stu wrote:
Features currently include overhead name tags, formspec handling, ownership and management,
file based backups and automatic duplicate entity removal. (experimental)
Very nice and useful features! I hope they will become attractive to server owners. Usually, servers only run simple mobs, and those are not very...satisfying if you want more than something that occasionally tries to kill you. Mobf would be much more suitable but is not used due to some problems.
stu wrote:
# Info NPC
The Info NPC is a simple information serving character. You could think of them as a
human book providing information about a particular server location, or whatever else you like.
Supports multiple pages of text. 12 lines per page, ~50 chars per line.
I don't see too much usage for that function yet. For adventure worlds, it would be desirable to have some kind of simple communication form - the option to "talk" to the mob by selecting one of several possible replies to what the mob "says".
stu wrote:
# Deco NPC
A purely decorative NPC, can be set to roam freely and/or follow random players it encounters.
Those ought to roam the world and be merged with the info-npc eventually. Good to see that they can already stand, sit, sleep, walk etc. on command. Sitting on furniture suitable for sitting would be even better. I've tried that with an experimental mobf-mob to some degree.
stu wrote:
# Guard NPC
Protect yourself and your property against other players and mobs. Features 3d weapon and armor.
Can be left to guard a certain area or set to follow their owner.
For me, this is a less intresting feature. Again, could be used in adventure maps. Some young players may also be fascinated by it.
stu wrote:
# Trader NPC
Provides a quantity based exchange system. The owner can set a given number of exchanges.
This would likely be best used in conjunction with one of the physical currency mods.
I wasn't able to figure out how to set up the trader. Also it would be nice to be able to see how possible customers see the formspec. Traders would be more decorative than simple chests.
stu wrote:
# Builder NPC
Not really much point to this atm other than it's really fun to watch. By default, it be can only
build a basic hut, however this is compatible (or so it seems) with all the schematics provided by
Dan Duncombe's instabuild mod. These should be automatically available for selection if you have
the instabuild mod installed.
The "fun to watch" part is the intresting one :-) Looks like a modernized version of towntest - with a mob that is 3d and does not walk through walls often. It does work with normal worldedit schematics, so it's not limited to schems from a particular mod. Building can be continued after an interruption - that's good. The formspec for the configurable variant where the mob requires building material is less intuitive and requires more time to decipher than the one from towntest. Perhaps taking the towntest formspec might be a good idea.
What I'd like to really have is a mob that builds the walls/pillars and roof first and does the decoration last. That may however be close to impossible as it would require either moving through walls or finding paths inside the building.