Currently, the responsibility and distinction between different types of "upgrades" is not defined. Which parts should increase stats? Which should create visual changes? Which should improve functionality? I need to document and create clear goals and definitions for exactly what different upgrades should do.

Tool upgrade process - Iteration 1.0

Forgero tools should be very simple to create, the process of creating them should be intuitive enough for inexperienced player to get started quickly, yet should provide plenty of tinkering opportunities for players who wish to customised tools.

Tools can be created and will benefit from a variety of materials and resources. The main goal of this system is for it to benefit Minecraft's Explore - Gather - Craft loop. The materials and tools should make the player want to explore to find new materials, which they can use to make new tools, and help them explore even further.

Essentials - How to create a tool

Tools are created are created from parts:

• A tool head
• A tool handle
• A tool binding (Optional)

Tool parts can be created with raw resources in a crafting table, with the shape resembling the part it is trying to create. Tool parts can be crafted from nearly all resources available in-game.

Tools are then created in a crafting table by combining the tool parts in a crafting table.

The type of the tool will be decided by the materials used in the head tool part. The tools stats will also be calculated by combining the properties of it's tool parts.

Tool upgrades

Tools and tool parts can be upgrades at different stages to improve the stats and functionality of equipment.

Primary and secondary materials

The foundation of the tools are the materials it is composed of. The tool can take two types of materials, a secondary material and a primary material, although only the primary material is required. This will have the biggest impact on the base stats of a tool.

Primary materials

Primary materials are materials like Stone, Birch, Oak and Iron. They are materials which would make sense to create equipment out of. The look of the material will also carry over to individual tool parts. The bulk of a tool parts stats and it's effectiveness will be calculated from the primary materials.

Different tool parts will react differently to different materials. Tool part head will prefer to be a hard material, bindings would like to be a "bindable" material, and handles would like to be light, but sturdy. Trying out different materials for any given tool part should yield different results.

Primary materials:

• Birch
• Oak
• Spruce
• Stone
• Iron
• Gold
• Diamond
• Netherite
• More to come!

Secondary materials

Primary materials enhance the tool parts and give them some additional properties. This can be both positive and negative. Really heavy materials might make the tool slower in general. The main property of the secondary materials is to provide a "rareness level", which decides which level of Gems you can apply to a tool/tool part. The secondary material might also give an item some perks, Examples of this is gold stopping piglins from hurting you, and flint being able to create sparks and glowstone lighting the area.

Secondary materials:

• Leather
• Vines
• Blaze rods
• Magma balls
• Bones
• Glow stone
• Flint
• All primary materials
• Will have to add more secondary materials

Tool parts

Tool parts have three primary types: head, handle and binding. Each type of tool part will benefit from different materials in different ways. Handles won't be affected by the hardness of a material, but really cares about how heavy it is. This creates a situation where different tool parts benefit from being composed of several different materials. There will probably be added several variations of tool parts, where the tool parts will decide how they benefit from different materials.

Heads

Tool part heads defines what type of tool will be created, axe heads will make axes, pickaxe heads will create pickaxes and so forth. Therefore, the heads of the tools will have some different preferences when it comes to calculating the stats it is responsible for.

Stats:

• How effective it is against block, determines break-ability
• Defines block breaking speeds
• Durability
• Weight of the tool

Handles

Tool handles is currently designed to fit all types of tools. This means that you won't have to create different handles for different purposes. This is mainly due to making the recipes simpler.

Stats:

• Durability
• Weight
• Speed

Binding

The binding is not necessary for creating tools, but is a nice addition as it can greatly increase the durability of your tools. It will also change the look of your tool. Hopefully for the better! Adding a binding to a tools is also important because it gives you another slot for adding a gem, which can further increase a tool's stats.

Stats:

• Durability
• Weight

Skins/upgrades

To give your tools another layer of personalisation. I want tool parts to be upgrades/receive a skin. This is purely cosmetic, but can really change the look of your items. Currently, all tools use the same base model, but applying another skin will create a new model, which can be retextured on the fly to fit any material.

I haven't planned the skins very well, but I want players to find them by going on adventures. So making it treasure items might be a good idea. But who knows really.

Tools

I haven't planned a huge variety of tools yet. Currently I plan to add a variation of all the vanilla tools. I am probably going to add more weapon varieties when I get to creating weapons.

Currently planned tools:

• Pickaxe
• Axe
• Shovel
• Hoe
• Sword

Gems

Gems can be found around the world and contains buffs to the tool parts they are applied to. The bonus attribute of a gem is unique to each gem, but there exists more powerful versions of a gem. I am currently unsure if there should exists only one type of gem which gives a certain attribute, or if I should create more with different rarities. Gems can be leveled up by combining to of the same levelled gem. I have no Idea how high this should go. The gem you can place is dependent on the "Rarity" of the secondary material of you toolpart. The gem will also determine the level of enchantment you can apply on your tools. The gem will always be dropped when you break your tools. This means that you will never be able to retrieve and upgrade your gems if your tools is unbreakable.

I am still undecided on this part: Gems needs to be activated by upgrading it with an activation gem, which needs to correspond the level of your gem to be applied.

Types of gems:

• IDK...

Enchantments/ enhanced Enchantments (wierd name)

Because the functionality of tools in Minecraft is improved/changed by enchantment, it could be confusing to add yet another layer of functionality improvement to the tools. I have decided to let Forgero tools be enchanted like vanilla, but also be enchanted further with additional enchantments which have some more requirements.

Enhanced enchantments

To make it more difficult to add better enchantments, you have to add more powerful gems to your tools. The level of the enchantment will correspond to the level of your gems, which in turn depends on the level of you secondary materials.

Enchantments:

• Magnetism: Will make dropped items flow towards you
• Patterns: will allow tools to mine more blocks
• Auto replant
• And many more to come!!