Ask Cia Q&A -- Can We Enable Variable-sized Mobs on the Server?

Time for our first "Ask Cia" Q&A Session, with the first question submitted by one of our moderators looking to add an extra level of challenge to those cheeky diamond and god-weapon wielders, hehe.  ;)

[Dear Cia],
I was wondering if you could make mobs spawn with random sizes (some bigger than normal, and some smaller). I'm not entirely sure how to do it, but I know Dravic pulled it off on his server, and it's kinda a cool feature (plus with giant, giant spiders, it'll give those super-advanced diamond-wielders something at their level to fight :P )

Well thank you for being first, anonymous but awesome moderator.  :)

Regarding the technicalities of randomly-sized mobs, it is actually not difficult at all to enable.  It is part of the server configuration, same as enabling dye resizing.  It is switched off by default, but with a simple click this can be remedied in no time. I don't doubt at all that Dravics was able to successfully use this feature on his server, although as I've unofficially stated before, our goal is not to become Under Gulliver's Toe II (or if you will, Under Cia's Toe), simply because we operate under a dramatically-different culture.  If we are to use this feature, it will be because it offers a value-add of some kind to the Big Sister server. ^^

Now regarding the morality of enabling this feature....

As with resizing dyes, I personally am curious about this ability to spawn both pre-embiggened and ensmallened mobs, as it would not only keep players on their toes for larger creatures, but would also make viable resource collection possible for ultra-small players (those who normally risk their lives collecting spider thread from full-grown spider.  Not to mention that pet collection would be very feasible for people, who may want an oversized cow, or an undersized pot-belly pig, without going through the trouble of potions and breeding.  With a fire resistance potion and some nametags, it shouldn't be impossible for the clever player to create a miniature Ghast pen of their own!  I can certainly appreciate this as a golden opportunity for amazing creativity.

On the other hand, we have to be mindful of the consequences as well.  For one, if I recall, I believe this feature does create some amount of lag, and we already have players who who experience lag issues on a daily basis.  Whether this would worsen that is a matter that would require some additional testing.

Then there is the problem of adding extra complications to players who may not necessarily be interested in the extra level of challenge.  Remember that the Big Sister server is still primarily a Builder's server, and builders by-and-large require less distractions, not more of it.  Sometimes moderators, free of any in-game challenge, can lose sight of how difficult it can be to build and operate normally under constant duress, and to remove their right to work towards an unchallenged state might be interpreted as just a tiny bit unfair and inequitable.

Then again, for the latter point, that's certainly not something a little teamwork couldn't resolve, and the additional challenges would encourage players to form groups that could help one another... creative players could build while action-oriented players could take point and fight back horde upon horde of giant spiders and creepers.  With a little extra creativity, players could conceivably make the best out of a bad situation, even if it may take some time to get used to it.

Bottom line is, while I don't feel we can enable it right away without some additional high-level discussions, i do feel it's a possibility in the near-term future.  It will probably fall under a public vote, and if passed, it would likely require a two-week testing period to make sure this is something we want for sure.  If it doesn't fit with our culture, then we pull it and go on with our normal lives.

But if it does, then it will be a brand new day on the server!  :D

Thank you!