Hytale May Never Get Minecraft's Best Feature, But I'm Not…

In its current form, Hytale is extremely similar to Minecraft, which makes sense given its origins as a modded server for Mojang's game. The connection is even more obvious given how the early access version of Hytale only covers its early sandbox and survival aspects, with the deep RPG systems and quest-driven Adventure mode planned for further down the line. Naturally, the early game does give off Minecraft vibes due to the look of the initial zones, a similar setup process for new worlds, and so on, but there are plenty of neat touches that shine through for me. Smoother movement, gear progression, mob variety and combat behavior, and the furniture I wish Minecraft embraced long ago are all things I’m enjoying. I’m extremely optimistic for the future, too, as I’m not particularly concerned about Hytale lacking concrete plans for a feature that so many players want.

Hytale’s post-launch strategy is somewhat vague; there are plans for V2 world gen in the near future (a few months away) and a quest and progression-driven Adventure mode (a few years away), but beyond that, developer Hypixel Studios seems to be leaving room to embrace community feedback. Perhaps an official roadmap will be shared soon, or maybe Hypixel will just randomly update the game whenever it comes up with something new. Since the game first began development years ago, though, a common request has been for an equivalent to Minecraft’s Redstone. However, a recent social media response from Hypixel founder Simon suggests that Redstone is too big of an undertaking, at least for now. This has naturally left some players feeling disappointed, but to me, Redstone isn’t that big of a deal. I also don’t think it should be a priority given the type of game Hytale is striving to be.

Why is Minecraft’s Redstone so Desirable?

For anyone unfamiliar with the feature, Redstone is essentially an engineering system that allows the Minecraft community to hook up wiring to various devices, creating fully automated machines and structures. It’s become its own beast over the years as players learn to use it in increasingly bold ways, essentially functioning as a fully fleshed out form of electricity as opposed to a basic logic system. Making something similar for Hytale would be a massive project, and it arguably wouldn’t fit the game's more advanced world without some adjustments. Some players have suggested a magic-based system that significantly simplifies things and (to quote Todd Howard) “just works,” similar to a Create mod. No matter what, though, such a feature would be a huge undertaking when, in my opinion, the time could be better spent elsewhere.

To be clear, I’ve always been enamored by Redstone users. When I was younger, I remember being blown away by a simple hidden door a friend of mine made, disguising the entrance to our secret base. In hindsight, creating this doorway likely wasn’t as complex as I had imagined, but it still went a long way to making me feel as if Redstone was a concept only geniuses could understand and something I’d never grasp. And I never did, as years later, my Minecraft builds remain fairly simple and don't utilize Redstone in any meaningful way. My fiancee will design the exterior of a house or building, and then I'll run wild with the interior, trying to make it feel more homey and detailed. And these creations pretty much always have a chest packed to thr brim with stacks of Redstone that never get used, with me hanging onto the dust for some reason even though I never go through with learning how to use it.

There is no shortage of Redstone tutorials online, but learning how to use it to its full extent is a big undertaking. There’s also the constant risk of a simple change breaking every machine, requiring a fresh start, which makes for a tedious process of trial and error.

In my defense, I’ve only grown to be more intimidated by Redstone following years of incredible creations being shared online. People have made working calculators, functional ships, and other video games within Minecraft utilizing redstone tech. They’ve made vault doors, moving storage rooms, farms, and item sorters. Useful builds like Villager breeders are also common from Redstone experts. All of this looks useful and fun to make once you’re comfortable with using Redstone, but I’ve never been able to talk myself into reaching that point. I certainly recognize how Redstone opens up a world of opportunities for more complicated creations, but I’ve been just fine living in a smaller world with more limited creative potential. So, for purely selfish reasons, I’m obviously going to be indifferent to Hytale getting a Redstone equivalent, as I’ll never make use of it. But more building blocks, furniture items, and RPG systems? I’ll have a field day with those.

While Redstone Would Be Welcome in Hytale, I’m Hoping It Stays on the Backburner

I’m not saying Hytale should never get Redstone just because me and a majority of the players I game with don’t use it. That would be incredibly selfish, as the wizards who actively use Redstone (seriously, I’m convinced they’re magical at this point) deserve to have their interests catered to and respected. I do, however, think that Hytale’s spin on Minecraft's most challenging feature should be something saved for when the game has met its current goals. Developing a Redstone system can’t be easy, so I’d love to see all of Hypixel’s time spent on finishing up the planned zones for Hytale’s world and releasing the planned Adventure mode.

A simple version of Redstone existed in the Alpha version of Minecraft, but the 1.5 update that released in 2013 made it what it is today through associated features like droppers. It’s worth noting that Redstone is a bit of a happy accident, too, as a lot of its behavior can be attributed to bugs.

The goal for Hytale is a 50/50 split between RPG mechanics and survival/crafting, though right now, it’s nailing the latter and has a fair bit of work to do on the former. But if Hypixel listens too much to its community and adds every big request, Adventure mode could get pushed further back, with the studio losing track of one of the things that is sure to make its game stand out from Minecraft. I’ll always love and play Minecraft, and I’d imagine a lot of other players feel the same, so ensuring Hytale feels more like its own game and less like modded Minecraft — which is a common criticism from streamers like Shroud who won’t play the game until it feels complete — is a must.

This isn’t to say that Hytale shouldn’t listen to the community and make small changes along the way. Quality-of-life adjustments like hiding helmets and armor in Hytale are great and should continue to be made along the path to Adventure mode. Similarly, new mobs like the recently added Dinosaurs can be added here and there to shake things up as Hypixel crafts the boss battles for Adventure mode in the background. More furniture pieces can be introduced as time goes on, as can additional crafting recipes, while currently clunky mechanics like ladders can be polished up. I’d personally love to see fishing in Hytale, too. Ultimately, though, I want to see the game stay on course, as it would be a shame to lose neat RPG features like its promised Adventure mode in a sea of bold player requests like a Redstone system.

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