Minecraft 1.21.11: Mounts of Mayhem has arrived

The "Mounts of Mayhem" Update is Deployed

The long-awaited Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11 update, dubbed "Mounts of Mayhem," has officially launched. It brings a new weapon, aquatic mounts to tame, new enemies to face, and never-before-seen combat strategies. For Minecraft server, this version signifies not only a renewal of gameplay but also substantial improvements in performance and graphical options.

The new combat system is centered around the Spear, a tiered weapon whose damage relies on precision and the speed of your chosen mount.

New Creatures, Armor, and Effects

The update introduces an entirely new ecosystem of mounts and mobs.

The Nautilus (Aquatic Mount)

The Nautilus is a new neutral aquatic mob that spawns in all ocean biomes.

1. Taming and Use: It can be tamed and bred with a Pufferfish. Once equipped with a Saddle, it is rideable.

2. Mount Mechanic: It features a Dash ability (by pressing the Jump button), similar to Camels.

3. "Breath of the Nautilus" Effect: The mounted player receives the Breath of the Nautilus effect, which pauses oxygen consumption.

4. Nautilus Armor: A new dedicated armor is available in Copper, Gold, Iron, Diamond, and Netherite versions.

New Hostile Mobs

Survival becomes more complex with these additions:

1. Zombie Nautilus: A hostile underwater mob ridden by a Drowned wielding a Trident. A "Coral" variant spawns in Warm Oceans.

2. Parched: A desert skeleton variant that does not burn in sunlight. It shoots Arrows of Weakness and has a slower rate of fire.

3. Camel Husk: A new undead Camel variant that spawns in deserts with two hostile riders (a Husk with a Spear and a Parched). It is passive without a rider and can be healed with Rabbit Feet.

4. Zombie Horses: These mounts now spawn naturally in darkness. Although passive, they spawn with hostile riders. They can be tamed and equipped with Horse Armor for sun damage protection.

The Spear: New Mounted Combat Weapon

The Spear is a long-range weapon that redefines mounted combat. It is available in all material versions (Wood to Netherite) and appears in various loot chests (Buried Treasure, Ocean Ruins, etc.).

Spear Mechanics

1. Reach: The Spear has an extended maximum reach, but a minimum reach; targets too close will yield no damage.

2. Two Attacks:

   • Jab Attack (Quick Press): A low-damage attack with knockback, with a cooldown dependent on the material (Wood is the fastest).

   • Charge Attack (Press and Hold): Powerful, sustained attack. Damage is based on the Spear material, the player's view angle, and the relative speed of the player and the target.

The Lunge Enchantment

A new enchantment exclusive to the Spear:

1. It only works with the Jab Attack.

2. It propels the player horizontally in the view direction.

3. Using it costs durability and consumes hunger points (exhaustion), and requires a minimum of 6 hunger points to be used.

Graphical and Technical Enhancements

The 1.21.11 update brings crucial optimizations and tools for server performance and user experience.

New Graphical Filters

Two new image quality options are added:

1. Texture Filtering: Controls the sampling of textures viewed from a distance or at an angle. Options include "None," "RGSS" (Rotated Grid Super Sampling, shader-based), and "Anisotropic" (hardware-based).

2. Benefits: Improves texture clarity at a distance and is expected to increase client FPS for most players.

Major Technical Changes for Hosts

Several major technical aspects impact administrators and content creators:

1. Game Rules Overhaul: All game rules have been moved to a registry and renamed from camelCase to snake_case (minecraft:show_advancement_messages).

2. Environment Attributes: A new data-driven system allows control over visual and gameplay effects (sky color, water evaporation, etc.) via biomes, dimensions, and the new Timelines.

3. Commands: Added the /stopwatch command to track real-world time (independent of game ticks) and new /execute syntaxes.

4. Performance Improvements: Added KQueue support on OSX for network connection performance and improved handling of experience packets.

The 1.21.11 is a significant update that requires close attention from Minecraft server host due to deep technical changes in game rule and environment management.