What Pressure Plates Do Mobs Not Work On

What Pressure Plates Don't Mobs Activate? – A Comprehensive Guide

This article dives deep into the intricacies of Minecraft pressure plates and which mobs don't trigger them. Understanding this mechanic is crucial for building effective redstone contraptions and cleverly designed traps. We'll explore the specific mob behaviors and the underlying game mechanics that determine whether a pressure plate registers their presence.

What are Pressure Plates?

In Minecraft, pressure plates are redstone components that detect the presence of entities (players, mobs, items) standing on top of them. This activation sends a redstone signal, triggering connected mechanisms like doors, trapdoors, or even complex contraptions. They come in two varieties: stone and wooden. While they look different, their activation mechanics are largely the same, with minor differences regarding sensitivity.

Mobs that DON'T Activate Pressure Plates:

Several mobs in Minecraft are notorious for their inability to activate pressure plates. This isn't a bug; it's intentional game design. Here's a breakdown:

• Slimes and Magma Cubes: These bouncy creatures, regardless of size, will not activate pressure plates. Their gelatinous nature seems to prevent them from registering the necessary weight or contact.

• Small Creatures: Generally, smaller mobs like endermites, and most of the small ambient mobs, won't trigger a pressure plate. This is due to their minimal bounding box and interaction with the game's physics engine.

Mobs that MAY or MAY NOT Activate Pressure Plates (with caveats):

Several mobs have inconsistent activation behavior on pressure plates, depending on factors such as their size, movement, and potential glitches:

• Creepers: Creepers, while usually activating pressure plates, can sometimes fail to do so, particularly if their movement is erratic.

Why the Difference? Understanding Game Mechanics

The reason behind this disparity comes down to how Minecraft handles entity collision and detection. The game engine uses a "bounding box" to define the space occupied by each entity. Larger entities with larger bounding boxes generally have a higher chance of activating pressure plates. Smaller entities, with smaller bounding boxes, may not have enough contact area to trigger the pressure plate's sensor.

Practical Implications and Redstone Design

Understanding which mobs won't activate pressure plates is crucial for redstone design. For example:

• Mob Traps: If you want to create a trap that only targets specific mobs, this knowledge is invaluable. You can design your trap to only activate when larger mobs are present.

• Automated Farms: Knowing the limitations of pressure plates allows for more robust and reliable automated farms that won't be accidentally triggered by unintended mobs.

• Security Systems: This understanding is critical in crafting more sophisticated security systems that only react to players or specific friendly mobs.

Conclusion

While pressure plates are incredibly versatile tools in Minecraft, their interaction with various mobs isn't always straightforward. Mastering the nuances of which mobs activate pressure plates and which don't is key to creating effective, reliable, and cleverly designed contraptions and automated systems. This knowledge adds a significant layer of complexity and strategic potential to your redstone projects. Experimentation and understanding the underlying game mechanics will help you master this vital aspect of Minecraft gameplay.