I'd like your ideas on how we can make Minetest unique, a game worth playing.
Confusion of Identity
The most common response I get when showing a screenshot of Minetest is: "Is that a crappy texture pack for Minecraft?"
Why does this happen?
- Similar size cubes, 1m by 1m
- Similar textures (even different ones could be confused as a different texture pack)
- Hotbar in the same position, similar looks
Why is this a problem?
- People expect an exact clone, and are disappointed to find out that their are no mobs / insert-feature-here.
- People call us a rip off and never try the game, just by the looks. ("How is this legal?? Why doesn't MC sue?")
minetest_game is still important
While it should be promoted that players use mods, minetest_game should still be a well polished and unique game. It is the entry point into the game. If they open up Minetest, and dislike their first impressions, they won't stay. No amount of education will change that.
But "they can just install a mod" is not expectable when it limits the polish of minetest_game. Minetest_game should be a playable game in its own right.
My suggestions
- Ambient sounds on the client's side. (Clients look around for sound emitting nodes, rather than servers telling them to play sounds.) Ambient sounds should still be registered on the server side as mods.
- Give Minetest some meaning:
- SciFi / Alien story (links in with 'test')
- Will still be on an Earth like world, but some nodes and items can be found which are alien.
- Alien artifacts. Make Mese an alien crystal, as celeron55 once suggest, iirc
- Alien goo, underground temples with booby traps.
- Test you building skills, your adventure skills, your intelligence.
- SciFi / Alien story (links in with 'test')
- Some way of adding a scientific viewpoint. Chemistry? Idk
I'll probably add more / refine this viewpoint later.