🦇 Bat Ecology, Photophobia & Daytime Roosting
| Feature Parameter | Specification Details |
|---|---|
| Primary AI Goal Class | net.vanillaoutsider.betterbats.ai.BatSleepGoal |
| Roost Validator Class | net.vanillaoutsider.betterbats.ai.BatRoostHelper |
| Daytime Sky Light Limit | Sky Light = 0 |
| Daytime Block Light Limit | Block Light <= 7 |
| Roost Search Radius | 16 blocks (Horizontal) / 10 blocks (Vertical) |
| Cluster Preference | Prefers roosting within 5x3x5 blocks of existing resting bats |
| Supported Roost Surfaces | Solid ceilings, stalactites, lanterns, chains, fences, walls, leaves |
☀️ Daytime Photophobia Mechanics
Unlike vanilla Minecraft where bats randomly fly regardless of time or daylight, Better Bats introduces Photophobia. During daylight hours (level.isBrightOutside()) or when raining while exposed to sky (level.isRaining() && level.canSeeSky(pos)), bats actively seek out dark cave overhangs or covered roosting spots.
┌────────────────────────┐
│ Daylight / Storm │
└───────────┬────────────┘
│
Can see sky / Bright?
┌────────┴────────┐
YES NO
│ │
┌─────────▼────────┐ ┌─────▼────────┐
│ Seek Dark Cover │ │ Check Roost │
│ (BatSleepGoal) │ │ Surface Type │
└─────────┬────────┘ └─────┬────────┘
│ │
Sky Light == 0 && │
Block Light <= 7? │
│ │
┌─────────▼─────────────────▼────────┐
│ Attach Ceiling & Sleep │
│ (setResting(true)) │
└────────────────────────────────────┘🪨 Valid Roosting Surfaces (BatRoostHelper)
Roosting is evaluated via BatRoostHelper.isSuitableRoost(Level level, BlockPos pos, BlockPos above):
- Solid Ceiling Blocks: Any block with a sturdy bottom face (
aboveState.isFaceSturdy(level, above, Direction.DOWN)) or redstone conductor. - Pointed Dripstone / Speleothem: Stalactite tips pointing downwards (
SpeleothemBlock.TIP_DIRECTION == Direction.DOWN). - Hanging Lanterns: Lanterns suspended from ceilings (
LanternBlock.HANGING == true). - Hanging Chains & Supports: Blocks tagged under
#minecraft:chains,#minecraft:fences,#minecraft:walls, and#minecraft:leaves.
java
public static boolean isSuitableRoost(Level level, BlockPos pos, BlockPos above) {
if (!level.isEmptyBlock(pos)) return false;
BlockState aboveState = level.getBlockState(above);
if (aboveState.isAir()) return false;
if (aboveState.isFaceSturdy(level, above, Direction.DOWN) || aboveState.isRedstoneConductor(level, pos)) return true;
if (aboveState.getBlock() instanceof SpeleothemBlock || aboveState.getBlock() instanceof PointedDripstoneBlock) {
if (aboveState.hasProperty(SpeleothemBlock.TIP_DIRECTION) && aboveState.getValue(SpeleothemBlock.TIP_DIRECTION) == Direction.DOWN) return true;
}
if (aboveState.getBlock() instanceof LanternBlock && aboveState.getValue(LanternBlock.HANGING)) return true;
return aboveState.is(BlockTags.CHAINS) || aboveState.is(BlockTags.FENCES) || aboveState.is(BlockTags.WALLS) || aboveState.is(BlockTags.LEAVES);
}🦇 Roost Clustering Behavior
When a bat decides to sleep, it scans a 16-block bounding box for already resting bats. If resting bats are present, it prioritizes selecting a candidate roost block offset within a 5x3x5 neighborhood of its fellow bats, creating natural colony clusters on cave ceilings and under dark structures.