Minecraft has been around for over a decade and is firmly part of gaming culture. Over the years, some mechanics have gathered dust. New features keep arriving, but many older systems are neglected or barely used. That’s a shame, because there’s still a lot of potential to make the game better and refresh existing mechanics. Many of these features have been in the game since alpha and were never updated to modern standards. Let’s take a closer look at what could be improved!
Minecraft minecarts and rail system: faster transport and more options
The “Mine” in Minecraft gained some relevance again with the big Caves & Cliffs Update, but underground work could still use a lot more updates. That includes the minecart, an almost forgotten means of transportation that’s been in the game since June 2010 and has barely been adjusted since. Yes, there are different rails and minecarts, but they don’t take you much further. Minecarts aren’t a truly fast way to travel anymore, especially in the era of elytra. They feel like a forgotten relic of old times.
Possible improvements:
- Trains or a train system for faster transport (a better powered minecart)
- Ability to chain carts together
- Cheaper recipe for rails (too much iron)
- Generally faster carts
- Improved item transport
Minecraft food and crops: more variety in fields and better mechanics
Farming has been in the game since Infdev in 2010, but nearly 15 years later it still works exactly the same. Water hydrates four blocks, you till the soil, and wait. Back then it was just wheat, but functionally nothing has changed. Sure, there are new foods like potatoes or melons, but that doesn’t make much difference.
On top of that, the entire hunger system needs an overhaul. Right now it’s way too easy to grab a stack of 64 golden carrots and never worry about hunger. Mods like Pam’s HarvestCraft or Farmer’s Delight are good examples of a better system with more variety. Of course, Minecraft isn’t Stardew Valley, but an upgrade would be very welcome.
Possible improvements:
- No or less stackable food (similar to alpha/beta)
- More crops (tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, etc.) and recipes (sandwiches, stews, etc.)
- Reworked hunger system (for example, requiring a varied diet)
- Integrate aspects like fertilizer or biomes into farming
- Make survival generally harder
- Alternative farming methods and mechanics (e.g., vineyards, rice)
Minecraft End dimension: new biomes, mobs, and structures
Many players suspect a major End update could be on the way. Not much has changed here since it arrived with the full release in 2011. Yes, End islands, cities, and shulkers were added in version 1.9, but the End still feels lifeless and bleak. That’s partly the atmosphere, but the dimension could still use a fresh coat of paint.
The biggest issue with the End is that many players don’t find it worth visiting. Some have never beaten the Ender Dragon. And once you have enough elytra and shulker boxes, you basically never need to go back. It’s a shame the third dimension is so neglected. Hopefully it’ll get the same kind of upgrade the Nether received in 1.16, which reinvigorated that dimension.
Possible improvements:
- Make the End truly endgame
- More varied terrain through biomes
- Put islands at different heights, maybe even vertical islands
- Incentives to revisit and explore the End multiple times
- Make strongholds more exciting
- Bosses beyond the Ender Dragon
Minecraft fletching table: missing functionality and much-needed features
Hard to believe the fletching table was added in version 1.14 in 2019. It’s not as old as other features, but to this day the block still has no direct functionality. You can use it as a workstation for villagers to unlock certain trades, but as a player you can’t interact with it. It’s the only block of its kind. Fans have been speculating for years about what it could do.
Possible improvements:
- Integrate arrow crafting into the block
- Rework tipped arrows
- New mechanics for bows (that could potentially replace some enchantments)
- Craft bows from other materials (Blaze Rod or Breeze Rod)
- New types of arrows with different properties
Minecraft combat system: fewer differences between Java and Bedrock, better balance
Combat in Minecraft remains a hotly debated topic. The changes introduced in 1.9 are an improvement over before, but still not fully refined. There are also major discrepancies between Java and Bedrock, one of the biggest differences between the two versions.
There have been attempts to rework the system. The Combat Test snapshots from 2019 and 2020 targeted these issues but were never officially implemented. Not much has changed since. New weapons like the mace or spear are great additions, but they don’t fix the underlying problems.
Possible improvements:
- Rework cooldowns, reach, and attack patterns for all weapons
- Adjust mob health across the board
- Align hunger-related systems
- Handle weapon upgrades differently (as an alternative to enchantments)
Minecraft enchantments: more individuality, less randomness
Lastly, let’s look at enchanting, another system that’s seen little change since its introduction in version 1.0 in 2011. Levels and the use of lapis lazuli were adjusted and new enchantments were added, but the fundamentals are the same.
Enchanting is both too hard and too easy, depending on your approach. The issues are randomness and anvil adjustments (the “Too Expensive” message). It’s too easy to abuse villager trades and Mending. Overall, the system is poorly balanced and not very intuitive.
Possible improvements:
- Implement Mending differently and make it weaker
- Tie enchantments to gems or valuable items
- Rework librarian villagers and make them less powerful
- Standardize XP usage for enchanting
- Remove randomness entirely
Conclusion: updates to older Minecraft systems are worth it
Over the years, Minecraft has accumulated mechanics that no longer fit the current gameplay loop. From minecarts to farming to the enchanting system, plenty of things could use an upgrade. Some aspects, like the combat system, have even seen test revisions, but these were never officially adopted.
Why not play a round of Minecraft yourself and rent one of our Minecraft servers? You can see firsthand which systems might be improved—and be ready to go when a new update lands.
