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Cookiecutter

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-03-04

Overview​

The cookiecutter prefab represents the Cookiecutter Shark, a marine predator that patrols oceans and targets boats for wood consumption. It utilizes the stategraph and brain systems for autonomous behavior, and interacts with multiple components: locomotor (for ocean navigation), combat (for attacking), eater (to consume wood), health, sanityaura, lootdropper, sleeper, cookiecutterdrill, and homeseeker. It is part of the ECS architecture and does not define custom component logic itself—rather, this file configures the entity with components and sets up behavior hooks via event listeners and lifecycle callbacks.

Usage example​

local inst = CreateEntity()
inst:AddTag("cookiecutter")
inst:AddComponent("locomotor")
inst:AddComponent("combat")
inst:AddComponent("eater")
-- ... additional setup as done in the cookiecutter prefab definition ...
inst:DoPeriodicTask(0.25, CheckForBoats)  -- typical targeting behavior

Dependencies & tags​

Components used: locomotor, health, sanityaura, combat, lootdropper, inspectable, eater, sleeper, cookiecutterdrill, knownlocations, childspawner (via DoReturn callback).
Tags added: monster, smallcreature, hostile, cookiecutter, ignorewalkableplatformdrowning.
Tags checked: boat, INLIMBO, fire, smolder, debuffed (via scarytocookiecutters shared tag logic).

Properties​

No public properties are defined directly by this file. The prefab configures properties on attached components (e.g., inst.components.locomotor.runspeed), but does not expose new top-level variables.

Main functions​

OnAttacked(inst, data)​

  • Description: Handler for attacked events; triggers fleeing behavior and temporarily marks the cookiecutter with the scarytocookiecutters tag. Cancels existing flee timer tasks and starts a new one if attack occurred outside drilling/jumping states.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
    data (table) — event data (unused in this handler).
  • Returns: Nothing.

DoReturn(inst)​

  • Description: Attempts to return the cookiecutter to its home (e.g., a beach den) via the childspawner:GoHome component. If no valid home exists, removes the entity.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
  • Returns: Boolean true if successfully returned to home (via childspawner:GoHome), otherwise nil.

findtargetcheck(target)​

  • Description: Validates that a potential target (boat) is located in ocean terrain, accounting for boat presence.
  • Parameters:
    target (Entity) — candidate boat entity.
  • Returns: true if target is in ocean; false otherwise.

CanTargetBoats(inst)​

  • Description: Checks whether the cookiecutter can currently target boats—i.e., not fleeing and meeting the minimum time since last eating.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
  • Returns: true if eligible to target boats; false otherwise.

ShareBoatTarget(inst)​

  • **Description:**Broadcasts the current boat target to nearby cookiecutters within detection range, enabling cooperative targeting.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance that found a target.
  • Returns: Nothing.

ValidateTargetWood(inst)​

  • Description: Verifies that the stored target_wood entity is valid, within maximum follow distance, and not in an invalid state (INLIMBO, fire, smolder).
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
  • Returns: The valid target_wood entity if valid; nil otherwise.

CheckForBoats(inst)​

  • Description: Core targeting task; searches for boats within detection radius during idle states (drilling, jumping, busy). Updates target_wood, triggers target sharing, and enforces eating cooldown.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
  • Returns: Nothing.

OnEatFn(inst)​

  • Description: Plays the bite sound effect upon eating wood.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
  • Returns: Nothing.

ValidateSpawnPt(inst)​

  • Description: Ensures the cookiecutter spawns underwater (not on visual ground). Removes the entity if invalid.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
  • Returns: false if removed due to invalid spawn point; true otherwise.

OnEntitySleep(inst)​

  • Description: Cancels the periodic boat-finding task when the cookiecutter sleeps.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
  • Returns: Nothing.

OnEntityWake(inst)​

  • Description: Restarts the periodic boat-finding task (every 0.25 seconds) when the cookiecutter wakes.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
  • Returns: Nothing.

OnLoadPostPass(inst)​

  • Description: Finalization hook after world loading; checks if the cookiecutter spawned atop a boat and forces a "resurface" state transition.
  • Parameters:
    inst (Entity) — the cookiecutter instance.
  • Returns: Nothing.

Events & listeners​

  • Listens to: attacked — triggers OnAttacked to initiate fleeing.
  • Pushes: None defined in this file (uses inst:PushEvent indirectly via stategraph/brain or via other components).
  • Lifecycle hooks:
    • inst.OnEntitySleep = OnEntitySleep
    • inst.OnEntityWake = OnEntityWake
    • inst.DoReturnHome = DoReturn
    • inst.OnLoadPostPass = OnLoadPostPass