A current Minecraft world is like a patched quilt. Random patches of fabric are everywhere on the quilt, and each patch is equally as bland as the rest. The quilt is rugged, rough, and quite dirty, with large splotches of one color and tiny splotches everywhere of another.
But Minecraft could be much different.
Imagine if Minecraft were a blank, white quilt. Then imagine sewing on various bits and pieces of cloth until you finally have a beautiful, vibrant quilt much unlike a quilt made of squares. (no, i'm not suggesting circles)
Face it. What we have now in terms of terrain generation is an ugly, mish-mash of various biomes, none of which have any spectacular terrain except for mountains (which only have spectacular terrain and nothing else). Before, in Beta 1.7.3 and earlier, the terrain was spectacular but it was incredibly fractal and sometimes annoying to be looking at five biomes at the same time. What i'm suggesting will be different.
The entire world will be generated systematically in a way so that you won't have unrealistic biomes touching eachother, the world will have more variation, and everything will in general look less ugly.
The world would follow a certain procedure when it generates. It would still use seeds as it does now. It goes as follows:
Land
The world itself is generated. The height varies from place to place; in some areas it can be as high as 128 blocks, in others as low as 40 blocks. Currently, everything is made out of stone. Everything is composed of a single technical biome, "Pregen", although places with high altitude are usually close together and places with low altitude are usually close together. There are no caves, no nothing, etc, just solid stone.
Oceans
Everything below 64 blocks is filled with water. Now, any 1x1x256 column that contains any water is now an ocean biome, as long as there are at least 64 water blocks in the body of water (otherwise it remains a "pregen" biome). The only blocks in the world at this point are water and stone.
Ground
Any stone 5 blocks from the surface is replaced with dirt. If it is an ocean biome, sand is used instead. Beaches are generated in the old style ('cause what we have now is barf). The only blocks in the world are dirt, sand, stone, and water, and the only biomes are Oceans and "Pregen" biomes.
Grass
The top layer of dirt is replaced with grass. Even though the title is grass, Clay is also added to sandy areas in the same way as it was pre-1.8 (rare splotches that give around 4-8 stacks of clay balls each)
EDIT: Due to the addition of a temperature layer (thanks Geartooth) the original idea for biome placement is obsolete. You can view it in the spoiler.
Biomes are placed. Only certain biomes (listed below) can touch. They don't have any appearance yet, though; they look exactly like a pregen biome but they are defined as the biome they will become. Extreme Hills are renamed "highlands" since the terrain is already generated. The disgusting overlay of swamps is removed as it adds nothing.
Desert: Plains, Highlands
Forest: Tagia, Highlands, Jungle, Plains
Plains: Desert, Forest, Highlands, Swamp
Highlands: Any except Mushroom
Ocean: Any
Mushroom: Ocean (but only if there is land for it to generate on)
Jungle: Highlands, Forest, Swamp
Swamp: Jungle, Plains
Tagia: Forest, Plains, Tundra
Tundra: Tagia (tends to generate in the middle of them).
Pregen: Any (otherwise generator would get confused).
Instead, a base biome will generate. This is pretty much a biome stripped of all fanciness and down to the bare basics (aka no fancy weather).
The following "base biomes" can generate:
Flatland (closest current biome is Plains)
Wetland (closest current biome is Swamp, though this has no ugly overlay)
Young Deciduous Forest (closest biome is Forest)
Deciduous Forest (closest biome is Jungle)
Young Mixed Forest (a forest with pine trees and normal trees)
Mixed Forest (a mixed forest with tall trees like a jungle)
Young Pine Forest (closest current biome is Taiga)
Pine Forest (imagine a Taiga if some of the trees were as tall as jungle trees)
Yes, I sidetracked a little with the young/old forests. I want my tall trees! Plus, it adds more variety. No, you won't get new log types. Pictures will be coming soon.
Temperature
Yes, I'm introducing temperature (using a system similar to what Geartooth suggested). It's purely for biome generation; it has no effect on the player.
So, each biome has a certain "temperature" value ranging from 1 to 10; 1 is cold, and 10 is hot. This will determine the terrain of the area; as in, the flora, the surface type, and other things specific to certain biomes.
When terrain generation reaches this layer, it randomly gives certain base biomes (besides oceans) a "hotspot" or a "coldspot". These biomes have a temperature value of 10 and 1 respectively. The areas in between the hot/coldspots are filled in with gradually decreasing temperatures. This creates a bunch of areas with a hot biome that slowly files out in to a cold biome.
Temperature will affect each "base biome" differently. I've made a nice chart of each for you.
Flatland:
1: Dirt layer is replaced with snow blocks. There is a 1/8th block of snow covering.
2: Snow block layer recedes. There is a 1/16th block of snow covering. Water springs stop appearing on the surface.
3: Snow block layer recedes. No more snow covering.
4: Snow is completely gone and there is grass.
5: Grass is greener.
6: Same as 5.
7: Grass is duller.
8: Sand appears on the top layer.
9: Sand layer extends. Water springs stop spawning on the surface.
10: Sand layer extends. Sandstone appears.
Wetland:
1: The topmost layer of dirt is replaced with ice. 1/16 snow block covering on everything (including the ice). Water is generated as it is in swamps, but it is covered in ice. There is still the snow.
2: Ice layer is gone. Water is generated the way it is in swamps now, but it is covered in ice. There is still snow.
3: No more ice. There is still snow.
4: No more snow.
5: Grass is greener and mushrooms appear.
6: Same as 5, but flowers and mushrooms are more common.
7: Grass is duller and mushrooms are as rare as they are in 5.
8: Water layer recedes by 1 block.
9: Water layer recedes by another block.
10: Water is completely gone.
Young Deciduous Forest
1: Dirt layer is replaced with snow blocks. There is a 1/16th block of snow covering. 1 out of 16 chunks contain an oak tree. Water on the surface becomes ice.
2: Snow block layer recedes. There is a 1/16th block of snow covering. 1 out of 8 chunks contain an oak tree.
3: Snow block layer is replaced with dirt. 1/16th block snow covering. 1 out of 4 chunks contain an oak tree.
4: Snow is completely gone and there is grass. Each chunk has an oak tree.
5: Grass is greener. Each chunk has two oak trees.
6: Each chunk has four oak trees.
7: Each chunk has two oak trees.
8: Each chunk has 1/2 chance of containing an oak tree.
9: One out of four chunks contain an oak tree.
10: One out of eight chunks will contain an oak tree.
The rest are coming soon.
Humidity
Not sure if this will be included or not, but it'll behave like temperature.
Biome Generation
Now, the actual "biomes" part of biomes is implemented. Flora and fauna are placed where necessary, deserts get their sand, swamps (which are the only biomes that generate anything new on the surface beyond springs) get small pools of water with those pretty lily pads, etc.
Ores
Ores are generated. So are dirt and gravel pockets.
Caves
Caves and ravines are generated.
Lava
All caves/ravines under 10 blocks are now flooded with lava as they currently are.
Other Liquids
Water and lava springs and flows are generated.
Structures
Finally, structures are generated. You know, mineshafts, strongholds, villages, etc... of course only if the option is selected.
This only effects the Overworld generation. The End and The Nether generate the same way they always do (because... well, there isn't much ugliness there).
This basically clears up any ugliness in the world. Those hole-filled strongholds are suddenly patched up and good as new. The world is as vibrant as it was before, but keeping the new biomes. Minecraft finally looks good again.
Special thanks to Geartooth for the world pictures!
Thoughts? Say yes to me? Say no to me?
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I'm moving into 5th and I have grammer.
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Jungle: 40
Ocean: 45
Taiga: 23
Tundra: 19
Swampland: 12
Mushroom Islands: 5
Caves: 2
Desert: 28
Forest: 7
Plains: 5
Extreme Hills: 1
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ot: Herobrine is in the Xbox 360 version of MC.