Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
3.
Gathering Resources
In This Chapter
Never get lost. Learn the secrets of the HUD and its hidden GPS.
Improve your tools with more durable materials.
Safely store your hard-earned resources.
Learn the easy way to manage hunger.
Build your first outdoor shelter and enjoy the view.
Access the full Creative mode inventory.
Minecraft is filled to the brim with all manner of resources, and gathering them is the first
step toward getting the most out of the game. In
Chapter 2
, “
First-Night Survival
,” you put
togetherapackofessentialssufficienttolastthefirstnight,butthisisreallyjustthesmallest
prequeltotherealgame,anddescribinghowtofind,create,anduseothertypesofresources
formsmuch of this topic. Thischapterisaboutbuildingthefoundationyoucanusetolaunch
into the rest of the game. Your focus is on a few key points: build an outdoor shelter, find
food to stave off hunger, improve your collection of tools, and build a chest to safely store
items.Thissolidifiesyourposition,makingyourbasemoreimpervioustoattack,allowsyou
to do all sorts of Minecrafty things more efficiently, and sets yourself up for longer excur-
sions both above and below ground.
The good news is that you already have a base, so you can explore during the day, try not to
lose your way, and head back at night. However, you still need to avoid at least some of the
hostile mobs that persist during the day.
Introducing the HUD
Before we start, let's take a look at the Heads-Up Display (HUD)—that collection of icons
and status bars at the bottom of the screen.
Figure 3.1
shows the HUD as it appears in Sur-
vival mode with all possible indicators displayed. (The Creative mode HUD only shows the
Inventory bar.)
