locust How do locusts spawn?

[Chickon_20]

I want to understand how the spawn system for locusts functions.

[LadyWYT]

Your basic locusts(either normal or corrupted--they both resemble mobile light bulbs and will produce light when they've noticed a target) have cages that they spawn from when the player is within range. I'm not sure of the exact radius, but it feels like it's somewhere around 10-15 blocks. Breaking the cage will stop them from spawning, but that's easier said than done as they have a fairly fast spawn rate and there are often more than one cage in the area. So it can be easy to get overwhelmed when dealing with them, especially if there are drifters in the area.

As to where you typically find the cage spawners--sometimes there's one in certain underground ruins, but they also tend to spawn 1-3 at a time in caves and will have nests and metal spikes nearby as set dressing. I don't think the nests actually do anything aside from give you some loot if you break them, but the spikes will both hurt you and slow you down if you step on them.

The nastier locusts are the sawblade locusts. Unlike their brethren, these ones don't have spawners and resemble scorpions rather than lightbulbs. They also do not light up the area around them when they lock on to a target. Since they don't have spawners and are a tier 3 enemy type, they'll spawn fairly deep underground similar to corrupt drifters(but never during temporal storms as of the time of writing this post). Unlike drifters though, they are a much rarer spawn and may drop a Jonas part on death.

[Chickon_20]

16 minutes ago, LadyWYT said:

The nastier locusts are the sawblade locusts. Unlike their brethren, these ones don't have spawners and resemble scorpions rather than lightbulbs. They also do not light up the area around them when they lock on to a target. Since they don't have spawners and are a tier 3 enemy type, they'll spawn fairly deep underground similar to corrupt drifters(but never during temporal storms as of the time of writing this post). Unlike drifters though, they are a much rarer spawn and may drop a Jonas part on death.

In which depth do they spawn?

[Maelstrom]

9 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

Since [sawblade locusts] don't have spawners and are a tier 3 enemy type, they'll spawn fairly deep underground similar to corrupt drifters...

Don't be too sure about that.  In my current world I peaked down a cave shaft and about 20 blocks below the surface saw a nice, friendly, mobile buzzsaw just waiting to slice and dice my poor nekkid seraph.  Pulled up what little rope ladder I had and decided to explore that cave another time.  Since the entrance was about 50 blocks from my dirt hovel, it would be a few visits before it despawned.

[LadyWYT]

10 hours ago, Chickon_20 said:

In which depth do they spawn?

 

1 hour ago, Maelstrom said:

Don't be too sure about that.  In my current world I peaked down a cave shaft and about 20 blocks below the surface saw a nice, friendly, mobile buzzsaw just waiting to slice and dice my poor nekkid seraph.  Pulled up what little rope ladder I had and decided to explore that cave another time.  Since the entrance was about 50 blocks from my dirt hovel, it would be a few visits before it despawned.

I was about to say, I'm not really sure the exact depth that they spawn. Typically, I tend to see them around y=50 or lower, but they may be found a bit higher than that. They're a rare spawn, so you shouldn't be encountering them too often--I would say bells are worse to deal with. My general rule of thumb when exploring caves is that if I don't have decent armor(at least bronze, preferably iron), I'm not inclined to venture deeper than y=60. At least in the caves, that is. If I'm digging a mine shaft through solid rock looking for an ore node, then I'll go all the way to bedrock if need be since there's nothing going to spawn in the shaft with me.

Also, while sawblade locusts have the same jump attack as their brethren and are therefore harder to keep at a distance, they are a bit noisy and their eyes glow in the dark. So there's a good chance you'll be able to see or hear it and get to safety before it has a chance to notice and attack you.

[Maelstrom]

Not so quick.  I've had sneaky little buzzsaws put the ultimate buzzkill to my explorations.  Spawn in close to me and notify me of the presence WHILE they make their first attack.

Granted BOTH of these scenarios are rare as each one has happened to me precisely once (each) in my playthroughs since I started with the 1.14.10 release.

[StCatharines]

5 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

Not so quick.  I've had sneaky little buzzsaws put the ultimate buzzkill to my explorations.  Spawn in close to me and notify me of the presence WHILE they make their first attack.

Granted BOTH of these scenarios are rare as each one has happened to me precisely once (each) in my playthroughs since I started with the 1.14.10 release.

I have never been surprised by a sawblade locust, that sounds horrifying! I'm a bit jealous.

[Maelstrom]

Oh it was horrifying!  I'm not one to be jump scared (ask my kids, they succeeded just ONCE in 15 years of trying) and that simultaneous combo of buzzsaw buzzing in my ears plus my poor seraph complaining about attempted amputations caused me to direct my seraph to first, ponder potential cave paintings on the cave ceiling while 2. switching to rope ladders to fend off the attempted amputations by the mobile (and very offensive) lumbermill.

[LadyWYT]

1 hour ago, Maelstrom said:

Not so quick.  I've had sneaky little buzzsaws put the ultimate buzzkill to my explorations.  Spawn in close to me and notify me of the presence WHILE they make their first attack.

Granted BOTH of these scenarios are rare as each one has happened to me precisely once (each) in my playthroughs since I started with the 1.14.10 release.

Oh yeah, I'm not saying those scenarios can't happen. I was speaking more on a generality from what I've experienced. There's a reason I don't go delving underground until I have some good weapons and armor! Hearing anything that remotely sounds mechanical is enough to make me nope out of a cave and come back later, in many cases.

[StCatharines]

1 hour ago, Maelstrom said:

Oh it was horrifying!  I'm not one to be jump scared (ask my kids, they succeeded just ONCE in 15 years of trying) and that simultaneous combo of buzzsaw buzzing in my ears plus my poor seraph complaining about attempted amputations caused me to direct my seraph to first, ponder potential cave paintings on the cave ceiling while 2. switching to rope ladders to fend off the attempted amputations by the mobile (and very offensive) lumbermill.

You have a knack for painting an incredibly vivid mental image simply by using words.

  

1 hour ago, LadyWYT said:

Hearing anything that remotely sounds mechanical is enough to make me nope out of a cave and come back later, in many cases.

I absolutely agree. I was recently mining more magnetite ore near my home, a trip I'd made a handful of times, and while descending the ladder I heard everyone's favorite noise: a banging clapper inside of a bell, along with the blaring klaxon calling drifters to aid. I think I not only climbed the ladder faster than you're supposed to, but I'm nearly certain I didn't touch the ground at all while running out of the chunk.

Edited June 18, 2024 by StCatharines

[Thorfinn]

2 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

(ask my kids, they succeeded just ONCE in 15 years of trying)

Holy cow! You kicked them out of the house for that? You are strict!

[Maelstrom]

2 hours ago, StCatharines said:

You have a knack for painting an incredibly vivid mental image simply by using words.

Thank you.  Decades of reading how others paint pictures with words (I was voracious reader of fantasy and sci-fi) followed by years and years of practicing telling stories.  If I can become a storyteller, just about anyone can.

You're pretty good yourself.  Keep practicing!

Edited June 18, 2024 by Maelstrom