FlowerChild could you give us an example of a "good" suggestion so than we all could picture it and not make "bad" suggestions
If you don't instinctively know the difference, chances are your suggestions will be bad.
I evaluate suggestions based on consistency with the rest of the mod's design, potential fun provided vs work required (bang for the buck), and a personal wealth of game industry experience. Unless you've been playing the mod for a very long time and have gotten to know my personal design style extremely well, chances are good that your idea won't live up to my standards.
When in doubt, just don't make them. There's really no point, and in all probability I've likely already considered it myself or had it suggested before.
As someone mentioned above, if you personally believe that you have a great idea, your best course of action is to make your own mod rather than trying to propose it for this one.
If you really must see one, *this* is a good idea. It may seem exceedingly simple (most really good ideas are), but it has a number of subtle effects that indicate careful consideration of its overall impact on the game:
What's the next big thing you want to tackle, FlowerChild? I've always associated large, spinning windmills with BTW and haven't seen them done like this in any other mod. Are there any cool additions you are playing around with in your head that would be unique to BTW?
Thank you for your advice, I have been playing BTW since 1.1 i think and i will still keep playing with this mod, and i wish i could make my own mod but i suck at programming im more in to machines and things that are powered mechanically.
What's the next big thing you want to tackle, FlowerChild? I've always associated large, spinning windmills with BTW and haven't seen them done like this in any other mod. Are there any cool additions you are playing around with in your head that would be unique to BTW?
RTH (Return to Home) is definitely the next big thing I want to tackle
At present, I am currently wrapping up BTW, and there are only a few big items left on my todo list before that happens, in particular, finishing Hardcore Villagers, and BTW's "end game".
Before someone takes the above as an indication otherwise (they inevitably do), I will be continuing to maintain and update BTW for the indefinite future, but for the most part will be no longer adding new content to it once I consider it "done".
My Javascript skillz actually seem to progress. So, if I decide to make the Electrics mod (it must be the third time I revived this topic to let it die again :P) can I make it an add-on of BTW, or it will have to be a stand-alone mod?
There's no real restrictions on creating add-ons man, as long as you don't redistribute any BTW code in the process.
I'm also open to adding new code hooks that are required by add on authors (within reason) to avoid redistribution issues. Again, if you haven't checked it out, the add-on section of the BTW forums is a good place to look over to get the lay of the land:
If you're a first-time modder or coder though, I'd really recommend trying your hand at something far less ambitious than what you've described, and that's the same advice I give to pretty much everyone.
What you're proposing is rather huge, and doing that as a first time mod is most likely to only result in you becoming discouraged by the inevitable slow progress you'll be making, and giving up as a result.
Something on the scale of BTW literally represents thousands of hours of work I've put into it, and that's with me having 30 years of programming experience, so I think that will give you some idea that it is no small job to create a mod.
Even then, my initial plans only involved adding 6 blocks to MC, and it kinda mutated into this with time. If I had planned to do something on this scale initially, I probably would have decided to just go drinking instead
I know. However, this particular man being the center of the storm (even if he was not the target) seems either unfair or bad luck, depending on the point of view.
What is lost now is the context on the forums at the time. I had already asked in a couple of places that people tone it down on posting suggestions for a bit, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
He certainly didn't receive a temp ban for it (or even a warning) or anything like that, and I explicitly stated it wasn't his fault, but I did feel the need to make it very clear that I wasn't open to any further suggestions unless they were mind-blowing, as my previous attempts to do so were obviously not working.
In reply to one of your questions... A good suggestion was the diamond saw, built much the same as the current iron saw yet intended for wood. The anvil seems like a real quick/cheap work around.
I really hope that was a joke. Diamond saws are by far one of the most common (and worst) suggestions that has been repeatedly made for the mod
In reply to one of your questions... A good suggestion was the diamond saw, built much the same as the current iron saw yet intended for wood. The anvil seems like a real quick/cheap work around.
First, I think you meant "intended for stone" instead of wood.
Second, the problem is that the diamond saw is one of the things on the do not ever suggest list, so that means it is automatically NOT a good example.
-Edit-
First post after a long absence, and it gets ninja'd. Back to the occasional lurking, mostly absent.
Even then, my initial plans only involved adding 6 blocks to MC, and it kinda mutated into this with time. If I had planned to do something on this scale initially, I probably would have decided to just go drinking instead
I would really like to hear more about the very first version of BTW. I tried looking up version 1.0.0 in the change log on the wiki, but it just said, "initial release." What were the first 6 blocks added by BTW? Would you ever consider making a download of the very first version available?
I would really like to hear more about the very first version of BTW. I tried looking up version 1.0.0 in the change log on the wiki, but it just said, "initial release." What were the first 6 blocks added by BTW? Would you ever consider making a download of the very first version available?
Yeah i was intending to get around to redoing some chunky parts of the wiki for that stuff, when i had a massive chunk of free time.
I beleive one of them was cement, and another was the hibachi?
Errr...I think Light Blocks and Hibachi were the first two blocks I did, I know that, and the full initial 6 didn't actually appear until over a year later (the Lens got put off for a very long time due to its complexity).
I *planned* 6 initially. The plan however got changed several times along the way
For anyone that wants a trip in the way back machine, here's the first video I ever made for the mod while I was working on the first release:
Also, if you want to check the change log to get an idea of when things happened, the readme included with each version of the mod is the place to go.
Yeah i was intending to get around to redoing some chunky parts of the wiki for that stuff, when i had a massive chunk of free time.
I beleive one of them was cement, and another was the hibachi?
Another for sure was the cauldron. And then maybe the block dispenser.. And a booster rail using soul sand that was removed ages ago. Hard to remember now, since it was so long ago and so much has been added now.
Another for sure was the cauldron. And then maybe the block dispenser.. And a booster rail using soul sand that was removed ages ago. Hard to remember now, since it was so long ago and so much has been added now.
Cauldron wasn't initial 6. I remember discussing that one with logorouge back in the day here in this thread, and being reluctant about it until he mentioned the idea of using it only to cook food instead of smelting like a furnace.
Obviously, it has a lot more uses now, but back then it was basically just a way to use the infinite burning of netherrack to cook food, because it always bugged me in vanilla that you couldn't use hellfire for anything at all really
It's a long time ago for me too, but I think the initial 6 planned for the mod were:
-Light Block
-Hibachi (named BBQ back then)
-Block Dispenser
-Minecart boosters (the old screaming soul based ones before vanilla added theirs)
-Cement
-Lens
I didn't release them all at once though. I think the first release of the mod only contained the first two, with the Block Dispenser being the next thing I worked on after that (or maybe the soul boosters). Then Cement was last (I still have the giant mountain made out of the stuff in my main save from when my early tests went "slightly" berserk), and I procrastinated about the Lens for a year or so while I worked on ideas for stuff like mechanical power and all that
It looks like cement may have been in the initial release.
I think the Minecart Booster may have also been in the initial release. There is a reference in the change log to the recipe for Minecart Boosters being modified in version 1.22, but none of the versions before it mention the minecart booster being added as a new block.
Yeah, here's a similar screen shot of "Mount Cement Doom" from my own world:
I eventually hollowed out the center and put some lava in there to make it look like a volcano, but otherwise it has remained largely unchanged from that initial moment of panic where my creation threatened to consume my world. It serves as a constant visual reminder to always test my new features extensively before releasing
With regards to dates...again, it was a long time ago, and it doesn't really mean anything anyways, so I'm not going to start digging for precise details.
EDIT: Oh...and to always back up my main save before testing new features. Yeah...I definitely learned that lesson there
So I would like to extend a challenge to the community. Can you list 6 new block ideas for minecraft that:
a) you think would contribute more to the game than wolves.
AND
will take LESS work than wolves to fully implement and debug.
I stated my own ideas in that thread, but considering that they are burried so deep, I'll list them here again:
1) Photo-resistors (circuit elements that detect the presence of light and can change logic flow based on it).
2) Water/lava gates to control the flow of liquids for use in traps and such.
3) Fence gates. Block creatures in the same way as a fence, but can be opened and closed. Fences as they exist are a pain to use because there's no simple method for the player to enter/exit a fenced off area without building a multi-block door/gate (with overhanging ledges to prevent spiders from climbing it).
4) Powered lights. (glowstone + glass maybe?), so you can turn the lighting of an area on and off.
5) Lasers (glowstone + diamond?). Not as a weapon or for damaging creatures, but for display. In other words, power a laser and it projects a point of light on whatever surface it intersects at a distance. Could open up a whole realm of user-created displays. Could also be used in combination with photo-resistors to communicate a singnal over long distances without having to lay miles of redstone wire. Could also be used as "trip wires" in combination with photo-resistors. Could also be used to aid in contruction in marking the co-ordinates or boundaries of construction (like in building a large bridge and using a laser to mark its height at the other edge so the ends match up). Really, the possibilities for emergent gameplay are huge here.
6) Concrete Buckets (gravel + water bucket?): Flows like lava or water, but solidifies into a solid block with time. Might be cool if a redstone signal applied to a liquid block of conrete placed in the world kept that block in its liquid state until the signal turned off (concrete traps + syncronizing flow for mass simultaneous construction). Might also be cool if you could apply a dye to the concrete bucket to simplify construction of large colored objects.
No, that list evolved as the thread went on. By the time I actually started the mod it was completely different. Those were just my own six example "better than wolves" ideas that I put forth in order to get the conversation started.
Anyways, as amusing as this trip in the way-back machine is, it's also not really relevant to the current thread or mod.
No, that list evolved as the thread went on. By the time I actually started the mod it was completely different. Those were just my own six example "better than wolves" ideas that I put forth in order to get the conversation started.
Anyways, as amusing as this trip in the way-back machine is, it's also not really relevant to the current thread or mod.
I've decided to put my money where my mouth is and create a mod covering some of these ideas, hopefully to act as a proof of concept for the main game.
Right now, I'm intending to implement the following features into it:
-Light bulbs.
-Photo Resistors.
-Lasers, as I described them in the OP...not a weapon, and not for a "laser light show" as someone mentioned).
-BBQ grill block (thanks to GunboatDebator for this excellent idea...hope you don't mind if I use it). I think I've decided to do this as a "block" instead of a thing that attaches to blocks (like a grill) as it seems to make the most sense given that it can only be oriented upwards. No need to complicate things then by having it attach to existing blocks, just make it a block itself.
-Minecart Booster Block
-Concrete, with enhancement to original idea of keeping it in liquid form when a redstone current is applied.
I'll avoid the fence gates for now as I want to focus the mod on redstone devices. I also won't do the water/lava gate as I think the pistons someone else mentioned (and which are already a mod that might be integrated into the main game) do a far better job of this than the gate I suggested.
Anyways, check the mod forum and I'll put up a post once the first version is ready
If you don't instinctively know the difference, chances are your suggestions will be bad.
I evaluate suggestions based on consistency with the rest of the mod's design, potential fun provided vs work required (bang for the buck), and a personal wealth of game industry experience. Unless you've been playing the mod for a very long time and have gotten to know my personal design style extremely well, chances are good that your idea won't live up to my standards.
When in doubt, just don't make them. There's really no point, and in all probability I've likely already considered it myself or had it suggested before.
As someone mentioned above, if you personally believe that you have a great idea, your best course of action is to make your own mod rather than trying to propose it for this one.
If you really must see one, *this* is a good idea. It may seem exceedingly simple (most really good ideas are), but it has a number of subtle effects that indicate careful consideration of its overall impact on the game:
http://www.sargunster.com/btwforum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7103
RTH (Return to Home) is definitely the next big thing I want to tackle
At present, I am currently wrapping up BTW, and there are only a few big items left on my todo list before that happens, in particular, finishing Hardcore Villagers, and BTW's "end game".
Before someone takes the above as an indication otherwise (they inevitably do), I will be continuing to maintain and update BTW for the indefinite future, but for the most part will be no longer adding new content to it once I consider it "done".
You can go to the Q&A thread.
There's no real restrictions on creating add-ons man, as long as you don't redistribute any BTW code in the process.
I'm also open to adding new code hooks that are required by add on authors (within reason) to avoid redistribution issues. Again, if you haven't checked it out, the add-on section of the BTW forums is a good place to look over to get the lay of the land:
http://www.sargunster.com/btwforum/viewforum.php?f=10
If you're a first-time modder or coder though, I'd really recommend trying your hand at something far less ambitious than what you've described, and that's the same advice I give to pretty much everyone.
What you're proposing is rather huge, and doing that as a first time mod is most likely to only result in you becoming discouraged by the inevitable slow progress you'll be making, and giving up as a result.
Something on the scale of BTW literally represents thousands of hours of work I've put into it, and that's with me having 30 years of programming experience, so I think that will give you some idea that it is no small job to create a mod.
Even then, my initial plans only involved adding 6 blocks to MC, and it kinda mutated into this with time. If I had planned to do something on this scale initially, I probably would have decided to just go drinking instead
What is lost now is the context on the forums at the time. I had already asked in a couple of places that people tone it down on posting suggestions for a bit, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
He certainly didn't receive a temp ban for it (or even a warning) or anything like that, and I explicitly stated it wasn't his fault, but I did feel the need to make it very clear that I wasn't open to any further suggestions unless they were mind-blowing, as my previous attempts to do so were obviously not working.
I really hope that was a joke. Diamond saws are by far one of the most common (and worst) suggestions that has been repeatedly made for the mod
First, I think you meant "intended for stone" instead of wood.
Second, the problem is that the diamond saw is one of the things on the do not ever suggest list, so that means it is automatically NOT a good example.
-Edit-
First post after a long absence, and it gets ninja'd. Back to the occasional lurking, mostly absent.
I would really like to hear more about the very first version of BTW. I tried looking up version 1.0.0 in the change log on the wiki, but it just said, "initial release." What were the first 6 blocks added by BTW? Would you ever consider making a download of the very first version available?
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Retired StaffYeah i was intending to get around to redoing some chunky parts of the wiki for that stuff, when i had a massive chunk of free time.
I beleive one of them was cement, and another was the hibachi?
I *planned* 6 initially. The plan however got changed several times along the way
For anyone that wants a trip in the way back machine, here's the first video I ever made for the mod while I was working on the first release:
Also, if you want to check the change log to get an idea of when things happened, the readme included with each version of the mod is the place to go.
Another for sure was the cauldron. And then maybe the block dispenser.. And a booster rail using soul sand that was removed ages ago. Hard to remember now, since it was so long ago and so much has been added now.
http://assets.minecraft.net/1_4_7/minecraft.jar - minecraft 1.4.7 jar file
http://www.mediafire.com/?lxkgcdtgrvr0xiw - modloader for MC 1.4.6/1.4.7
Cauldron wasn't initial 6. I remember discussing that one with logorouge back in the day here in this thread, and being reluctant about it until he mentioned the idea of using it only to cook food instead of smelting like a furnace.
Obviously, it has a lot more uses now, but back then it was basically just a way to use the infinite burning of netherrack to cook food, because it always bugged me in vanilla that you couldn't use hellfire for anything at all really
It's a long time ago for me too, but I think the initial 6 planned for the mod were:
-Light Block
-Hibachi (named BBQ back then)
-Block Dispenser
-Minecart boosters (the old screaming soul based ones before vanilla added theirs)
-Cement
-Lens
I didn't release them all at once though. I think the first release of the mod only contained the first two, with the Block Dispenser being the next thing I worked on after that (or maybe the soul boosters). Then Cement was last (I still have the giant mountain made out of the stuff in my main save from when my early tests went "slightly" berserk), and I procrastinated about the Lens for a year or so while I worked on ideas for stuff like mechanical power and all that
It looks like cement may have been in the initial release.
I think the Minecart Booster may have also been in the initial release. There is a reference in the change log to the recipe for Minecart Boosters being modified in version 1.22, but none of the versions before it mention the minecart booster being added as a new block.
I eventually hollowed out the center and put some lava in there to make it look like a volcano, but otherwise it has remained largely unchanged from that initial moment of panic where my creation threatened to consume my world. It serves as a constant visual reminder to always test my new features extensively before releasing
With regards to dates...again, it was a long time ago, and it doesn't really mean anything anyways, so I'm not going to start digging for precise details.
EDIT: Oh...and to always back up my main save before testing new features. Yeah...I definitely learned that lesson there
No, that list evolved as the thread went on. By the time I actually started the mod it was completely different. Those were just my own six example "better than wolves" ideas that I put forth in order to get the conversation started.
Anyways, as amusing as this trip in the way-back machine is, it's also not really relevant to the current thread or mod.
Thanks, I found the updated list.