Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Tip:
Take a Bed with You
Keep a bed in your inventory if you're trekking through the wilderness. You can
place it down anywhere there's enough space, and, as long as no monsters are
nearby, sleep cozily through the dark. But be ready when you awake, because you
might find yourself surrounded! The bed is Minecraft's equivalent of a Get Out of
Jail Free card. But this technique does have its hazards, and it really takes little ef-
fort to build a quick shelter. In other words, use at your own risk.
The Bottom Line
Surviving your first night can seem tough at first—it's a bit of a learning curve. But get
through it just once, and survival becomes much easier if you need to do it again. First-
night survival entails just a few simple steps: harvest wood, create a crafting table, build
tools, and hollow out a shelter.
But remember, Minecraft days pass all too fast. Keep an eye out for the sun setting in the
west, and make sure you can at least create a small cave in a cliff or hillside so that you
areoutofharm'swaywhennightfalls.Whenyouheadoutagaininthemorning,checkfor
hostile mobs. Their sound gives them away. Some lurk all day while others burn up in the
sunlight, but be especially careful if it's an overcast day, or raining, because the lower light
level makes it easier for them to survive.
Now that you've had an initial taste of Minecraft, I bet you're hungry for more. At this
point we've only scratched the surface of the crafting table, and while the shelter serves
its purpose, Minecraft provides unlimited real estate and resources—enough to create any
architectural dream. In the next chapter, you learn some essential survival tricks, including
how to stave off hunger, deal with mobs, and build a few more useful tools.
