problem. Put it in perspective of a linear RPG: It's like when an supposedly-unending game has no endgame content. You're more encouraged to start over than keep going.
So! The proposal:
Enemies should have a higher chance to have armor (and the chance to have more than one piece and higher tiers of armor), as well as the chance to have enchantments on weapons and armor and for zombies to carry swords, should be increased based on the players armor rating. As far as I know, spawning is based entirely on the player (a radius around them), so the game could check the player's armor rating (which gives a pretty good idea where they're at in the game) and increase chances to spawn more difficult enemies.
It's a pretty slight tweak, but I think it'd make the game more consistent with all the difficulty changes for those at higher tiers. One downside I know of is that, in SMP, if a player with a high armor rating is traveling with a player with a low armor rating - if the enemies spawn around the player with the high armor rating, they would be rather difficult for the low one. Though, again in the perspective of a traditional RPG, that's like a low level player trying to follow a high level player into a combat zone of the high level player's.
And yes, I understand some of you are against the RPG features being added into MineCraft (though a sandbox and RPG elements tend to go hand and hand in almost every sandbox game) - but the comparisons in this thread weren't to try argue that point. They were just comparisons to help people who have played games like that picture what I'm talking about.
Anyhow.. opinions?
CLARIFICATION
Since, somehow, several people are misunderstanding what combat scaling is, let me explain this.
Diamond armor gives you 80% damage mitigation. Enchanted diamond armor can give you an effective 96% damage mitigation (this is a LOT. It reduces 10 hearts of damage to 1 heart).
A skeleton, on Hard, can shoot you for 6 HP. Reduced by 80% is (rounded to) 1 HP. By 96% is negated entirely.
To still do 6 HP vs 80% reduction would require FIVE-HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE (500%). Versus 96% requires TWO-THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE (2500%).
There is NO ENCHANTMENT in this entire game that could produce that increase in damage (legitimately). This suggestion in no way suggests adding NEW enchantments. It increases the chances of a system that already exists. YOUR ARMOR WOULD, IN NO WAY, BE INEFFECTIVE.
Sorry folks. Do the math, please.
... Zombies and skeletons cannot spawn in the End. Endermen cannot spawn with armor or weapons. So, this literally, in no way, could affect The End. At all. Please fully read the suggestion before commenting on it.
In most cases of game combat, the what matters is testing Attack vs Defense, not Attack vs Attack. The scaling of weaponry is also minimal compared to the damage mitigation of armor and how it scales (4% per half-bar). Also, if you're not carrying suitable weaponry at a diamond armor tier - you're doing something wrong. It'd be like playing an RPG and carrying your starting weapon at level 30.
You wear armor to protect you in ever game ever. The suggestion increases the chance for zombies and skeletons to spawn with armor and enchantments and weaponry. Your damage mitigation still exists. And mind you, diamond armor mitigates damage by 80%. At that point, it's essentially a negation.
Have you ever fought monsters in the overworld with a full diamond suit?
I don't think you understand combat scaling at all. Most games, perhaps all but MineCraft, have combat scaling. The equipment is meant to scale you to deal with tougher enemies. Not overpower you. Do you understand the term "overpower"?
Having a damage mitigation of 80% and dealing with somewhat stronger enemies is still easier than having 0% mitigation and dealing with enemies that have a RANDOM (the current system) strength of enemies.
See the clarification attachment.
Play minecraft.
NOW