Minecraft 1.21’s Trial Chamber Vaults is a Letdown for Trial Keys

Highlights

• Minecraft’s vault block solves a real problem by giving trial keys a use and providing good loot for players on multiplayer servers.
• The vault block has a 10% chance of spitting out enchanted golden apples, making it a valuable addition to the game for players.
• Mojang should expand the loot-per-player mechanic beyond the trial chamber to other structures to keep exploration fresh in Minecraft.

The reveal of Minecraft‘s upcoming vault block was warmly received—not only for it giving trial keys a use but also due to how it solves a real problem that exists in multiplayer servers. However, on closer inspection, the vault block needs some tweaks before it can bring its best to Minecraft.

Late January brought news of Minecraft‘s vault block. The new block provides a keyhole for the elusive trial keys, which had no known use prior to the vault’s reveal. It consumes a trial key and spits out some loot, much of which is more valuable than anything else in the chamber (such as enchanted golden apples and enchanted diamond armor). The main selling point of the vault is that it can spit out random loot multiple times; each player on the server can use the vault once. This lets new players on a server find a looted trial chamber and still get some goods, which fits in perfectly with the trial spawner’s regenerating loot table.

Minecraft’s Vault Block Is Nice But Could Do More

The vault block will fit in nicely with Minecraft‘s recent wind charge reveal. It’s another valuable addition to the game, offering an entirely new mechanic that answers an existing problem. On the other hand, there are a couple of issues with the vault block. Some of these problems are more symptoms of Minecraft‘s game design flaws, but there are areas where Mojang could do more with the concept.

What The Vault Block Has Going For It

In terms of the vault block’s upsides, there’s obviously its main goal. Ensuring that every player can loot Minecraft‘s upcoming trial chambers is a great goal that will improve multiplayer servers. In addition, there’s good loot up for grabs.

The vault has an astronomical 10% chance of spitting out an enchanted golden apple, which in most circumstances (such as in desert temples and dungeons) only has a 2–3% chance of showing up. Even the chests of ancient cities, the fearsome warden’s habitat, have an 8% chance of containing one. Enchanted golden apples are among the most powerful buff items in the game, so this is a huge boon.

Minecraft’s New Vault Block Needs To Go Bigger

The issue with the vault block is that it’s framed as the major loot center for Minecraft‘s trial chamber structure. With all the hype around the trial chamber, with most of 1.21’s reveals being focused around it, the vault has no new items to offer.

In addition, it’s stuffed with filler loot like saddles, horse armor, and books with niche enchantments like Bane of Arthropods. Whilst possible diamond armor and enchanted golden apples are great, it may just be another collection of nebulous loot for players who would prefer a unique drop. That’s without mentioning the enchanted iron armor, which is likely to be useless if the trial chamber is encountered too late in progression.

What the trial chamber needs is to be married to more levels of Minecraft progression, such as a new boss. There are few options for non-linear progression, with only crossbows and tridents as major alternative weapons. The wither, ancient cities, and bastions also sit safely at the top of Minecraft‘s challenges. The trial chamber should provide new tools to help fight more challenging foes.

Other Structures Could Use Their Own Loot-Per-Player Mechanic

The vault’s core concept, ensuring that structures can be looted by multiple players even with long periods between, should be expanded beyond the trial chamber. Minecraft‘s other structures could use something similar to vault blocks. Not every structure should get one, but it’d be nice for any future sites of exploration to have a way to stay fresh.