I was playing Minecraft with my sister the other day and we started bouncing ideas for new mobs off of each other. We discussed turtles, lizards, rabbits and somehow came back around to insects. We talked about how we wanted to avoid suggesting "just another aggressive or passive mob" and eventually came up with this: the Hoard Bug. I'd love to hear the community's thoughts, critiques, or suggestions on this
Hoard Bugs are repulsive insects that make a distinct creaking noise as they move. Despite their repulsive appearance they are very social creatures and have very strong parental instincts. They are natural enemies of spiders who frequently try to kill and eat the Hoard Bug's young. A Hoard Bug's larval diet consists of nothing but rocks and minerals, which they use to develop their amazingly durable shells.
The Hoard Bug is an arthropod, and thus is affected significantly by Bane of Arthropods. Hoard Bugs spawn very rarely and only in grassy and forested areas (except the rain forest) during either day or night. This mob would most likely take the appearance of some sort of beetle or ant. Hoard Bugs and spiders will attack each other on sight.
Hoard bugs always spawn alongside and never stray too far from a "partner mob" which would be a grub and are neutrally aggressive until the player comes within a seven block radius of their grub, at which point they will attack. The grub itself is very slow moving and incapable of defending itself, but has considerable, recharging health as it utilizes its fat-stores. The Hoard Bug on the other hand is only slightly slower than a player's walk speed and can attack physically or by throwing rocks with its hercules-beetle-like horn (which deals less damage). These rocks behave functionally identical to arrows (but perhaps slower). Hoard Bugs have a hard defensive carapace which considerably lowers the amount of damage they take from any weapon (particularly arrows) and have twice as much health as a zombie.
If the player can defeat the Hoard Bug, they are free to kill and spoil the grub. Due to their diet of minerals which they need to develop the parent's hard shell, Grubs may drop stone/cobblestone, iron, lapis lazuli, or more rarely emerald or obsidian, or extremely rarely (1 in 50 or some more balanced number, combined with the mob itself's rareness) diamond.
Hoard Bugs may drop beetle exoskeleton which can be used like leather to craft armor. Exoskeleton armor is as effective at absorbing damage as iron armor but is significantly more durable and has a very dark sheen.
Additional Ideas
Hoard Bugs live in a hive society where only a very large queen may have children. Worker Hoard Bugs will only leave the group with a grub, when they will stay away for days seeking strong minerals to feed to their ward. Queens have only been spotted during their mating season, when they will seek out potential mates via their pheromone trail.
Hoard Bugs will occasionally drop pheromone glands which can be used (provided the player has enough) to summon a Hoard Queen. A Hoard Queen is a boss which attacks similarly to a Hoard Bug, but can also spit poison at the player and has considerably more health. They have three times as much health as their underlings and spawn two or three grubs sometime after being summoned. Hoard Queens drop many more beetle exoskeleton items than a normal beetle in addition to phosphorescent goo (bug guts) which perhaps may be used in new items, enchantments, or potions.
Perhaps among other things, phosphorescent goo could be used to build two interdependent things. First, a specific type of block, and second a Compass like object which tracks the nearest such block. This could be useful in that players could more easily track specific buildings that they have placed the phosphorescent block in. The phosphorescent block also gives off a dim light.
Hmm, i somwhat support, but why shouldnt this just be improved silverfish? i love the little buggers, so, why not give them some of these stats, instead of adding another new mob?
...I like this. Something that I don't recall ever having seen before.
It'd be neat if giving the (recently orphaned) grub some semi-rare resource made it grow into a tamed fully grown bug too. Say iron or gold. Maybe lapis.
How large would a queen be though?
Ben_Fett's got a point, if there was all this insectoid extras for the Hoard Bug, Silverfish would probably need to get in on it too. Maybe they'd drop carapaces too, or have their own Queens?
I hadn't thought of tamable grubs before. I myself like the idea. I suppose the queen would be three or so blocks long and two blocks tall and wide.
Hmm, i somwhat support, but why shouldnt this just be improved silverfish? i love the little buggers, so, why not give them some of these stats, instead of adding another new mob?
Hmm. You're right. Without more time to think about it, I'll excuse it by way of their unique diet perhaps? Something like, only Hoard Bugs have the hard mineral infused carapace that could be useful.
Not a bad idea at all, although I don't think we need the Carapace Armor. That would make this mob drop more than any other mob does. Plus it seems kind of overpowered even if it is rare, unless it has no or low enchantability.
The Queen I'm iffy on, I really don't think we need a new boss mob, but you could sway me by giving more details on it and what it's drops could do. Right now it is kind of undeveloped.
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Not a bad idea at all, although I don't think we need the Carapace Armor. That would make this mob drop more than any other mob does. Plus it seems kind of overpowered even if it is rare, unless it has no or low enchantability.
The Queen I'm iffy on, I really don't think we need a new boss mob, but you could sway me by giving more details on it and what it's drops could do. Right now it is kind of undeveloped.
It would probably need some more balancing. Maybe as you say it's unenchantable, or only 20%-50% more durable than iron. In addition, since the Hoard bug and grub are different types of mobs, the hoard bug actually only drops two items, pheromone glands and exoskeleton.
As for the Queen's goo use, my first thought is for enchantments that boost armor's defense or a weapon's power. Or a potion that temporarily does both for the player. Perhaps also to craft some sort of tracking block. Players can build something akin to a compass, but the phosphorescent compass tracks the nearest such block instead.
I can't honestly say I know much about enchantments and potions and how they work. I'll look into it to get a better idea of what to do with the goo.
I like the mob and it's unique attack style, but I don't like the drop, boss and grub. Maybe the Hoard bug could drop, very rarely the grubs drop?
That was actually our first idea as far as the Hoard Bug goes, and it just got more complex from there. If much of the community agrees with you I'd have no qualms about changing it to be so.
That was actually our first idea as far as the Hoard Bug goes, and it just got more complex from there. If much of the community agrees with you I'd have no qualms about changing it to be so.
I was playing Minecraft with my sister the other day and we started bouncing ideas for new mobs off of each other. We discussed turtles, lizards, rabbits and somehow came back around to insects. We talked about how we wanted to avoid suggesting "just another aggressive or passive mob" and eventually came up with this: the Hoard Bug. I'd love to hear the community's thoughts, critiques, or suggestions on this
Hoard Bugs are repulsive insects that make a distinct creaking noise as they move. Despite their repulsive appearance they are very social creatures and have very strong parental instincts. They are natural enemies of spiders who frequently try to kill and eat the Hoard Bug's young. A Hoard Bug's larval diet consists of nothing but rocks and minerals, which they use to develop their amazingly durable shells.
The Hoard Bug is an arthropod, and thus is affected significantly by Bane of Arthropods. Hoard Bugs spawn very rarely and only in grassy and forested areas (except the rain forest) during either day or night. This mob would most likely take the appearance of some sort of beetle or ant. Hoard Bugs and spiders will attack each other on sight.
Hoard bugs always spawn alongside and never stray too far from a "partner mob" which would be a grub and are neutrally aggressive until the player comes within a seven block radius of their grub, at which point they will attack. The grub itself is very slow moving and incapable of defending itself, but has considerable, recharging health as it utilizes its fat-stores. The Hoard Bug on the other hand is only slightly slower than a player's walk speed and can attack physically or by throwing rocks with its hercules-beetle-like horn (which deals less damage). These rocks behave functionally identical to arrows (but perhaps slower). Hoard Bugs have a hard defensive carapace which considerably lowers the amount of damage they take from any weapon (particularly arrows) and have twice as much health as a zombie.
If the player can defeat the Hoard Bug, they are free to kill and spoil the grub. Due to their diet of minerals which they need to develop the parent's hard shell, Grubs may drop stone/cobblestone, iron, lapis lazuli, or more rarely emerald or obsidian, or extremely rarely (1 in 50 or some more balanced number, combined with the mob itself's rareness) diamond.
Hoard Bugs may drop beetle exoskeleton which can be used like leather to craft armor. Exoskeleton armor is as effective at absorbing damage as iron armor but is significantly more durable and has a very dark sheen.
Hoard Bugs live in a hive society where only a very large queen may have children. Worker Hoard Bugs will only leave the group with a grub, when they will stay away for days seeking strong minerals to feed to their ward. Queens have only been spotted during their mating season, when they will seek out potential mates via their pheromone trail.
Hoard Bugs will occasionally drop pheromone glands which can be used (provided the player has enough) to summon a Hoard Queen. A Hoard Queen is a boss which attacks similarly to a Hoard Bug, but can also spit poison at the player and has considerably more health. They have three times as much health as their underlings and spawn two or three grubs sometime after being summoned. Hoard Queens drop many more beetle exoskeleton items than a normal beetle in addition to phosphorescent goo (bug guts) which perhaps may be used in new items, enchantments, or potions.
Perhaps among other things, phosphorescent goo could be used to build two interdependent things. First, a specific type of block, and second a Compass like object which tracks the nearest such block. This could be useful in that players could more easily track specific buildings that they have placed the phosphorescent block in. The phosphorescent block also gives off a dim light.
Hmm. You're right. Without more time to think about it, I'll excuse it by way of their unique diet perhaps? Something like, only Hoard Bugs have the hard mineral infused carapace that could be useful.
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ModeratorThe Queen I'm iffy on, I really don't think we need a new boss mob, but you could sway me by giving more details on it and what it's drops could do. Right now it is kind of undeveloped.
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As for the Queen's goo use, my first thought is for enchantments that boost armor's defense or a weapon's power. Or a potion that temporarily does both for the player. Perhaps also to craft some sort of tracking block. Players can build something akin to a compass, but the phosphorescent compass tracks the nearest such block instead.
I can't honestly say I know much about enchantments and potions and how they work. I'll look into it to get a better idea of what to do with the goo.
That was actually our first idea as far as the Hoard Bug goes, and it just got more complex from there. If much of the community agrees with you I'd have no qualms about changing it to be so.
i understand. I'll see what the community thinks.