Hipo's Miscellany

Just a list of things that would be useful, but I’m too lazy to think of a title for 😛

Complex server-side models and textures
This would dramatically increase the capability of the modding community. Instead of needing clients to have resources for mods to be installed manually, they could be obtained from the server and cached. Perhaps allowing for an optional external server in the configuration would allow server owners to link to a CDN, so as to alleviate stress on the game server.

These next concepts are ones which could be done by a modder, but would be awesome for vanilla.

Limited Fluids/Volume Preservation
Perhaps as an optional setting. Instead of fluid blocks with nothing solid beneath them falling infinitely without draining the source block, the amount of fluid which falls would be limited to the amount contained. It may be best for performance to have a separate setting for large bodies of water. This would undoubtedly have consequences for bodies of water that are generated by the server, so…

Water Springs
As well as the default pools of water, there should be water springs; Blocks which generate water constantly and dig up through rock until they reach open air;

• Consider the last block placed by the spring to be the “active” block
• The active block will replace an adjacent block with water, prioritizing horizontal air over vertical rock
• If the active block is adjacent to ice, it will freeze and stop propagation
• When the active block is completely surrounded by air or water, it will propagate upwards for 5 blocks at most, to create a geyser-like effect (In air, at least)

Rails
Think the Sky-Hook from Bioshock.

DIY Protectors (Golems)
Oort stones only used for portals? How about some hand-made Protectors? Combine with ice to get an Ice Golem, stone to get a Stone Golem, wood to get a Wood Golem, etc.

Chain/Rope
Right-click to place the start of the entity, then right-click to place the end. This will make a slightly slack chain/rope which consumes 1.2 * absDistance(start, end) units of material from your inventory. Perhaps add in a system which shows you how the entity will look as you’re placing the end point, and allows for a variation in slackness by scrolling the mouse wheel (Change equation to (1 + slackness) * absDistance(start, end)).