1

There is a max of how many skeletons will spawn within a certain range of a skeleton spawner. What is the number of blocks that make up this range? Currently each new skeleton that falls into my kill zone dies due to exceeding the allowed number of skeletons within a certain area.

I'm not sure if the mechanics have changed however in older versions I used to be able to move the skeleton outside of the skeleton spawner 'area' which allowed more skeletons to spawn while still being in range of the spawner to spawn more skeletons.

Basically, I could place my guy between the spawner and my kill zone... move the skeletons far enough away from the spawner in order for even more skeletons.

Currently if I keep my guy sitting at the kill zone there's only about 25 or so skeletons to kill. I recall in older versions so many more skeletons and therefore the ability to increase your XP was much easier and faster.

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

After Minecraft wiki:

If, at the time of spawning, 6 or more mobs of the spawner's type are present within a 9×9×9 area centered on the spawner block (in Java Edition) or a 16×10×16 area centered on the lower northeast corner of the spawner block (in Bedrock Edition), the spawner "poofs" without creating any mobs and then waits for the next cycle.

This is not the problem you're facing though. What you're facing is known as entity cramming - a limit of 24 mobs per block of space. This has nothing to do with the spawners or distances, it's just too many mobs (any!) in too small space.

In Java Edition, entities will take damage if too many are packed into the same space. Specifically, the maxEntityCramming gamerule defines the maximum number, above which a player or mob takes [3 hp] suffocation damage every half-second, as long as that player or mob is pushing greater than that number of other entities. Pushable entities include players, mobs, boats and minecarts.

The easiest solution is placing a ladder or vines in the space the skeletons occupy - these disable entity cramming damage within their blocks.

Improve this answer
7
  • I will try the ladder/vine option. I assume then that this is a new mechanic or at least new to me as this was not always the case. I've even seen older Mob Farm videos where it appears there was no upper limit to the number of mobs within a single space. I will return back here once I've tried it out. Thanks!
    – Code Novice
    Commented Aug 26, 2019 at 16:58
  • 1
    @CodeNovice Semi-new, it was added in 1.10 (source: Ilmango)
    – SF.
    Commented Aug 26, 2019 at 19:37
  • Ok so I went ahead and built a hole with a ladder just one block next to the skeleton kill chamber. Most of the skeletons would move off of the kill chamber block into the adjacent ladder block. While it seems as though more skeletons are spawning there is again a limit I'm noticing where eventually no more skeletons would fall into the ladder hole and as new Skeletons would drop into the kill chamber other skeletons would auto die. Not sure if I should either dig the ladder hole deeper but regardless you have answered my original question and I am marking it as answered. Thank you.
    – Code Novice
    Commented Sep 4, 2019 at 15:54
  • @CodeNovice Don't add any new space. Just make the kill chamber the ladder block instead. The skeletons stored are split roughly equally between your two blocks and these within the kill chamber are not protected by the ladder.
    – SF.
    Commented Sep 4, 2019 at 23:13
  • 1
    @CodeNovice Are you sure the ladder negates their fall damage? If it does, you can have a different floor for them to fall onto, and take damage, and a separate shallow pit with the adder, and push them into it using a periodically activated piston. Or use a fence gate as the damaging floor, periodically opening it (with a redstone clock) to drop them into the storage area with the ladder.
    – SF.
    Commented Sep 6, 2019 at 21:40

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.