Tried doing the math.
Detector rails are currently around 1.33 rails/blocks per iron.
Normal rails are currently around 2.66 rails/blocks per iron.
Powered rails currently make the minecart when a player is inside of it move above walking speed around 50 blocks per rail without inclines and a two block hill can slow it down to around walking speed.
First of all there is NO good reason why detector rails give half as much as much as normal rails. Sure you don't need them as much but it makes me feel wasteful whenever I craft them. Like literally all you're doing is putting a pressure plate on a rail why is it so much more expensive.
Second of all let me visualize one iron worth of rails in the best case scenario.
This is how it is around 66% of the time. 33% of the time you'd only get two rails.
This is six iron worth of rails.
Six iron for a distance you can walk in around four seconds. (I counted)
I feel that's a little much personally. At the bare minimum I'd personally double it.
Last of all, powered rails. I think going horizontally is fine personally but vertically is a different story. If you want to have a chest minecart go to the surface as far as I can tell you would need to alternate between powered and normal rails costing around 64 powered rails on extended default which would cost 48 gold. Jesus fucking christ that is way too much. Maybe there's some mechanic I'm missing but that seems WAY too high. I feel like the minecart's weight needs to be halfed. I don't mind discouraging too much vertical movement but I feel like it should be at least half that much personally. Would bring it down from 48 -> 24.
If all these changes were put in place:
Detector rails would be 5.32 rails/blocks per iron.
Normal rails would be 5.32 rails/blocks per iron.
Powered rails would make the minecart when a player is inside of it move above walking speed around 50 blocks per rail without inclines and a four block hill can slow it down to around walking speed.
I personally feel minecarts would still be a late game but more worth the hassle option if at least some of these changes were put into place.
