When I searched for information about Minecraft, I found a lot of mind-numbing detail.. and a lot of tutorial videos.. but nothing I could use as a roadmap through the overall game (other than the achievements thing inside the game, which I somehow missed for quite a while). So, I’m putting this together. Its what I know so far.. there are many more things which could go on here, but I think this is the basics to get to the advanced stuff.
Image creation notes – used desktop wallpaper from http://minecraftwallpapers.com/blueskys-96.html ; Diagram created with CreateLy
I’ve tried to arrange all the above-ground stuff on the top-right, and the below ground stuff going, well, down.
One Side effect I have noticed: When I first started playing, getting 4 blocks of wood seemed monumental, I had no idea of the scale at which I could grow and harvest things. As a result, I held onto those 4 blocks, the single chest, etc, very tightly .. all resources were scarce.. till I learned how to plant trees and get renewable and efficient. I think the same is true in real life … as I learn the patterns of real life, I go from being scared in the world to being confident and efficient.
Click the image to zoom in on the detail.
A Word on Mining
Each time I do a mine, I seem to pick a different pattern.. I’ve finally found one that I think I like. Its related to Branch Mining Layout #1 in this Wiki article … with these additions:
- The center section is 3×3 or 5×5 with a tunnel going straight up. I’m having very good luck with branches every 6 (ie, skip 5 then start a new branch).
- Try to keep all the ceilings 2 tall so that Endermen cannot teleport in
- Use Wood Panels as markers – this way back to center – and as markers to know where I found something (because I’m filling as I go)
- If I break into a cave, patch that enterance with wood paneling – which serves as a reminder to self, don’t open this. (Problem: Mobs will spawn in there. Endermen teleport. Hence the ceiling height)
- I suspect after I master lava I might try some creative way of killing all mobs in a cavern
- Use Shift-F3 to see real light levels; drop a torch on the ground when RL=3 yields an overall lowest light of 8 between torches which prevents mob spawns. Even better, use the torches at every 6 (branch mine) just as a pattern.
- When I go down some levels, leave 3 blocks between levels (ie, go down 5) – and then do the branches the other way (if it was an east/west the first time, do north south the next time).
Bulk Mindset
I am finding that instead of doing things “just barely what I need” (ie, I need 4 wood, get 4 wood), its more efficient to batch up my operations. So If I’m planting wheat, I plant 21 in a row yielding 63 harvest – which gives me a full stack. If I’m creating torches, I create all 64 of them. This way I’m not context switching all the time.
Further Adventures
These are the things I have not yet done (and may not get around to … or I might …)
- Travelling in search of another NPC village (the one that my friends found, we didn’t protect the villagers, and now they’re all dead.)
- “Villager Farming” .. growing the village (something about Golems?)
- Visiting the other Biomes (or starting basic survival in one of them)
- Building Railroads and Powered Rails for fast transport
- Building above ground (everything I’ve done has been a hobbit-hole dwarven lair type of thing)
- Building under water
- Playing with Gunpowder and TNT
- Playing with Lava
- Playing with Circuitry
- Pets
- Enchantments
- Endgame
