Yep, that's normal behaviour I'm afraid. the witches aren't spawning because there's a buttload of other mobs underground / on the surface. If you want reliable spawns you'll have to light up all the caves around and make it so that mobs don't spawn on the surface.
Interestingly, it might be faster if you set up shop near a barrow, witches can spawn due to flux effects. Of course you have to handle all the other badness as well.
No idea, there's been no research / code digging to that effect that I'm aware of. I do know that blocking the node would increase the rate. Wisp spawning lowers flux so you wouldn't even see the other stuff if the wisps are being dealt with.That's fascinating. I wonder what kind of flux you'd have to dump into the air for a witch to spawn. I've built my base next to a barrow and I only seam to get wisps that drop red and black essences.
had a few spawn sadly only 4 in a minecraft day its not worth lighting caves for only 200 or so kills
how would useing a filler help ?You dont have to light the caves- just bring a filler and igneous extruder.
Its worth it, you have a massive source of glowstone/redstone.
how would useing a filler help ?
Mobs spawn in a sphere around you. If you set your afk point directly above the witch hut exactly the necessary distance away you can skip a lot of the cave lighting as they would be too far away and the only place mobs could spawn is the witch hut. Then just set up automatic killing and item collection. Exp isn't a huge concern but turtles would get that, too.
That's fascinating. I wonder what kind of flux you'd have to dump into the air for a witch to spawn. I've built my base next to a barrow and I only seam to get wisps that drop red and black essences.
You could setup a mobavator and stay close enough for them to move. It's just the couple chunks you have to light up then and not the whole neighbourhood. Or light up / fill all the caves everywhere. Whichever seems like the easiest solution to you.The thing is, only within a certain distance do mobs actually move (I think in 32 block radius or something). So unless you make it into an active farm with pistons or something you won't be getting much out of the spawn area. And the goal here probably is to collect witches and kill them to make a witch soul shard spawner, so you want to be as close as possible to the spawns so you can kill them as fast as possible.
Fills in all the caves- so no mob spawns.
Setting a quarry to dig the lot out also works surprisingly well too.
Gosh that's such a genius use of the Filler. It's so simple, yet I've never even thought of that.
The more you know....
If you go up to despawn everyone, then down so they can spawn in their hut.. won't the hut max out at the 70 hostile mobs allowed? Go down and kill them, rinse repeat. With a Soulstealer 5 sword you'd only need 3 trips or so? Just theorycrafting, unsure as to how all the mechanics work.
You could setup a mobavator and stay close enough for them to move. It's just the couple chunks you have to light up then and not the whole neighbourhood. Or light up / fill all the caves everywhere. Whichever seems like the easiest solution to you.