How does one make a mob spawner constantly producing mobs?

[alibertz]

My mob grinder is in my base, but I'm not always near it. Is there a way for the spawners to somehow detect me, even though I'm somewhat far away, so that they could always be producing mobs for my grinder? thanks.

[hafsteinnd]

Are you playing on a server?

[Loader]

You just need to keep the chunk loaded - the easiest way is with a Poppet Shelf.

[alibertz]

Eh, well they only produce mobs when I'm right next to it. Thanks though

[Loader]

Which spawners are you using?  I haven't had this issue before.

[HalestormXV]

If you are using an Auto-Spawner you can just keep the chunk loaded. Judging by his post though I think he is using an actual spawner that he moved with either a PortaSpawner or the Block Mover or whatever it is called. If that is the case then the spawner is following basic minecraft spawn formula which means I think he has to be within a 32 block radius of the spawner for it to activate and in the appropriate light level.

I too have an actual mob spawner and it only produces mobs if I am near it. I am trying to use it for an essence farm. Honestly I would like to know an answer to this also if one exists. I have thought of putting an Autonimos(sp?) Activator near it since it "simulates" a player right click but that doesn't mean it acts as a player entity.

Edited March 17, 2014 by HalestormXV

[dlepi24]

I've heard that the Altar from witchery keeps the chunk loaded. Someone in our server had a mishap with a villager farm in the same chunk as the altar and we got on the next day and there were thousands of villagers lol. Also, i see Loader said the poppet shelf from witchery does too.

[AcesOyster]

There were things like this in FTB, but in keeping with trying to avoid chunkloaders, this mod also does a fair job of avoiding such things. They wouldn't really fit the pack either, to be fair.

[dwwojcik]

Vanilla (type) spawners only work with actual players. There aren't any substitutes available.

[Loader]

Oh, a normal minecraft spawner - that makes sense then.

 

Hm... what about a sync clone?

[HalestormXV]

Never thought of the sync clone. Hmm it is a possibility. Anyone tested that out?

[Skelray]

Vanilla (type) spawners only work with actual players. There aren't any substitutes available.

 

So if I read this correctly, not an altar, not the poppet shelf or a chunk loader from MFR will activate a vanilla spawner. And is this only for AOTB or for all of minecraft?

 

Also the only known method now is gathering a lot of mob essence and having a chunk loader load a MFR mob spawner to spawn whatever you need...

 

So has anyone tested, that when you clone yourself with the sync mod, and leave your original self, that it acts like a "player" to activate vanilla spawners, or does that bring us back to dwwojcik's anwser? (no substitutes available...)

[Kalbintion]

... he has to be within a 32 block radius of the spawner for it to activate and in the appropriate light level.

16 blocks for activity. Light levels dont matter for purposes of active/inactive, but does for spawning the mob.