This is my proposal for a new mob to add to the nether. It will involve an AI change to the nether-hound to complete the effect. I realize this is no small task and do not expect it to be added any time "soon." -------------------------------------- Description (off the cuff) The nether-sheep stalks the burning wastes, silently, feeding on mushrooms and netherwart, while avoiding nether-hounds. It can be sheered, for a minute or so after growing a new coat. But you better hurry. Its coat changes every few seconds from white, to light gray, gray, dark gray, then black. Not long after it turns black the nether-sheep bursts into flames until the wool is consumed, injuring all who come near. Yet the burning wool leaves the nether-sheep naked and unscathed after the couple of minutes of burn time have elapsed... The closer they are to open flames the faster the coat changes color and ultimately lights up. The flames can be doused with a cauldron of water, evaporating the water and leaving them clad in black wool, resetting the timer to burst into flames. (A non-burning sheep does not consume the water in the cauldron). However, if you've never tried coaxing a sheep into a cauldron, let's say for a special recipe in the overworld, it's no trivial matter. Sheep have minds of their own! Leads cannot be used. They burst into flames, being utterly destroyed, delivering a full heart of damage to the one attempting it, even if the sheep is not yet aflame! As the descendants of domestic sheep brought to the nether, nether-sheep are friendly and even seek player companionship. This and their propensity to burst into flames makes them quite dangerous to the ill prepared. They appear in flocks of 2 to 4. And, until they ignite, are almost indistinguishable from regular sheep. (The ever darkening wool should be a clue) Unlike their overworld counterparts, nether-sheep can't be bred by using wheat. They must be fed nether-wart instead. As well, dyes do not affect nether-sheep. Any attempt at dyeing them is wasted consuming the dye to no effect. Nether-hounds are their nemeses. Absent a player to harass, hounds will turn their attention to the next tastiest meal they can think of, nether-sheep. So, if you somehow manage to survive wrangling, raising and sheering these animals, keeping them alive will be your next big challenge. Since leads cannot be used on them: to date nobody knows if nether-sheep can even make the journey back to the overworld. For all we know, any that make the journey revert to normal sheep, or just die in the process.
No. I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion, so let me call out the important facts as a bulleted list instead of as a narrative: These are sheep. That means you can get wool from them and treat them like normal sheep with a couple of exceptions. Exception 1: If they are engulfed in flames you cannot shear them. Exception 2: You cannot dye them. This will consume the dye but do nothing. Exception 3: They use nether-wart to breed, and regrow their wool after eating mushrooms, instead of the usual wheat and grass combo. Exception 4: A lead cannot be used on these sheep. It will burst into flames, regardless if the sheep is already burning or not. Points of interest: Once they grow a coat of wool it starts as white. It darkens over time until it turns black. A bit of time after turning black the wool will burst into flames for a couple of minutes. During this time the sheep cannot be sheered. The fire can and will harm the player if the player is too close. At the end of the "burning" the wool will disappear and the sheep will be naked. The sheep will be unharmed. The closer to flames and/or lava, the faster the wool changes color. So once one sheep in a flock has become lit up the rest will soon follow. Torches do not accelerate the color change. Only "contagious" forms of fire do. (e.g. a burning tree, a bit of fiery netherrack...etc.) Burn time, after its lit up, is unaffected by proximity to flame. These sheep, unlike normal ones, like players. They seek their companionship. [not explicitly called out above, but this is my intent] They do not, however, intentionally move to within a distance that will cause their flames to burn a player. However, if surrounded by a flock or burning sheep, this will prove quite dangerous to the player. If you can get a burning sheep to enter a cauldron of water, it will extinguish the flames, resetting the timer for when the black wool bursts into flames. This will consume all of the water in the cauldron in the process, leaving an empty cauldron. Nether-hounds hunt these sheep, but prefer players. So given the choice a hound will attack a player over the sheep.
Perry, your ideas are very extravagant and such. In my opinion, they are a bit too complicated for the Empire. Take the Enraged Zombie for example, they require little code for they are just powerful zombies on fire. The Marlix is a powerful skeleton on a bat The Momentus is just a giant. You are full of big ideas, but perhaps you could simplify them. But, I could be wrong. Maybe Aikar is looking for these ideas, I dunno.
Like what SkydragonV8 said, good idea but it may be too complex for Empire considering the fact that custom mobs from EMC are simple.
