Incredibly useful early-game builds

[Gormador]

The earliest build I make is an auto chicken feeder.

Using a tripwire over a hopper to detect egg drops. The chickens are standing on a powered hopper where the seeds drop next to them.

This is my favorite food build next to the cow grinder in late game. Once I have the chicken grinder up I have time to spare for early aesthetic builds.

How on Minecraftia could you consider the hopper "early game" ???

[jkievlan]

That method has definite faults guys, false information and excessive torch use included. Harping on it doesn't change that.

Yes, but its faults are easy to overcome. I don't generally run out of torches, and when tunnels loop, etc., I figure that out pretty quickly and either memorize the loop or block it off somehow to give me a clue where to go. I do like your idea of putting the torches on the floor and just marking the walls at intersections...that's really the only place it matters anyway.

[Six]

The earliest build I make is an auto chicken feeder.

Using a tripwire over a hopper to detect egg drops. The chickens are standing on a powered hopper where the seeds drop next to them.

This is my favorite food build next to the cow grinder in late game. Once I have the chicken grinder up I have time to spare for early aesthetic builds.

How on Minecraftia could you consider the hopper "early game" ???

To be fair, hoppers can be pre-Nether. If you get a hoe quickly and start on hemp, you can get a windmill and saw before even venturing down for diamonds. With all the uses of hemp and early mechanical power, I'm liking more and more the idea of just starting on a hemp farm early as possible.

[Gormador]

To be fair, hoppers can be pre-Nether. If you get a hoe quickly and start on hemp, you can get a windmill and saw before even venturing down for diamonds. With all the uses of hemp and early mechanical power, I'm liking more and more the idea of just starting on a hemp farm early as possible.

I'm beginning to think that you like proving me wrong ^^

More seriously, when I got enough Iron to make an iron hoe (after making an iron sword and a iron pickaxe) I used it, as one would expect, to gather hemp seeds. Maybe I was very unlucky, but what I got won't be able to feed the 4 chickens I have once every day before quite a while, and I plan to use the seeds I get to extend my field before considering using them to feed those damn chickens.
But then again, I probably wasn't very lucky while tiling that field o' grass!

(And stop trying to prove me wrong! (Just Kidding. (Or, was I ?))) ;-)

You're more than probably right, though. ^^

[FlowerChild]

Well, the thing is about the current seed drop rates is that I've tweaked them so that farming (on a fairly large scale) is the only way you'll really get enough to get a sustainable supply of eggs out of chickens in the early game, so yes, just howing grass shouldn't be enough to do it.

I've been trying to balance things to really make large manual farms that take nurturing to really get going a big part of the early to middle game instead of those piddly things that you tend to see in vanilla.

So yeah, useful early game build: BIG fucking farm :)

[Gormador]

Well, the thing is about the current seed drop rates is that I've tweaked them so that farming (on a fairly large scale) is the only way you'll really get enough to get a sustainable supply of eggs out of chickens in the early game, so yes, just howing grass shouldn't be enough to do it.

I've been trying to balance things to really make large manual farms that take nurturing to really get going a big part of the early to middle game instead of those piddly things that you tend to see in vanilla.

So yeah, useful early game build: BIG fucking farm :)

Oh yeah I realize that and it's freaking great! My point was more than I wasn't prepared to spend two more iron ingots for another hoe. But it's pretty stupid from me as I do own way enough iron to be able to make several other picks even if for some strange reason I wouldn't be able to gather enough of it with my current one to build another.

About that drop rate, I had read that it had been reduced but after collecting 8 seeds with one entire (minus around 1 use ; I can't knowingly break a iron tool) iron hoe, it still seemed a bit low. I don't know what drop rate it makes in the end though.

Anyway, I'm having huge fun playing BTW again, and I can't thank you enough for that :-) I would donate again, but my finances are rather (very very) low at the moment.
For now, you get my love and infinite consideration! :p

[FlowerChild]

About that drop rate, I had read that it had been reduced but after collecting 8 seeds with one entire (minus around 1 use ; I can't knowingly break a iron tool) iron hoe, it still seemed a bit low. I don't know what drop rate it makes in the end though.

Nah, I think that's just about right man. Spending two iron ingots to get 8 seeds early game is a rather hefty resource investment when you consider how long it takes you to find and mine that much iron. I think it's weighted much more heavily towards creating a farm and using that as your source of seeds.

[Gormador]

Nah, I think that's just about right man. Spending two iron ingots to get 8 seeds early game is a rather hefty resource investment when you consider how long it takes you to find and mine that much iron. I think it's weighted much more heavily towards creating a farm and using that as your source of seeds.

Ok then. I always wanted to make more iron whores hoes anyway!

Thanks for the replies man ;-)

[Mr_Hosed]

Early Farm Builds

Requires:
Iron Hoe, Seeds, Water Source

I usually find lakes, square them off by expanding them out. Then I go back and fill 'em in with dirt so I end up with still water canals with a still water trench connecting all the canals. Then I dig an expanded 8 block trench off the still water canals.

Finally, I till 4 out from each canal for maximum hyrdation usage and 4 from the end of the flowing canals. I usually build a farm house/base/storage on the other side, but you could always add more canals from the source blocks of the cross canal in the other direction.

So for a 10x5 lake it'll look like this

_ = Water Source Block
T = Tilled Block
~ = Flowing Water Block

Code: Select all

TTTT__________TTTT
TTTT_TTTTTTTT_TTTT
TTTT_TTTTTTTT_TTTT
TTTT_TTTTTTTT_TTTT
TTTT_TTTTTTTT_TTTT
TTTT~TTTTTTTT~TTTT
TTTT~TTTTTTTT~TTTT
TTTT~TTTTTTTT~TTTT
TTTT~TTTTTTTT~TTTT
TTTT~TTTTTTTT~TTTT
TTTT~TTTTTTTT~TTTT
TTTT~TTTTTTTT~TTTT
TTTT~TTTTTTTT~TTTT
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

In the example above I will dedicate 4 rows to Hemp & 4 rows to Pumpkins and Melons (2 rows pumpkin and 2 rows melons or just 4 rows of pumpkins) which comes out to 68 hemp and 17 - 34 pumpkins/melons. By keeping the rear canal of source blocks you can always reexpand your lake later as well.

[Yhetti]

When I tunnel, I always make a large 5x3 or 3x3 channel going in a straight direction, then I make branching tunnels that are either 1x2 or 1x3 going off of it with 2m space in between all of the tunnels. This way I don't have to do any complex patterns or anything, the tunnels usually go on until something substantial gets in the way. The way out of the tunnels is always straightforward and I cover every single block at the level they are on.

You guys were talking about how you mark your tunnels to find the way out, I don't really need to mark mine...But I think I instinctively put all the torches on the left while I'm digging.

Also I credit this to my friend and in honor of him I call it Chrisbekistanian Mining.

[Mr_Hosed]

<snip>

Are you talking about branch mines? If so, that's fairly late game now. Basically Crucible tech is needed to do any kind of branch mine, and to do diamond level you need soul forge steel so wheat is also needed for leather to make hafts and feed your dogs for dung.

[Yhetti]

Are you talking about branch mines? If so, that's fairly late game now. Basically Crucible tech is needed to do any kind of branch mine, and to do diamond level you need soul forge steel so wheat is also needed for leather to make hafts and feed your dogs for dung.

You used to be able to do it in early, game, but now you'd have to be up high to do it and that wouldn't be as worth it so I guess it is fairly late game now.

[FlowerChild]

Btw, before I forget: whomever recommended making little one block alcoves for mushrooms wherever you travel frequently, that idea is pure win.

I adopted this technique in my own world, and it basically takes care of all your mushroom needs in a very convenient way.

Yes, but its faults are easy to overcome.

Can we please let this one die? I see no reason to recommend a faulty and low efficiency (in terms of torch wastage in lighting up your tunnels so mobs don't spawn) method when better ones exist, just because you guys have always done it this way, or because you read about it as an "infallible" way to navigate a maze in ancient literature.

Your method sucks guys. If you weren't so dead set on using it for whatever reason, you might find something way better.

[Gormador]

Your method sucks guys. If you weren't so dead set on using it for whatever reason, you might find something way better.

If recommend observing Steve's surroundings and work on that orientation skill, do I sound like a dick?
I mean, in two and a half years playing Minecraft, the amount of time I got so lost I couldn't find my way back (and mostly I just thought I couldn't find it) is maybe... five? And I never used any sort of method with my torch usage – that is not true actually ; my method is simple : put-torch-down-so-I-can-see-and-mob-don't-spawn-so-I-don't-have-to-come-back-when-mob-trap ~ish.
Well, if I didn't before, now I surely do sound like a dick ^^

[Zhil]

Your method sucks guys. If you weren't so dead set on using it for whatever reason, you might find something way better.

Don't throw out the baby with the bath water though. What I do is use part of the method. I don't use the torch placement, but I do close off loops when encountered. Simplifying the tunnel layout with a few pieces of cobble can really help, especially if you have to revisit a cave later on.

Then again, I do have an excellent sense of orientation, so I don't get lost except in very rare cases where two or three hallways with multiple branches each at different vertical levels intersect.

[FlowerChild]

Don't throw out the baby with the bath water though.

I'm solely talking about the "hurr durr...always place torches on the right" bullshit. Nothing else.

I block off tunnels myself to simplify matters. I've got no issues with that. However, in terms of torch placement, the above is less than optimal while many seem dead-set on portraying it as god's gift to navigation only further perpetuating that myth.

Again, I'd really prefer we drop it and move on.

[Panda]

Personally i find shelter to be an incredibly useful early game build. :)

[Yhetti]

I seriously just remember where I go, I don't have to have waypoints or any "right side of the wall" shit. Doesn't matter if I am in a cave or on the surface. I guess just after a while the whole directional sense for minecraft just got hardwired into my instincts, because I used to suck at it.

[someonetobe]

The first thing I build is a FlowerChild effigy. Which, for simplicity's sake, is just two blocks stacked in an open space. And then, whenever I make it back to spawn (from dying), I punch it and proclaim victory.

At first, it was just a 'this is spawn' marker. And it still is the same two blocks. But calling it FC and punching it occasionally came up pretty early in my rage-quit noob death cycle.

It's all love, though!

P.S. I think I need a prozac plug-in.

[ExpHP]

Well, this is the second time I've unintentionally managed to completely derail a thread by mentioning the trouble I have caving. Remind me never to do that again. >_>

One interesting tactic I saw in Grum's stream is to quickly build a 2-block-high column between yourself and a spider when fighting them. The spider will naturally climb up, giving you a chance to beat it down. If you remember to bring a weapon, you can make it especially effective with the knockback. Don't get double-teamed, though!

Also on that note, there are several options that you can build to help deal with spiders as you leave your base. If your roof is spider-accessable from all sides, a cactus on top will work wonders. If you have a wide open entrance, you can still keep yourself safe with a little area of 2-block-high pillars.

Spoiler

Show

[the_fodder]

My early build is a twist on the basic Cactus wall and only requires Shears.

I like to make my cactus wall 3 and entry points in the one wide sections around the perimeter. There I dig 4 blocks down and place a cactus with a vine trap at ground level, the mobs see it as a valid path but I know to jump(add a hard surface or a running start). I cackle whenever I am out in my safe area at night and hear the hiss of mobs dying. I am slowly migrating my entire wall under ground so I will have a moat of pain and thinking of putting hoppers on the outer ring.

[Mr_Hosed]

<snip>

I thought I'd add to this my own experiences trying to build conventional walls early game. I've found that dirt is too valuable for slabs and packed earth + setting up my aforementioned farm plots in lakes. Inaddition, cobble is ALWAYS valuable until you reach crucibles. Building a wall of any significant size to protect, say, an out door tree farm or your hemp is a massive consumption of resources.

I've tried two methods of low-resource wall building now. The first one is what I call the "Oak Ring". Literally planting oak trees side-by-side all the way around an area. You will have to occasionally trim out sections of overlapping limbs. This will be spider proof though and you can harvest the leaves on the inside for more saplings.

The second option is the usual staggered wall of cactus. I personally like the cactus wall more because the mobs will die, but they're both good options for early game walls when you're limited on resources. Plus, the Oak Ring can later be harvested for tons of wood when you replace it with a pretty stone castle wall of some sort.

Lastly, don't make the mistake I made. My base ended up being on top of an abandoned mineshaft. TONS of fences were harvested. I actually cook with 'em now I have so many. They're USELESS as wall material even when placed on top of cobble.

[johnt]

Back to the actual topic:

What's the absolutely earliest mob-trap one could build that's useful?

[Mr_Hosed]

Back to the actual topic:

What's the absolutely earliest mob-trap one could build that's useful?

Basic dark room with a drop pit and a lure room in front of the pit. No water canals, no vine traps, no pistons, etc. They spawn in the room, wander around, and the ones close to the pit will rush towards you if you're standing on the other side of it. I haven't tested this in the latest versions so you MAY have to harvest enough vines to vine-trap the drop pit if it's not just a killing room, but deep enough for mobs to be hurt/die.

Rates can be raised by placing a full safe path all the way around the room. Then you can walk the path and lure nearly everything back to the pit.

[eternal8phoenix]

Back to the actual topic:

What's the absolutely earliest mob-trap one could build that's useful?

Define useful ;)

In terms of getting mob drops, probs a 2 deep hole, glass ceiling and if possible a vine trapped entrance. Zombies and skeletons can die in there for bait/wolf befriending. You can see any creepers in there, and if you want you can add a murder hole in the rim. Or if available, a cactus rim. They follow you, hump a cactus and die. Not sure how it affects their oysters though ;)

For experience, pretty much the same but with a solid ceiling and compulsory murder holes. Beware of in-fighting there though. Skeletons and creepers are not buddies in enclosed spaces.

To double mobfarm with defence, surround your base with a rimmed 2 deep moat. Acts as a containment unit for all mobs (if big enough, spiders included), provides dirt for a basic wall (Great in swamp biomes. Goddamn those slimes can jump) and if you add more murder holes, experience central. Also means you don't have to worry excessively about things breaking in, assuming the interior is lit and the safe entrance is guarded somehow. I'd advise against a parkour entrance though. As mob-proof as they usually are, they don't tend to be very forgiving. (Learnt that from experience)