(incoming wall of text…)

Look, I realize this probably won’t happen. There are a ton of potential « themes » for the next update, and lots of them have more inherent marketing appeal than this one (The Mod API Update! The Oceans Update! The Cave System Update! The Seasons Update! The Dyeable Beds Update! The Colored Clay Instead Of Wool In Desert Temples Update! The Ok You Get The Point Update!). I also fully realize that this has been discussed before, many times, in many different subreddits.

But I feel that Minecraft is long overdue for an overhaul concerning how it deals with Block Variants (stairs, slabs, pillars and chiseled blocks). It’s pretty much a guarantee that each time a new block gets added, people cry out for its variants. And Mojang, understandably, is reluctant to do so: there are already about 45 block variants in the game, and adding even a few more would just lead to cries of « and what about andesite? and what about colored wool? and what about… » . It’s unending, and without overhauling the way block variants are implemented, probably impossible.

To put it simply, there isn’t currently any rhyme or reason as to which blocks have variants and which don’t (Cobblestone has stairs but andesite doesn’t? Purpur needed pillars but Prismarine didn’t?). So why is this? I’ve heard it said that it helps encourage creativity on the part of players by limiting their options. I’ve also heard that Notch has since regretted adding stairs and slabs, which makes Mojang reluctant to add more. And I’ve heard that it simply isn’t possible to add ALL the block variants because of data value limits inherent in Minecraft’s code.

All valid reasons, but in my estimation, not convincing. Consider: Purpur has stairs and slabs because Mojang needed them to build End Cities, but Prismarine doesn’t because stairs would look weird underwater, so they built Ocean Monuments without them. The Purpur variants got added because someone at Mojang felt he needed more options to make his structures work. In other words, this new structure was improved upon by the builder having access to stair and slab variants of his building blocks. To me, this is proof that more blocks = more creativity, not less.

Now, I get that Notch felt unsure about the game progressing away from the rigid grid pattern it had previously been in, but… well, it already has. At this point, either commit to NO stairs at all, and force players to use full blocks – or implement them in a logical manner. But don’t try to take the middle road and add a few stairs here and there, it just frustrates everybody.

A Builder’s Update would start by removing the data value limit and adding more block variants. In fact, I’ve heard that Mojang is already considering removing the data value limit for the 1.10 update. Great news if true, although I don’t have a link to provide, so I’m not 100% sure.(EDIT: link) Regardless, it’s a necessary step, and one that has been asked for many times over. This would allow Mojang to add many missing block variants (Spruce trapdoors? Granite pillars? Wool stairs? Obsidian bricks?) and generally give builders more options.

TL;DR: Please remove the data value limit and add more stairs/slabs/pillars/chiseled blocks!

So how about it? 1.10, the Builder’s Update?

I'm just throwing this out there because I'd be interested to see if anyone has ideas similar to mine. Every now and then, I hear talk of, "Oh, 1.10 should be focused on blocks/builders." If that was the case, what blocks/themes/colors would you like to see?

I've got a few on my mind:

More color for slabs and stairs, PLEASE.

Other wooden trapdoors. They spoke of this before but never added it.

Something really industrial-seeming, but cheaper than iron blocks.

Maybe an alternate texture for wood planks. It's kind of bland seeing the same horizontal lines over and over again.

Again, just throwing this out there. Feel free to discuss!