These blocks allow the capture, transport and later release of mobs. Bound mobs are frozen in stasis, and can only be transported (practically) via minecart. However, the Redstone charge in the crystal casing must be maintained between certain boundaries - too low or too high, and the mob escapes.
Overview:
It's currently impossible to store or transport certain mobs. Obviously, this is in large part for reasons of game balance - being able to easily store twenty Ghasts in towers around your base would be quite OP.
But, with the right amount of balance, imagine - extremely dedicated players could fill a moat with Guardians or Elder Guardians. They could release a horde of Killer Bunnies onto marauding invaders. Or strategically release Supercharged Creepers. And yes, they could even make watch towers "staffed" by Blazes or Ghasts - or witches.
This would not radically change gameplay - it would be a kind of "super-achievement", a crowning jewel, for occasional use by extremely mature bases/dedicated players. I think the sheer evil pleasure of releasing Supercharged Creepers at will would be significant. A more practical example might be the employment of Elder Guardians inflicting Mining Fatigue to prevent base griefing.
Mechanics:
For reasons of balance, the process of successfully applying Binding Crystals is expensive, risky, and difficult. First, Binding Crystal blocks must be crafted from four Obsidian, four Gold Blocks (yes, blocks), and one Redstone Block. Their texture would be a modified Obsidian, with gold and red showing through the cracks in the texture. The player must then use the Binding Crystal blocks to construct two walls, identical sizes and facing one another, with an air space in the middle. The area contained between the two walls must be large enough to completely envelope the target mob - for a cow, for example, this would be walls of minimum size 2x2, placed one block apart. The walls have a maximum operational size of 7x7, and a maximum operational distance of 7 blocks apart (this allows the entrapment of large mobs such as Ghasts, plus a little extra).
Then, the Redstone core of the crystals in each wall must be "charged". A Redstone current must be applied to each wall (Binding Crystal blocks will transmit signal to adjacent blocks, including other Binding Crystals). A higher Redstone signal strength leads to faster charging of the cores. As the crystals accumulate more charge, a stronger red/gold shows through the cracks in the obsidian, and they start to vibrate. More Binding Crystals in a wall = slower charging rate. The charge storage is not perfect, but is "leaky" - so it runs down if a Redstone signal of less than a certain strength is being applied. However, above a certain amount of accumulated charge, the device will trigger. They also output a redstone signal to adjacent blocks which is proportional to their accumulated charge - a feature designed to allow monitoring of the accumulated charge, and permit the construction of automated current-supply regulation circuits.
Successful usage then requires careful timing and rate of charge application - players could use a range of Redstone mechanisms to help regulate this (comparators, clocks, item frames to dial the charge up and down etc.) and keep Binding Crystals hovering on the edge of being activated, but common to all designs will probably be a "trigger" which applies a large amount of Redstone charge very quickly (by e.g. pushing a bunch of Redstone blocks adjacent to the Crystals), which will be used when the desired mob is between the walls, to push the device over the edge. Single players may find this particularly challenging.
Upon triggering, the Binding Crystals liquefy and target a mob in the enclosed space. If there is more than one mob, the most central mob is targeted. Players are unaffected, as are Endermen, the Ender Dragon, and Withers. The liquid binding flux condenses on the surface of the mob, freezing it and changing its skin texture to one similar to the Binding Crystals. The mob is now immobile and cannot do anything, nor can it be harmed. The hard coating of binding flux on the mob has similar breaking strength to its component obsidian, and if successfully mined (or otherwise destroyed), the captive mob is released unharmed.
The bound mob can now be interacted with in a similar way to mine carts and boats - it may be slowly pushed around by the player or pistons. It may also be transported longer distances more easily by pushing it into a mine cart (similar to the way normal, non-bound mobs can be transported in a mine cart).
However, the redstone charge in the binding flux is still unstable, and depletes. If it drops down below a certain threshold, the mob is released. It may be topped up by applying a redstone current, similar to the behaviour of the Binding Crystals - however, this time, applying too much charge results in the destruction of the binding flux and the release of the mob. Charge depletion is faster for more powerful mobs.
Charge may be applied during transport by parking the minecart containing the bound mob on a powered activator rail. However, charging this way is extremely slow. A more permanent solution is to construct a charging pad - a floor of Binding Crystals large enough to fit the mob's footprint. When the bound mob is manoeuvred onto this pad, it is immobilised and becomes a block (rather than an entity) so it's not affected by lazy chunks (although apparently certain redstone circuits have the ability to load chunks... I yield to the expertise of others). Again, the amount of redstone charge must be maintained between certain thresholds, otherwise the mob will be released. The rate of depletion and recharge is designed such that simply applying a steady current will not work - players have to make circuits with carefully-timed regulation, or incorporate the output signal from the Binding Crystals (which is proportional in strength to their accumulated charge) as a feedback into the circuit which ensures charge is not over- or under-supplied.
Finally, released mobs continue in whatever state they were frozen in - so if, for example, a creeper or supercharged creeper was about to detonate when captured, it will be released with exactly the same amount of time on its countdown timer.
Variations:
In the interests of balance, I may have erred too much on the side of difficulty/complexity/restrictions. Here are some variations:
Mobs are encased in a "sarcophagus" of consistent size/shape, regardless of mob size/shape. This might make sense if the Binding Crystal crafting components are modified to include Ender Stone or an Eye of Ender or something. Binding Crystal walls therefore only need to be of a certain size, no matter which mob is targeted - say 2x2
If multiple mobs are in the effect zone, the targeting fails and the Crystals are lost
Players are immobilized but the redstone charge cannot be topped up. They are released after a certain time no matter what. This is faster if they had haste effect, and they can of course be mined out with a diamond pick. Alternatively, they can be covered in Binding Flux and perform actions/move extremely slowly until they break free
Various ways of constructing a permanent charging pad
The Crystals cannot be over-charged but instead reach a maximum charge and stay there. They are triggered/mobs are released by some other mechanism
Crafting recipe changes
Expensive, re-usable trigger block and cheaper structural block (e.g. Obsidian) which constitutes the binding flux.
Concerns:
It doesn't really add a whole lot to the game. It's not a gameplay element that was missing, and it's hard to see this being built off to implement interesting new mechanics. This is more like an apex challenge, similar to beating a Wither or something, which is not fundamental to the game but is a higher-level extension for certain players.
On the other hand, a moat filled with Elder Guardians sounds pretty badass. As do guard towers "staffed" by Ghasts. And a death-room with hordes of Killer Bunnies. So, you know... It would be pretty darn fun.
Too complicated?
Feedback welcome!
_________________Original post:__________________
tldr: a construction that contains and freezes the state of mobs trapped within, for safe transporting, display and (if desired) later release.
G'day all. First time posting. I have read the intro thread on good vs. bad suggestions and searched for similar suggestions, so hopefully this won't be too stupid. It's a little vague, but I'd be interested to hear feedback.
Overview: The general concept is that it's a multi-block construction (similar to e.g. a Nether Portal) which, when triggered, entraps a mob within its perimeter and freezes their state. I mention that latter fact because it enables the capture of, for example, creepers (and super-charged creepers) during their countdown timer. These mobs could then be transported, displayed, and eventually, if desired, released.
What does it add: Rare mobs, such as Killer Bunnies, Supercharged Creepers, Withers, and Elder Guardians could be transported and displayed, or used in traps/mechanisms.
How would it work: A single block would not make sense; storing a multi-block sized mob (like a cow) in a single block would be weird. Construction and usage could be in several stages:
Craft the stasis blocks - for reasons of balance (discussed later), these would have to be expensive. Obsidian, gold blocks, and redstone blocks as components.
Build the stasis chamber out of placed stasis blocks. The space enclosed by the blocks has to be big enough to surround the mob you want to capture.
Charge the chamber. This would be by redstone current to the stasis block(s) - the chamber would only operate when fully charged. Charging could take some time.
Lure the mob into the desired space
Trigger the construction
The stasis blocks are used up; they glom onto the surface of the mob and freeze it. Like carbonite! This mob is now an entity that can be (slowly) pushed around, like a boat or a minecart.
The stasis material surrounding the mob has a latent redstone charge from the earlier charging process; this slowly runs down and, when it gets low enough, the mob escapes. This could happen faster for more powerful mobs. In order to keep the mob frozen, you would have to periodically top up the charge with redstone current (perhaps in a dedicated construction of some kind). The frozen mob entity can be pushed around; it can be manoeuvred onto a minecart for transport. Perhaps the redstone charge could be (slowly) topped up while in the minecart by parking it on an activator rail for a time. There would also be some mechanism for instant-releasing the mob (aside from just letting the power run down). Released mobs would resume their previous action - creepers, withers and supercharged creepers would continue whatever countdown timer they're on (if any).
Balance: I imagine this would potentially work on all mobs except the Ender Dragon and Endermen, who could just teleport out. That means rare, dangerous or ephemeral mobs like Withers, Elder Guardians, Blazes, Killer Bunnies and so forth could be stored and transported, and later released - not such a game-changing effect, imho. It's already quite difficult, since you'd need rail access to the mob and have to lure it into the constructed chamber, before triggering the device manually (perhaps via a switch or something) before the mob left the chamber. The exact details of the balance could be tweaked by altering the type/number of resources required and the rate at which the redstone charge is depleted. I'm thinking maybe storage of Withers is a little redundant, since you can just craft one anyway. Perhaps they could use their block-busting proximity effect to break out.
All except the transportation of Withers, which are bosses, I like the idea. Good luck on others saying yes to this, though, because apart from me it seems like only 1/3 of everyone else on here likes good ideas. Seriously, you're probably going to get mostly hate for this.
Heh. Thanks for your reply. The hate won't bother me! Tbh, I'm not sure about this idea, for several reasons, but I've always been fascinated by harnessing hostiles for various uses...
Lol it isn't vague in anyway. I love your idea. It would make transporting mobs so much easier. Some questions though:
1. A wither would explode after it escapes stasis?
2. Will the frozen mobs still be able to move?
3. I personally find that the name "stasis block" sounds too modern. Maybe another name that sounds more "magic"?
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Sometimes I think people pay more immediate attention to joke, troll, vague, and wrong section threads here instead of the actual proper suggestions.
OP: Multicoloured wood stuff!!!! More wood kinds! Community: Would love this! Support! Me: STOP IT. STOP NO. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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> If you make a banner that doesn't link back to your thread, I'll hate you a little.
> Stop suggesting: lighted torch holding, retarded bosses, new dimensions, thirst, natural disasters.
> If you don't support a gun thread because it is "OP" and "unfitting" when it clearly isn't, (eg that musket thread), I will hunt you, and I will absorb your life essence.
All except the transportation of Withers, which are bosses, I like the idea. Good luck on others saying yes to this, though, because apart from me it seems like only 1/3 of everyone else on here likes good ideas. Seriously, you're probably going to get mostly hate for this.
That isn't fair to say that only 1/3 of the people here like good ideas because good is subjective. For example, I could instead say that 2/3 of the community has more stringent ideas on what makes an idea good, which divides the community in the same groups your statement did and is just as true (and by just as true I mean both statements are 100% nonsense).
As for the idea, the concept is interesting, but I can't really see how much use would actually come of it. All of the smaller, non-flying mobs can be transported via Minecarts, although they don't retain their immediate state (Creepers will defuse if the minecart rolls away from a player). But for that matter I can't see why saving the exact state would matter much. The only mobs that are really affected by that are the Creeper and Blaze afaik, unless you want to count the delay between Ghast and Wither shots as well. If you are dropping a Creeper on something I don't think the 1 second you would save by having the fuse go down elsewhere would really matter much, same with Blaze's being ignited. If you have a player in a position where that would be effective, chances are Lava or TnT or a hundred other traps would be easier to use, more efficient, and more precise.
If it was a permanent effect I could see more use for it, for making mob statues or whatnot. Then it wouldn't even be a big deal to balance it, you just make so if a mob is frozen it won't drop XP or items. Finally, this doesn't really seem to fit with the overall theme. It seems awfully... sci-fi, although you could do it with a fantasy method and call it magic just the same. A good idea for a mod, but I'd rather it not be in vanilla.
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I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be unfair or insult with my statement, I was simply stating an opinion. I didn't mean to sound so... definite, with my statement. And I agree, this could only work if you did it in a fantasy sort of way, sci-fi obviously doesn't fit with Minecraft at all.
I like the idea. A new way to transport mobs (and especially hostile mobs) would be great! I can't tell you how many times I've blown up my base trying to move a charged creeper into "storage".
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"I know there are people in the world that do not love their fellow human beings, and I hate people like that."-Tom Lehrer
Thanks for the reply! I guess I thought it was vague because I hadn't figured out some of the details - e.g. whether only a redstone signal over a certain strength (or maybe even redstone blocks-only) would top up the charge, how to differentiate between a "maintenance" charge and a "trigger" charge (presumably signal intensity again - low current = charging, high current = triggering), exact crafting recipe, details like that.
1. I guess the only "stasis-relevant" actions are the Creeper and Supercharged Creeper detonation timers - you could capture a Creeper any time during that timer before it detonates, and upon release it would resume precisely where it left off. If there was one tick left on that detonation timer, then it will trigger one tick after it is released. Thinking about it now, the Wither doesn't have any countdown timers except for its initial charge-up when it's spawned; although being able to capture that state in stasis would be pretty cool, since it's such a huge explosion... you could craft a Wither inside a stasis chamber, transport it wherever you wanted, release it, and the detonation timer would resume, then the Wither behaves as normal.
2. Of their own volition, you mean? Nope. They are encased in stasis material, and can be shoved around like a minecart or a boat, but can't otherwise be moved. Attempting to mine them would a) require a diamond pickaxe and only destroy the stasis material, releasing the mob.
3. Yah I see your point... I could come up with something more thaumaturgy-sounding if I thought about it for a while.
Howdy! Yeah it wouldn't be a very big change to the game, nor would it really add an important mechanic. That's the main reason I'm not sure about this idea - does it really fill a hole in the current gameplay, or add a mechanic that can expand the gameplay, or be built off to do so? Not really. It's just a kind of neat little add-on for certain things. So yeah, I take your point. Can I make a list? I like lists.
1. Transportation by minecarts is already a thing - yep. But hostiles will attack while doing so, and it doesn't work on the Wither (obv). This would also enable transport of e.g. Guardians and Elder Guardians, and any other mobs which would be very difficult to entice into a minecart.
2. Frozen-state not very important: true, very limited application. I just think it's interesting and adds a bit of danger to the process - you trapped that creeper just before it exploded, huh? Better not let the redstone charge run down! See previous comment for more thoughts on Withers etc.
3. Trap use is admittedly limited, apart from the sheer evil-genius pleasure of being able to release Elder Guardians into your castle moat when the PvP-lovers come a-knocking. Ohmygosh that would be amazing. Or being able to release a Wither without worrying about the charge-up time, which is extensive. Or to release a horde of Killer Bunnies to slay your incredulous attackers. Or releasing a couple of Supercharged Creepers into the courtyard and watching everyone pack their dacks... Actually, I take that back. Using these as base defence would be goddamn amazing. Not efficient, but manic-cacklingly enjoyable.
4. Mob statues... yeah, maybe. I like the concept that you have to make sure they're kept charged, or all hell will break loose.
5. Sci-fi... seems a common concern. I'll try to think of something.
I don't think it should work on any bosses, tough.
Maybe the frozen mob should be immune to damage while "frozen".
How about making the "trap" work like this: It consists of 2 different blocks.
Maybe once the "charge" gets low enough, the mob starts to quiver a little bit, and shakes more and more when the charge goes smaller and smaller, so you have ample time to push it to a recharge spot.
1st block is the actual "trap" that needs the redstone signal to "trigger" it. It is the costliest block, too, but is NOT "used up" upon usage. You place that block in the middle of the floor.
2nd block is much cheaper but still nowhere near cheap. You make the entire "floor" around the central block with it.
Upon activation, the central trigger block tries to "scan around" itself at the same Y elevation, trying to scan a "full" floor up to a maximum distance let's say either up to 3 blocks. (nothing too big to avoid lag). The "trapped" volume will have an height equal to the width found and must be 100% air blocks. So, to make a 3x3x3 trap, you need to place the central trigger block in floor, a ring of 8 of the "will be consumed" blocks around it (same Y elevation), and a 3x3x3 air volume above it. The maximum size would be a 7x7x7 area of Air, with 48 blocks of the "consumed" blocks forming a floor around a single one of the "trigger" block.
In any case, probably only the mob closest to the "trap" block should be affected not all mobs inside the affected volume (otherwise it would be very cheap - just make the smaller version of the trap and pile up mobs really tightly there lol.
Not sure if players should be affected. On the one side it is super powerful as a "divide and conquer" tool in PVP, on the other side since it needs an air volume it just can't be disguised - only a fool would walk into such a big trap. If it can affect players, then it shouldn't last nowhere near as long as for mobs, and "recharging" should only slow down a bit the decharging, not keep a player infinitely frozen, and a frozen player is immune to damage. Or maybe it just deals a big slow effect to players.
When the trap triggers (redstone signal), the mob with it's center inside the affected volume (3x3x3 or 5x5x5 or 7x7x7) an closest the trigger block, is affected. It should just stop and turn into a "statue" - totally frozen in time. Not even a skin color change. That way it can be used by map makers for cool statues and confuse players who for a second or so will think they see a real mob. Then the "consumable" part of the floor is replaced by a cheap block that was used as an ingredient for the consumable block recipe.
3x3x3 would be enough size for most mobs. I think only the Ghast really needs something big: 5x5x5 might be too tight that is why I reached up to 7x7x7.
A frozen ghast on a minecart would be some sight lol !
As for the "immediate discharge" thing: just throw a splash potion of Haste and voilà, freed mob ! Haste is an easy pition to make, and if a player gets caught up in this kind of '"ultimate defeat" trap in a PVP match, at least a partner can try to easily free them quickly that way, before the trap-makers finish him off of course lol.
The more I think about it, the less point I see in it working on Withers. Elder Guardians, however, I still feel it should work on. Obviously not the Ender Dragon. But I want a moat full of Elder Guardians =p
Definitely frozen mobs should be immune to damage, I agree.
Quiver-warning on low charge sounds awesome.
Re-usable costly trigger block & cheaper structural block - possibly, would be a matter of balance. If it was implemented like this, I propose obsidian for the structural block.
Construction details - I like the idea of requiring stasis blocks on opposite sides of the entrapped mob, not just underneath.
Agree that only one mob should be affected. Perhaps the most central mob, or perhaps even that the mechanism fails completely in some manner when there is more than one mob in its activity area.
Yeah I worry about it being OP in PvP. I think your suggestions for different mechanics on a player (if any) sound very reasonable.
I had actually envisaged entrapped mobs having a texture change such that they look like they're coated in obsidian, with redstone and gold glowing through cracks or something. That or it just generates a massive sarcophagus-type construction, but I think I prefer the "coating" idea.
I had forgotten about Ghasts. Ohmygosh having captive ghasts in the Overworld would be amazing, particularly as a kind of automated base-defence tower type thing.
I think redstone would be a good trigger. Certain signal strength = maintains charge level. Above this = replenishes charge level, but if it gets overcharged, the coating breaks down and the mob is released. You'd have to make sure you remembered to turn off the charger. And if you placed a redstone block next to it...
New name: Binding Crystals!
Concept:
These blocks allow the capture, transport and later release of mobs. Bound mobs are frozen in stasis, and can only be transported (practically) via minecart. However, the Redstone charge in the crystal casing must be maintained between certain boundaries - too low or too high, and the mob escapes.
Overview:
It's currently impossible to store or transport certain mobs. Obviously, this is in large part for reasons of game balance - being able to easily store twenty Ghasts in towers around your base would be quite OP.
But, with the right amount of balance, imagine - extremely dedicated players could fill a moat with Guardians or Elder Guardians. They could release a horde of Killer Bunnies onto marauding invaders. Or strategically release Supercharged Creepers. And yes, they could even make watch towers "staffed" by Blazes or Ghasts - or witches.
This would not radically change gameplay - it would be a kind of "super-achievement", a crowning jewel, for occasional use by extremely mature bases/dedicated players. I think the sheer evil pleasure of releasing Supercharged Creepers at will would be significant. A more practical example might be the employment of Elder Guardians inflicting Mining Fatigue to prevent base griefing.
Mechanics:
For reasons of balance, the process of successfully applying Binding Crystals is expensive, risky, and difficult. First, Binding Crystal blocks must be crafted from four Obsidian, four Gold Blocks (yes, blocks), and one Redstone Block. Their texture would be a modified Obsidian, with gold and red showing through the cracks in the texture. The player must then use the Binding Crystal blocks to construct two walls, identical sizes and facing one another, with an air space in the middle. The area contained between the two walls must be large enough to completely envelope the target mob - for a cow, for example, this would be walls of minimum size 2x2, placed one block apart. The walls have a maximum operational size of 7x7, and a maximum operational distance of 7 blocks apart (this allows the entrapment of large mobs such as Ghasts, plus a little extra).
Then, the Redstone core of the crystals in each wall must be "charged". A Redstone current must be applied to each wall (Binding Crystal blocks will transmit signal to adjacent blocks, including other Binding Crystals). A higher Redstone signal strength leads to faster charging of the cores. As the crystals accumulate more charge, a stronger red/gold shows through the cracks in the obsidian, and they start to vibrate. More Binding Crystals in a wall = slower charging rate. The charge storage is not perfect, but is "leaky" - so it runs down if a Redstone signal of less than a certain strength is being applied. However, above a certain amount of accumulated charge, the device will trigger. They also output a redstone signal to adjacent blocks which is proportional to their accumulated charge - a feature designed to allow monitoring of the accumulated charge, and permit the construction of automated current-supply regulation circuits.
Successful usage then requires careful timing and rate of charge application - players could use a range of Redstone mechanisms to help regulate this (comparators, clocks, item frames to dial the charge up and down etc.) and keep Binding Crystals hovering on the edge of being activated, but common to all designs will probably be a "trigger" which applies a large amount of Redstone charge very quickly (by e.g. pushing a bunch of Redstone blocks adjacent to the Crystals), which will be used when the desired mob is between the walls, to push the device over the edge. Single players may find this particularly challenging.
Upon triggering, the Binding Crystals liquefy and target a mob in the enclosed space. If there is more than one mob, the most central mob is targeted. Players are unaffected, as are Endermen, the Ender Dragon, and Withers. The liquid binding flux condenses on the surface of the mob, freezing it and changing its skin texture to one similar to the Binding Crystals. The mob is now immobile and cannot do anything, nor can it be harmed. The hard coating of binding flux on the mob has similar breaking strength to its component obsidian, and if successfully mined (or otherwise destroyed), the captive mob is released unharmed.
The bound mob can now be interacted with in a similar way to mine carts and boats - it may be slowly pushed around by the player or pistons. It may also be transported longer distances more easily by pushing it into a mine cart (similar to the way normal, non-bound mobs can be transported in a mine cart).
However, the redstone charge in the binding flux is still unstable, and depletes. If it drops down below a certain threshold, the mob is released. It may be topped up by applying a redstone current, similar to the behaviour of the Binding Crystals - however, this time, applying too much charge results in the destruction of the binding flux and the release of the mob. Charge depletion is faster for more powerful mobs.
Charge may be applied during transport by parking the minecart containing the bound mob on a powered activator rail. However, charging this way is extremely slow. A more permanent solution is to construct a charging pad - a floor of Binding Crystals large enough to fit the mob's footprint. When the bound mob is manoeuvred onto this pad, it is immobilised and becomes a block (rather than an entity) so it's not affected by lazy chunks (although apparently certain redstone circuits have the ability to load chunks... I yield to the expertise of others). Again, the amount of redstone charge must be maintained between certain thresholds, otherwise the mob will be released. The rate of depletion and recharge is designed such that simply applying a steady current will not work - players have to make circuits with carefully-timed regulation, or incorporate the output signal from the Binding Crystals (which is proportional in strength to their accumulated charge) as a feedback into the circuit which ensures charge is not over- or under-supplied.
Finally, released mobs continue in whatever state they were frozen in - so if, for example, a creeper or supercharged creeper was about to detonate when captured, it will be released with exactly the same amount of time on its countdown timer.
Variations:
In the interests of balance, I may have erred too much on the side of difficulty/complexity/restrictions. Here are some variations:
It doesn't really add a whole lot to the game. It's not a gameplay element that was missing, and it's hard to see this being built off to implement interesting new mechanics. This is more like an apex challenge, similar to beating a Wither or something, which is not fundamental to the game but is a higher-level extension for certain players.
On the other hand, a moat filled with Elder Guardians sounds pretty badass. As do guard towers "staffed" by Ghasts. And a death-room with hordes of Killer Bunnies. So, you know... It would be pretty darn fun.
Too complicated?
Feedback welcome!
_________________Original post:__________________
tldr: a construction that contains and freezes the state of mobs trapped within, for safe transporting, display and (if desired) later release.
G'day all. First time posting. I have read the intro thread on good vs. bad suggestions and searched for similar suggestions, so hopefully this won't be too stupid. It's a little vague, but I'd be interested to hear feedback.
Overview: The general concept is that it's a multi-block construction (similar to e.g. a Nether Portal) which, when triggered, entraps a mob within its perimeter and freezes their state. I mention that latter fact because it enables the capture of, for example, creepers (and super-charged creepers) during their countdown timer. These mobs could then be transported, displayed, and eventually, if desired, released.
What does it add: Rare mobs, such as Killer Bunnies, Supercharged Creepers, Withers, and Elder Guardians could be transported and displayed, or used in traps/mechanisms.
How would it work: A single block would not make sense; storing a multi-block sized mob (like a cow) in a single block would be weird. Construction and usage could be in several stages:
Balance: I imagine this would potentially work on all mobs except the Ender Dragon and Endermen, who could just teleport out. That means rare, dangerous or ephemeral mobs like Withers, Elder Guardians, Blazes, Killer Bunnies and so forth could be stored and transported, and later released - not such a game-changing effect, imho. It's already quite difficult, since you'd need rail access to the mob and have to lure it into the constructed chamber, before triggering the device manually (perhaps via a switch or something) before the mob left the chamber. The exact details of the balance could be tweaked by altering the type/number of resources required and the rate at which the redstone charge is depleted. I'm thinking maybe storage of Withers is a little redundant, since you can just craft one anyway. Perhaps they could use their block-busting proximity effect to break out.
Thoughts?
1. A wither would explode after it escapes stasis?
2. Will the frozen mobs still be able to move?
3. I personally find that the name "stasis block" sounds too modern. Maybe another name that sounds more "magic"?
Sometimes I think people pay more immediate attention to joke, troll, vague, and wrong section threads here instead of the actual proper suggestions.
Community: Would love this! Support!
Me: STOP IT. STOP NO. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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> If you make a banner that doesn't link back to your thread, I'll hate you a little.
> Stop suggesting: lighted torch holding, retarded bosses, new dimensions, thirst, natural disasters.
> If you don't support a gun thread because it is "OP" and "unfitting" when it clearly isn't, (eg that musket thread), I will hunt you, and I will absorb your life essence.
That isn't fair to say that only 1/3 of the people here like good ideas because good is subjective. For example, I could instead say that 2/3 of the community has more stringent ideas on what makes an idea good, which divides the community in the same groups your statement did and is just as true (and by just as true I mean both statements are 100% nonsense).
As for the idea, the concept is interesting, but I can't really see how much use would actually come of it. All of the smaller, non-flying mobs can be transported via Minecarts, although they don't retain their immediate state (Creepers will defuse if the minecart rolls away from a player). But for that matter I can't see why saving the exact state would matter much. The only mobs that are really affected by that are the Creeper and Blaze afaik, unless you want to count the delay between Ghast and Wither shots as well. If you are dropping a Creeper on something I don't think the 1 second you would save by having the fuse go down elsewhere would really matter much, same with Blaze's being ignited. If you have a player in a position where that would be effective, chances are Lava or TnT or a hundred other traps would be easier to use, more efficient, and more precise.
If it was a permanent effect I could see more use for it, for making mob statues or whatnot. Then it wouldn't even be a big deal to balance it, you just make so if a mob is frozen it won't drop XP or items. Finally, this doesn't really seem to fit with the overall theme. It seems awfully... sci-fi, although you could do it with a fantasy method and call it magic just the same. A good idea for a mod, but I'd rather it not be in vanilla.
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1. I guess the only "stasis-relevant" actions are the Creeper and Supercharged Creeper detonation timers - you could capture a Creeper any time during that timer before it detonates, and upon release it would resume precisely where it left off. If there was one tick left on that detonation timer, then it will trigger one tick after it is released. Thinking about it now, the Wither doesn't have any countdown timers except for its initial charge-up when it's spawned; although being able to capture that state in stasis would be pretty cool, since it's such a huge explosion... you could craft a Wither inside a stasis chamber, transport it wherever you wanted, release it, and the detonation timer would resume, then the Wither behaves as normal.
2. Of their own volition, you mean? Nope. They are encased in stasis material, and can be shoved around like a minecart or a boat, but can't otherwise be moved. Attempting to mine them would a) require a diamond pickaxe and only destroy the stasis material, releasing the mob.
3. Yah I see your point... I could come up with something more thaumaturgy-sounding if I thought about it for a while.
1. Transportation by minecarts is already a thing - yep. But hostiles will attack while doing so, and it doesn't work on the Wither (obv). This would also enable transport of e.g. Guardians and Elder Guardians, and any other mobs which would be very difficult to entice into a minecart.
2. Frozen-state not very important: true, very limited application. I just think it's interesting and adds a bit of danger to the process - you trapped that creeper just before it exploded, huh? Better not let the redstone charge run down! See previous comment for more thoughts on Withers etc.
3. Trap use is admittedly limited, apart from the sheer evil-genius pleasure of being able to release Elder Guardians into your castle moat when the PvP-lovers come a-knocking. Ohmygosh that would be amazing. Or being able to release a Wither without worrying about the charge-up time, which is extensive. Or to release a horde of Killer Bunnies to slay your incredulous attackers. Or releasing a couple of Supercharged Creepers into the courtyard and watching everyone pack their dacks... Actually, I take that back. Using these as base defence would be goddamn amazing. Not efficient, but manic-cacklingly enjoyable.
4. Mob statues... yeah, maybe. I like the concept that you have to make sure they're kept charged, or all hell will break loose.
5. Sci-fi... seems a common concern. I'll try to think of something.
I don't think it should work on any bosses, tough.
Maybe the frozen mob should be immune to damage while "frozen".
How about making the "trap" work like this: It consists of 2 different blocks.
Maybe once the "charge" gets low enough, the mob starts to quiver a little bit, and shakes more and more when the charge goes smaller and smaller, so you have ample time to push it to a recharge spot.
1st block is the actual "trap" that needs the redstone signal to "trigger" it. It is the costliest block, too, but is NOT "used up" upon usage. You place that block in the middle of the floor.
2nd block is much cheaper but still nowhere near cheap. You make the entire "floor" around the central block with it.
Upon activation, the central trigger block tries to "scan around" itself at the same Y elevation, trying to scan a "full" floor up to a maximum distance let's say either up to 3 blocks. (nothing too big to avoid lag). The "trapped" volume will have an height equal to the width found and must be 100% air blocks. So, to make a 3x3x3 trap, you need to place the central trigger block in floor, a ring of 8 of the "will be consumed" blocks around it (same Y elevation), and a 3x3x3 air volume above it. The maximum size would be a 7x7x7 area of Air, with 48 blocks of the "consumed" blocks forming a floor around a single one of the "trigger" block.
In any case, probably only the mob closest to the "trap" block should be affected not all mobs inside the affected volume (otherwise it would be very cheap - just make the smaller version of the trap and pile up mobs really tightly there lol.
Not sure if players should be affected. On the one side it is super powerful as a "divide and conquer" tool in PVP, on the other side since it needs an air volume it just can't be disguised - only a fool would walk into such a big trap. If it can affect players, then it shouldn't last nowhere near as long as for mobs, and "recharging" should only slow down a bit the decharging, not keep a player infinitely frozen, and a frozen player is immune to damage. Or maybe it just deals a big slow effect to players.
When the trap triggers (redstone signal), the mob with it's center inside the affected volume (3x3x3 or 5x5x5 or 7x7x7) an closest the trigger block, is affected. It should just stop and turn into a "statue" - totally frozen in time. Not even a skin color change. That way it can be used by map makers for cool statues and confuse players who for a second or so will think they see a real mob. Then the "consumable" part of the floor is replaced by a cheap block that was used as an ingredient for the consumable block recipe.
3x3x3 would be enough size for most mobs. I think only the Ghast really needs something big: 5x5x5 might be too tight that is why I reached up to 7x7x7.
A frozen ghast on a minecart would be some sight lol !
As for the "immediate discharge" thing: just throw a splash potion of Haste and voilà, freed mob ! Haste is an easy pition to make, and if a player gets caught up in this kind of '"ultimate defeat" trap in a PVP match, at least a partner can try to easily free them quickly that way, before the trap-makers finish him off of course lol.