About: Just looking for a place to play around a bit during my off time. It's tough finding a mature server that really is, you know...mature. I sound old.
Minecraft IGN: Bladow
Age: 35
Why do you want to join this server?: I prefer a mature community.
Have you been banned before?(We check): Yes, I have. Its why I prefer a mature community!
Have you read & agree on the Rules?(Read them all): I have read them, and I agree to abide by them!
Hi! Below is my app. Your server looks really nice from pictures. Look forward to meeting you all!
1) How old are you? I'm 34. Seriously.
2) What is your in-game name? Bladow (I get called Blad a lot)
3) How did you find out about Jackal's Den? I hadn't played MC in a bit and checked out the forums. Saw your thread and liked what I saw!
4) What tool do you use to claim land here? Wooden Shovel
5) Our members read these applications, so simply tell us a little about yourself: I live in the southern U.S. with my wife and our dog. I'm not a gamer but I've been playing Minecraft since alfa or indev, I can't remember. I prefer vanilla but I'm not opposed to server mods. I keep to myself mostly, but I enjoy the social side of servers. I'll be a friendly addition! Hopefully not the oldest guy in your server, though!
When reading "Each biome should be a world onto itself! Complete with it's own plant and animal life and experience." I immediately thought of Venus Flytraps in like, a Jungle Biome, but i think it would be a little op... having a bunch surrounding your home fending off mobs. Though doing little damage to their size. Then again, just a thought.
I know exactly what you're getting at. I love it!
The jungle biome is my favorite biome because it stokes my imagination. I still vividly remember being in one for the first time. At the time, I stood in the middle of the biome and just looked around at all the stuff that was there! Huge, towering trees that had great big canopies. Beautiful vines hanging from everywhere!
I imagined the place was teeming with animal life. I imagined the game producing dynamic soundscapes of birds chirping and animal calls in the distance. Wind gently blowing in and causing tree trunks to groan and creak. I wondered how many different plants were around and what they might do. And I always liked the idea that somewhere were hidden easter eggs that no one knew about and had to be discovered.
I know I started this thread with the idea of Biome Habitats but really I'm suggesting that all biomes be like this. Worlds onto themselves. Full of life, potential, and wonder. Each capable of doing what the others do but with many qualities that make living and playing there a unique experience.
I want to see Minecraft become completely immersive. That's the essence of my suggestion.
Hey, thanks for all the support and the other suggestions, you guys!
NO ALCOHOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Minecraft is sold as a FAMILY game and adding alcohol would NOT be something people will be fond of.
Woah! Read you loud and clear buddy!
You make a point I hadn't thought of. So, therefore allow me to withdraw said offense.
"Minecraft is sold as a family game..." I'm not so sure about that. I mean, perhaps now it is but that hasn't been it's history. Minecraft was a sensation before it even left development. Notch never mentioned his intention for Minecraft to be a family game.
Parents might view minecraft as a less violent alternative to other games but frankly, this game is no moral example! Graphics aside, there is plenty of fighting, killing, stealing, lying, cursing, raging, anti-social stuff that goes along with this game.
But I'm sure you are absolutely right about folks not being fond of drinks in game. I mean, you hit the nail on the head!
Although, in the unsurprising event that some thin-skinned, blogger-mom would be offended at the notion of beer being an aesthetic item in a game which features witchcraft, among other things, I'd have to marginalize their hypocritical opinion.
While I'm not convinced on each and every element to this suggestion, (like thirst bars) I think the overall idea of fruit bearing trees is great idea. In fact, to a large degree I think the idea was originally Notch's idea! Thus apple trees. So this simply builds upon an existing game mechanic. I like it!
But as a few folks have already stated, more fruit trees and their food items could overwhelm the player with too many food options. If that happened, the survival aspect of gameplay could become irrelevant. After all, even in the current vanilla game, a player can build HUGE automated farms that essentially gives that player an infinite amount of food! Starving to death can be made obsolete! That's okay for the individual player who puts the time into building it, but you wouldn't want every player to have infinite food right from the start!
So allow me to add my recommendation to this idea of fruit bearing trees:
1.) First of all, as you've somewhat mentioned, their location within the world should be organized according to biomes. You can't have fruit trees popping up everywhere! It should make sense. Wild fruit certainly can grow in jungles and sparsely in regular forests. Coconuts, obviously next to oceans. What about a small concentration of fruit trees that consistently spawn near or in villages. The assumption being that the villagers planted and cultivated them?
2.) More to the point, the health/hunger capabilities should correspond directly to the availability of each fruit. In other words, the more readily available a fruit or vegetable, then the less effect it has on regeneration of hunger/health. Conversely, if a certain fruit/veggie is rare or difficult to cultivate then the greater it's power and the higher its value. Players who build huge farming operations would still reap a great reward (albeit not as great as they currently do.) and smaller farms would be valuable only over time; making true the adage: "You get out what you put in".
3.) I like an expansion of farming ideas because it naturally leads to more cooking ideas! But here again we risk loosing the game's balance by introducing too much food to a survival themed game. So we have to be careful. I would suggest that recipes be a little more complicated and resource demanding. Rather than seeing food items as ingredients, why not make it so that a few food items are combined to create a single ingredient. Once different, multiple ingredients are crafted, THEN they are added to one another (perhaps in a particular sequence) to produce the finished food product. Which means some foods would be tough to get all the appropriate ingredients for and those food items would thus be very valuable to a players health/hunger. Perhaps some ingredients for certain food items are only obtainable in the wild and cannot be cultivated? Something to think about.
4.) Do away with the notion of thirst. It's not a terrible idea in concept, but I'm not sure it would be fun to have in game. Probably a bit awkward and clunky to manage, I would imagine. BUT, I like the idea of drinks! Fruit juices are obvious. What about beer?!? Or wine? They'd be items that are only available to those who go through the process of growing or finding the necessary items, crafting them into ingredients, and then making them according to their recipes. Their effect would be, as mentioned, according to their availability or difficulty in crafting.
There should be perishable and nonperishable food items. Meat is obviously perishable, but beans or dried fruit is not.
This solves the very legitimate concern some have expressed regarding their food storages being lost simply due to time. It would reinvigorate the food collecting and preparation game experience in a positive way and be another great strategy exercise.
Another related suggestion: Refrigerator chests. A Chest for storage that utilizes a separate slot for ice blocks. Keeps perishable food items fresh as long as there are ice blocks. Ice blocks would melt off slowly enough to make the Refrigerator chest worth it. Would be a great inclusion for kitchens.
Biome Habitats have a direct bearing on why I've suggested that hostile mobs be only underground.
The aboveground is the habitat of people, plants, and animals. The underground is the habitat of mysterious, incomprehensible monsters.
There''s balance in that proposal. Threats exist both above and below. Survival is still the central theme.
Currently Hostile Mobs exist both above and below ground. So my suggestion isn't an altering of that balance, but rather an embellishment.
However, there is currently a certain refrain during the daylight, as most hostile mobs aren't around during the day.
"So if there were predator animals wandering their habitat during the day, wouldn't that throw off the balance?"
This is a good question and i'm not fixed firmly on a single solution. Predators can be given AI that causes them to avoid a Player for the most part and be only provoked into aggression. The act of provoking doesn't have to be limited to one thing. Perhaps one pride of lions will flee from a Player up 4 or 5 times before attacking, whereas another pride won't flee at all and attack immediately when the Player gets too close.
Again, the overall balance of the game must be considered carefully.
Yeah. Also, if there's lions, can there be buffalo and crocodiles?
I'm not saying those aren't great idea, because they are!
But think about the balance of the game's bigger picture: Survival.
Each animal offered in the game should always relate in some relevant way to the player. They have to present a challenge, or be the answer to another challenge. (i.e. Challenge - Hostile Mobs make it tough to survive in the open night; Solution - while Cows facilitate survival by being a food source.) Or they drop items of value and importance.
An animals mere aesthetic contribution, while nice, is not as vital as it's contribution to the player's gaming experience.
I think the player exists in the Minecraft world amongst the animal life, not the other way around. So a vibrant animal kingdom, in my opinion, is a huge plus!
Thus Biome Habitats make it possible to discuss realistically the inclusion of a host of different animal life and their potential impact on the game.
As for your full mob overview, I like it. But if the gorilla is large, can it have another ingame name like King Kong or something like that?
King Kong! Ha! Yeah, sure whatever name works is fine with me!
Its a matter of walking the balance between a gaming experience, which is inherently fictitious, and the real world. Obviously, Minecraft is not the real world, what with zombies and giant spiders and such. However, many features of the game DO mimic the real world and rightfully so. I believe the Animal Kingdom within Minecraft should fit in this balance in a more realistic manner. Doing so opens a door to potential and possibility and inspires the imagination!
Biome Habitats makes sense without much explanation because it's readily demonstrated in the real world.
Love this idea, I just don't think all these mobs would fit into Minecraft.
Furthermore, the idea is very vague. You need to provide, at least, the stats for the animals(heart count, damage done).
And also, you really need to provide details for what they'd drop, if anything. You mentioned a trophy item but no details about it or what it actually is.
Partial support, it's vague.
Thanks for the partial support and I apologize if I've been vague.
Again, my suggestion this: Rather than overworld animals spawning in whatever general area a Player is in, have them spawn only in certain biomes which would be thought of as their Habitat Biome. I've only provided a few examples of animals to show that Habitats would add to the dynamic feel of each individual biome, and as a result, the world as a whole.
Each biome should be a world onto itself! Complete with it's own plant and animal life and experience.
Fixing it this way would facilitate the inclusion of many new animal/plant varieties without overwhelming the world with random animals of every kind.
I like most of the idea, but gorillas as hostile animals? Pfff. I'd rather have them either passive or neutral.
Also, if all the nighttime mobs (save for witches, as those should spawn near witch huts) would be moved to underground, how would zombie sieges happen?
80% support.
I hadn't thought of zombie sieges! I do like a good siege! I'm not sure how, but I wouldn't want sieges to be removed simply because zombies spawn primarily underground. Perhaps there is way to have both?
Sound like an interesting idea. I would like to see more mob ideas before I support, so PARTIAL SUPPORT.
The bones of my suggestion center more on the habitat of Minecraft Animals and not as much on the animals themselves. There have been and will likely continue to be suggestions for more diverse animals to be included in the game; I usually support all of them unless they are too weird.
That said, allow me to throw some light and detail into what I've already mentioned and add to it:
Deer - Plains, Forest, other Biomes.
Deer are known nearly universally as wild game. In game, they might spawn plentifully in groups only in Plains, Forest or other Biomes but will migrate to other biomes such as rivers for a drink. They would be very cautious and not at all trusting the way cows are. But hunting them wouldn't be much more difficult than hunting cows. Drops can include the usual steak, leather skins. Perhaps some way to craft or cook jerky. (Yum.) Also, I like the idea of bone drops that can be specifically used in tool crafting. I wanted to mention the inclusion of a Hunting Knife item idea that could be used to harvest animals with greater drop efficiency than sword but I'm not fully on board with it myself!
Boar -All forest biomes.
Boars are the same as pigs, only aggressive if you attack. They shouldn't be difficult to kill, so not many hearts. They should have the same healthy spawn rate as pigs currently do, making them an ideal source of food, along with deer. Drops include pork and/or rinds.
Pigs & Cows -Villages and some biomes.
Pigs and cows are very much iconic animal mobs to Minecraft. I cannot imagine the game without them. In fact, I wouldn't want to play Minecraft without my dear pigs and cows!!! They are crucial to the gameplay experience. However, it simply doesn't make sense to me that they roam the overworld as they currently do. When I see pigs and cows IRL, they are always behind some fenced enclosure as livestock. They aren't wild, free range animals. It makes much more sense to have deer and wild boar roaming the open wilderness than cows and pigs. Therefore, with the inclusion of deer and boar - equal in their value and availability to cows and pigs - then I would suggest putting cows and pigs into villages to be kept, cared for and bred by villagers. They could perhaps be seen outside villages occasionally, but that might be the exception rather than the rule.
Bear -Dark Forests
This big guy would have to be rare or else his presence would alter the game too much. A bear should be a ferocious predator when provoked. Nearly unsurvivable under normal circumstances. Would absolutely require armor and arrows. (maybe spears??) I love the notion of a predator lurking in the forest, though! It would take my survival game up a notch, to be sure! Bears drop leather, teeth, meat, and other items. Berries can be found in their cubbies. Normally passive until provoked. Provoking would involve being within a certain number of blocks, which might not be a fixed number to make it more interesting!
Lions/Tigers -Savannah Biome only.
Another predator to look out for. They would spawn in groups of 4 or 5, usually around water holes in the Savannah biome. They should always be aggressive. But hunting them should be a matter of sport! I can imagine their AI would make them retreat from the Player's presence a random number of times. Afterward, they would attack, as a pride, with relentlessness. Very difficult to kill, even with arrows. This makes it sporting. But bragging rights for sure if you bag one! Drops could include a skin which can be hanged as a trophy! Perhaps teeth that can be used in crafting/enchanting. It's a game, so I don't want to touch off any debate on the ethics of this idea. =)
Dessert Animals
Someone commented on snake drops as poison. Loved the idea! Ideas for dessert animals are snakes, lizards, or perhaps fictitious animals. At any rate, their presence should be slight and not overwhelming. Desserts are places where many a player have starved to death and thats the way it should be!
Yeti -Snow, Ice Biome.
I'll admit, this was a cheesy idea. Just trying to think outside the box!
Gorilla - Jungle Biome
Surprised at the interest in this particular idea! The thing I love about the Jungle Biome is it's density. But its woefully under populated with animals! A jungle should be crawling with life! Birds, insects, monkeys, snakes, fish, you name it! I'm on board with all of those and more as long as their populations are balanced and reasonable. On the matter of Gorillas specifically: whats more terrifying than an impossibly large, impressively agile beast who's excruciating scream makes blood boil and who guards what is arguably the second most valuable temple in the Minecraft game? Who else better to guard that achievement? Monkeys? I would love monkeys but they could easily become annoying if not done carefully. I think a Gorilla Mob Boss would be the ultimate overworld hostile mob. As lethal as the dragon! "Welcome to the Jungle baby, you gonna die!"
Birds -All biomes with trees
Another reliable food source and source for eggs.
So again, I'm on board, obviously, with more diverse animal life. But my real suggestion in the habitat of these animals.
0
IGN: Bladow
Age: 35
About: Just looking for a place to play around a bit during my off time. It's tough finding a mature server that really is, you know...mature. I sound old.
Looking forward to hanging out!
0
Minecraft IGN: Bladow
Age: 35
Why do you want to join this server?: I prefer a mature community.
Have you been banned before?(We check): Yes, I have. Its why I prefer a mature community!
Have you read & agree on the Rules?(Read them all): I have read them, and I agree to abide by them!
6+5=11
0
Hi! Below is my app. Your server looks really nice from pictures. Look forward to meeting you all!
1) How old are you? I'm 34. Seriously.
2) What is your in-game name? Bladow (I get called Blad a lot)
3) How did you find out about Jackal's Den? I hadn't played MC in a bit and checked out the forums. Saw your thread and liked what I saw!
4) What tool do you use to claim land here? Wooden Shovel
5) Our members read these applications, so simply tell us a little about yourself: I live in the southern U.S. with my wife and our dog. I'm not a gamer but I've been playing Minecraft since alfa or indev, I can't remember. I prefer vanilla but I'm not opposed to server mods. I keep to myself mostly, but I enjoy the social side of servers. I'll be a friendly addition! Hopefully not the oldest guy in your server, though!
0
really?
0
I know exactly what you're getting at. I love it!
The jungle biome is my favorite biome because it stokes my imagination. I still vividly remember being in one for the first time. At the time, I stood in the middle of the biome and just looked around at all the stuff that was there! Huge, towering trees that had great big canopies. Beautiful vines hanging from everywhere!
I imagined the place was teeming with animal life. I imagined the game producing dynamic soundscapes of birds chirping and animal calls in the distance. Wind gently blowing in and causing tree trunks to groan and creak. I wondered how many different plants were around and what they might do. And I always liked the idea that somewhere were hidden easter eggs that no one knew about and had to be discovered.
I know I started this thread with the idea of Biome Habitats but really I'm suggesting that all biomes be like this. Worlds onto themselves. Full of life, potential, and wonder. Each capable of doing what the others do but with many qualities that make living and playing there a unique experience.
I want to see Minecraft become completely immersive. That's the essence of my suggestion.
Hey, thanks for all the support and the other suggestions, you guys!
Bladow
1
Woah! Read you loud and clear buddy!
You make a point I hadn't thought of. So, therefore allow me to withdraw said offense.
"Minecraft is sold as a family game..." I'm not so sure about that. I mean, perhaps now it is but that hasn't been it's history. Minecraft was a sensation before it even left development. Notch never mentioned his intention for Minecraft to be a family game.
Parents might view minecraft as a less violent alternative to other games but frankly, this game is no moral example! Graphics aside, there is plenty of fighting, killing, stealing, lying, cursing, raging, anti-social stuff that goes along with this game.
But I'm sure you are absolutely right about folks not being fond of drinks in game. I mean, you hit the nail on the head!
Although, in the unsurprising event that some thin-skinned, blogger-mom would be offended at the notion of beer being an aesthetic item in a game which features witchcraft, among other things, I'd have to marginalize their hypocritical opinion.
Bladow
/not obsessed with drinking
//but i do drink
///also not a parent so what do i know anyway...
1
Support!
While I'm not convinced on each and every element to this suggestion, (like thirst bars) I think the overall idea of fruit bearing trees is great idea. In fact, to a large degree I think the idea was originally Notch's idea! Thus apple trees. So this simply builds upon an existing game mechanic. I like it!
But as a few folks have already stated, more fruit trees and their food items could overwhelm the player with too many food options. If that happened, the survival aspect of gameplay could become irrelevant. After all, even in the current vanilla game, a player can build HUGE automated farms that essentially gives that player an infinite amount of food! Starving to death can be made obsolete! That's okay for the individual player who puts the time into building it, but you wouldn't want every player to have infinite food right from the start!
So allow me to add my recommendation to this idea of fruit bearing trees:
1.) First of all, as you've somewhat mentioned, their location within the world should be organized according to biomes. You can't have fruit trees popping up everywhere! It should make sense. Wild fruit certainly can grow in jungles and sparsely in regular forests. Coconuts, obviously next to oceans. What about a small concentration of fruit trees that consistently spawn near or in villages. The assumption being that the villagers planted and cultivated them?
2.) More to the point, the health/hunger capabilities should correspond directly to the availability of each fruit. In other words, the more readily available a fruit or vegetable, then the less effect it has on regeneration of hunger/health. Conversely, if a certain fruit/veggie is rare or difficult to cultivate then the greater it's power and the higher its value. Players who build huge farming operations would still reap a great reward (albeit not as great as they currently do.) and smaller farms would be valuable only over time; making true the adage: "You get out what you put in".
3.) I like an expansion of farming ideas because it naturally leads to more cooking ideas! But here again we risk loosing the game's balance by introducing too much food to a survival themed game. So we have to be careful. I would suggest that recipes be a little more complicated and resource demanding. Rather than seeing food items as ingredients, why not make it so that a few food items are combined to create a single ingredient. Once different, multiple ingredients are crafted, THEN they are added to one another (perhaps in a particular sequence) to produce the finished food product. Which means some foods would be tough to get all the appropriate ingredients for and those food items would thus be very valuable to a players health/hunger. Perhaps some ingredients for certain food items are only obtainable in the wild and cannot be cultivated? Something to think about.
4.) Do away with the notion of thirst. It's not a terrible idea in concept, but I'm not sure it would be fun to have in game. Probably a bit awkward and clunky to manage, I would imagine. BUT, I like the idea of drinks! Fruit juices are obvious. What about beer?!? Or wine? They'd be items that are only available to those who go through the process of growing or finding the necessary items, crafting them into ingredients, and then making them according to their recipes. Their effect would be, as mentioned, according to their availability or difficulty in crafting.
Bladow
1
Support, but with some added suggestions.
There should be perishable and nonperishable food items. Meat is obviously perishable, but beans or dried fruit is not.
This solves the very legitimate concern some have expressed regarding their food storages being lost simply due to time. It would reinvigorate the food collecting and preparation game experience in a positive way and be another great strategy exercise.
Another related suggestion: Refrigerator chests. A Chest for storage that utilizes a separate slot for ice blocks. Keeps perishable food items fresh as long as there are ice blocks. Ice blocks would melt off slowly enough to make the Refrigerator chest worth it. Would be a great inclusion for kitchens.
Watcha think?
Bladow
0
Biome Habitats have a direct bearing on why I've suggested that hostile mobs be only underground.
The aboveground is the habitat of people, plants, and animals. The underground is the habitat of mysterious, incomprehensible monsters.
There''s balance in that proposal. Threats exist both above and below. Survival is still the central theme.
Currently Hostile Mobs exist both above and below ground. So my suggestion isn't an altering of that balance, but rather an embellishment.
However, there is currently a certain refrain during the daylight, as most hostile mobs aren't around during the day.
"So if there were predator animals wandering their habitat during the day, wouldn't that throw off the balance?"
This is a good question and i'm not fixed firmly on a single solution. Predators can be given AI that causes them to avoid a Player for the most part and be only provoked into aggression. The act of provoking doesn't have to be limited to one thing. Perhaps one pride of lions will flee from a Player up 4 or 5 times before attacking, whereas another pride won't flee at all and attack immediately when the Player gets too close.
Again, the overall balance of the game must be considered carefully.
Bladow
0
I'm not saying those aren't great idea, because they are!
But think about the balance of the game's bigger picture: Survival.
Each animal offered in the game should always relate in some relevant way to the player. They have to present a challenge, or be the answer to another challenge. (i.e. Challenge - Hostile Mobs make it tough to survive in the open night; Solution - while Cows facilitate survival by being a food source.) Or they drop items of value and importance.
An animals mere aesthetic contribution, while nice, is not as vital as it's contribution to the player's gaming experience.
I think the player exists in the Minecraft world amongst the animal life, not the other way around. So a vibrant animal kingdom, in my opinion, is a huge plus!
Thus Biome Habitats make it possible to discuss realistically the inclusion of a host of different animal life and their potential impact on the game.
Bladow
0
King Kong! Ha! Yeah, sure whatever name works is fine with me!
Its a matter of walking the balance between a gaming experience, which is inherently fictitious, and the real world. Obviously, Minecraft is not the real world, what with zombies and giant spiders and such. However, many features of the game DO mimic the real world and rightfully so. I believe the Animal Kingdom within Minecraft should fit in this balance in a more realistic manner. Doing so opens a door to potential and possibility and inspires the imagination!
Biome Habitats makes sense without much explanation because it's readily demonstrated in the real world.
Bladow
0
Right. Sorry for the redundancy. I'll go lend my support for Octoblocks. Thanks.
Bladow
0
Thanks for the partial support and I apologize if I've been vague.
Again, my suggestion this: Rather than overworld animals spawning in whatever general area a Player is in, have them spawn only in certain biomes which would be thought of as their Habitat Biome. I've only provided a few examples of animals to show that Habitats would add to the dynamic feel of each individual biome, and as a result, the world as a whole.
Each biome should be a world onto itself! Complete with it's own plant and animal life and experience.
Fixing it this way would facilitate the inclusion of many new animal/plant varieties without overwhelming the world with random animals of every kind.
Bladow
0
I hadn't thought of zombie sieges! I do like a good siege! I'm not sure how, but I wouldn't want sieges to be removed simply because zombies spawn primarily underground. Perhaps there is way to have both?
Bladow
0
[quote=Emaps;../../../members/Emaps;2447577-animal-habitats-predators-underground-mobs?comment=2]
Sound like an interesting idea. I would like to see more mob ideas before I support, so PARTIAL SUPPORT.
The bones of my suggestion center more on the habitat of Minecraft Animals and not as much on the animals themselves. There have been and will likely continue to be suggestions for more diverse animals to be included in the game; I usually support all of them unless they are too weird.
That said, allow me to throw some light and detail into what I've already mentioned and add to it:
Deer are known nearly universally as wild game. In game, they might spawn plentifully in groups only in Plains, Forest or other Biomes but will migrate to other biomes such as rivers for a drink. They would be very cautious and not at all trusting the way cows are. But hunting them wouldn't be much more difficult than hunting cows. Drops can include the usual steak, leather skins. Perhaps some way to craft or cook jerky. (Yum.) Also, I like the idea of bone drops that can be specifically used in tool crafting. I wanted to mention the inclusion of a Hunting Knife item idea that could be used to harvest animals with greater drop efficiency than sword but I'm not fully on board with it myself!
Boars are the same as pigs, only aggressive if you attack. They shouldn't be difficult to kill, so not many hearts. They should have the same healthy spawn rate as pigs currently do, making them an ideal source of food, along with deer. Drops include pork and/or rinds.
Pigs and cows are very much iconic animal mobs to Minecraft. I cannot imagine the game without them. In fact, I wouldn't want to play Minecraft without my dear pigs and cows!!! They are crucial to the gameplay experience. However, it simply doesn't make sense to me that they roam the overworld as they currently do. When I see pigs and cows IRL, they are always behind some fenced enclosure as livestock. They aren't wild, free range animals. It makes much more sense to have deer and wild boar roaming the open wilderness than cows and pigs. Therefore, with the inclusion of deer and boar - equal in their value and availability to cows and pigs - then I would suggest putting cows and pigs into villages to be kept, cared for and bred by villagers. They could perhaps be seen outside villages occasionally, but that might be the exception rather than the rule.
This big guy would have to be rare or else his presence would alter the game too much. A bear should be a ferocious predator when provoked. Nearly unsurvivable under normal circumstances. Would absolutely require armor and arrows. (maybe spears??) I love the notion of a predator lurking in the forest, though! It would take my survival game up a notch, to be sure! Bears drop leather, teeth, meat, and other items. Berries can be found in their cubbies. Normally passive until provoked. Provoking would involve being within a certain number of blocks, which might not be a fixed number to make it more interesting!
Another predator to look out for. They would spawn in groups of 4 or 5, usually around water holes in the Savannah biome. They should always be aggressive. But hunting them should be a matter of sport! I can imagine their AI would make them retreat from the Player's presence a random number of times. Afterward, they would attack, as a pride, with relentlessness. Very difficult to kill, even with arrows. This makes it sporting. But bragging rights for sure if you bag one! Drops could include a skin which can be hanged as a trophy! Perhaps teeth that can be used in crafting/enchanting. It's a game, so I don't want to touch off any debate on the ethics of this idea. =)
Someone commented on snake drops as poison. Loved the idea! Ideas for dessert animals are snakes, lizards, or perhaps fictitious animals. At any rate, their presence should be slight and not overwhelming. Desserts are places where many a player have starved to death and thats the way it should be!
I'll admit, this was a cheesy idea. Just trying to think outside the box!
Surprised at the interest in this particular idea! The thing I love about the Jungle Biome is it's density. But its woefully under populated with animals! A jungle should be crawling with life! Birds, insects, monkeys, snakes, fish, you name it! I'm on board with all of those and more as long as their populations are balanced and reasonable. On the matter of Gorillas specifically: whats more terrifying than an impossibly large, impressively agile beast who's excruciating scream makes blood boil and who guards what is arguably the second most valuable temple in the Minecraft game? Who else better to guard that achievement? Monkeys? I would love monkeys but they could easily become annoying if not done carefully. I think a Gorilla Mob Boss would be the ultimate overworld hostile mob. As lethal as the dragon! "Welcome to the Jungle baby, you gonna die!"
Another reliable food source and source for eggs.
So again, I'm on board, obviously, with more diverse animal life. But my real suggestion in the habitat of these animals.