IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Mike Tomlin spent 12 years building a Minecraft city

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Admiration for the earnest, meditative dedication
Many commenters praised Tomlin’s heartfelt, slow‑burn creativity, comparing it to a meditative hobby.
- “There’s something so refreshingly earnest, and joyful about watching someone share something they’ve poured so much time and themselves into.” – alargemoose
- “It's definitely not for everyone. I'd equate the feeling to knitting, where progress is mostly slow and deliberate and the meditativeness is by design.” – munchbunny

2. Societal implications – creativity as a sign of met basic needs / UBI
Several users linked the act of building art (or a Minecraft city) to broader societal health, suggesting that such pursuits flourish when basic needs are secured.
- “Yes. It is a societal health indicator. When societies create more art it is indicative of that society having their more basic needs met.” – kube-system
- “I think if we had some sort of UBI/provision for necessities this is the sort of thing people would be doing, and it would be great.” – pm90

3. Skepticism about feasibility given his NFL responsibilities
A notable thread questioned whether a winning NFL head coach could realistically find the time for such a project, pointing to playoff performance as indirect evidence.
- “The idea of any NFL head coach having time to do this, especially a winning one, is absurd.” – CSMastermind
- “Before Minecraft city (2007–2013): 5–3 in the playoffs — 62.5% win rate / After starting the city (2014–2025): 3–9 in the playoffs — 25.0% win rate.” – jeffgreco

🚀 Project Ideas

Parametric Minecraft Builder (PMB)

Summary

  • A desktop/web app that lets players define parameters (size, style, repetitive patterns, moat width, etc.) and automatically generates Minecraft-compatible build scripts (datapacks, functions, or Mineflayer code) to create large structures without manual clicking.
  • Core value proposition: Turn tedious, repetitive building into a fast, configurable process while preserving creative control and game balance.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Minecraft players who build large projects (especially on consoles or with kids), educators, and hobbyists seeking automation
Core Feature Parameter‑driven structure designer with live 3D preview and one‑click export to datapack/functions or Mineflayer script
Tech Stack Electron (or Tauri) + React frontend, Node.js backend, uses Minecraft data‑pack format; optional Mineflayer for in‑app preview
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium (free basic shapes, paid premium packs & advanced scripting)

Notes

  • HN users praised automation: "Well, I love automation, and AI is awesome for that. So now my kids can add details to castles or railwails build by algorithm (But using commands is a big temptation to destroy game balance in survival mode)." – lukan
  • The tool addresses the desire for a UI to set parameters like water/moat width: "There is a UI for setting how wide the water or lava moat is and bring them to think about how to exactly express what they want – in numbers ideally." – lukan
  • Enables discussion around balancing automation with manual creativity, a frequent theme in the thread.

CollabCraft City Planner

Summary

  • A real‑time collaborative web platform where multiple users can design a Minecraft city together using modular blocks, with built‑in version control and chat; designs sync to a live Minecraft server via a Mineflayer bot.
  • Core value proposition: Enables team‑based, large‑scale city building (like Mike Tomlin’s project) without the friction of coordinating in‑game or sharing schematics manually.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Groups of friends, families, classrooms, or Minecraft communities undertaking joint building projects
Core Feature Multi‑user block‑level editor with live sync, change history, role permissions, and export/import to a running server via Mineflayer
Tech Stack React + Redux, Socket.io for real‑time sync, Node.js/Express server, Mineflayer bot for world interaction, Docker for easy deployment
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription for private workspaces (free public sandbox)

Notes

  • The thread highlighted the social and collaborative fun: "It's also more fun on a server with friends, where it can be more about hanging out and doing something together." – munchbunny
  • Users mentioned the appeal of sharing a massive build: "He didn't even want to share it, his kid kind of forced him to." – JohnMakin
  • Provides a practical utility for coordinating large builds and can spark discussion on collaborative creativity vs solo effort.

Console Macro Recorder for Minecraft (CMRM)

Summary

  • A tool that records button presses from a console controller while playing Minecraft, lets users parameterize the recording (loops, offsets, conditional repeats), and outputs a Mineflayer script or command sequence that can be run on a PC connected to the same world to automate repetitive tasks.
  • Core value proposition: Reduces tedious clicking on consoles while keeping the player in the loop and preserving the satisfaction of building step‑by‑step.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Console Minecraft players (especially parents/kids) who find manual building tedious and want lightweight automation
Core Feature Controller input recorder with visual timeline, loop/offset parameterization, and export to Mineflayer/JavaScript or MCFunction
Tech Stack Python (or Electron) backend using SDL2 for controller input, optional Electron UI, outputs Mineflayer script; can run alongside a PC with Mineflayer connected to the same LAN world
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • HN commenters expressed the pain of console building: "I didn’t last 5 minutes trying to play Minecraft on a console, as it felt so tedious." – al_borland
  • The desire to automate repetitive parts while keeping fun: "Well, I love automation, and AI is awesome for that... the AI takes mostly care of all the messy parts." – lukan
  • Enables discussion on balancing automation with skill development and offers a practical way to reduce repetitive strain.

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