Animal Behavior

Expect wildlife to behave like wildlife. Herd animals move, breed, and think as herds. 

Move as One

Chickens, cows, pigs, sheep, horses, goats, and rabbits all cluster into herds with each other – a small group forms a loose leadership, and the rest fall in line and follow. Some species stick close together at all times; others roam a little looser. Every herd tightens up at night for safety.

Fish and squid gather in schools: they cluster and move together rather than wandering independently.

Once you’ve put a saddle, a lead, or ownership on something, it stops being part of the wild herd system.

They Know You’re There

Herd animals watch for threats – and that list includes most hostile mobs, other animals like wolves and foxes, villagers, and yes, you. Get close enough while sprinting and you’ll be noticed faster than if you’d walked. Push in further and a herd shifts from a wary retreat into a full panic, moving faster than a simple flee.

Sneaking cuts the other way – a sneaking player is noticed from noticeably closer than a walking one, and a practiced Hunter closes the distance better still. Approach quiet and low if you mean to get close to something that would otherwise bolt.

Breeding Happens on Its Own

Players do not breed animals; herd animals breed on their own, and when there is a population with access to fresh air and water. Climate plays a role too: breeding slows down in the cold or heat, so a herd in a temperate area will grow faster than one struggling in a desert or a snowfield.

Nature Keeps Itself in Check

Herds don’t grow forever. Once a species reaches a population that matches the resources in the area (food, water, space) they stop breeding – don’t be surprised if a field that looked overcrowded yesterday looks a little emptier today. Players hunting a local herd hard won’t wipe it out completely on its own, as herd populations rebuild.

Fenced Herds Behave Differently

Farmers build a proper enclosure around a herd, and the animals follow their own breeding rhythm suited to captivity rather than the open-range. A real fence changes how your herd behaves, not just where it can go.

Wolf Packs

Wolves gather into packs the same way herd animals do – a leader, and others falling in line around it.