Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Note:
Emergency Shelters and Pillar Jumping
Caught out exploring as night falls? You can easily survive a night in
the open if you can't get back to base. Here a few techniques. First, find
the most precarious ledge you can on a cliff. Hold down the Shift key
as you approach cliff edges to avoid a potentially fatal fall. The cliff
edge location doesn't guarantee survival, but mobs are less likely to find
you, and you can improve the situation by digging into the cliff a little
way, creating a corridor two blocks high. Go sideways at the end to cre-
ate an L shape where you can hide out of sight. Block the lower half of
the doorway with sand, dirt, or gravel—whatever you have that's handy
really—and wait out the night in your nook.
Another way to protect yourself fast is to dig down three blocks in any-
thing other than sand or gravel. Just dig down the first two blocks, jump
in the hole, and dig out the last one, hoping it doesn't drop you straight
intoalavapitorintothetopofadeepcave.Placeoneblockofthemater-
ialyouremovedaboveyourhead,ensuringfirstitisn'tsandorgravelbe-
cause then you'll suffocate, somewhat defeating the purpose. Wait about
eight minutes ofreal time, orknockouttheblockandreplace itnowand
then to check for daylight before you knock out a block in front of you
to create a step so you can escape into the dawn.
A final trick, which can be quite handy if you spawn in the midst of a
giant desert, is to dig up about 10 blocks of sand or other ground cov-
ering and then place the first block down, climb on top, and with some
careful timing jump while looking straight down to place another block
directly beneath you—also known as
pillar jumping
. Repeat until you
are perched on top of a pillar 10 blocks high. This keeps you well out of
reach of hostile mobs. When sunrise hits, look down and left-click your
mouse to dig out the blocks beneath you, easing yourself back down to
the ground.
