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Lightning Rod Feedback

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Update: The lightning rod has now released as part of Caves & Cliffs Part I.

If you want to know more about everything included in this first Caves & Cliffs release then check out the full changelog for Java and Bedrock!

Caves and Cliffs Part I brings a little shock and...ore *ahem* into our lives in the form of the lightning rod - a fun but extremely useful new block that can be crafted from copper ingots and allows you to protect yourself from the elements during thunderstorms.

Lightning Rod 

  • Added lightning rods!  
  • Lightning rods can be crafted using copper ingots in a crafting table  
  • The lightning rod now interacts with lightning strikes:  
  • All lightning strikes that happen within a radius of 64 blocks from a lightning rod will strike the lightning rod 
  • Throwing a channeling trident at a lightning rod during a thunderstorm will spawn a lightning strike in the rod 
  • A lightning rod struck by lightning will emit a full redstone signal for 8 game ticks

Your feedback is important so let us know your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below!

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107 Comments

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  • 187
    Registered User commented
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    Lightning Rods should weather. This wouldn't have any effect on their functionality, but it would match with the other types of blocks.

  • 164
    Registered User commented
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    If you place a lightning rod in a beacon beam and throw a channeling trident at it, the weather should change to a thunderstorm for 10 minutes. Do the same thing when there's a rain/thunder storm to clear the weather. This would be a nice late-game way to control the weather.

  • 158
    Registered User commented
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    Lightning rods could attract creepers, if a creeper sees one it could go up to it and wait to be struck with lightning.

  • 51
    Registered User commented
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    Random interesting fact: when real lightning rods get struck, the intense heat burns off some of the patina, leaving a bright, shiny patch.  If the devs don't make lightning rods weather, that could be a reason why.

  • 47
    Registered User commented
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    Rainy weather/thunders storms should be a bit more common because if the redstone part of the rod will be hard to use.

  • 46
    Registered User commented
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    arktsunami The weathering on the lightning rod should not have an effect on it's functionality, It's not fair to players who want a green lightning rod to match their builds if the functionality is decreased

  • 34
    Registered User commented
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    Evil Sharkey I didn't know that! That is a cool fact, but I think instead of keeping it not rustable forever, Lightning Bolts have a 15% chance to revert a lightning rod back one stage when struck

  • 33
    Registered User commented
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    I think you should be able to harness the lightning to do some different things. For example, if lightning strikes a lightning rod that has been placed on sand it should turn into glass or ice turns to water. And going off of what Evil Sharkey said, if an unwaxed copper block is placed under it, it should reset the oxidation.

  • 23
    Registered User commented
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    i think that lightning rods should also oxidize like the rest of the copper blocks and variants, it only makes sense. Having it stay in its crafted state forever isnt really realistic and doesnt function like the other types of copper, of course if it was waxed to stay in its desired state that would make sense but for building purposes it would be nice if it came in coppers other oxidized variants aswell.

  • 20
    Registered User commented
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    Lightning Rods should Weather and f it is struck by lightning the the lightning rod will weather faster also I think it should have an Effect on its Functionality so the more weathered the lightning rod is then the less lightning will be attracted to the lightning rod And ofcourse to stop the weathering the player needs to use honey

  • 17
    Registered User commented
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    Lightning rod is the best way to protect your house during thunderstorms. But it’s also useful for making defences like turning fences into electrified fences, so any mobs get near it gets damaged by being electrified. Please think of more ideas like that.

  • 16
    Registered User commented
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    There should be a way to deactivate lightning rods. Many love to just use it as a decoration and with the potential threat of it attracting lighting in storms, it won't be very feasible in survival.

  • 15
    Registered User commented
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    Lightning rods are very cool.  I feel that a creeper shoudl be attrackted to a lightning od placed on the ground.

  • 10
    Registered User commented
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    Could you add a "copper rod"? It would use the lightning rod model but thin all the way (no bulb/cube at the top). This way the lightning rod can sit at the top of a pole which is made of the same material.

    When Lightning strikes the lightning rod, it could trigger a block update in touching copper rods. Lightning rods are currently only one block tall and that feels off.

  • 8
    Registered User commented
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    Powering a Lightning Rod with redstone should deactivate the rod.

  • 8
    Registered User commented
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    In response to @Sebastien Sighel, the lightning rod shouldn't have multiple states of oxidization because the block was added more as a Redstone component than a decorative object. Obviously, the lightning rod looks great in different decorative scenarios, but that would be like them adding a new chest for each wood type: The chest is meant to be functional, with decorative capabilities being a byproduct of it's visual appearance.

  • 7
    Registered User commented
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    @Shovelbeing can you please clarify what you are actually suggesting?

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    Amethyst/Lush Caves feedback pages please??

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    Could we please have Redstone functionality for them on Bedrock Edition. I'm pretty sure this is already coming, but just in case it isn't...

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    How about the ability for lighting rods to attract purple lightning in the end. Just a thought...

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    A cool thing that lightning rods could do is that they could magnetize any fully weathered copper blocks below it, making magnetized copper blocks that attract iron items, and you can walk on the side and upside-down on them if you have iron boots.

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    If the lightning rod is placed on a smeltable block, when lightning strikes the block should get instantly smelted underneath! e.g. sand turning into glass, cobblestone turning into stone, etc.

    wouldn't be very viable but it would be very cool and fun!

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    Lightning Rods should prevent fire after it attracts the lightning. Last time I checked, if you put a lightning rod on flammable builds, it can still catch fire. It should also neutralize other effects like turning villagers into witches. Basically, the lightning rod should completely absorb and neutralize the lightning's effects!

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    Since the player cannot control when thunder strikes the Lightning rod (and keep it that way), this could be a unique opportunity for something related to Redstone. The max power of Redstone is 15 (right?), pointing to the amount of blocks dust can send redstone maximum. How about when lightning strikes on the rod, it producers a short burst of high powered redstone? For example max power of 25. 

    Reason for this idea, lightning is super high powered sort of electricity / energy, so hence the increased power of redstone. Plus this way you can have a very rare high powered redstone source / event. Im not sure what that high power could be used for exactly but I leave that to expert Redstoners. Just thinking this would serve something very unique that the player cannot fully control.

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    There's a problem with lightning rods! In Bedrock edition, the range is 64x64x64 (which is great!), but in Java edition it's a measly 32x4x32. The Y-range is especially problematic. People put these rods on tall builds, and it doesn't protect ground-level roads, leading to frustrations such as villagers getting struck by lightning, turning them to witches. More range is also needed. Java lightning rods should have the same range as Bedrock!

    Regarding the comment made by @ShovelBeing, I strongly disagree. Non-full blocks, such as lightning rods, chains, flower pots, stalagmites, they're a wonderful addition and important in the building community. If every block is a full block, it'll look very boring. We don't want Minecraft to be a 100% blocky game.

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    Dear viewers of this comment, I want to tell my quick opinion on the  minecraft rods and other things that were/will be added to 1.17 update. Who remembers the old feeling  of minecraft> Nearly everything was blocks, but now this comes out of control. We should not forget that minecraft is a block game, not a sharp-edged game, and I strongly believe that developers can do better with new block textures and shapes. Dear developers, the minecraft is in your hands, please, remember the old minecraft and please give us the update we all want and deserve. The minecraft everyone loves. Thank you!

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    I think the lighting rod should glow and emit particles when struck. I feel like this is a small addition that would make the lighting rod a better. 

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    Holding a lightning rod should make the player far more likely to be struck by lightning.

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    When Lightning hits a lightning rod in water, all mobs in the water should take damage as if they were struck by lightning,

  • 4
    Registered User commented
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    The texture should be a bit darker to fit with the rest of the copper blocks