Trees in the current state feel strange. Dropping all logs in one go is convenient, and better than perhaps the "classic" voxel game solution, but makes cutting down trees underwhelming and doesn't feel "real" in a way a lot of other mechanics do now.
Background
Some mods have picked up the slack with this. Salty's Falling Trees, for example, makes it so that chopping down a tree actually makes the tree fall down, and places logs appropriately on the ground, as well as all the leaves and sticks as well. Then, you actually have to chop the trunk up into the logs you carry back home. This alone feels like it should be in the base game. However, I think we can go farther, and my inspiration for this comes from another mod, namely Eco Machina.
In Eco Machina, trees get rendered with actual branches, and narrowing trunks as you go up the trees. It also has aspirations to show root systems at the base of trees. And while I think that mod is very cool, the fact that it is just a visual change made me think of how something like this could be achieved using less render entities, while also enhancing gameplay. Here's the base of the idea:
Proposal
Logs aren't all the same size. Technically, this is already true, since there are 2x2 trucks, but I would propose this goes further, where existing logs would be large logs, then a log a quarter size would be a medium log, then an eighth size is a small log. Trees would then be made of these branching sizes, maybe even becoming cut-able at the small log size. You chop a tree down, it falls over ala Salty's mod, and you have a whole bunch of different size logs from the outset.
Splitting wood would then move into the world, with both the axe and the saw. How exactly this would work control wise would take some iteration. My thought is holding ctrl while while wielding an axe & looking at a log would allow you to split the log in the middle, vertically, aligned with your view. Do this once on a large log, you get a slab half the size the original log. Pressing F would then rotate the log (I would also keep this generally), split it again, and you have your fourths, or medium log chunks. Repeat the process on a medium log or chunk, and you'd have small log chunks. There should probably be a method of stopping at intermediate steps so that you can keep log slabs; perhaps right clicking would get you the slap you're looking at, and then you could continue cutting the other half.
Saws would work in a similar way, with placed logs being progressively split until you get planks, though I will admit the specifics of how this work I have a harder time figuring out in the abstract.
Small logs & chunks would be the same size as firewood, and could be used as such, though at a reduced burn time/heat. However, if you stacked and covered them (blocked them sufficiently from rain) they would dry out into current firewood, which would then last longer than existing firewood in game.
Why
This removes a whole bunch of crafting recipes from the grid, adding to immersion. It makes the axe feel like a more complete tool, and adds some nice early game decoration ability. It brings wood up to a similar level of gameplay that we get from knapping, clay, and metal. Trees feel closer to the real things. Firewood gets just a bit of depth and incentive for realistic behavior.
Pitfalls/Tradeoffs/Problems to Solve
The following are various issues that I've already thought of while coming up with this proposal, which may or may not have answers, easy or otherwise.
I'm not sure there are any current structures that make use of sub block details. I'm not sure if utilize sub block detail comes with it some level of performance hit or other technical tradeoff. I think that's worth bringing up.
Tree generation becomes a lot more complicated. When does a small tree gain log blocks? With a finer level of detail, where does a medium log get placed in a fullsized block? How many steps does a tree grow in?
It's hard to imagine how the different log sizes connect up. Maybe they have more progressive shapes when in tree form, and snap to their real sizes after being chopped down.
Leaves interacting with these small logs in general. Maybe there would just be an equivalent smaller leaf block that can fill in gaps, or maybe it would even look better with those gaps, as long as the leaves always touch at least a single log side.
Inventory bloat. Small, Medium, Large, and associated chunks, turn what was just logs and firewood into... potentially 7 items. Add in slabs, and I can see this being an issue.
Do you allow further cutting? so instead of cutting it into more lengths, you cube them further? It's logical, but could get out of hand... or maybe isn't a problem at all.
Additional Ideas
These are just a few more spare idea that I haven't put much thought into:
Medium logs/chunks can be used as early beams?
Trees should leave stumps, and should have root systems, somehow.
Further carving of wood into things like bowls, sticks, utensils, etc.
Bark definitely should have uses. I know you can get tannins out of some types of bark, and some bark has medicinal properties as well.
If trees have more detailed trunk structures, maybe deciduous leaf blocks can fully disappear in the winter and regrow in spring?
Anyhow, that's my big proposal. Feel free to tear it apart, add to it, whatever you feel.
Cheers.
