If you were around during Minecraft Alpha you will remember that iron and coal were FAR rarer than they are now. The amount of coal in post-release maps in particular ensures that having enough coal will never be a serious concern. Likewise, the amount of iron has been consistently increased to the point where a suit of iron armor can be obtained in a very short amount of time, whereas in alpha it would take ages.
Now, for the most part, this is a good thing. It means that you can have enough coal for torches to explore as much as you want, and to smelt huge amounts of smoothstone and glass for building. An abundance of iron means that epic minecart tracks are not ridiculously hard to create as they were in previous versions.
These are all good things, and I understand why Notch and Jeb made these alterations, because a lot of people (myself included) were clammering for them.
But there's a downside to them; if you want to play minecraft for hardcore survival, having a seemingly endless supply of iron and coal in the map makes the game a whole hellofalot easier, especially during the first night. Too easy, some would say, because it's possible to get iron armor in the first few days, and as long as you're careful, that armor will make you neigh invincible.
So I propose a new terrain generation mode. One that returns iron and coal levels in the map to early-alpha levels, and disables creation of charcoal and the Fortune enchantment, to add even more scarcity. I remember the first time I played minecraft, the start was always exhilirating, because the challenge of finding coal might mean I'd have to cover miles of terrain in the first day. Add hunger into the equation and this would make the first 24 hours of minecraft a lot more strategic, difficult and fun, especially for people who like the challenge of staying alive in the game.
Now this would be entirely optional. You'd have the option, when creating a new world, to generate it as a "hardcore map" or a "sparse resources map", with the same control that allows you to generate a "Superflat" world. Maybe it would do it automatically if you chose Hardcore mode. But for people who like a real challenge, this would add a lot to the game.
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Now, for the most part, this is a good thing. It means that you can have enough coal for torches to explore as much as you want, and to smelt huge amounts of smoothstone and glass for building. An abundance of iron means that epic minecart tracks are not ridiculously hard to create as they were in previous versions.
These are all good things, and I understand why Notch and Jeb made these alterations, because a lot of people (myself included) were clammering for them.
But there's a downside to them; if you want to play minecraft for hardcore survival, having a seemingly endless supply of iron and coal in the map makes the game a whole hellofalot easier, especially during the first night. Too easy, some would say, because it's possible to get iron armor in the first few days, and as long as you're careful, that armor will make you neigh invincible.
So I propose a new terrain generation mode. One that returns iron and coal levels in the map to early-alpha levels, and disables creation of charcoal and the Fortune enchantment, to add even more scarcity. I remember the first time I played minecraft, the start was always exhilirating, because the challenge of finding coal might mean I'd have to cover miles of terrain in the first day. Add hunger into the equation and this would make the first 24 hours of minecraft a lot more strategic, difficult and fun, especially for people who like the challenge of staying alive in the game.
Now this would be entirely optional. You'd have the option, when creating a new world, to generate it as a "hardcore map" or a "sparse resources map", with the same control that allows you to generate a "Superflat" world. Maybe it would do it automatically if you chose Hardcore mode. But for people who like a real challenge, this would add a lot to the game.
What do you think?