Minecraft mob behaviour on Beacoland follows vanilla Minecraft rules, with a small number of transparent performance protections to keep the server smooth and fair for everyone.
Beacoland is built as a long-term, Hermitcraft-style survival server. That means high player counts, long seasons, and complex farms — all without sacrificing TPS or gameplay quality.
This guide explains what happens to mobs, why it happens, and how to build safely, in simple and practical terms.
Our Core Philosophy #
Beacoland prioritises:
- Stable 20 TPS
- Long-lasting seasons
- Fair, predictable gameplay
- Minimal surprises
Rather than aggressive nerfs or hidden limits, Beacoland only intervenes when performance is genuinely at risk.
If something is removed, there is always a clear and explainable reason.
Vanilla Mob Despawning (Important) #
Many multiplayer servers quietly reduce vanilla despawn distances to improve performance.
Beacoland does not.
Vanilla hostile mob despawn rules #
(Minecraft 1.21.11 — unchanged from vanilla)
| Rule | Distance |
|---|---|
| Minimum spawn distance | 24 blocks |
| Soft despawn radius | 32 blocks |
| Hard despawn radius | 128 blocks |
What this means #
- Hostile mobs will not spawn within 24 blocks of a player
- Hostile mobs will not despawn within 32 blocks of a player
- Hostile mobs despawn instantly if they are more than 128 blocks from every player
These mechanics are hard-coded vanilla behaviour.
If a mob despawns on Beacoland, it behaves exactly like vanilla Minecraft unless a performance safeguard is triggered (explained below).
Simulation Distance vs Despawning (Commonly Confused) #
These are two completely different systems.
Despawn Distance #
- Controls how far mobs are allowed to exist
- Always vanilla (128 blocks) on Beacoland
Simulation Distance #
- Controls how far mobs actively tick (AI, movement, breeding, redstone)
- Does not control despawning
Beacoland settings #
- Simulation Distance: 6 chunks (≈ 96 blocks)
- View Distance: Dynamically managed
- Despawn Distance: Vanilla (128 blocks)
Important clarification #
Lower simulation distance does not reduce despawn distance.
However:
- Mobs outside simulation distance do not tick
- Farms must keep mobs inside simulation distance to function correctly
Recommended AFK Distances (Exact Numbers) #
✅ Recommended AFK position #
24–32 blocks from the spawning area, kill chamber, or holding area.
This ensures mobs:
- Spawn correctly
- Do not despawn
- Continue ticking
- Do not freeze
Why this works #
- Outside the 24-block minimum spawn radius
- Inside the 32-block soft despawn radius
- Well within the 96-block simulation distance
- Matches vanilla farm design assumptions
❌ Common AFK mistakes #
- AFKing too far away → mobs despawn at 128 blocks
- AFKing too close → reduced or blocked spawn rates
- AFKing outside simulation distance → mobs stop ticking
Performance Protection (In Simple Terms) #
On a multiplayer server, performance problems don’t come from one mob — they come from hundreds or thousands in one place.
Common causes include:
- Large animal pens left running
- Breeders producing mobs faster than they’re removed
- Mob farms relying on heavy entity cramming
- AFK farms left unattended for long periods
When entity counts become extreme, Beacoland may clean up excess mobs to prevent server-wide lag.
This does not replace vanilla despawning.
It only activates when numbers become unreasonable.
A Simple Example #
If your cows disappeared, it’s usually because:
- They were tightly packed
- Entity cramming was occurring
- The pen kept producing mobs without removal
- The total number became excessive
In short:
Your mobs didn’t disappear randomly — they were causing a performance issue.
Normal-sized farms and pens are never affected.
Recommended Entity Limits (Guidelines) #
These are safe design targets, not punishments or instant cut-offs.
Staying comfortably below these numbers ensures your farm will never trigger performance protection.
Passive Mobs (Cows, Sheep, Pigs, etc.) #
- Small pens: 10–15 mobs
- Large farms: 20–25 mobs
- Absolute maximum (not recommended): ~30 mobs in one area
Villagers & Trading Halls (Very Important) #
Villagers are one of the most performance-intensive entities in Minecraft due to constant AI checks.
How Beacoland keeps villagers safe #
- Up to 30 villagers per trading hall
- Reduced unnecessary AI when villagers are idle
- Prevention of runaway breeder overflow
Critical protection rule #
🔒 Villager protection is based on naming, not trade status.
- Named villagers are always protected
- Unnamed villagers may be cleaned up if numbers become excessive
Best practices for trading halls #
- ✅ Name every villager (strongly recommended)
- Keep halls to 20–25 villagers where possible
- Ensure breeders have output control
Infinite breeders without limits may be cleaned up automatically.
If you value a villager — name it.
Hostile Mob Farms #
- Optimal active mobs: 20–40 at a time
- Avoid large holding chambers with 50+ mobs
- Prefer immediate kill or flushing systems
Entity cramming as a kill method is discouraged.
Entity Cramming & Lag #
Entity cramming causes:
- Heavy collision calculations
- Poor scaling
- Unpredictable lag spikes
As player count increases, the impact gets worse.
If entity cramming causes lag:
- The Team may request changes
- A redesign may be required
- Limits may be enforced
Kill chambers and controlled flushing systems are far safer.
Always Protected #
- ✅ Named mobs
- ✅ Tamed mobs (pets)
What Beacoland Does Not Do #
Beacoland does not:
- Randomly delete mobs
- Kill named villagers
- Reduce vanilla despawn ranges
- Punish reasonable survival builds
All performance systems are targeted, predictable, and transparent.
Need Help? #
If something behaves unexpectedly:
- Ask in Discord
- Open a support ticket
- Request a farm review
We would always rather help optimise a build than see something break.
Final Thought #
Beacoland works because players think “us” before “me.”
Responsible building keeps:
- TPS stable
- Seasons long
- Gameplay enjoyable for everyone
Thank you for helping keep Beacoland running smoothly 💛
