NPC Horde 1.1.0

This update is all about the crowd: how it moves, how it gets out of the way, and what happens when someone loses their temper. The goal was simple. You look down a street full of NPCs and think "those look like real people", not "that's a line of mobs".

They walk like people

Before, NPCs swung their arms and legs and not much else. Now the whole body moves. The hips rise and fall with every step, the torso twists a little against the arms, the head stays steady, and each foot lands heel first, then rolls onto the toes.

Each of the seven walking styles has its own personality. Some people stroll, some are in a hurry, some swagger. Some keep their hands behind their back or in their pockets, and some can't take their eyes off their phone.

The animation now follows how fast the NPC is really moving. When someone slows down in a busy crowd, they take shorter steps instead of sliding across the ground with their legs pedalling in the air.

They look more alive standing still, too: they breathe, shift their weight from one foot to the other and change posture now and then. The gestures have been redone as well: waving, talking, pointing, shrugging, nodding, listening, laughing and shaking their head.

No more single-file queues

In lanes, both one-way and two-way, NPCs used to end up one behind the other in a neat line you'd never see on a real street. Now, when an NPC spawns or comes back in from the edge, it looks for the spot with the most free space, and everyone has their own favourite position across the width of the lane. The result is a loose, natural crowd.

In two-way lanes everyone keeps to the right, just like on a busy pavement.

In regular zones (the ones without a lane), NPCs now stroll towards random points in the area instead of wandering aimlessly or bunching up.

They step aside instead of bumping

This is the big one. Before, two NPCs walking towards each other would bump into each other until one of them managed to squeeze past. Now they behave the way you would:

• They look ahead. They work out where the other person will be in a moment and move over in time, not when they're already face to face..
• Someone slower in front? They overtake on the free side. If there's no room, they slow down and follow calmly.
• Players get a bit more room. If you run up from behind, they step aside to let you through.
• Fights in progress get a wide berth, so nobody wanders into one by accident.

NPCs also barely shove each other anymore to get through. In the tests, NPCs bumped into each other a lot less often.

Fights that feel like fights

The fight animations have been rebuilt from scratch. NPCs now square up like boxers: left shoulder forward, fists up, bouncing on their toes and moving with short steps.

They have six different moves: jab, cross, left hook, right hook, uppercut and front kick. They often chain them together, like a jab followed straight away by a cross. The NPC on the receiving end reacts differently each time. A light hit snaps their head back. A heavy one makes them stagger . Sometimes they dodge by ducking to the side.

The knockback, the sound and the sparks now happen when the punch actually lands, not when it's thrown. Heavy hits push harder, and the uppercut even lifts a little. If the opponent gets too close, the fighter takes a step back to make room.

Why fights start

Before, any random bump could set off a fight. Now fights have a reason

Every NPC gets a little irritated when someone blocks their way or forces them to slow down, and a lot more when someone walks right into them (more still if that someone is you). Over time they slowly calm down.

The fight slider now also sets how hot-headed people are the higher it is, the faster they get angry.

Compatibility

• Minecraft 1.21.1, Fabric, GeckoLib 4.9 or newer.
• npchorde:cobblemon integration