A seagull has nested close to my farm. Every time I leave my base that bastard swoops down and steals more of my bread. I’m done with this. I know how to craft a decent bow. Roast seagull is on the menu tonight.
Alex’s Mobs is a mod that adds 89 new mobs to Minecraft. I’ve been using it in my modpack for a while, and it’s already created some interesting encounters. I think it gels well with Butterflies, since they both add animals that feel natural in a Minecraft world.
Like Butterflies, many of the animals are based on real life, but there are a few fictional mobs in there as well. Wandering around a world with Alex’s Mobs installed, you get a feeling that there is a an actual ecosystem active.
What I really like about Alex’s Mobs is that each mob has its own unique behaviour. They aren’t just there for decoration. Each one will act differently, whether it’s stealing your food, lounging around most of the day, leaping from tree to tree, attempting to twist your arm off, or literally latching onto your face and sucking out most of your blood.
I stick to the rivers when I explore. When I’m in a boat the zombies and creepers can’t reach me, and it’s easy to avoid the skeleton’s arrows. I thought I’d be safe here, but now I find my arm trapped in the jaws of a crocodile. It’s trying to twist it off. I think it’s going to succeed.
My favourite mob, because I hate them so much, are the seagulls. As in real life, Alex’s seagulls will steal any food you happen to be carrying. They are programmed to be thieving bastards, just like their real-life counterparts.
This creates an interesting world, where you have to figure out how to interact with each new mob, which ones can be tamed, which ones are best left alone, and which ones can be butchered for supplies. It fits into a Vanilla+ style of play, since mobs in the base game have different behaviours as well.
The mod provides you with a guide book telling you about each mob. While I’d personally prefer these things to be discoverable to a degree, I am reminded of how often I had to look online to figure out how to interact with various Minecraft features. The in-game guidebook is still a better solution than the vanilla game.
If you like variety, and you like animals, then this is a mod you should play with. Just be aware that while most mobs are peaceful, a few dangerous animals lurk in dark places.
The zombie hordes were no match for my new bow. I take some of their flesh – the clerics in the village are sure to pay a good price for it. Only now these damned flies won’t leave me alone.
