WMojang has suggested that the smithing table may have more functionality in the future- right now, it only exists to upgrade diamond tools into their Netherite variants. This is certainly useful... but the smithing table has a great deal of untapped potential. Having read through other posts on the topic, and gone over some of my previous ideas regarding this, I'm going to suggest three different systems that could be implemented for the Smithing Table, in order of simplest and easiest to implement, to most complicated/implausible.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
-Many of these suggestions would make the Smithing table significantly more useful. If any of these were implemented, the Smithing table ought to either be made more expensive, or should require more late game materials. An easy way to do this would be to make the Smithing Table require iron blocks instead of iron bars, or to replace the wood components with nether bricks. (Which, conveniently enough, resemble the Smithing table's reddish tinge.)
SYSTEM ONE ~ Upgradeable Tools
This is by and large the simplest of the suggestions, though still somewhat considerable in its implications. Currently, the smithing table can be used to upgrade diamond tools to netherite tools by means of an expensive netherite ingot. With this system, any tool could be upgraded to a higher level with one of the corresponding ingots. An iron pickaxe, combined with a single diamond, would result in a diamond pickaxe. Tools could also be downgraded if you really wanted to- that is, a diamond pickaxe combined with a single iron bar would result in an iron pickaxe.
Now, obviously, there are some balancing issues that would need to be addressed with this new system. Namely, the most glaring issue is that upgrading an iron pickaxe to a diamond pickaxe costs one diamond- whereas it would normally require three. However, there is already some measure of balancing built into this. When you turn an iron pickaxe into a diamond one, you lose the iron pickaxe. In order to further balance the mechanic, upgrading a tool to a higher level comes at a 25% durability penalty, whereas downgrading a tool can increase its durability by the same amount. Tools without enough durability could not be upgraded or downgraded.
In addition, Stone and wooden tools would not be used, and netherite tools could not be used. (Diamond tools could still be upgraded to netherite, but netherite tools couldn't be downgraded. For obvious reasons.) Netherite tools would also now be craftable from netherite ingots using the normal recipies. (That is, more expensive than upgrading diamond, but w/out a durability penalty.)
Lastly, the biggest use of the Smithing table would be that enchantments would be retained upon upgrading or downgrading a tool. All this would go a long ways to make the smithing table more functional, and to introduce more strategy to tool crafting.
SYSTEM TWO ~ TOOL & ARMOR MODIFICATION
This system moves more towards the implausible- but could still be an interesting way to add a use to the smithing table. In this system, the smithing table can be used to combine any existing tool or piece of armor. with an ingot of a different metal type, adding a different type of modification to that tool. Each modification has unique perks to encourage players to spend additional resources on their tools and armor- however, tools can only have one type of modification, and (probably) can't be modified with their own resource type.
Copper ~ Combining armor or equipment with a copper ingot results in marginally increased max. durability. Something combined with copper becomes a Reinforced item. (As in a Reinforced Leather Chestplate, or a Reinforced Iron Axe)
Iron ~ Combining armor or equipment with an iron ingot makes them slightly more efficient- weapons deal a bit more damage, armor becomes a bit tougher, and tools get a bit faster. It doesn't increase durability. Something combined with iron becomes an Alloyed item. (As in, an Alloyed Diamond Pickaxe, or Alloyed Gold Helmet)
Gold ~ Combining armor or equipment with gold makes them easier to enchant, and also prevents piglins from becoming aggravated. (for armor, at least.) Something combined with gold becomes a Gilded item. (As in a Gilded Netherite Helmet, or a Gilded Iron Sword)
Leather ~ Leather can be combined with a tool or equipment to slightly increase max. durability, and to make said item dyeable. Because it's silly that the only dyeable set of armor in the game is also the worst set of armor in the game. Something combined with leather becomes a Bound item. (As in a Bound Iron Chestplate, or a Bound Gold Axe)
Diamond ~ Diamond improves all aspects of the item, acting as the equivalent of a slightly weakened version of all other upgrades- slightly improving durability, efficiency, and enchantability. Combining something with diamond makes it a Studded object. (Studded Iron Axe, Studded Gold Chestplate, etc.)
Netherite ~ Netherite greatly improves durability of an item, but does not improve other aspects. It also makes the item fireproof, and prevents it from despawning. An item combined with Netherite becomes a Forged object. (Forged Gold Chestplate, Forged Diamond Sword, etc.)
-If this system were implemented, netherite tools would need to be craftable, and the smithing table would need to be considerably more expensive than it is now. In addition, modifying tools should cost experience points.
-Grindstones can be used to remove modifications from an item.
-Modified Itemswould have to be implemented into other loot tables and trades.
SYSTEM THREE ~ COMPLEX TOOL & ARMOR MODIFICATION
This idea really just goes off of the last idea, expanding it to be more complex and to offer more modification options for tools. However, even I have to admit that this is really more along the lines of something I'd expect from a mod.
With this system, most of the mechanics are the same as system two. Experience points are used to combine existing tools with different materials. However, the system is made more complex by allowing tools to have multiple modifications, by categorizing modifications into different parts of the tool. Namely, a tool has a base material that it is actually made of- (The ingredient you use to craft it), a secondary material that makes up the hilt/pommel of the tool or adorns the armor, a stud material that adorns the tool or offers another bonus, and a special material that can be used to provide a more... unusual modification. In this way, a tool can have up to three modifications on it- a secondary material, a stud, and a special material.
Base Materials consist of the default equipment materials- iron, gold, diamond, and netherite. Unlike with system one, these ingredients cannot be used to change the base material of the tool- the tools cannot be upgraded, only modified.
Secondary Materials provide various ambient benefits. As with System Two, copper increases durability, iron increases efficency, gold increases enchantability and neutralizes piglins, leather allows the thing to be dyed, and netherite increases durability and provides fireproofing.
Stud Materials provide a further benefit in exchange for a special resource, and provide an ornament for the tool. Diamond can be used to ambiently improve all aspects of the tool. An emerald increases the luck of the tool, providing a chance for unusually high defense/attack/double drops, etc. Quartz could... do something. Make tools and armor work more effectively in the Nether, perhaps? Lapis provides an additional increase in enchantment potential, and amethyst... causes things to work better when underground?
Special Materials provide an unusual additional benefit. This could include things like Slime, drastically improving knockback/bounciness; Prismarine, making things work far more effectively when underwater; Shulker shells, which would allow the object to be retained on death; Obsidian, providing an enormous boost in power/defense at the expense of a considerable speed penalty... etc.
-These modifications could also be applied to bows, shields, tridents, etc; to make things even more needlessly complex.
-This would also unlock the potential for needlessly long item names. Such as an Emerald Studded Reinforced Iron Slime Axe. Or a Quartz Studded Forged Gold Shulker Chestplate. Or a Diamond Studded Alloyed Netherite Prismarine Helmet.
-...I don't think this system would ever be implemented, but it is sort of fun to think up.
WMojang has suggested that the smithing table may have more functionality in the future- right now, it only exists to upgrade diamond tools into their Netherite variants. This is certainly useful... but the smithing table has a great deal of untapped potential. Having read through other posts on the topic, and gone over some of my previous ideas regarding this, I'm going to suggest three different systems that could be implemented for the Smithing Table, in order of simplest and easiest to implement, to most complicated/implausible.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
-Many of these suggestions would make the Smithing table significantly more useful. If any of these were implemented, the Smithing table ought to either be made more expensive, or should require more late game materials. An easy way to do this would be to make the Smithing Table require iron blocks instead of iron bars, or to replace the wood components with nether bricks. (Which, conveniently enough, resemble the Smithing table's reddish tinge.)
SYSTEM ONE ~ Upgradeable Tools
This is by and large the simplest of the suggestions, though still somewhat considerable in its implications. Currently, the smithing table can be used to upgrade diamond tools to netherite tools by means of an expensive netherite ingot. With this system, any tool could be upgraded to a higher level with one of the corresponding ingots. An iron pickaxe, combined with a single diamond, would result in a diamond pickaxe. Tools could also be downgraded if you really wanted to- that is, a diamond pickaxe combined with a single iron bar would result in an iron pickaxe.
Now, obviously, there are some balancing issues that would need to be addressed with this new system. Namely, the most glaring issue is that upgrading an iron pickaxe to a diamond pickaxe costs one diamond- whereas it would normally require three. However, there is already some measure of balancing built into this. When you turn an iron pickaxe into a diamond one, you lose the iron pickaxe. In order to further balance the mechanic, upgrading a tool to a higher level comes at a 25% durability penalty, whereas downgrading a tool can increase its durability by the same amount. Tools without enough durability could not be upgraded or downgraded.
In addition, Stone and wooden tools would not be used, and netherite tools could not be used. (Diamond tools could still be upgraded to netherite, but netherite tools couldn't be downgraded. For obvious reasons.) Netherite tools would also now be craftable from netherite ingots using the normal recipies. (That is, more expensive than upgrading diamond, but w/out a durability penalty.)
Lastly, the biggest use of the Smithing table would be that enchantments would be retained upon upgrading or downgrading a tool. All this would go a long ways to make the smithing table more functional, and to introduce more strategy to tool crafting.
SYSTEM TWO ~ TOOL & ARMOR MODIFICATION
This system moves more towards the implausible- but could still be an interesting way to add a use to the smithing table. In this system, the smithing table can be used to combine any existing tool or piece of armor. with an ingot of a different metal type, adding a different type of modification to that tool. Each modification has unique perks to encourage players to spend additional resources on their tools and armor- however, tools can only have one type of modification, and (probably) can't be modified with their own resource type.
Copper ~ Combining armor or equipment with a copper ingot results in marginally increased max. durability. Something combined with copper becomes a Reinforced item. (As in a Reinforced Leather Chestplate, or a Reinforced Iron Axe)
Iron ~ Combining armor or equipment with an iron ingot makes them slightly more efficient- weapons deal a bit more damage, armor becomes a bit tougher, and tools get a bit faster. It doesn't increase durability. Something combined with iron becomes an Alloyed item. (As in, an Alloyed Diamond Pickaxe, or Alloyed Gold Helmet)
Gold ~ Combining armor or equipment with gold makes them easier to enchant, and also prevents piglins from becoming aggravated. (for armor, at least.) Something combined with gold becomes a Gilded item. (As in a Gilded Netherite Helmet, or a Gilded Iron Sword)
Leather ~ Leather can be combined with a tool or equipment to slightly increase max. durability, and to make said item dyeable. Because it's silly that the only dyeable set of armor in the game is also the worst set of armor in the game. Something combined with leather becomes a Bound item. (As in a Bound Iron Chestplate, or a Bound Gold Axe)
Diamond ~ Diamond improves all aspects of the item, acting as the equivalent of a slightly weakened version of all other upgrades- slightly improving durability, efficiency, and enchantability. Combining something with diamond makes it a Studded object. (Studded Iron Axe, Studded Gold Chestplate, etc.)
Netherite ~ Netherite greatly improves durability of an item, but does not improve other aspects. It also makes the item fireproof, and prevents it from despawning. An item combined with Netherite becomes a Forged object. (Forged Gold Chestplate, Forged Diamond Sword, etc.)
-If this system were implemented, netherite tools would need to be craftable, and the smithing table would need to be considerably more expensive than it is now. In addition, modifying tools should cost experience points.
-Grindstones can be used to remove modifications from an item.
-Modified Items would have to be implemented into other loot tables and trades.
SYSTEM THREE ~ COMPLEX TOOL & ARMOR MODIFICATION
This idea really just goes off of the last idea, expanding it to be more complex and to offer more modification options for tools. However, even I have to admit that this is really more along the lines of something I'd expect from a mod.
With this system, most of the mechanics are the same as system two. Experience points are used to combine existing tools with different materials. However, the system is made more complex by allowing tools to have multiple modifications, by categorizing modifications into different parts of the tool. Namely, a tool has a base material that it is actually made of- (The ingredient you use to craft it), a secondary material that makes up the hilt/pommel of the tool or adorns the armor, a stud material that adorns the tool or offers another bonus, and a special material that can be used to provide a more... unusual modification. In this way, a tool can have up to three modifications on it- a secondary material, a stud, and a special material.
Base Materials consist of the default equipment materials- iron, gold, diamond, and netherite. Unlike with system one, these ingredients cannot be used to change the base material of the tool- the tools cannot be upgraded, only modified.
Secondary Materials provide various ambient benefits. As with System Two, copper increases durability, iron increases efficency, gold increases enchantability and neutralizes piglins, leather allows the thing to be dyed, and netherite increases durability and provides fireproofing.
Stud Materials provide a further benefit in exchange for a special resource, and provide an ornament for the tool. Diamond can be used to ambiently improve all aspects of the tool. An emerald increases the luck of the tool, providing a chance for unusually high defense/attack/double drops, etc. Quartz could... do something. Make tools and armor work more effectively in the Nether, perhaps? Lapis provides an additional increase in enchantment potential, and amethyst... causes things to work better when underground?
Special Materials provide an unusual additional benefit. This could include things like Slime, drastically improving knockback/bounciness; Prismarine, making things work far more effectively when underwater; Shulker shells, which would allow the object to be retained on death; Obsidian, providing an enormous boost in power/defense at the expense of a considerable speed penalty... etc.
-These modifications could also be applied to bows, shields, tridents, etc; to make things even more needlessly complex.
-This would also unlock the potential for needlessly long item names. Such as an Emerald Studded Reinforced Iron Slime Axe. Or a Quartz Studded Forged Gold Shulker Chestplate. Or a Diamond Studded Alloyed Netherite Prismarine Helmet.
-...I don't think this system would ever be implemented, but it is sort of fun to think up.
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