Better Than Wolves Forum

I finally hit the point in the game where I'm hit with a brewing stand and healing potions shoot up in priority. That said, HBr now needs a Mysterious gland for every three I need so naturally the next logical thing to do is a squid farm, now I've not much idea how to make it, and information on designs are mostly vanilla on the net, so I'd really appreciate some help on the concept of this.

My first idea was to make an "air pit" in the sea with caged chickens in the center to attract squid, who then fall to a water stream below and either suffocate or die of fall damage on a hopper, and it seems to work, only it's quite slow.

My other idea was to make a fairly high water tower and use that to create a waterfall big enough to spawn squid at reasonable amounts, which according to vanilla rules, should be able to spawn on flowing water...but I'm not sure if it's true for BTW and I don't want to spend a crapton of time making it and having just a big lawn ornament.

Do I have misconceptions on either design(?), and if you have an idea to improve on it or a concept on their spawn on behavior that I don't seem know, please share! :)

Dorugami wrote:(...) only it's quite slow.

It is a slow process ;-)

What about a possessed cow farm? AFAIK, they spawn squids too

Gilberreke wrote:What about a possessed cow farm? AFAIK, they spawn squids too

I considered it, but it also spawns other stuff, and doesn't spawn squid in numbers that would justify a rate of 2 wheat = % squid. Bats maybe, but I didn't see it being all that efficient.

Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18V7h8-P-_U

Best solution i have seen, doesn't cost much+high spawn rate

I always saw "nothing to worry about" cows as the primary avenue to automate collection of squid and bat drops. I haven't actually done it though. I'm surprised you both have a desire to automate farming of squids and you don't already have an excess amount of wheat.

My design for a beef/leather/glue farm in my previous world consisted of a large wheat farm in the air above a spiraling water channel which had suited up cows on either side. The wheat flowed down and was eaten by the cows on opposite sides of the channel, causing the baby to appear inside the channel. They get pushed down a room where they're allowed to grow up. The wheat and seeds fall through hoppers to get stored as excess (of which there was plenty). The full grown cows are able to jump a gap leading to a two wide room which splits the leather and the beef. Half the leather is eventually milled and tanned. The other half is rendered to glue.

I don't see why a very similar design couldn't work for a squid farm. I have no idea how to do it for bats though.

If you find an area with a high hat population trend, you can dig out the coastline so that the water will flow out into open air, then build a platform out over it so you can stand on it yourself or place bait upon. It is a very cheap thing to do but does work decently well.

The artificial waterfall idea in the OP should work if the waterfall is big enough and dark enough. BTW changed it so that squids spawn at any height, but only in darkness and in sufficiently large bodies of water.

If your base is near an ocean though, the possessed cow farm might be better. Farms that depend on squids naturally spawning really need to be inland to work well, but they do produce the best rates.

What I did was dig out at a river an approx 10x15 1 deep water source. Leaving 1 thick of dirt to keep the water from pouring down while digging, I dug out about 5-6 blocks down. On one edge, I dug out the top to create a flow down to a collection channel. You can use a saw or just leave the collection hopper in open air. Over this flow, place molding/corners (position so you can walk between them). Alternatively, you could use ladders/signs with normal blocks. This is to preserve this waterflow for when you remove the last layer of dirt. Remove dirt. Hats spawning in the over area will eventually fall through the corner gaps.

As long as you're not right next to an open ocean or chugging more than a handful of potions daily, it should serve your glandular needs.

Equitis1024 wrote:If your base is near an ocean though, the possessed cow farm might be better. Farms that depend on squids naturally spawning really need to be inland to work well, but they do produce the best rates.

This is really interesting. I have a half-dozen hoppers that I threw down at the deepest part of my lake, maybe all of five blocks deep, with an airspace above them. They were intended as a temporary measure to get started on production, but they actually provide a nice income of glands and respiration scrolls, better than anything fancier we've tried at the ocean. Also, it might help that I keep animals right near the shore of an island in the lake, so they're attracted at night, then dive to the hoppers at sunrise.

SerraNova wrote: This is really interesting. I have a half-dozen hoppers that I threw down at the deepest part of my lake, maybe all of five blocks deep, with an airspace above them. They were intended as a temporary measure to get started on production, but they actually provide a nice income of glands and respiration scrolls, better than anything fancier we've tried at the ocean. Also, it might help that I keep animals right near the shore of an island in the lake, so they're attracted at night, then dive to the hoppers at sunrise.

I myself find this interesting. How did you create the airspace? My base is right next to the ocean, so something like this would get me loads of all the hat goodies.

On Edolas I live on the plains, there is no water around for miles, except for that of an old river, I went and put vinetraps beneath the water. Then the squiddies fall down into another water stream where upon they are channeled to a hopper (dry) and they.. suffocate :)

Kalbuck wrote: I myself find this interesting. How did you create the airspace? My base is right next to the ocean, so something like this would get me loads of all the hat goodies.

I dug a hole two blocks deep, then put hoppers at the bottom with signs on the walls above above them. Easy peasy!

It would be harder to make it work in the ocean, though, even though there are more squid. In the ocean, there might not be a "lowest" point that's high enough for you to see and get to easily and safely- my lake is a much more controlled environment. It might be worth it to make a tunnel under the ocean to a low point, then access the hoppers from underneath.

If I remember correctly, lighting up any dark ocean floors within spawn range will help your squid spawn rate. Can't seem to find info to verify it though, can anyone confirm or deny off the top of their head?

Rianaru wrote:If I remember correctly, lighting up any dark ocean floors within spawn range will help your squid spawn rate. Can't seem to find info to verify it though, can anyone confirm or deny off the top of their head?

That is correct. Main reason that Jack-O-Lanterns are now extinguished underwater.

kilgore trout wrote: That is correct. Main reason that Jack-O-Lanterns are now extinguished underwater.

Well, that and I always hated that a substitute for glowstone, which is interesting to mine and gives value and variety to the nether, was just a pumpkin and a torch away :)

So yeah, the above is intended to give glowstone a specific use that pumpkins can't compete with.

Rianaru wrote:If I remember correctly, lighting up any dark ocean floors within spawn range will help your squid spawn rate. Can't seem to find info to verify it though, can anyone confirm or deny off the top of their head?

It does help...but light diffusion underwater is shit. So you'll need a fuckton of glowstones for that. Pity they're not renewable, although I do like my trips to the Nether; more-so for the free gold swords.

If you were really concerned about conserving glowstone you could convert glowstone dust into light blocks. It'd be a bit of a pain in the ass to have an open space underneath for a redstone torch. Admittedly this does use redstone, but it's renewable at least. It does take quite a few shinies to construct that beacon and I'd rather save as much as I can

My preferred method for illuminating lakes and rivers is to tunnel under, pop in a bit of glass and then put the torch down behind it. There is a tradeoff in effort over glowstone but I like the effect of the end result a lot more

DaveYanakov wrote:My preferred method for illuminating lakes and rivers is to tunnel under, pop in a bit of glass and then put the torch down behind it. There is a tradeoff in effort over glowstone but I like the effect of the end result a lot more

interesting idea. Swapping the torch for a lantern might be slightly more efficient, as lanterns are a bit brighter.

Does anyone know if they are attracted to light when making traps at the sea floor? Do I need to make sure its dark or are there other ways to lure them down?

They don't like light so that won't help. Darkness just at the edge of the pit they fall i guess would work.

sacrife wrote:Does anyone know if they are attracted to light when making traps at the sea floor? Do I need to make sure its dark or are there other ways to lure them down?

They're attracted to livestock though, so it might be worthwhile to set up some for bait. My original design worked, but that pond design up there's pretty neat. Couldn't use it since I'm near an ocean though.

Yeah, I added livestock at mine for testing purposes.

I made a hole in a shallow pond, just about 10x10x10. It is more than enough for me, even with manual collection.