The bug
Previously, a server computed for mobspawning from y=1 to the highest subchunk in which there is an opaque block. (From full version 1.13 not every subchunk but every block up to the highest opaque block in this chunk.) But in the current version 1.14.2 (and also until 1.14.3 Pre Release 2) the server calculates up to the highest block in general, even if it is glass.
This slows down many mob farms, as, for example, the afk position is often built out of glass above the mob farm. That sounds like an unimportant bug, but for technical players this is very significant.
How to reproduce
Create a superflat world with preset
minecraft:air;minecraft:plains;
Run
/fill ~ 0 ~ ~24 0 ~24 stone
Fly up to an appropiate distance to the platform that allows mob spawning
→ ✔ Mobs spawn extremely fastRun
/fill ~ 255 ~ ~24 255 ~24 glass
while being on the same x, z coordinates you were while executing the first commandRun
/kill @e[type=!minecraft:player]
→ ❌ Mob spawn rate is reduced significantly
Comments 2
This is working as intended per the resolution of MC-153326 (see MC-165162 which was resolved as a dupe, but more closely fits the description of this issue). The spawning algorithm works in that it sorts from the top most block of the world down to the bottom most block, regardless of it being opaque or not
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