Recently, I've been wondering if Minecraft could be improved in a way that makes a server stay active for more than a two week phase.
Minecraft has been an essential part of my life. Several times, I created a server for a few of my friends and played with plugins.
I've watched many videos pointing out Minecraft's flawed design: many features of the game are essentially useless, while other features are really all the game is about.
Before we start
I get that Minecraft's whole point is about building your world, but I think adding a bit of difficulty on top of it wouldn't hurt my friends' and my playthrough. It might not be the case for you, though.
Roleplay
There are games like Albion Online and Eco that rely heavily on player interaction. One player crafts tools, another prepares food. This is interesting but isn't suitable for singleplayer. Also, when you join a server with five other people and a huge map, it doesn't make much sense and becomes really tedious.
Progression
My main point is that Minecraft's gameplay is really strange. First, you use a wooden pickaxe for a few seconds. Then you switch to stone tools for a minute. After that, you make the leap to iron, where you stay until you have an enchanting table and enough diamonds for a full diamond set – which can take like two hours. Then you get super overpowered enchants, and that's basically the endgame.
What if this weren't the case, and the game kept you at wooden and stone tools for longer? Perhaps each tool could also require its wooden variant to craft.
Performance
I think automation is really cool. I want to keep this feature in the game, but it's not sustainable if you want a Minecraft server with a dozen players. It also numbs gameplay when players are AFK in their farms to gather resources.
I propose keeping Minecraft farms in the game but making them work in the background with minimal performance overhead. This would keep gameplay fresh while still encouraging player innovation.
My solution is to simulate the farm with a reasonable tick limit and measure its drops. Then, you could simply place the drops in the farm's storage periodically.
This is just an idea for an optimization plugin.
Food system
Minecraft's food system is very simple. Eating should feel like part of the game's progression, not just a minor inconvenience. For example, preparing food could take time, resources, and skill, and the benefits could scale with effort. Better meals could give buffs or faster recovery, while neglecting nutrition could make tasks slower or more exhausting.
Building
I've been wondering what would happen if breaking and placing blocks became more tedious. Would it annoy players, or would it actually make them feel more accomplished when they finish a build?
Currently, building in Minecraft can feel effortless, especially with instant mining tools and unlimited resources. While that's fun for experimentation, it can also make success feel hollow. If the game required more effort for each block – whether through slower mining, tool durability management, or resource costs – each completed structure might carry more meaning.
Here's where food and building can interconnect: if performing tasks like mining, chopping, or placing blocks consumes energy, players would need to plan meals and manage nutrition to work efficiently. Large projects wouldn't just be a matter of time; they would require proper preparation, rest, and sustenance. A well-fed player could work faster or more accurately, while neglecting food would make long-term construction harder.
This doesn't mean punishing players unnecessarily. The key is balance: tedious enough to create value in effort, but not so tedious that it becomes frustrating. Imagine finishing a large base after careful planning, effort, and preparation – that sense of accomplishment could make building far more satisfying and give long-term goals more weight.
In this way, making building slightly harder and connecting it to a deeper food system could increase engagement, because players would plan, collaborate, and care for their builds – and themselves – more than ever.