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Is Mojang Stalling Development? (A Modder's Perspective)
Mojang has recently been pursuing a different development process. Instead of revealing large, themed updates centered around improving old aspects of the game, (villages, the nether, terrain generation, etc), they have increasingly been adding sporadic, new content to the game, which is revealed shortly before it's released in snapshot form. The logic here, (understandable after the Caves and Cliffs debacle), is that this keeps players engaged, while ensuring no one gets let down by unrealistic expectations, even if it makes for a less exciting reveal.
I propose that this is an absurd premise, and a dangerous development strategy at best, as a vanilla+ modder, game developer, and someone who's followed Minecraft for some time. I'm curious if anyone has similar thoughts, or points to the contrary. In my eyes, recent updates have been poorly-thought out and low effort on Mojang's part, do not add anything meaningful to the game, and pose a worrying trend for the studio's future.
Why did the Previous Updates succeed?
The Caves and Cliffs Update certainly didn't go according to plan- it was delayed, split into two parts, and a fair bit of the originally announced content didn't even make it to the game until multiple years after its announcement. ...That being said, the pandemic was a pretty significant extenuating circumstance, and, more importantly, everything, minus the fireflies, did eventually make it in the game.
All of these updates managed to walk a fine line: adding cool new stuff to the game, while also improving outdated areas of the game that needed updating. The Nether Update is another shining example: adding new building materials, new mobs, plants, and even biomes to an area that sorely needed them, making a previously lifeless area of the game as interesting as the overworld, uniquely challenging, and worth traveling to. The Nether felt familiar, but entirely changed- everything about how you interacted with it felt heightened, new, and nuanced.
The same goes for the marvelous new terrain generation- a monumental task, well worth the effort. All of a sudden, this familiar world felt deeper, more interesting. Every time I explore a new world, I encounter places that make it feel unique and wonderful. While it was hardly the flashiest to show off, and certainly not the easiest to design, Caves and Cliffs fundamentally altered and vastly improved the game.
Can anyone honestly say the same thing about the Trails & Tales update?
What's the Problem?
The supposed goal of the Trails & Tales update was to give players more customization options, allowing players to better tell their stories. ...But given the actual content of the update, this doesn't add up. Both the title and the supposed design philosophy feel like an afterthought.
People were initially irritated about the apparent lack of content, though this turned out not to be the issue. Trails and Tales added plenty of new content. The issue was that none of it meaningfully expanded upon existing parts of the game, and arguably, there was no cohesive design philosophy, or serious effort... for any of it.
Firstly, none of the features added in 1.20 significantly change or improve existing parts of the game- at the very least, not at the same scale as the last few updates. The idea of excavating a trail ruin is cool, sure, but aside from the novelty, there aren't serious incentives to seek them out. Armor trims supposedly encourage exploration, but they too are purely cosmetic. The long-awaited addition of smithing functionality... is this not a missed opportunity? Archeology in general is yet another novel but meaningless task, to make decorative pots that only recently gained the ability to even store items. The supposed 'customization' of the update consists of four-sided pottery with a set of 20 patterned shards, functional bookshelves, and some purely cosmetic armor trims. The sniffer can reveal two ancient seeds, which, true to form, do absolutely nothing.
If this update were instead a vanilla+ mod, I wouldn't even consider downloading it. The content is too inconsistent, most of it doesn't add to or directly conflicts with vanilla gameplay, and it generally feels underdeveloped. Which brings us to the second issue:
Literally any modder with a basic skill level could have accomplished the Trails & Tales update, single handedly, in less time than it took Mojang to finish it. And probably could have done as well, or better. There are claims of quality assurance, and, of course, the difficulty of developing for multiple platforms. Game development is certainly difficult, but given the scale of Mojang's operation, I'm doubtful.
The reason I compare this to a vanilla+ mod, is, aside from the slightly nicer textures and better sound effects, it feels very much like a poorly designed vanilla+ mod, and Mojang's new 'development strategy' sounds a lot more like a busy modder's github updates than an actual game studio. All of the new features are things literally anyone could have come up with, and that modders have come up with for years. I have, in fact, added several recently confirmed features to my own mods, frequently before they were actually added to the game. I developed an archeology system. Unlike vanilla archeology, players craft or seek out various levels of brushes, and must carefully time excavations of increasing difficulty based on rarity. Archeology works into another modded system, in which players can assemble ancient remains and technology into new devices, as well as locate disc fragments, colored ceramic shards, and other cosmetic things, providing both practical and aesthetic incentives. Suspicious blocks with various loot tables are incorporated into most vanilla structures, actually encouraging exploration.
I would argue my Archeology system to be substantially better than Mojang's, and I will die on that hill. It enhances existing part of the game, is incorporated into new systems, and has both gameplay-oriented and aesthetic incentives for exploration and discovery, all by means of some suspicious blocks, which, yes, I named before Mojang announced them, which should further drive home that a worse version of my mod is not what ought to be expected of a multi million dollar studio. I, starting with literally no knowledge of java or modding whatsoever, was inspired by the early reveal and cancellation of archeology to get into modding, and was able to finish this system well before it was actually implemented by Mojang. Bearing in mind that I have a job and school, not, say, a studio of people whose literal job is to work on the game.
This isn't to say that the new features are necessarily bad... they're just not great, and come across as strange choices when there are multiple areas of the game still in need of updating.
Why has this happened? And Why aren't more People Concerned?
There are several reasons this might be the case, though this sharp of a turn in development direction feels pretty odd. My best guess is that Microsoft has, in some way, instructed Mojang to prolong development as long as possible. That means ignoring bigger, more obvious parts of the game that need updating, (The End), in favor of more feature-creep style additions that give something flashy to keep up interest. This would be stupid for the obvious reason that it makes the game demonstrably worse; but also in that Minecraft's more significant updates were very popular, and made the game demonstrably better, taking it out of a multiple year slump.
Mojang, or Microsoft, or whomever is actually behind this new turn is hardly looking out for the interests of the game, the community, or even the developers when they propose this direction of 'lots of smaller features, announced at random.' Instead, they're creating an environment that favors useless feature-creep over meaningful improvement, and a development cycle that's confusing and difficult to follow. And this isn't sparing the developers from unrealistic expectations; it's making it preventatively difficult to establish long-term goals for the game. It is entirely possible to make good updates while also supporting developers and the community, and frankly, we should expect better than this.
As to why more people aren't concerned, put bluntly, it's easy to get excited over small things that seem novel than long-term, significant changes to the game that take longer to come to fruition. It's easier to explain cool new armor trims than ludicrously complicated terrain generation that breathes new life into the world. It's easier to develop small features that can be released with little warning than to work towards the long-term.
...Also, in general, the modding community always has and always will pick up the slack if Mojang continues down this path. But the continued appeal of the game shouldn't be dependent on Modders. We've entered a stage in which optimization, LOD rendering, cubic chunk generation, shaders, improved sound dynamics, better building tools, and more are all obtained from volunteers on Curseforge, while Mojang releases novelties we'd expect from modders. It's hardly the end of the world, but I worry for how this plays out in the long run.
I propose that this is an absurd premise, and a dangerous development strategy at best, as a vanilla+ modder, game developer, and someone who's followed Minecraft for some time. I'm curious if anyone has similar thoughts, or points to the contrary. In my eyes, recent updates have been poorly-thought out and low effort on Mojang's part, do not add anything meaningful to the game, and pose a worrying trend for the studio's future.
Why did the Previous Updates succeed?
The Caves and Cliffs Update certainly didn't go according to plan- it was delayed, split into two parts, and a fair bit of the originally announced content didn't even make it to the game until multiple years after its announcement. ...That being said, the pandemic was a pretty significant extenuating circumstance, and, more importantly, everything, minus the fireflies, did eventually make it in the game.
All of these updates managed to walk a fine line: adding cool new stuff to the game, while also improving outdated areas of the game that needed updating. The Nether Update is another shining example: adding new building materials, new mobs, plants, and even biomes to an area that sorely needed them, making a previously lifeless area of the game as interesting as the overworld, uniquely challenging, and worth traveling to. The Nether felt familiar, but entirely changed- everything about how you interacted with it felt heightened, new, and nuanced.
The same goes for the marvelous new terrain generation- a monumental task, well worth the effort. All of a sudden, this familiar world felt deeper, more interesting. Every time I explore a new world, I encounter places that make it feel unique and wonderful. While it was hardly the flashiest to show off, and certainly not the easiest to design, Caves and Cliffs fundamentally altered and vastly improved the game.
Can anyone honestly say the same thing about the Trails & Tales update?
What's the Problem?
The supposed goal of the Trails & Tales update was to give players more customization options, allowing players to better tell their stories. ...But given the actual content of the update, this doesn't add up. Both the title and the supposed design philosophy feel like an afterthought.
People were initially irritated about the apparent lack of content, though this turned out not to be the issue. Trails and Tales added plenty of new content. The issue was that none of it meaningfully expanded upon existing parts of the game, and arguably, there was no cohesive design philosophy, or serious effort... for any of it.
Firstly, none of the features added in 1.20 significantly change or improve existing parts of the game- at the very least, not at the same scale as the last few updates. The idea of excavating a trail ruin is cool, sure, but aside from the novelty, there aren't serious incentives to seek them out. Armor trims supposedly encourage exploration, but they too are purely cosmetic. The long-awaited addition of smithing functionality... is this not a missed opportunity? Archeology in general is yet another novel but meaningless task, to make decorative pots that only recently gained the ability to even store items. The supposed 'customization' of the update consists of four-sided pottery with a set of 20 patterned shards, functional bookshelves, and some purely cosmetic armor trims. The sniffer can reveal two ancient seeds, which, true to form, do absolutely nothing.
If this update were instead a vanilla+ mod, I wouldn't even consider downloading it. The content is too inconsistent, most of it doesn't add to or directly conflicts with vanilla gameplay, and it generally feels underdeveloped. Which brings us to the second issue:
Literally any modder with a basic skill level could have accomplished the Trails & Tales update, single handedly, in less time than it took Mojang to finish it. And probably could have done as well, or better. There are claims of quality assurance, and, of course, the difficulty of developing for multiple platforms. Game development is certainly difficult, but given the scale of Mojang's operation, I'm doubtful.
The reason I compare this to a vanilla+ mod, is, aside from the slightly nicer textures and better sound effects, it feels very much like a poorly designed vanilla+ mod, and Mojang's new 'development strategy' sounds a lot more like a busy modder's github updates than an actual game studio. All of the new features are things literally anyone could have come up with, and that modders have come up with for years. I have, in fact, added several recently confirmed features to my own mods, frequently before they were actually added to the game. I developed an archeology system. Unlike vanilla archeology, players craft or seek out various levels of brushes, and must carefully time excavations of increasing difficulty based on rarity. Archeology works into another modded system, in which players can assemble ancient remains and technology into new devices, as well as locate disc fragments, colored ceramic shards, and other cosmetic things, providing both practical and aesthetic incentives. Suspicious blocks with various loot tables are incorporated into most vanilla structures, actually encouraging exploration.
I would argue my Archeology system to be substantially better than Mojang's, and I will die on that hill. It enhances existing part of the game, is incorporated into new systems, and has both gameplay-oriented and aesthetic incentives for exploration and discovery, all by means of some suspicious blocks, which, yes, I named before Mojang announced them, which should further drive home that a worse version of my mod is not what ought to be expected of a multi million dollar studio. I, starting with literally no knowledge of java or modding whatsoever, was inspired by the early reveal and cancellation of archeology to get into modding, and was able to finish this system well before it was actually implemented by Mojang. Bearing in mind that I have a job and school, not, say, a studio of people whose literal job is to work on the game.
This isn't to say that the new features are necessarily bad... they're just not great, and come across as strange choices when there are multiple areas of the game still in need of updating.
Why has this happened? And Why aren't more People Concerned?
There are several reasons this might be the case, though this sharp of a turn in development direction feels pretty odd. My best guess is that Microsoft has, in some way, instructed Mojang to prolong development as long as possible. That means ignoring bigger, more obvious parts of the game that need updating, (The End), in favor of more feature-creep style additions that give something flashy to keep up interest. This would be stupid for the obvious reason that it makes the game demonstrably worse; but also in that Minecraft's more significant updates were very popular, and made the game demonstrably better, taking it out of a multiple year slump.
Mojang, or Microsoft, or whomever is actually behind this new turn is hardly looking out for the interests of the game, the community, or even the developers when they propose this direction of 'lots of smaller features, announced at random.' Instead, they're creating an environment that favors useless feature-creep over meaningful improvement, and a development cycle that's confusing and difficult to follow. And this isn't sparing the developers from unrealistic expectations; it's making it preventatively difficult to establish long-term goals for the game. It is entirely possible to make good updates while also supporting developers and the community, and frankly, we should expect better than this.
As to why more people aren't concerned, put bluntly, it's easy to get excited over small things that seem novel than long-term, significant changes to the game that take longer to come to fruition. It's easier to explain cool new armor trims than ludicrously complicated terrain generation that breathes new life into the world. It's easier to develop small features that can be released with little warning than to work towards the long-term.
...Also, in general, the modding community always has and always will pick up the slack if Mojang continues down this path. But the continued appeal of the game shouldn't be dependent on Modders. We've entered a stage in which optimization, LOD rendering, cubic chunk generation, shaders, improved sound dynamics, better building tools, and more are all obtained from volunteers on Curseforge, while Mojang releases novelties we'd expect from modders. It's hardly the end of the world, but I worry for how this plays out in the long run.
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Well, in part, its a good thing for builders and mappers who want solely vanilla structures/maps to be able to use more blocks and add more variety to their creations, but our whole team does agree with the point you have here. However, new content is most times not bad for a big chunk of the community since it enables more creativity and more variety in things players build. It also allows resource pack creators to have more retexture and redesign options which could ultimately make their content more attractive and appealing due to the occasionally large amount of people who want the textures of something to be more detailed or who want the textures of something to look super realistic.
We're saying new content isn't always bad, it's just how the community decides to receive that content, whether it be all out backlash like with the armadillo or just straight up love for the nether update, there will always be something in an update that will make the community either go crazy with happiness, or with rage. We feel like the community needs to accept that there isn't always going to be something tailored to an individual in a certain update or snapshot, and that the content will ultimately always be what the big bosses decide is good for their game's popularity/recognition.
We're saying new content isn't always bad, it's just how the community decides to receive that content, whether it be all out backlash like with the armadillo or just straight up love for the nether update, there will always be something in an update that will make the community either go crazy with happiness, or with rage. We feel like the community needs to accept that there isn't always going to be something tailored to an individual in a certain update or snapshot, and that the content will ultimately always be what the big bosses decide is good for their game's popularity/recognition.
Yeah, there's ultimately not much to do about it, and even with Trails & Tales there's plenty to be excited about. I question their priorities, and feel like they could better integrate new content, but that's still just a matter of opinion.
...And going off your point, lots of smaller features that don't always feel fully developed keeps Vanilla+ modders in business.
...And going off your point, lots of smaller features that don't always feel fully developed keeps Vanilla+ modders in business.
I'm almost solely a mods only player nowadays, except in creative mode where it's the blocks that change the game for me, so I'll have to vote that I don't care either way.
Can't say I disagree though - I fully, thoroughly agree! They are without question delaying development into small moments of 'impact' rather than big necessary modifications. It would be great if they split it up more. Major modifications and minor ones scattered, rather than almost solely minor.
I think my only "I disagree with you" bit is about The End: The End is so difficult to reach and leave in any effective quick method that there's little to no reason to improve it currently. To improve it they either need to overhaul it and its methods of re-entry (at the very least, such as allowing you to attain materials to craft end portals from within the end), or restrict the scale of it to stop it having so much empty useless space most players will never realistically go near and limit what's there in the remaining space to be valuable. Neither option's happening for a long while, right? ;3
I'd love to see it happen. I'm aiming to create randomly generated structures for the End and if all goes well I'd like it to include a way to create something to teleport between dimensions, but I'm pretty fresh to Minecraft modding so I'm making no promises there. XD
Currently the End is hardly linked with the rest of Minecraft's worlds. Prior to End Cities this was no cause for concern. After it... it's a barren disappointment. Requiring you explore without making it worth the time or manageable to do. :(
Can't say I disagree though - I fully, thoroughly agree! They are without question delaying development into small moments of 'impact' rather than big necessary modifications. It would be great if they split it up more. Major modifications and minor ones scattered, rather than almost solely minor.
I think my only "I disagree with you" bit is about The End: The End is so difficult to reach and leave in any effective quick method that there's little to no reason to improve it currently. To improve it they either need to overhaul it and its methods of re-entry (at the very least, such as allowing you to attain materials to craft end portals from within the end), or restrict the scale of it to stop it having so much empty useless space most players will never realistically go near and limit what's there in the remaining space to be valuable. Neither option's happening for a long while, right? ;3
I'd love to see it happen. I'm aiming to create randomly generated structures for the End and if all goes well I'd like it to include a way to create something to teleport between dimensions, but I'm pretty fresh to Minecraft modding so I'm making no promises there. XD
Currently the End is hardly linked with the rest of Minecraft's worlds. Prior to End Cities this was no cause for concern. After it... it's a barren disappointment. Requiring you explore without making it worth the time or manageable to do. :(
Yeah, the End definitely needs a better means of access. I'm also considering working on an End overhaul, and access, (along with any reason at all to go there regularly), is top of the list. It's more that I see it as a major source of untapped potential, I guess, then something that needs to be updated...
If you're just getting into modding, I highly recommend looking into MCreator. It's free to use, and has visual code options if you're not too eager to learn a lot of Java. (Though for something as complex as the End, you'll probably need at least some experience with Java.)
If you're just getting into modding, I highly recommend looking into MCreator. It's free to use, and has visual code options if you're not too eager to learn a lot of Java. (Though for something as complex as the End, you'll probably need at least some experience with Java.)
Sounds like a great modding pursuit to aim for! :D Good luck with it if you go for it. I see you're experienced to the point Mojang may have been inspired by you - congrats! Your version does still seem better. Agreed. Actual buffs are great for varied gameplay. :o
And thank you! I appreciate the suggestion. I've got a lot of overhauling modding experience in other games (it's fun!), and I used MCreator a fair bit when I was young. Adding blocks, mobs and such, so I suppose I'm not entirely right to say I'm new, aha. Just new enough I need to get through adapting to Java's code specifically to skip MCreator this time. :) Although randomly generated structures are fortunately more about building, which is what I'm used to anyway! XD
And thank you! I appreciate the suggestion. I've got a lot of overhauling modding experience in other games (it's fun!), and I used MCreator a fair bit when I was young. Adding blocks, mobs and such, so I suppose I'm not entirely right to say I'm new, aha. Just new enough I need to get through adapting to Java's code specifically to skip MCreator this time. :) Although randomly generated structures are fortunately more about building, which is what I'm used to anyway! XD
Very interesting read, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
The thing is, Mojang has higher standards than your typical modder.
The reason it takes them so long is because adding new things in properly takes time. With high standards as a large, reputable company, new features have to be made properly. They need to be beta tested over and over again. There might be a hard to fix bug that gets added as a side effect, or something could be easy to cheese, or something that throws the entire balance of the game off. Oh and they have to do it twice in two different programming languages.
People say that some modder added all the mob vote mobs in a day. Here's the thing. Some random modder doesn't have the quality standards Mojang has. Said modder probably didn't extensively test it, or make polished features, or create unique ai. It was just a concept.
TLDR: Adding official features into the largest and most popular game of all time takes time. All the polish necessary takes time.
Although I agree, Trails and Tails was kinda boring, and there wasn't an actual theme to it. I kinda wish they did a real update then. But hey, 1.21 seems like it will add some cool stuff that I'm hyped for (wolf armor lessgo)
The reason it takes them so long is because adding new things in properly takes time. With high standards as a large, reputable company, new features have to be made properly. They need to be beta tested over and over again. There might be a hard to fix bug that gets added as a side effect, or something could be easy to cheese, or something that throws the entire balance of the game off. Oh and they have to do it twice in two different programming languages.
People say that some modder added all the mob vote mobs in a day. Here's the thing. Some random modder doesn't have the quality standards Mojang has. Said modder probably didn't extensively test it, or make polished features, or create unique ai. It was just a concept.
TLDR: Adding official features into the largest and most popular game of all time takes time. All the polish necessary takes time.
Although I agree, Trails and Tails was kinda boring, and there wasn't an actual theme to it. I kinda wish they did a real update then. But hey, 1.21 seems like it will add some cool stuff that I'm hyped for (wolf armor lessgo)
1.21 is definitely set to be a better update though. Still worried about how sporadic it seems thusfar, but honestly, autocrafting alone is an interesting enough game-changer to make it worthwhile
I agree that large studio game development takes time, and has higher standards (Though I'd be willing to argue modders deal with similar development struggles with far less resources.) My issue isn't that Mojang is being 'lazy' in only releasing a few features, or simpler community-favorite features; it's more that the concepts themselves are becoming more focused on novelty than long-term integration into the rest of the game. Mojang does, as you say, have high standards. That's why I take issue with their focus on small content over bigger ideas that they, (unlike modders), have the resources to pursue.
Essentially, I guess I'd compare them to modders in a negative, not positive way. Trails & Tales felt like a Vanilla+ mod because its development and integration into the game felt more akin to that of lower-standards modders than Mojang. The new content is professional in production quality, (It has nice textures, bugfixing, sfx, etc) but poor conceptually. (The ideas themselves aren't well developed.)
...But yeah, it's hard to judge to what extend development on their end is more difficult than modding. Quality standards and multiple platforms are completely different, but given the size of their operation, and their past accomplishments I think it's still unclear to what extent we can take these as excuses for slower development.
Essentially, I guess I'd compare them to modders in a negative, not positive way. Trails & Tales felt like a Vanilla+ mod because its development and integration into the game felt more akin to that of lower-standards modders than Mojang. The new content is professional in production quality, (It has nice textures, bugfixing, sfx, etc) but poor conceptually. (The ideas themselves aren't well developed.)
...But yeah, it's hard to judge to what extend development on their end is more difficult than modding. Quality standards and multiple platforms are completely different, but given the size of their operation, and their past accomplishments I think it's still unclear to what extent we can take these as excuses for slower development.
Of the points on which I would disagree with how MS/Mj has handled recent updates most would reasonably be seen as differences in opinion / play style (e.g. I wouild have preferred the nether to remain a barren hellscape with all or most of the 1.16 additions implemented in an ur- or meta-nether subdimension {potentially accessible via a new form of gate found in bastion ruins}).
With that sort of caveat:
EDIT: Something not mentioned below:
MS/Mj at one point publically stated that they were aimed at two 'major' updates a year.
Assuming this is still company policy [I don't follow this sort of thing deliberately], part of the problem may be a employee response to 'aim low' and 'manage expectations' to avoid needing to explain cost overruns and/or missed deadlines.
If this is a factor, I doubt it will be documentable… at least until some employees start writing 'tell-all' memoirs….
The recent updates do seem to have shifted focus to servicing more casual and newer (often younger) players.
This likely stems (at least in part) from MS/Mj focusing more on their fiduciary duty to the stockholders to maximize return on the investment MC represents.
Many of the updates from 1.13 forward have featured easilty 'mechandizable' content, thus driving sales of officially licensed spin-off toys [the LEGO™ site currently lists 34 products].
1.15 notwithstanding, MS has a vested interest in not expending development resources to retain the ability of MC to run on older computers — a large fraction of new computer sales are accompanied by the nigh forced purchase of more copies of Windoze. [Note that this isn't any kind of active sabotage, it's just not prioritizing something which is not in one's interest.]
As mentioned in the OP, many of the additions feel only tangentially conected to the main game play.
The archeology system is a prime example: a new tool [because simply using a feather would not work :incredulity: ] and new block types are added which do nothing except provide trivial amounts of general resources and …drumroll… new bits that can be assebled into a new… TA-DA …container! that will eventually hold an amazing 1 stack and requires breaking the container to retrieve (without using a hopper). What this has to do with thw rest of the game escapes me…
These seem to me as though MS/Mj is biasing their development strategy toward the youngest and most casual BR players, that being where the money is…
[BR produces a stream of 'micro'-transactions while Java (aka Minecraft Classic) is buy once, pay once.]
Similarly, the mechandising opportunities among this demographic are more fertile.
My suspicions is that they also are less able to entertain themselves among the infinite possibilites of even the earliest MC releases as well as causing MS/Mj fewer 'headaches' as compared with the old-skool [sic] technically biased players.
With that sort of caveat:
EDIT: Something not mentioned below:
MS/Mj at one point publically stated that they were aimed at two 'major' updates a year.
Assuming this is still company policy [I don't follow this sort of thing deliberately], part of the problem may be a employee response to 'aim low' and 'manage expectations' to avoid needing to explain cost overruns and/or missed deadlines.
If this is a factor, I doubt it will be documentable… at least until some employees start writing 'tell-all' memoirs….
The recent updates do seem to have shifted focus to servicing more casual and newer (often younger) players.
This likely stems (at least in part) from MS/Mj focusing more on their fiduciary duty to the stockholders to maximize return on the investment MC represents.
Many of the updates from 1.13 forward have featured easilty 'mechandizable' content, thus driving sales of officially licensed spin-off toys [the LEGO™ site currently lists 34 products].
1.15 notwithstanding, MS has a vested interest in not expending development resources to retain the ability of MC to run on older computers — a large fraction of new computer sales are accompanied by the nigh forced purchase of more copies of Windoze. [Note that this isn't any kind of active sabotage, it's just not prioritizing something which is not in one's interest.]
As mentioned in the OP, many of the additions feel only tangentially conected to the main game play.
The archeology system is a prime example: a new tool [because simply using a feather would not work :incredulity: ] and new block types are added which do nothing except provide trivial amounts of general resources and …drumroll… new bits that can be assebled into a new… TA-DA …container! that will eventually hold an amazing 1 stack and requires breaking the container to retrieve (without using a hopper). What this has to do with thw rest of the game escapes me…
These seem to me as though MS/Mj is biasing their development strategy toward the youngest and most casual BR players, that being where the money is…
[BR produces a stream of 'micro'-transactions while Java (aka Minecraft Classic) is buy once, pay once.]
Similarly, the mechandising opportunities among this demographic are more fertile.
My suspicions is that they also are less able to entertain themselves among the infinite possibilites of even the earliest MC releases as well as causing MS/Mj fewer 'headaches' as compared with the old-skool [sic] technically biased players.
Yeah, I admit I don't really touch on the very likely possibility that underdeveloped new features are more profitable than significant structural updates. It's certainly possible, and would be very much in style for Microsoft. That being said, it seems like Mojang has been given pretty far reign over the game's development, and the Devs mostly seem genuinely interested in improving the game.
What I question on their part is the assumption that they can't both add flashy new features and also improve the game in more fundamental ways- I would argue that plenty of the new Nether additions, for example, both significantly improve and change the experience of the dimension, while also adding straightforward new content that can be easily marketed to new players. The Sniffer, for example. could have been better developed, with more interesting mechanics, and would have been just as much an easy sell. They're treating it as if they can only improve the game meaningfully, or add stuff that's more marketable, when they almost certainly have the time and resources to do both. Or that larger updates will always result in delays and debacles. IMHO, they could have just as easily added all the Trails & Tales features as additional stuff for a larger update, and had the best of both worlds.
It's also totally possible they're working on bigger stuff under wraps, rendering all of this moot, but since we can't read the Devs minds, I probably should be cautions making assumptions as to their intent.
...But yeah, the problems of monetization are another issue entirely, and the reason I will never play bedrock. It's probably naive, but I do have to wonder if their marketing really makes a significant difference at this point for one of the most lucrative games in history. It worries me deeply that there isn't much monetary incentive to keep java edition around.
What I question on their part is the assumption that they can't both add flashy new features and also improve the game in more fundamental ways- I would argue that plenty of the new Nether additions, for example, both significantly improve and change the experience of the dimension, while also adding straightforward new content that can be easily marketed to new players. The Sniffer, for example. could have been better developed, with more interesting mechanics, and would have been just as much an easy sell. They're treating it as if they can only improve the game meaningfully, or add stuff that's more marketable, when they almost certainly have the time and resources to do both. Or that larger updates will always result in delays and debacles. IMHO, they could have just as easily added all the Trails & Tales features as additional stuff for a larger update, and had the best of both worlds.
It's also totally possible they're working on bigger stuff under wraps, rendering all of this moot, but since we can't read the Devs minds, I probably should be cautions making assumptions as to their intent.
...But yeah, the problems of monetization are another issue entirely, and the reason I will never play bedrock. It's probably naive, but I do have to wonder if their marketing really makes a significant difference at this point for one of the most lucrative games in history. It worries me deeply that there isn't much monetary incentive to keep java edition around.
When Caves & Cliffs was announced, I was legitimately excited for the new direction of the game. Something about exploring the vast unknown depths called to me. It was something I always wanted in Minecraft. Even when the world height addition got delayed, I understood why it had to be done, and I eagerly awaited Part 2 through the months. But this last update seems lackluster, unfocused. It does not spark any desire in me to go and start up a new world in 1.20 right now. But here's to hoping that this is just a temporary creative slump, a rough patch that once passed will open up new frontiers in Minecraft updates.
Yeah- I honestly think it's a miracle this even happened. When it comes to things that are incredibly difficult to explain to new players, it's overhauling terrain generation to make each world more varied and unique. I'm thankful it did though, this update single handedly inspired me to keep up modding.
