Sneaking

Sneaking is a feature activated by holding the sneak key (default is ). Sneaking prevents players from falling one or more blocks, making it highly useful for building horizontally outwards over empty space. However, if the sneak button is released while beyond the edge of a block, the player will fall down. Additionally, the player can still dismount blocks while sneaking by jumping over the block's edge.

Sneaking was originally called crouching; however, the player's hitbox doesn't change from the normal standing height.

Effects

 * You move slower, at a speed of about 1.31 meters/second. Moving diagonally will allow slightly faster movement.
 * Eye level moves down one-eighth of a block, and the character model bends over slightly. This can be viewed using . This does not allow you to fit into smaller openings.
 * No footstep sounds occur.
 * You cannot walk off edges. However, you can still move across 1/2 meter or smaller height differences (that is, on or off a Slab).
 * Other players in multiplayer cannot see your name through a solid Block.
 * In multiplayer your name will be slightly darker than normal.
 * If on a ladder or vine you do not move down, giving the impression of holding on to that specific ladder rung or vine. Mining speed is still decreased by a factor of 5.

Sneaking does not affect:
 * Mobs noticing you.
 * Jumping: you can still jump both up and down block levels. However, beware that your air speed is reduced while sneaking and jumping, and you will suffer fall damage as normal.
 * Farmland being turned back to dirt as well as the crops being destroyed.

Sneak control
On a Macintosh computer, changing the sneaking hotkey to allows the player to toggle between walking and sneaking, thus allowing the player to sneak without having to hold down a key. This can be done on a Windows system by pressing while holding down the sneak hotkey. This will freeze the game temporarily; to resume the game release both keys, then press and release again. To revert to normal walking, press and release the sneak hotkey again. Bringing up the inventory or menu will revert the status to walking, as will pressing the chat hotkey or interacting with a furnace, crafting bench, or dispenser. This method works in both windowed and fullscreen mode. (Note: this applies to other commands too, like walking or jumping.)

Also, if the sneak hotkey is pressed at EXACTLY the same time as the chat hotkey, then the player will be crouching in chat. This is very useful if you want to talk but remain hidden from players, because when chat is activated the mouse is released.

History
Sneaking was introduced in the 1st Seecret Saturday update on September 18th, 2010 (Alpha 1.1.1).

In Beta 1.4, sneaking gained the additional function of holding your place on a ladder.

Beta 1.6 added the ability to sneak up and down half-meter slopes.

Since 1.3.1 Full release, the player can no longer move beyond an edge of a block while sneaking, thus not dropping him of the block when the sneak button is released.

Bugs

 * It is possible to fall off certain geometries, even while sneaking:
 * If, while sneaking along the edge of a block, you move onto stairs or a step, you will fall.
 * If you sneak and touch a vine you will fall (which might cause death in jungles)
 * Holding sneak will not stop you from walking off the edge of cacti or cake.
 * When sneaking on a SMP server, if another player loads the chunk you are in the server will not tell them you are sneaking until you re-toggle it.
 * In creative mode, if you hold the sneak button and then double tap the space bar to fly, you jump up and you are stuck at the height you jumped up in and stay like that until you release the space bar. However, this isn't a bug because the sneak key is also the key used in flying to lower altitude, so using both keys at the same time purposefully keeps you still.
 * When sneaking, the 'hat' part of the skin does not move down properly.
 * It is possible to sneak while sleeping in a bed.
 * Viewing yourself in 3rd person view while sneaking, you will appear to "float".

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