Linking & Signals

Linked Mobs

Linking

Mental linkage between Spore Mobs allows for a hivemind mentality. Only Infected, Evolved, Hyper Evolved, Bairns, Scampers, Gastgebers, and Mounds are able to become Linked. There are a few ways for these applicable Mobs to become Linked:

• Proto Hiveminds, every minute, will Link any applicable Mobs within a 300 block range.

• While Proto World Modifier is active, any applicable Mobs that spawn will instantly be Linked.

• Hivetumors, every minute, will Link any applicable Mobs within a 128 block range.

• Applicable Mobs spawned via Overcharged Scents will instantly be Linked.

Linked Mob Behavior

When an applicable Spore Mob is Linked, they are able to communicate targets. While having a target or search position, every tick, there is a 10% chance for a Linked Mob to look in either their follow range or a 32 block range (whichever is lesser) for any Infected, Evolved, Hyper Evolved, Bairns, Scampers, and Gastgebers (that do not have to be Linked). Any they find that do not currently have a targeted mob or active search position, they will have their targeted mob or search position set to the original Linked Spore Mob's target/search position. Targets are always prioritized over search positions. Linked Mobs also gain the ability to open Doors to reach areas. This does not apply for Iron Doors or Trapdoors. Furthermore, if a Linked Mob drops a Scent upon death, it will always be Overcharged. Importantly, as well, Linked Mobs, upon death to another entity, are capable of creating Signals.

Some specific Mobs have unique interactions regarding being Linked.

• A Scamper has a 30% chance to Evolve into a Gastgeber if it is Linked when the age timer finishes, regardless of how many Evolution Points it had.

• When a Linked Infected Diseased Villager has 1 Evolution Point, after waiting for the 5 minute Evolution timer to finish, they will become a Reaper.

• When a Linked Infected Wandering Trader has 1 Evolution Point, after waiting for the 5 minute Evolution timer to finish, they will become a Specter.

• When a Linked Infected Pillager Raid Captain variant has 1 Evolution Point, after waiting for the 5 minute Evolution timer to finish, they will become a Vanguard.

• Mounds have a unique texture while being Linked, appearing more pale and gray.

Signals

Signal Creation

Signals can be created via a few different methods.

• When a Linked Mob dies to an entity, it has a chance to create a Signal where it died. This means if it dies to natural causes (e.g. falling from a lethal height), it is incapable of creating a Signal. Linked Mobs are also incapable of sending a Signal if they die to a PCI. Different Mobs have a unique chance to create a Signal.

  • Linked Mobs without a custom chance have a 5% chance to create a Signal.

  • Linked Evolved have a 15% chance to create a Signal.

  • Linked Hyper Evolved have a 30% chance to create a Signal.

  • Linked Gastgebers have a 60% chance to create a Signal.

  • Linked Age 4 Mounds have a 100% chance to create a Signal.

    • Linked Mounds at Age 4 will be unable to create a Signal if they are freezing.

• If a Vigil retreats after completing all three waves of a Vigil Raid, it will create a Signal at the last Raid location.

• When a Proto Hivemind dies, she will create a Signal where she died. This Signal is guaranteed to notify all Calamities within her 300x300x300 block range for Redirection.

• If a Zoaholic fails, it will create a Signal at the location of the Zoaholic.

Signal Behavior

Upon a Signal being created, it will check in a 300x300x300 block box for any Proto Hiveminds. If there are none within the range, the Signal won't be received. If it finds any, the nearest Proto Hivemind will receive the Signal. If a Proto Hivemind receives a Signal, she first scans in a 300x300x300 block range around herself. For every Calamity in this range, there is a 50% chance for that Calamity to be sent to the Signal location (Objective). This is referred to as Redirection. If no Calamities are found by a Proto Hivemind, she will instead spawn a Womb within a 12 block range of herself. When this happens, the message "Prepare..." will be sent in chat.

Parent Signals

If a Signal results in the creation of a new Womb, it is referred to as a Parent Signal. Depending on where a Parent Signal occurred will change what class of Calamity results from the spawned Womb.

• If no specific conditions are met for a Parent Signal, it will result in a Land Calamity.

• If a Parent Signal occurred at or below Y=63, it will result in a Ground Calamity.

• If a Parent Signal occurred at or below Y=70 and, in a 14x14x14 block area around the Parent Signal, there are 7 or more Water Blocks, it will result in a Water Calamity.

• If a Parent Signal occurred at or above Y=90, it will result in an Air Calamity.

Wherever a Parent Signal occurs will also be a Parent Objective; or for regular Signals, a regular Objective.

Objectives

Objectives are known as places of interest for Calamities, and their locations are determined by locations of Signals. Their purpose is to bring Calamities to where a Signal occurred in order to retaliate against whatever made the Signal occur (e.g. a player kills a Linked Spore Mob. In turn, a Sieger is sent to the location to kill the player).

Parent Objectives

Parent Objectives only exist for newly created Calamities that result from Wombs (when a Proto Hivemind can't find any Calamities to Redirect). If a Parent Objective is over 200 blocks away from the current position of the Calamity when it spawns, instead of traveling the distance, it will simply be teleported to a random location within 100 blocks of the Parent Objective. This ability to teleport only works with Parent Objectives, not Redirection.

Redirection

When a Calamity is Redirected via a regular Objective, the message "Incoming..." will be sent in chat. Calamities that are Redirected travel normally to the location of the Objective. Uniquely, Water Calamities are actually able to Redirect themselves. While a Water Calamity is idle with no Objective and not currently in an Offshore Biome (excluding Mushroom Fields), they will search in a 128 chunk range. If finding an applicable biome, they will set their Objective to the nearest applicable biome and travel there.

Goal End

As Calamities travel to Objectives or Parent Objectives, they will load chunks. When loading a new chunk, it will last for 30 seconds. If the Calamity is still in the chunk when the duration is over, the timer will reset. If the Calamity isn't, the chunk is unloaded. Once a Calamity reaches their desired Objective or Parent Objective, they will spawn an Age 1 Mound and stop attempting to travel to the location (as they have already reached it). This marks their goal as complete.