My Minecraft Adventure: Digging down until I couldn't dig any more
6Welcome to episode 2 of things I did in Minecraft. This video was created after someone suggested I showcase some of the stuff I've been doing in the game.
For context, I've been playing for a few weeks now and I thought I'd showcase some of the stuff I was building all this time. After all, generally speaking, each Minecraft experience is unique because everything is procedural generated content. So, it does make some sense to show off what I've been up to since it is probably going to be uniquely my experience.
With that said, I decided to show off the main base. It's there because that was close by the initial spawn point. The problem I ran in to was that I was sandwiched between two mountains, so I built a subway system underneath both mountains so I could better access different areas. Along the way, I needed wood, so I was utilizing the birch nearby and replanting said birch so I could continually have a supply of wood.
What do I need wood for? Building the tools needed to make my mine. So, I started digging down further and further until I couldn't dig any more. Eventually, I found a huge number of minerals I needed such as coal, iron, gold, red dust, and diamond. All of which is very useful. I also dug outward on the layers that seem to yield a lot of useful stuff. I didn't say it in the video, but that layer ended up being layer 9.
Since this is just how I eventually came up with how to dig on my own, I'm sure there are more efficient ways to safely mine. This is how I ended up mining safely.
The rules/steps I set out for digging is this:
1. Keep the stairwells close together for fast access going up and down.
2. If you hear lava sounds, stop digging and assume it's not a safe place to dig.
3. Put a 2x2 probing line in all four directions until you can't dig any more. If it's water that rushes in or a giant cave system filled with enemies, wall it off and presume it's not safe. If it's clear there isn't much on a given layer, though, you don't have to do all four directions.
4. When you run into a layer with stuff you are looking for, first dig close to an area that doesn't appear safe. This established a boundary of where you can dig safely.
5. Create a circle that loops back to another area you dug. This establishes a safe zone to dig and dig inward (you may encounter something in the process, so just recreate the barriers.
6. If you hear crashing sounds, heartbeats and the lighting dims, run away and, later, establish that area as a danger zone so you don't dig in that area (forgot to mention that in the video).
7. Bring 7 stone pickaxes and one or two iron pickaxes with you. the stone is for digging through normal blocks and the iron is to pick up things like diamond and gold. Once you've depleted all stone axes, return to the surface and replenish your supply (also forgot to mention that in the video).
8. Keep at least a stack of cobblestone with you at all times so you can, on an emergency basis, reseal an area you need to quickly reseal. The cobblestone is distinct from the rest of what you encounter, making it easier to figure out where to dig and where not to dig.
(optional) Bring signs so you can note areas that aren't safe and guide yourself to stairs in mining locations that become particularly large.
All in all, I only had water rushing into my mine system a couple of times, but luckily, I had a bunch of cobblestone with me so I could quickly patch that whole thing up. Otherwise, it was a relatively smooth experience building this whole mining system up.
Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of what I've been up to since posting that first impression video. I'm sure there are better ways to mine, but this is what I ended up coming up with on my first Minecraft playthrough.