Welcome to the kingdom of Hallownest! This is a major work in progress and is a passion project while I (he/him, 23) still juggle my real world responsibilities, so please be patient. I promise it will be worth it. This post will be edited as the relevant information changes.
Version - I use a laptop and Java Edition Minecraft with WorldEdit on version 1.19.4. The resource pack WILL require Optifine to use. (If this project is still a work in progress through future updates and includes any mods to play, it will be adjusted accordingly.)
$ - When the map is finally ready, it will be free to download and explore. I may consider providing options to fund me while the project is in progress, but it will not be obligatory, only if you want to support my work.
Completion - 4%
DISCLAIMERS -
1) I use stone as a PLACEHOLDER whenever I am terraforming or building a structure. The final products will NOT all be entirely stone.
2) I am still going to build the map, but most of the early focus will be on the resource pack to make sure it's compatible with my vision!
3) Everything you see here is liable to be redrawn or rebuilt before the finished version is released if I find it necessary.
4) In the event that this blog is terminated or otherwise inaccessible, please refer to @hallownest-in-minecraft-2 for updates.
More details will come out as it nears completion. For now, please enjoy.
Special Thanks:
https://www.hallownest.net/
https://scripterswar.com/hollowknight/map#
The Hollow Knight Wiki
Mojang
And, of course, Team Cherry!
Tagging Guide:
#hollowposting - Personal posts and life updates.
#text - Text posts with information and updates about the map or resource pack.
#image - Image posts with visual updates to the map or resource pack.
#video - Video posts walking you through updates to the map or resource pack.
#resource pack - For posts specific to the resource pack.
#mapping - For posts specific to the map.
#response - Responses to asks.
I will tag the names of the areas depicted or mentioned in a given post (such as #greenpath or #crystal peak) and will tag the names of characters associated with certain areas (such as #last stag/old stag in a stag station or #pale king in the White Palace, even if those characters are not shown). Of course, they will also be tagged if they are shown.
I tag Silksong along with Hollow Knight, but I will never post Silksong spoilers. I will be using a different blog to document progress on a potential Pharloom map in the future, and it will be attached to this post when the time comes. On the other hand, there will be plenty of spoilers for Hollow Knight proper, seeing as I'm building everything about it, so please be mindful of that.
Hello!! Silksong has a release date, is this project still going?
It is. :]
Hello, all! It's been a while. To be quite honest I had given up on this project for a long time, as this is an enormous undertaking for one person to commit to, a lot of things in my life had gotten in the way, and I felt like I was falling too far behind Minecraft's own updates to ever catch up.
^ Those are the words of a hopeless fool, and while I am still a fool I'm no longer hopeless. I'm still quite busy IRL but with a confirmed release for Silksong, as well as more of my friends finally getting into Hollow Knight because of it, I've felt rejuvenated and would very much like to dust this whole thing off and give it a new coat of paint. (As well as begin planning for Pharloom in Minecraft!)
I think I ought to take a page out of Team Cherry's book and have more fun with the whole process instead of trying to push something out as fast as possible--that clearly didn't work for me before, so I'll be revisiting old ideas and setting forward with a better gameplan.
I can't make any promises about putting something out soon but I assure you I have been thinking about this again and will continue work. It touches me that you were thinking about it, too. <:]
Yes, hi. I'm alive. Here's my irregular check-in... I really am terribly sorry for the lack of updates in the last few months, I've had a LOT of irl responsibilities eating up my time, but please rest assured that I am well, and despite some setbacks I am still determined to see my vision through. I am always thinking of this project.
Like I said in my last ask response, I was considering releasing the resource pack in smaller packages as I get through each portion of it. This would be proof of concept and of progress, and everything seen in the smaller packages are still subject to change in the final version of the resource pack release. Thus far my plan is as follows:
Painting Set -- This would be a very small texture pack, allowing you to change the in-game paintings to the paintings I intend to use in the full Hallownest resource pack. It would only change the paintings.
Estimated release: By June
Cat-erpillar Set -- This would be a release of the cat remodels, which changes them into grubs of unique variation. The variations are based on different species of caterpillar with a Hollow Knight-esque twist on each of them. A full list of which variation of cat is changed to which variation of caterpillar will be included with the package's release.
Estimated release: By August
GUI Set -- This would be another small one, changing the GUI of your regular minecraft gameplay (Life and hunger bars, inventory, HUD, etc) to better match the GUI of Hollow Knight.
Estimated release: By October
Each of these packages were chosen because a lot of progress has been made on them in particular, and they are rather easy to do. However, the release dates on each are so far out because I would like to tackle them and make adjustments one at a time while still leaving breathing room for my IRL responsibilities, as well as time to work on other sections of the project of greater consequence (such as the map itself and block textures). The biggest goal of all of this is to make the waiting time a little easier to bear. More packages may be announced down the line.
Hi, where can I get the hollow knight rescourse pack at?
No portion of it has been uploaded yet, but I plan on releasing it on Planet Minecraft and other applicable sharing platforms. A full comprehensive list of where you can find it will be available once everything is released!
(That said, I may release smaller "sub-packs" over time that won't be the full thing. For example, just the paintings in a pack, or just the cat (grub) textures. I was thinking of doing this to tide things over as a "proof of concept" while I continue working on everything else, as I haven't been very active recently. Sorry about that!)
December 18th of last year was when I made my first public post on the Hallownest in Minecraft project!
Please look below the cut for information on a big change I'll be making in the coming year!
I am so very terribly sorry for the lack of tangible progress in the last while, as I do have a job, college, and other real world responsibilities that have become especially preoccupying with the holiday season, but I am still forever grateful for your continued support and patience as progress is made.
I have learned much in the past year about making maps and resource packs, and through that my abilities have expanded much further than I had ever imagined they could. It would be a lie to say my ambitions have never gotten ahead of me, but I still have great faith in the success of this project as we move forward, especially with new features cropping up for 1.20, which seem particularly oriented at supporting environmental builders like myself.
For this occasion I have bit the bullet and opened up an option for those who may wish to further support me to do so—in other words, you would be able to get me a coffee. I cannot in good conscience make any promises about special content, so this is only if you really want to throw a few cents my way. My page will be updated with information and images from previous posts that I've made, and also include WIP screenshots that I wouldn't feel are worth putting into an entire post on their own (though they may still show up in a later compilation post).
This also does not change the cost status of the map and resource pack—they will both still be absolutely free.
For clarity, when I refer to "over-animation" (heavy emphasis on the quotes), I do not think that the smoother animations of the camels are inherently a bad thing.
However, I do think that it stands out in an awkward way against the much simpler animations of older mobs, and either the old mobs should get updated animations (and in many cases, models) to match, or the new animations could stand to be simplified to better match the old style.
Furthermore, with more complex animations, that means that there's more I have to consider as a remodeler for making sure everything looks good, ESPECIALLY when it comes to the laying down animation, I imagine it being quite janky with all of the necessary-for-accuracy angles that the model would have, as you can see on the old horse model (and will be able to see on the llama models). I'm sure I'll be able to resolve it when I get to it, but for now I will fuss over it as much as it suits me.
That will have to be it for tonight. Thank you, all.
Coming back to this... While I am concerned about how the "over-animation" of camels would affect my ability to make a full remodel like I intend to (just like with the pandas, Warden, and frogs), I think I've grown more inclined to making camels great stags. This will ask for remaking a new great stag model (as unfortunately @doodle-birdo like you suggested in your tags on that post, transferring the model over is not so simple), but given that there's been a relatively significant chunk of time since completing the base model, it wouldn't hurt to update it with new skills. Horses would thus be relegated to a different kind of large beetle, while The Great Stag would be relegated to the greatest mount in stature and seating arrangements.
That said, here are the final versions of the former great stag horse remodel with the only texture that I was able to finish before disappearing for a month (will likely modify for the new camel model).
Yes, I am alive, yes I'm aware we're coming up on a year of HiM, my job has been packing me into a corner recently but schedule changes should allow for more wiggle room moving forward to resume progress on the project in the next two weeks or so. I cannot guarantee anything particularly exciting for the first anniversary, but I will still try to make something. Anyway, what I'm really here to say is that I've finally gotten Hollow Knight on the computer so that I may crack into the art files at my leisure rather than scouring the internet for wildly specific resources for one 16x16 image. I might also even be able to entertain starting formal speed-running, among other mod-related things. Very exciting! Anyway... See you in a couple of weeks, thank you for everything.
How we feeling about the new perfect candidate for the stags? (By that I mean the new camel mob from Minecraft Live)
Oh, funny you should mention that ... You're not wrong! But I've been cracking away at stags as horses, recently, and I'm quite happy with how they've come out. I may end up seeking alternatives for the camels, but looking over the footage, I am very, very conflicted about what to do, particularly because of the feature where two can sit on the camel at once, and also the size of them. I may put stags as horses on hold and watch how progress on the camel develops to decide. (On a related note—giraffe weevils like the grimmsteeds and Willoh are already going to Llamas, that is unlikely to change.)
You've given me a great opportunity to show off a WIP, though! Now, note that the texture doesn't have any kind of detail, the final version looks much better. There will be different colors for the different variants, based on real life beetle colors (but our classic Old Stag coloration would go to the gray horse if I continue them as horses).
Now that all of the options are out officially, I'd like to make my stance very clear—Sniffer is going to be my one and only choice. As a map builder, the prospect of new plants for new variety in decoration is just too appealing to pass up. Furthermore, if the Sniffer prevails, it would be perfect to adapt to the Blundering Obelisk in the resource pack, rather than what I was planning on using for now. The others would be... A bit harder to adapt, like the Warden has been. Not impossible, but not ideal. The Rascal has potential from a survival standpoint, but without having better information on what its loot table would look like, I can only imagine it being helpful for early game.
As a last note, I have strong opinions on the attempted inclusion of another golem. I am Jewish, I have Jewish heritage, and while Minecraft has forever been deeply important to me, I cannot reconcile with the insistence on adding another golem figure while neglecting the antisemitic design flaws of Villagers and their Illager ilk. It is not something I like to discuss, as several others already have, but I would much prefer if Villagers were redesigned before they implement another constructed mob (or just "construct") to the game.
All this to say... Team Sniffer suits me very comfortably.
Oh, now this is truly fascinating! The level of thought you've put into this is admirable. In your other posts, I especially like how you incorporate an agricultural angle alongside the meat, which is very nice. Thinking about food is one of my favorite elements of world building, even if I have to suffer my own hunger for it (thank you for your sacrifice).
Would you do me the honor of granting permission to incorporate your ideas for types of foods the Hollow Knight bugs might have into my resource pack?
Now that all of the options are out officially, I'd like to make my stance very clear—Sniffer is going to be my one and only choice. As a map builder, the prospect of new plants for new variety in decoration is just too appealing to pass up. Furthermore, if the Sniffer prevails, it would be perfect to adapt to the Blundering Obelisk in the resource pack, rather than what I was planning on using for now. The others would be... A bit harder to adapt, like the Warden has been. Not impossible, but not ideal. The Rascal has potential from a survival standpoint, but without having better information on what its loot table would look like, I can only imagine it being helpful for early game.
As a last note, I have strong opinions on the attempted inclusion of another golem. I am Jewish, I have Jewish heritage, and while Minecraft has forever been deeply important to me, I cannot reconcile with the insistence on adding another golem figure while neglecting the antisemitic design flaws of Villagers and their Illager ilk. It is not something I like to discuss, as several others already have, but I would much prefer if Villagers were redesigned before they implement another constructed mob (or just "construct") to the game.
All this to say... Team Sniffer suits me very comfortably.
1. Pandas as Watcher Knights. The rolling animations. It was right in front of me all along........ (Warden is still up in the air though)
2. Encountering Problems for the remodels has been a very confusing and sluggish process, but conversely making breakthroughs for little tricks and deceptions on the remodel to make sure it all complies to my Exact vision is as rewarding as the thrill of the hunt, and I am oh so terribly eager to share my work when it's ready.
And, happy fiftieth post. This is the collection that I have deliberated on in regards to what mobs will be made into what as I progress with the resource pack. One such example has already come to fruition, though it is up to you to determine which, until I have more to show for this.
As of yet, this list is incomplete, as it does not officially include the new mobs of 1.19. I will need to review the additions to 1.19 and see what other ideas evolve. Based on everything else, I may consider a lifeblood butterfly for the allay and heavy fool or somesuch for the warden. I don’t have ideas for frogs yet, and I don’t remember if there were other new mobs aside from those three. If there are other non-1.19 mobs that I am missing, please let me know.
I am open to suggestions and feedback on ALL OF THESE IDEAS! Especially the ones with question marks or multiple options. Or, if you have questions about my thought process, I would be more than happy to answer.
It means I am indecisive but am also not sure what else I could do. I’m confident about most of these, but there are also a number that I’ve simply pulled out of a hat. Otherwise, the mobs may or may not be exactly like their Hallownester counterparts, but rather inspired by their design. I can simply make more stuff up if it comes to it, but please allow me to pick your brains first before it reaches that point.
I apologize, as I did intend to add links to every mob and enemy together for quick reference, but Tumblr took issue with it. Please note the focus is on creatures that are in or were supposed to be in Hollow Knight and nothing from Silksong.
The full list is under the cut!
Axolotl -> ???
Bat -> Belfly
Bee -> Hiveling
Blaze -> Either Grimmkin Master or Grimmkin Nightmare, depending on the palette
Cat -> Grub
Cave spider -> Deepling or Deephunter
Chicken -> Grounded vengefly or grounded crystal hunter
Cod -> Flukemon lower half
Cow -> Boofly
Creeper -> Volatile mosskin, fungified husk, or violent husk, again depending on palette and unique features from the other mobs
Dolphin -> Pilflip?
Donkey -> Blundering Obelisk
Drowned -> Flukemon
Elder Guardian -> Uumuu
Enderman -> Void construct, soul twister, or soul warrior
Endermite -> Shadow creeper or Mistake
Evoker -> Volt Twister
Fox -> Tiktik or Crawlid
Ghast -> Fungoon
Glow squid -> Ooma
Goat -> Great Hopper
Guardian -> Charged lumaflies
Hoglin -> Moss charger or flukemunga
Horse -> Great Stag
Husk -> Entombed Husk
Llama -> Giraffe weevil
Magma cube -> Infected balloon
Mooshroom -> Fungified elder baldur
Mule -> Some kind of horned beetle that looks similar to Stag but isn’t Stag
Ocelot -> Grub mimic
Panda -> ???
Parrot -> Maskfly
Phantom -> Vengefly King? Aluba?
Pig -> Golden jewel scarab beetle
Piglin -> Generic godseeker (Meaning, not the character of Godseeker, but a godseeker)
Piglin Brute -> Void-touched generic godseeker
Pillager -> Sturdy fool
Polar Bear -> Glimback
Pufferfish -> Hwurmp
Rabbit -> Hopper
Ravager -> God tamer’s Beast
Salmon -> Flukemon upper half
Sheep -> Large mosscreep
Shulker -> Sporg
Silverfish -> Dirtcarver
Skeleton -> Leaping husk
Skeleton horse -> Void-touched Stag
Slime -> Lifeblood balloon
Spider -> Corpse creeper or little weaver
Squid -> Uoma
Stray -> Slobbering husk
Strider -> Durandoo
Trader Llama -> Grimmsteed
Tropical fish -> Flukefey
Turtle -> Bluggsac
Vex -> Aspid hunter
Villager -> Various NPC characters ie cartographer -> Cornifer etc
Vindicator -> Shielded fool
Wandering Trader -> Brumm
Witch -> Salubra, Seer, or Jiji
Wither Skeleton -> Siblings
Wolf -> ????
Zoglin -> Infected moss charger or flukemunga
Zombie -> Wandering Husk
Zombie Horse -> Infected Stag
Zombie Villager -> Infected NPCs (or infected elderbug if I can’t do variants. Sorry elderbug, I love you, but you Are the face of generic villager types, and basic husks are already in use elsewhere. :( )
Alright, I suppose I should explain the way I've been thinking. The key things that lead my comparisons are shape, size, function, and lastly biome—meaning, a flying mob in minecraft should be based on a flying enemy from hollow knight, but I wouldn't make a bat a boofly, as a boofly is just much too big for a bat. I would not put an enemy normally associated with fire into a water biome.
Or, for an example where biome takes even more importance to solve an issue regarding too many choices between size and function, why designate the glimback for the polar bear, rather than, say, a moss charger? Because Crystal Peak is a mountain, and it is on top of the "wintery" area of Kingdom's Edge, it would make sense for Crystal Peak to have a cold climate, yes? Hence the large, passive, but still dangerous fellow of Crystal Peak going to the dignified cold-climate polar bear.
Other, shorter examples: "The blaze, shooting fire, should be based on a big enough enemy that shoots fire—grimmchild is too small, what else is there? Ah, yes, the Grimmkin."
"Are there any kind of waterlogged husks in Hollow Knight? Being drowned, it should be based on something from a more "watery" area—like the flukemon, perfect…" And so on, and so on.
I am also absolutely certain that I am going to make cats into grubs, and nothing else will be considered for either grubs or cats. There's a joke in there somewhere about cat-erpillars, and I am going to make it. Plus, different caterpillar designs along with the original grub form for the different breeds of cat… It speaks to me.
Now, with that in mind, I'm not certain about designating a non-winged mob to a flying enemy, but I can recognize your thought process here, and I do appreciate the explanation. I think I will go forward with a more boofly-esque figure for cows.
When it comes to the pigs being golden scarabs, I had completely forgotten about the gorgeous husk and was simply thinking of a golden jewel scarab—the actual real life bug—but a gorgeous husk angle might still be appropriate. Either way, my goal was to consider how to relate Piglins (godseekers) to Pigs (what is… simpler… than a godseeker, but still bears a striking resemblance?), and it could possibly work.
Thank you very much for your feedback, though of course I am still open to hearing much more, from you and others.
Full disclosure, I had been putting off updating everything to 1.19 because I was worried it would break the new models I've made somehow, but I've gotten it fixed with no worries whatsoever. That said, I'm turning to generic real-life bugs to fill in a lot of these blanks. I will keep the final updated list with any changes that I see fit to any of the mobs to myself, for my own personal reference. And, as always, anything you see here is subject to changes. But, so that you all may know, for the remaining mobs of 1.19 and the ones that I had left undecided or felt too unsure about:
Allay -> Lifeblood butterfly
Axolotl -> Water strider bugs
Dolphin -> Shrimp (Reasoning: Crustaceans have tons of things in common with insects, just that they're adapted to living under water unlike most bugs. With that in mind, I'll also be basing Salmon and Cod on different sea slugs rather than grasping at straws with the flukes)
Frogs -> Froghopper/Leafhopper/Treehopper bugs
Panda -> Pandas are actually surprisingly complex in Minecraft. With several varieties of different dispositions, they also have many unique animations that are much more complex than the majority of other mobs in the game, which makes it harder to consider what would truly fit best. The Warden (and the frog mob, somewhat) also suffers from this, in regards to complex animations. Given that, I'll have to figure out more about animating models in the game outside of just making new models, which is something that I thought I might avoid, but evidently can't, and see what I settle on from there.
Disclaimer: The 1x1 paintings are NOT included in this compilation! I have other plans for them further down the line, but I wanted to get all of the non-1x1 paintings done before I moved on to other things.
Direct comparisons are under the cut! Because of tumblr's image limit, the rest of the comparisons will be in a reblog. If you want to reblog this post, please reblog it WITH the additions!
Nowhere to find this (yet). I post updates every so often and have been working on a huge one with mob remodeling lately. When the pack is ready for use, I plan on putting it up on PlanetMinecraft and/or other suitable sites! Thank you for your interest.
And, happy fiftieth post. This is the collection that I have deliberated on in regards to what mobs will be made into what as I progress with the resource pack. One such example has already come to fruition, though it is up to you to determine which, until I have more to show for this.
As of yet, this list is incomplete, as it does not officially include the new mobs of 1.19. I will need to review the additions to 1.19 and see what other ideas evolve. Based on everything else, I may consider a lifeblood butterfly for the allay and heavy fool or somesuch for the warden. I don’t have ideas for frogs yet, and I don’t remember if there were other new mobs aside from those three. If there are other non-1.19 mobs that I am missing, please let me know.
I am open to suggestions and feedback on ALL OF THESE IDEAS! Especially the ones with question marks or multiple options. Or, if you have questions about my thought process, I would be more than happy to answer.
It means I am indecisive but am also not sure what else I could do. I’m confident about most of these, but there are also a number that I’ve simply pulled out of a hat. Otherwise, the mobs may or may not be exactly like their Hallownester counterparts, but rather inspired by their design. I can simply make more stuff up if it comes to it, but please allow me to pick your brains first before it reaches that point.
I apologize, as I did intend to add links to every mob and enemy together for quick reference, but Tumblr took issue with it. Please note the focus is on creatures that are in or were supposed to be in Hollow Knight and nothing from Silksong.
The full list is under the cut!
Axolotl -> ???
Bat -> Belfly
Bee -> Hiveling
Blaze -> Either Grimmkin Master or Grimmkin Nightmare, depending on the palette
Cat -> Grub
Cave spider -> Deepling or Deephunter
Chicken -> Grounded vengefly or grounded crystal hunter
Cod -> Flukemon lower half
Cow -> Boofly
Creeper -> Volatile mosskin, fungified husk, or violent husk, again depending on palette and unique features from the other mobs
Dolphin -> Pilflip?
Donkey -> Blundering Obelisk
Drowned -> Flukemon
Elder Guardian -> Uumuu
Enderman -> Void construct, soul twister, or soul warrior
Endermite -> Shadow creeper or Mistake
Evoker -> Volt Twister
Fox -> Tiktik or Crawlid
Ghast -> Fungoon
Glow squid -> Ooma
Goat -> Great Hopper
Guardian -> Charged lumaflies
Hoglin -> Moss charger or flukemunga
Horse -> Great Stag
Husk -> Entombed Husk
Llama -> Giraffe weevil
Magma cube -> Infected balloon
Mooshroom -> Fungified elder baldur
Mule -> Some kind of horned beetle that looks similar to Stag but isn’t Stag
Ocelot -> Grub mimic
Panda -> ???
Parrot -> Maskfly
Phantom -> Vengefly King? Aluba?
Pig -> Golden jewel scarab beetle
Piglin -> Generic godseeker (Meaning, not the character of Godseeker, but a godseeker)
Piglin Brute -> Void-touched generic godseeker
Pillager -> Sturdy fool
Polar Bear -> Glimback
Pufferfish -> Hwurmp
Rabbit -> Hopper
Ravager -> God tamer’s Beast
Salmon -> Flukemon upper half
Sheep -> Large mosscreep
Shulker -> Sporg
Silverfish -> Dirtcarver
Skeleton -> Leaping husk
Skeleton horse -> Void-touched Stag
Slime -> Lifeblood balloon
Spider -> Corpse creeper or little weaver
Squid -> Uoma
Stray -> Slobbering husk
Strider -> Durandoo
Trader Llama -> Grimmsteed
Tropical fish -> Flukefey
Turtle -> Bluggsac
Vex -> Aspid hunter
Villager -> Various NPC characters ie cartographer -> Cornifer etc
Vindicator -> Shielded fool
Wandering Trader -> Brumm
Witch -> Salubra, Seer, or Jiji
Wither Skeleton -> Siblings
Wolf -> ????
Zoglin -> Infected moss charger or flukemunga
Zombie -> Wandering Husk
Zombie Horse -> Infected Stag
Zombie Villager -> Infected NPCs (or infected elderbug if I can’t do variants. Sorry elderbug, I love you, but you Are the face of generic villager types, and basic husks are already in use elsewhere. :( )
Alright, I suppose I should explain the way I've been thinking. The key things that lead my comparisons are shape, size, function, and lastly biome—meaning, a flying mob in minecraft should be based on a flying enemy from hollow knight, but I wouldn't make a bat a boofly, as a boofly is just much too big for a bat. I would not put an enemy normally associated with fire into a water biome.
Or, for an example where biome takes even more importance to solve an issue regarding too many choices between size and function, why designate the glimback for the polar bear, rather than, say, a moss charger? Because Crystal Peak is a mountain, and it is on top of the "wintery" area of Kingdom's Edge, it would make sense for Crystal Peak to have a cold climate, yes? Hence the large, passive, but still dangerous fellow of Crystal Peak going to the dignified cold-climate polar bear.
Other, shorter examples: "The blaze, shooting fire, should be based on a big enough enemy that shoots fire—grimmchild is too small, what else is there? Ah, yes, the Grimmkin."
"Are there any kind of waterlogged husks in Hollow Knight? Being drowned, it should be based on something from a more "watery" area—like the flukemon, perfect…" And so on, and so on.
I am also absolutely certain that I am going to make cats into grubs, and nothing else will be considered for either grubs or cats. There's a joke in there somewhere about cat-erpillars, and I am going to make it. Plus, different caterpillar designs along with the original grub form for the different breeds of cat… It speaks to me.
Now, with that in mind, I'm not certain about designating a non-winged mob to a flying enemy, but I can recognize your thought process here, and I do appreciate the explanation. I think I will go forward with a more boofly-esque figure for cows.
When it comes to the pigs being golden scarabs, I had completely forgotten about the gorgeous husk and was simply thinking of a golden jewel scarab—the actual real life bug—but a gorgeous husk angle might still be appropriate. Either way, my goal was to consider how to relate Piglins (godseekers) to Pigs (what is… simpler… than a godseeker, but still bears a striking resemblance?), and it could possibly work.
Thank you very much for your feedback, though of course I am still open to hearing much more, from you and others.
