Direct answer

The number is measured in blocks to the nearest player. Below the threshold the DAB distance-based slowdown does not apply; farther away, the other DAB settings decide how far apart expensive AI updates can be.

How to check it

  1. Confirm the entity is loaded and within normal activation rules; DAB cannot explain behavior in an unloaded chunk.
  2. Measure player-to-entity distance while repeating a farm or villager behavior test.
  3. Record the current start-distance, activation-dist-mod and max-tick-freq so you do not blame one field for another.

What to change

Change just the distance threshold in a backed-up pufferfish.yml and restart according to your build’s instructions:

dab:
  start-distance: 12  # illustrative historical value

A larger threshold leaves more nearby mobs unaffected by DAB but can increase CPU work. A smaller threshold may improve performance yet change mob reactions closer to players.

Compatibility and safety

The official configuration guide defines the effect but not a single universally correct distance. Values from old example files should not be presented as defaults for every Minecraft version.

Software and version notes

The Pufferfish Host knowledgebase is historical configuration documentation. Check current pufferfish.yml and the changelog of your exact Pufferfish build before applying example values.

Verify the result

Compare mob behavior at distances on both sides of the boundary and measure AI tick cost; revert if an affected farm no longer works.

References