Yay! No more bugs were found in the Mystcraft release, meaning I get to start working on even more advanced stuff like adding the new instability system and crafting and rewriting and and and. There’s a lot of stuff.
One of the main things I want to do is add the new instability stuff. It is really meant to be a system, not a single mechanic. Decay is really just a from of instability, and there needs to be both lighter and harsher forms of instability. If the world is only a little unstable it shouldn’t necessarily die, just be a little off while it settles out; or maybe it has weird properties like random lightning. 😉 Conversely, if the world is truly unstable -like you added a ridiculous number of Dense Ores symbols- then it should very nearly rip itself apart while you watch.
It is important to realize that instability is meant as both a balancing mechanic and an interesting mechanic. Equally important, instability does not come from strange or non-normal properties. Void worlds are not unstable, nor are flat worlds. That’s just how they are. Similarly, Wooden Tendrils aren’t unstable, just odd. Dense Ores, however, are unstable for game balance.
I also want to add some symbols that improve the stability of a world. These will typically have negative or otherwise balancing effects similar to instability, but you can control or select them intentionally.
I will have a number of these effects overlap. Charged, for instance, will remain a symbol but also be a very good light instability mechanic. You may actually wish to write worlds with very harsh environments, and thus many things which will be added as ‘instability mechanics’ will also be possible to write. Some of these may improve the stability of the world, but most of the time, if you are writing the effect, you probably wanted it, so it should be too much it’s own reward. 😉
I’m looking forward to the fun mechanics I’ll get to write. 🙂