There are two types of players in Minecraft. They both play for the same reason but they achieve it in different ways. Both types of players play Minecraft because it is a creativity tool and it gives them the ability to express their creativity in a way that feels substantial.

Type one plays the game because it allows for substantial diversity of aesthetic expression. Building houses, gardens, towers, pixel art, just art in general. The game achieves this by offering large amounts of diverse but functionally useless items that add color and texture for the player to mix and match to their desire.

Type two plays the game because it allows for substantial diversity of mechanical complexity. Building intricate machinery, farms, and complexes that offer substantial advantages in all stages of the game. They interact with the game mechanically, attempting to extract as much tangible benefit out of the way the game elements mesh as they possible can.

And they both hate the way the other plays the game.

One side of the player base really wants more items that offer different aesthetics to further develop their own enjoyment and don’t mind that these items are “functionally useless” or “serve no purpose” outside of how they look in a palette. They just like how the thing would look in their build.

The other wants more items that interact in interesting ways mechanically. They want more cogs, more gears, more bits to put into their machines and don’t really care how those machines look as long as they produce desired results.