Hi!
I am new to the Forum and thought I give you my thoughts of improvements Minetest could go.
At first let me say I think Minetest should NOT copy Minecraft too much and go fast in another Direction and Mindset.
PLEASE, lay down the Tar and Feathers and hear me out first...
The differences I talk about are simple routines and rules scripted into the game, which make more sense and give the Player more realism in the adventure.
At first I would suggest to remove in adventure Mode the main hilarity of Minecraft: Punching Trees.
To change this system I suggest to change the script for the Trees in this way: The Treetrunk stands on fertile earth and grows straight up. The Top Treetrunk should have on every side and on the Top a new tile called TWIGS. These Twigs have adjacent to them now the regular leafs we all know. The Trunk is not harvestable without an ax, the twigs are. Twigs give with a probability of 50 percent either a piece of wood or a stick.
This would later give a programming opportunity to make different Trees later on. Trees growing Bigger would get other shapes with other codes: A growing tree which gets two new height Layers could be either get Twigs adjacent 1.5 Squares in between two layers with twigs only one square. This will make a nice round shape like an Apple tree. But if the Layers growing like top to bottom in 1 square, 1,5 square, 2 square, it would look more like a pinetree.
Example: (slices horizontally)
twigs(o),Trunk(O),leafs or nothing(x)
1 square adjacent:
xxxxx
xxoxx
xoOox
xxoxx
xxxxx
1.5 squares adjacent
xxxxx
xooox
xoOox
xooox
xxxxx
2 squares adjacent
xxoxx
xooox
ooXoo
xooox
xxoxx
No one can punch a tree down with their bare fist except Chuck Norris (old joke is old) but breaking of twigs to get Wood and Sticks would be easily possible.
The need for Wood in the first part of the game would be a bit higher and the first made tool would be an ax to chop down trees. for Trunks and enough wood to build the necessary tools. Doing the same thing with rock obviously would be advisable.
This would require redesigning the code for creating trees to implement the new Tiles and changing the variables to harvest rock and treetrunks to -1.
Well I am a bit rusty in my programming Skills so I can't help... yet. But the Idea stands. What do you guys think about it? Good Idea or should I burn on the stake? ;)
Soren Maelstrom