Giving Multi-purpose to items

When it comes to coding in items the best method to making an item is to give it more purpose/ roles it can fill. This is useful for games with crafting especially, making each item crafted important in a limited resource game and or in a game with a lot of resources.

Game examples;

Amnesia: The Bunker

In this game you're given a number of tools such as bandages, bottle, gas, etc. That can be used in multiple ways.

Each item isn't just used as a one purpose use but has multiple purposes of use.

The trade of use of a torch versus making more healing items or a damaging item.

Each item forces you to reconsider how it's used.

Minecraft

Sure Minecraft has this same level of functionality as well where a limitless game can use this to your advantage of making better items to get to better items and at the same time be helpful to build structures, the ideas and functionality aren't the same here however.

Minecraft does have you think with your resources but in a limitless way with said items and even new blocks (such as Emeralds) are given little to no actual purpose outside of what it's meant to do.

Later on updates did give existing items multiple uses such as the fishing rod able to pull up other items other than fish such as books to enchanting books as the such.

For Minecraft more commonly interacted with items are given actual depth and care for how they work while less interacted with items are given less depth and care for how they're interacted with.

Conclusion

The type of items you have players make and how they're used need to be carefully thought of and considered for how you want your gameplay to go about for system to system, in depth crafting means players have to be more careful with their resources.

This is a balancing act with the kind of resources you gather, how much use or not said resources are given are important to keep in mind when making these kind of games.

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