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Ever since being added to Minecraft 1.4.2, bats haven't really contributed all that much in the grand scheme of things. They fly around, crying out every so often, but otherwise offer little value to the game; no drops or experience orbs.
Yesterday, a Minecraft Redditor by the name of DonutDude-113, posted a simple question on the game's official subreddit. The post asked what the community's ideas were to make the bat an improved in-game mob. Considering Mojang hasn't made bats a significant addition to the game, the community has cooked up its own ideas for improving these mobs.
While it's unlikely Mojang will take these suggestions to heart, the ideas are nevertheless interesting.
Minecraft's subreddit makes recommendations for improving bats
Almost immediately after DonutDude-113's post went live, comments began rolling in from all quarters of Minecraft's subreddit. The post currently has over 1,900 comments, which clearly means the community has more than a few ideas about improving bats. Several ideas involve making bats that provide some type of item or material.
It's worth noting that bats spawn more often during Halloween in Minecraft, although this doesn't do much for players. They don't drop any items or experience. Thus, the community's vision of a bat's in-game value could be beneficial for players as a whole.
Some Minecraft players posited that they would like bats to be hostile underlings of witches since the two mobs were introduced together in patch 1.4.2. Perhaps it's possible for witches to summon their own bats that are hostile using magic? This could make the battle between hostile bat mobs and players entertaining.
The concept of guano, or bat droppings, was also mentioned several times in the comments. Since guano was used in the 19th century to extract saltpeter for explosives, some players feel that the same could be applied to make gunpowder in Minecraft. It would certainly be a much safer way to collect explosive materials compared to farming Creepers.
Meanwhile, other players have suggested that since bats are known to pollinate fruits and flowers in the real world, they could serve a purpose similar to bees in the game by pollinating crops at night.
One Redditor also suggested that bats serve a purpose similar to dolphins. In-game, dolphins who are fed can lead players to underwater treasure chests. If bats are fed fruit, they could lead players to loot chests in caves and mineshafts. It wouldn't require any drastic changes but would allow bats to at least serve a purpose for players who love spelunking underground.
There were countless comments in reply to DonutDude-113's post, with many including some interesting ideas. Hopefully, Mojang will introduce some changes to bats in the upcoming 1.20 update or beyond, as this mob is sorely in need of attention compared to its counterparts.
