Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting there is a matter of luck and skill, and that can make for an exciting journey!
Lava Lakes and Other Pitfalls
Mining has its share of pitfalls, in both the figurative and the literal sense. Before you don
your virtual miner's hat, check through the following list of do's and don'ts:
Don't dig straight down
—It's tempting, certainly. You could potentially dig all
the way to bedrock using just one iron pickaxe. The problem with that approach is
that you never know what lies beneath. You could break through the top of a cave's
roof and face a fatal drop, fall into a nest of hostile mobs, or splash down in a lava
lake and lose not only your life, but also all your possessions.
Don't dig straight up
—It's easy to get lulled into a false sense of security after
tunneling for a while, but you may have no idea what may be on top of the block
just above your head if you don't spot the drips from lava and water in time. You
may tap an underground lake and flood your mine. If you are mining higher levels,
you could even tap straight into the bottom of the ocean. You could also tap into a
lava flow, resulting in almost certain death. Or it could be a bunch of loose gravel
or sand waiting to suffocate you. Always mine up at least one block away from
your current position so you have the chance to retreat and block off the tunnel if
things go awry.
Keep some blocks in your quick access bar
—Always have cobblestone or dirt at
the ready to block off your tunnel in case you break through into a danger zone.
Water probably won't kill you, but it can wash you back quite quickly and put out
your torches. Lava oozes along much more slowly but is far more deadly. Be ready
to block off any unexpected breakthroughs.
Be careful, be prepared, and always know your way out
—It's easy to get lost
down there, especially if you do break into a cave complex and decide to explore.
Use torches, signs, cobblestone arranged into arrows, blocks attached to a wall
with a torch facing the way out—they can all act like a trail of bread crumbs to
help you find your way home.
Keep your mines well lit
—Any area you leave open and dark can spawn mobs
that will come back for you eventually.
Block off any unlit areas
—These can include caves and fully explored tunnel
branches. You can even knock your torches off the wall and collect them on your
way out, as long as you remember to block off the entire branch when you get back
to the main trunk so the mobs don't break through. If you do break into a cave,
place a torch on the wall inside the cave, and block it off leaving no more than a
one block gap. (Okay, if you must, explore, but remember, you're on a mission!)
