In one of my worlds I had to go more than 3000 blocks before I found horses!!! You just have to keep exploring, or start again with a new seed. Here's one with a lot of horses:
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Treeclimbr, horses don't spawn by seed. They spawn randomly, like any other mob.
However, you are right in the sense that you just need to keep looking. Their spawn is rarer than any other mob, simply because of their long-time usefullness. If you keep looking, you will eventually find one.
However, if they spawn in the plains biome, why would I have to load more new chunks to get horses. Wouldn't idling (theoretically spawn them? I'd assume there are people out there like me who try not loading too many new chunks so their single player world isn't outdated by updates. I've killed everything in one biome, and left the other biome to it's own devices.
Animals will very rarely spawn in new chunks. You'll have to go where you have never gone befores to find them, which you say you have, so you've probably just been unlucky.
Not quite true. If you check out the minecraft wiki, horses can be shown to spawn in pre-loaded chunks, (as of all other animals) but it is very, VERY, rare.
Wow. I´m pretty sure the community can only never find horses, or find three groups next to each other.
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“The important thing is not how long you live... It's what you accomplish with your life.
While I live, I want to shine. I want to prove that I exist. If I could do something really important... That would definitely carry on into the future.” -Grovyle
Wow, so in summary, there are a few horse related questions we are discussing here.
1 - Will horses only spawn in newly generated 1.6.2 chunks at the exact time they are generated?
2 - Will horses spawn again in the newly generated 1.6.2 chunks in which they were once spotted?
3 - Will horses spawn in old plains biomes, explored in 1.5.2 or lower?
4 - If you kill everything in a newly generated plains biome (or old plains biome, depending on the answer to #3), will it help spawn horses?
5 - If you idle in a newly generated plains biome (after or before killing everything off) will horses eventually spawn?
Dependent on #1, #2, and #4
6 - If the main reason for horses, in the first place, is expedited travel and exploring, but in the process of finding a horse (since they are rare), you end up exploring a ton of plains biomes (with deserts, extreme hills, jungles, etc.,, along the way), does it defeat the purpose of having a horse, at least a little? They are great for fast travel in the overworld between your establishments, so that is a huge benefit beyond this.
I emphasized number 6 because as of now, in my single player game, I'm rocking the best player armor; I have a ton of diamonds; I'm cluttered with automatic equipment; and I own gold, iron, and diamond horse armor. Thus, exploring would be much more exciting with a horse. I enjoy the hell out of the game, and I would like a horse eventually. As a replacement, I made an original Mass potion maker - with a focus on a quick 27 batch of anything you want in the time it takes to make one (I should post schematics somewhere for people). In this regard, speed potions have made travel 40% more interesting, and their automated availability acts as a replacement for horses.
Slow may be a statistical understatement since something can be so rare that it, in practice, will never spawn.
Note: this is not a complaint. I really love playing this game, except I don't have the time IRL to wait for things to spawn in Minecraft. In this regard, I come on the forums to ask the community for exacting specs, so that I can get my hands on horses and such.
Testing Your Statements:
As per #5, I killed everything off in my newly generated 1.6.2 plains biome chunk; built a home there (to idle safely); and idled there for an IRL night (3 hours while I did other stuff IRL), and not only did horses not appear, but the chunk is desolate now. Nothing spawns (well maybe a sheep once in a blue moon).
Test Results:
Inconclusive, or maybe so statistically slow that IRL it may never happen.
Conclusion:
Killing off all the animals in a newly generated 1.6.2 plains biome chunk and then waiting for Horses to spawn is not a practical method (and therefore, doesn't work) for anyone with a life.
PS - Thorough answer, Colorfusion. Thank you for taking the time to write that up. I appreciate it. Way to answer on the forum, bud.
After idling a bit longer without any animal spawning, whatsoever, I did a bit more reading.
It seems that when you annihilate every living thing on a plains biome, you run into another problem: passive mobs, in general, rarely spawn in chunks you have already searched. So lets do the logic:
Minecraft Wiki Theory:
1. All passive mobs rarely re-spawn in explored chunks.
2. Horses are a passive mob.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
.: Horse rarely re-spawn in explored chunks
My Theory:
1. All passive mobs rarely re-spawn in explored chunks.
2. Horses are a passive mob and rarer than all other passive mobs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.: Horses are rarer than the already rarely re-spawning passive mobs in explored chunks.
New Conclusions:
1. If you have seen a horse in a plains biome, but they have despawned because you don't have a saddle yet, count that plains biome as a horse free zone, and continue searching new plains biomes. Have a saddle or rope (brain fart) ready as you generate new plains biome chunks because it's not likely that you will get another chance to catch and tame them if they despawn.
2. If my theory is correct, it is a waste of time to sit in a chunk waiting for horses to respond because they only spawn, in practice, once in newly generated plains biome chunks. Their occurrence is impractically rare for this method to be effective.
Directly from the Minecraft Wiki page:
Animal spawning
Approximately one in ten newly generated chunks will contain mobs, usually in packs of up to four of the same species. They will always spawn on the highest available block in a column i.e. the one that can see the sky. For an animal to spawn on it, this block must be opaque and the two blocks above it must be transparent. The block does not need to be grass nor does it need to be illuminated (as it does with Mob Spawning). Animals do not spawn in desert or ocean biomes, with the exception of squid.
Randomness for animal spawning is derived from the world seed, which means that worlds with the same seed will generate chunks with the same animals in the same places. Very rarely, new animals can spawn in already generated chunks, just like monsters do. When animals spawn in this way, they do so only on grass blocks with light level 9 or greater above them. This is also a requirement for animals spawning from monster spawners. Unlike monsters, animals do not spontaneously despawn, except for wild ocelotsand wolves (which can despawn only when they are hostile).
Horse Spawning
Unlike most other passive mobs, horses can only spawn in a single biome; the plains. Because of this, horses are seemingly less common than other mobs, although within the plains they spawn just as regularly as any other. Horses spawn in herds, ranging from a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 6. All members of any given herd will have the same type of skin pattern, although individual markings can vary from mob to mob. All skin pattern variations of horses, including donkeys, have an equal chance of being spawned, although donkeys are seemingly less common. This natural spawn does not include mules, which can only be spawned in survival by cross-breeding a horse of any variation and a donkey. Like most mobs, horses can be spawned in creative mode via spawn eggs. The pattern of the horse that is spawned using the egg is completely random and cannot be controlled; this variation includes donkeys, who do not have their own spawn egg. Just like in survival, mules cannot be naturally found or spawned via a spawn egg; they must be bred from horses and donkeys.
Looks like you guys had a lot of fun discussing this since I've been gone.
However, all of the information I knew already. All of it, except for one bit:
Randomness for animal spawning is derived from the world seed, which means that worlds with the same seed will generate chunks with the same animals in the same places.
GreenRobby, I think you missed the "New Conclusions" part, No one has covered these yet, and I haven't found this discussed anywhere on google. However, I'm glad you brought up the "horses are dependent on world seeding" issue - this was implied in the new conclusions.
I'll restate them, but what are your thoughts, GreenRobby (or anyone who's reading this) on the
1. If you have seen a horse in a plains biome, but they have despawned because you don't have a saddle yet, count that plains biome as a horse free zone, and continue searching new plains biomes. Have a saddle or rope (brain fart) ready as you generate new plains biome chunks because it's not likely that you will get another chance to catch and tame them if they despawn.
2. If my theory is correct, it is a waste of time to sit in a chunk waiting for horses to respond because they only spawn, in practice, once in newly generated plains biome chunks. Their occurrence is impractically rare for this method to be effective.
They are just rare and don't spawn as often as the others. I'm still looking for horses too, and it took me all the way to the swamps to even find 1 cow! So be patient, they will be found eventually.
My impression (very rough) is that horses spawn in about one out of three or four plains biomes. So not finding them in 2 searched seems unremarkable.
I've never tried the exterminate approach because it seems easier and more fun to explore more than to hunt down all the animals (they are good at hiding, it seems).
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Geographicraft (formerly Climate Control) - Control climate, ocean, and land sizes; stop chunk walls; put modded biomes into Default worlds, and more!
RTG plus - All the beautiful terrain of RTG, plus varied and beautiful trees and forests.
SRedwing75, I appreciate your sentiment; however, we're discussing horse spawning dynamics now - although that 'totally sucks' that you have only found a cow. I'm getting tired of researching spawning them, I'll probably venture into new chunks.
I'm sure that I would have found a horse by now if I were out searching multiple, newly generated plains biomes (I guarantee it), but if you read this far into the thread, we're just hashing out horse spawning dynamics. A couple different things have been discovered - or are new to me - about horse spawning. By doing the 2 AFK sessions in 1 of 2 newly generated 1.6.2 plains biomes (one of which, I annihilated the animal population) to see if horses would spawn, I learned a few things. I didn't want to expand my single player map (i.e., so that when 1.7 comes out, the newly generated biomes would show up closer to my establishments). There are more reasons, but I have already said them in detail earlier in the thread.
Check out my YouTube Channel!!!
However, you are right in the sense that you just need to keep looking. Their spawn is rarer than any other mob, simply because of their long-time usefullness. If you keep looking, you will eventually find one.
Check out my YouTube Channel!!!
However, if they spawn in the plains biome, why would I have to load more new chunks to get horses. Wouldn't idling (theoretically spawn them? I'd assume there are people out there like me who try not loading too many new chunks so their single player world isn't outdated by updates. I've killed everything in one biome, and left the other biome to it's own devices.
http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/123173/will-horses-spawn-in-old-worlds
Sorry
Check out my YouTube Channel!!!
Not quite true. If you check out the minecraft wiki, horses can be shown to spawn in pre-loaded chunks, (as of all other animals) but it is very, VERY, rare.
“The important thing is not how long you live... It's what you accomplish with your life.
While I live, I want to shine. I want to prove that I exist. If I could do something really important... That would definitely carry on into the future.” -Grovyle
Wow, so in summary, there are a few horse related questions we are discussing here.
1 - Will horses only spawn in newly generated 1.6.2 chunks at the exact time they are generated?
2 - Will horses spawn again in the newly generated 1.6.2 chunks in which they were once spotted?
3 - Will horses spawn in old plains biomes, explored in 1.5.2 or lower?
4 - If you kill everything in a newly generated plains biome (or old plains biome, depending on the answer to #3), will it help spawn horses?
5 - If you idle in a newly generated plains biome (after or before killing everything off) will horses eventually spawn?
I emphasized number 6 because as of now, in my single player game, I'm rocking the best player armor; I have a ton of diamonds; I'm cluttered with automatic equipment; and I own gold, iron, and diamond horse armor. Thus, exploring would be much more exciting with a horse. I enjoy the hell out of the game, and I would like a horse eventually. As a replacement, I made an original Mass potion maker - with a focus on a quick 27 batch of anything you want in the time it takes to make one (I should post schematics somewhere for people). In this regard, speed potions have made travel 40% more interesting, and their automated availability acts as a replacement for horses.
As per #5, I killed everything off in my newly generated 1.6.2 plains biome chunk; built a home there (to idle safely); and idled there for an IRL night (3 hours while I did other stuff IRL), and not only did horses not appear, but the chunk is desolate now. Nothing spawns (well maybe a sheep once in a blue moon).
Test Results:
Inconclusive, or maybe so statistically slow that IRL it may never happen.
Conclusion:
Killing off all the animals in a newly generated 1.6.2 plains biome chunk and then waiting for Horses to spawn is not a practical method (and therefore, doesn't work) for anyone with a life.
PS - Thorough answer, Colorfusion. Thank you for taking the time to write that up. I appreciate it. Way to answer on the forum, bud.
I'll give it another shot, and post the results.
It needs YOUr soft click :3
Get your own!
It seems that when you annihilate every living thing on a plains biome, you run into another problem: passive mobs, in general, rarely spawn in chunks you have already searched. So lets do the logic:
Minecraft Wiki Theory:
1. All passive mobs rarely re-spawn in explored chunks.
2. Horses are a passive mob.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
.: Horse rarely re-spawn in explored chunks
My Theory:
1. All passive mobs rarely re-spawn in explored chunks.
2. Horses are a passive mob and rarer than all other passive mobs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.: Horses are rarer than the already rarely re-spawning passive mobs in explored chunks.
New Conclusions:
1. If you have seen a horse in a plains biome, but they have despawned because you don't have a saddle yet, count that plains biome as a horse free zone, and continue searching new plains biomes. Have a saddle or rope (brain fart) ready as you generate new plains biome chunks because it's not likely that you will get another chance to catch and tame them if they despawn.
2. If my theory is correct, it is a waste of time to sit in a chunk waiting for horses to respond because they only spawn, in practice, once in newly generated plains biome chunks. Their occurrence is impractically rare for this method to be effective.
Directly from the Minecraft Wiki page:
Animal spawning
Approximately one in ten newly generated chunks will contain mobs, usually in packs of up to four of the same species. They will always spawn on the highest available block in a column i.e. the one that can see the sky. For an animal to spawn on it, this block must be opaque and the two blocks above it must be transparent. The block does not need to be grass nor does it need to be illuminated (as it does with Mob Spawning).
Animals do not spawn in desert or ocean biomes, with the exception of squid.
Randomness for animal spawning is derived from the world seed, which means that worlds with the same seed will generate chunks with the same animals in the same places.
Very rarely, new animals can spawn in already generated chunks, just like monsters do. When animals spawn in this way, they do so only on grass blocks with light level 9 or greater above them. This is also a requirement for animals spawning from monster spawners. Unlike monsters, animals do not spontaneously despawn, except for wild ocelotsand wolves (which can despawn only when they are hostile).
Horse Spawning
Unlike most other passive mobs, horses can only spawn in a single biome; the plains. Because of this, horses are seemingly less common than other mobs, although within the plains they spawn just as regularly as any other. Horses spawn in herds, ranging from a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 6. All members of any given herd will have the same type of skin pattern, although individual markings can vary from mob to mob. All skin pattern variations of horses, including donkeys, have an equal chance of being spawned, although donkeys are seemingly less common. This natural spawn does not include mules, which can only be spawned in survival by cross-breeding a horse of any variation and a donkey. Like most mobs, horses can be spawned in creative mode via spawn eggs. The pattern of the horse that is spawned using the egg is completely random and cannot be controlled; this variation includes donkeys, who do not have their own spawn egg. Just like in survival, mules cannot be naturally found or spawned via a spawn egg; they must be bred from horses and donkeys.
However, all of the information I knew already. All of it, except for one bit:
Whoops! My bad! Sorry, Treeclimbr.
I'll restate them, but what are your thoughts, GreenRobby (or anyone who's reading this) on the
I've never tried the exterminate approach because it seems easier and more fun to explore more than to hunt down all the animals (they are good at hiding, it seems).
Geographicraft (formerly Climate Control) - Control climate, ocean, and land sizes; stop chunk walls; put modded biomes into Default worlds, and more!
RTG plus - All the beautiful terrain of RTG, plus varied and beautiful trees and forests.
I'm sure that I would have found a horse by now if I were out searching multiple, newly generated plains biomes (I guarantee it), but if you read this far into the thread, we're just hashing out horse spawning dynamics. A couple different things have been discovered - or are new to me - about horse spawning. By doing the 2 AFK sessions in 1 of 2 newly generated 1.6.2 plains biomes (one of which, I annihilated the animal population) to see if horses would spawn, I learned a few things. I didn't want to expand my single player map (i.e., so that when 1.7 comes out, the newly generated biomes would show up closer to my establishments). There are more reasons, but I have already said them in detail earlier in the thread.