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I'm building a mob grinder and want to get grass to grow on it. I've built a bridge for grass to spread to it from a nearby island. If I make the bridge wider than 1 block will the extra blocks allow the grass to spread to my grinder faster? An explanation of the algorithm the game uses would be appreciated.

Kevin Yap
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Fambida
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2 Answers2

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Yes, making a bridge more than one block wide will increase the speed of the grass spreading. Grass can spread to any adjacent blocks (including diagonals), from one level above to three levels below the "source" block. If you were to build a one-wide bridge, the grass would have to spread from the first block in the bridge to the second, then to the third, etc. However, with a > 1-block-wide bridge, there are multiple blocks that this algorithm could be run on. Also, grass could spread to the block in front or the blocks diagonally from it, allowing for the grass to propagate faster.

Kevin Yap
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    The caveat here is that a wider bridge doesn't actually change the % chance to grow grass, it simply creates more 'rolls' per unit time. – Raven Dreamer Jul 26 '11 at 03:33
  • Thanks. Do you happen to know what the chance of spreading over a certain period of time is? – Fambida Jul 26 '11 at 03:34
  • I believe a 2-3 wide grass bridge/staircase is the best method for spreading grass around, while still being fairly "cheap" to build. Grass can still spread pretty slow though. – thedaian Jul 26 '11 at 04:45
  • @Raven Ahh yes, that's a good way to phrase it. (Yay for my long-winded answers.) – Kevin Yap Jul 26 '11 at 04:58
  • @Fambida - there was actually a question on that very subject! http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/10347/what-is-the-average-rate-at-which-sufficiently-lit-grass-spreads-in-a-line – Raven Dreamer Jul 26 '11 at 05:02
  • @Raven Unfortunately no one answering that question seems to have had conclusive results from their testing. I guess I'll add a bounty and see if anyone bites. – Fambida Jul 26 '11 at 05:55
  • @Fambida, I took a bite :) Discovered along the way that the orientation of the bridge also plays a factor in how fast the grass will grow. In the positive x and z direction it is 2/3rd times faster due to a weighted random check for a grassy block. It may actually skip a dirt block and race ahead in some cases with this orientation. – Christopher Jul 26 '11 at 15:06
  • @Chris Now THAT's interesting. – Fambida Jul 27 '11 at 00:46
  • @Christopher That is interesting. I've never read anything about orientation having an effect on grass growth, but knowing Minecraft, I suppose it's only natural that each axis functions differently. I'd love to see your findings! – Kevin Yap Jul 27 '11 at 04:10
  • Ahh, never mind. I found them. – Kevin Yap Jul 27 '11 at 05:29
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Wider is absolutely faster, but diminishing returns suggests only a width of two or three. Also you can simply grow a protruding block of grass and then push it with a piston. This way, you can get the grass where you want it, let grass spread from it, and maybe push it around to 'seed' different parts of the area you want to make green.

Fnord Prefect
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