Minecraft Forums

New Mob Idea: Moa

Environment: Plains (Possible variations for other biomes)
AI: Non-Hostile, will defend if attacked
Drop: Feather, Meat
Misc: Common spawn in warm dry grassy areas

The Moa (I've taken some liberties with the design) is a huge flightless bird with many features remaining from it's dinosaur ancestry. It's carnivorous, but eats small mammals that reside in grassy areas. It's capable of move very quickly if it runs.

The Moa would have a personality much like that of large flightless birds in real life, mostly harmless unless you irritate it.

I'm pitching this as a controllable mount, just find a saddle and hop on! It's not a horribly complex addition to the game, but I think giving the player mobility is an addition that many people have wanted for a while. Plus, it's not a boring horse!



Variant: Sky Moa

Environment: The Aether
AI: Non-Hostile
Drop: ?
Misc: No more than three in a small pack.

The Sky Moa are a species of Moa that live in the Aether. They can be mounted like the normal Moa, and the only difference is that when they jump, they fall slower allowing you to glide. This would be the perfect mount for the Aether and would facilitate moving from small island to small island.

The gliding effect wouldn't be too crazy, comparable to the chicken.

Possibly could have normal Moa drop, or have a feather that could be used to make something like hermes shoes... but I really think that would be too over powered. Suggestions?



Variant: Sea Moa

Environment: The Ocean
AI: Non-Hostile
Drop: Fish?
Misc: Small pods/herds

An aquatic cousin to the Moa, these creatures long ago evolved to survive purely in the water. They are very fast swimmers and can move through water at the same speed their land dwelling cousins can move on land. The Sea Moa are tame-able and can be ridden through the high seas. However, they are extremely clumsy on land and will begin to dry out if left out of the water for too long.



Variant: Dark Moa

Environment: The Nether
AI: Non-Hostile
Drop: Meat
Misc: Small flocks

The Nether dwelling brethren of the Moa are very different from the normal Moa. They don't have feathers but instead are covered in a leathery skin and their wings have been replaced with arms ended in long claws. These claws are not for attacking, but for clinging to the walls of the vast caves that fill the Nether.

Dark Moa are accomplished jumpers and can leap much higher than other animals, including humans, and can cling to the wall. If tamed, the Dark Moa can be ridden and they're wall clinging capability can be used to navigate vertically.

I would say that their jump height would be a good 8 blocks and probably another 8 blocks long. Seriously high jumpers. In mid air, you hit a button and hold it. If you collide with another block, you will stick to it and stop moving for as long as you hold the button. While clinging to a wall, you can look around and even fire arrows. If you hit the jump button while looking around, the Dark Moa will jump in that direction.

I think it's kinda cool.




Variant: Cockatrice

Environment: Forests (various)
AI: Hostile
Drop: Cockatrice Feather
Misc: Solitary or Pair in dense forested areas, including jungles and seasonal and taiga (will probable make a plumage variety for each area).

Physically the Cockatrice is identical to the Moa. It's the same size, the same strength and has the same amount of health. However, if you get caught in it's gaze, you slow down much like if you were caught in slowsand (in the Nether). This allows the Cockatrice to perform hit and run attacks on you with little effort.

Recommend using ranged weapons when fighting a Cockatrice.

The feathers these beasts drop can be used to make special arrows. An enemy struck by one is significantly slowed for 15 seconds. This would make it worthwhile to hunt down the Cockatrice, but of course you're putting yourself in danger.

Let me know what you think

As usual pic is awesome.

I get the feeling that many Final Fantasy references are about to be made, so I'll cut in front of line and say that since this thing is emphatically not a Chocobo, I'm okay with it.

Edit: Also, HOLY GUACAMOLE! FIRST POST ON A FIREHAZURD THREAD! My life is complete.

Damn right horses are boring! I want to ride this guy across the world!

Why am I thinking of Fanged Chocobos?...
IT WOULD BE FREAKING EPIC!

I would give you diamonds for your skilled artsmanship, but that's too small a reward.

Take This! It's dangerous to go alone:

While riding it, it should deal damage when you run it into a mob/player. It would be epic to have an archery squad riding these, just ram into people and open fire!

neat idea so its like an ostrich? maybe instead of putting a saddle on an adult you could find their nest and take one of their eggs (provoking it) but you could raise the baby into a mount or just cook it when uses for eggs are added.

It looks more like a Terror Bird than a Moa. This is a Moa, and this is a Terror Bird. Still, its a cool model and an AWESOME idea for a mount.

(Sorry about the complaints, I'm a bit of a paleontology fan.)

Just curious about the details, how fast would a Moa being ridden move, how high would it jump, how much health does it have, and how much damage can it deal?

Minecraft neutral mobs:
1.Pigs
2.Cows
3.Chickens

Do you see a pattern here?

4.Moa

Not anymore you don't.

Quote from Flubbedpig »

Just curious about the details, how fast would a Moa being ridden move, how high would it jump, how much health does it have, and how much damage can it deal?

Good question. What do you guys think is appropriate? I would say that the top speed should be pretty high. Like 2.5 times the normal movement speed. Then maybe a big jump as well, 2 high 4 across?

Quote from Naithal »

It looks more like a Terror Bird than a Moa. This is a Moa, and this is a Terror Bird. Still, its a cool model and an AWESOME idea for a mount.

(Sorry about the complaints, I'm a bit of a paleontology fan.)

Yeah, I was trying to avoid making a chocobo, so I wanted to give it the raptor face. Then, when I was coming up with the name, I didn't want to call it a raptor or any other dinosaur name, nor did I want to directly equate it to a still extant/real creature. So I chose the Moa. Inaccurate, but I feel that I won't loose any sleep over it.

Lets just forgo the horses completely and have these guys! :biggrin.gif:

They seem really nice, feathers, meat, and a form of transportation. Very useful indeed!

Have a ham for your work.

For some reason these come across as solitary creatures, and have as much chance of spawning by itself as with a loose herd.

I also want to confirm; these would basically be neutral mobs, friendly unless attacked, then they turn hostile.

How about Balmoa for a name? So far as I (and wikipedia) know, there is no creature called the Balmoa. And it's a pretty similar name, so it shouldn't cause to many title problems. Also, I think 2.5 times walking speed it a bit much. How about 150%?

Oh, idea! If you left click while riding a moa, it kicks, dealing 3.5 damage to anything in front of it with TnT kickback. That way, if a random pig wanders in front of you while you're going full speed you can punt it out of the way.

I hope this gets added. I would have so much fun. SO MUCH.

OH YES

here, hava a dimondz


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I'ma riding ma terrorbird!

Quote from Naithal »

How about Balmoa for a name? So far as I (and wikipedia) know, there is no creature called the Balmoa. And it's a pretty similar name, so it shouldn't cause to many title problems. Also, I think 2.5 times walking speed it a bit much. How about 150%?

Oh, idea! If you left click while riding a moa, it kicks, dealing 3.5 damage to anything in front of it with TnT kickback. That way, if a random pig wanders in front of you while you're going full speed you can punt it out of the way.

I hope this gets added. I would have so much fun. SO MUCH.

I have to disagree. The name Moa is fine, and a simpler way to deal damage with a Moa would to make it deal damage when something is hit by the front.

Quote from Naithal »

Oh, idea! If you left click while riding a moa, it kicks, dealing 3.5 damage to anything in front of it with TnT kickback. That way, if a random pig wanders in front of you while you're going full speed you can punt it out of the way.

I hope this gets added. I would have so much fun. SO MUCH.

I dunno. Maybe a right click while riding will spur it, causing one and a half damage, but increasing the speed from 150% of the normal speed, to an even 200% for a 10 second period, and the jump height increased to 5, length to 4. And the ram damage during this time would be like 3 damage as opposed to what I think should be a normal 2 damage during a full speed non spurred run. This way, in SMP, people can't abuse as easily. And how about it has 7 hearts, so that the spur can be used 4 times before it dies. And if the spur is used when it has too little health, it dies.

Also, I think lone to small herds of 4-5 Moas would be a good sizing and spawn rate. And how about they spawn in hot grassy plains, and rarely in deserts (Usually alone in desert, in groups in grassy plains).

Anyway, great job on the mob picture, as is expected.

Anybody else think of Guild Wars when you saw this? I mean it's nearly identical to what you have, except yours is more orange, has more blue, and is blocky. http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Moa_Bird

Quote from GreyAcumen »

For some reason these come across as solitary creatures, and have as much chance of spawning by itself as with a loose herd.

I also want to confirm; these would basically be neutral mobs, friendly unless attacked, then they turn hostile.

Yeah, they would be neutral unless attacked. I think either solitary or small groups that run across the plains together are both good ways to do it. In fact, I think that both setups would occur naturally (the occasional lone Moa but generally seen in small herd/flocks)

I think the speed should be high, but perhaps you have to build up to that speed by running forward without many turns or running into things

As far as an attack, instead of a kick, perhaps left click could make it bite forward.

Alright then. The name "Moa" is going to bug me, but I can cope. I don't think its running speed should be higher than that of a minecart though. I suspect the most coding Notch would have to do for this thing is giving it a controllable jump. Though maybe he could make it automatic...

-busts through a wall while riding this-

chaw!

-Moa pecks zombie on the chest-


Don't reveal the flavor of new minecraft mystery meat. Or we will find you.


I support. I would like them to be twice as fast as you. I think that is good, but they should take maybe 2 or 3 seconds to get to that speed? That should be fair.

I don't really agree with someones earlier idea of being able to "spur" them, making them run faster but damaging them in the process.


One thing I would like to suggest is that after you get off of them, they will begin to wander a little bit after,say, 3 minutes? That way, you would need to pen them up when you are leaving them for a long period of time.


I feel that they should be able to jump 1 block high, but retain their forward momentum when jumping. This would allow long jumps, but not being able to scale mountains any better than you can. This, combined with a slow acceleration, will make them only an advantage when running across relatively flat areas or jumping a larger gap.

Perhaps they could have a reduced fall acceleration? basically, make them less affected by gravity, but have them still able to end up falling at the same max speed as you, but it takes them longer to get to that speed while falling. They would start flapping their wings frantically like a chicken does while in the air.