Operation Manual

CHAPTER 3: Gathering Resources
64
TIP
Light Those Caves
Check for any caves or tunnels close to your site’s location. If they aren’t too big, light
them up with torches to prevent mobs spawning inside and wandering out during the
day, or just block their entrance for now.
So what can we build on this site? Let me show you a basic structure. It takes 34 cobble-
stone blocks dug out of the first shelter and 12 wood blocks for the roof obtained by cut-
ting down the 3 trees that were occupying the site .
FIGURE 3.8 The layout for a small cobblestone cabin using a total of 46 blocks,
roof not shown. The sharp-eyed will notice it can be reduced in width one space
further, but for the sake of four blocks, that would feel a little claustrophobic.
You can build the roof from almost any handy material, including dirt, cobblestone, and
wood. Avoid blocks that fall down, such as gravel and sand. A two-block high wall keeps
out all mobs except for spiders, because they can climb walls. An overhang on the wall
keeps spiders out because they can’t climb upside-down, but it’s easier to just add a roof,
especially if there are trees nearby the spiders can climb up and use as an arachnid’s spring-
board to jump straight into your dwelling. (Yes, it’s happened to me. Sent shivers up my
spine.) Figure 3.9 shows the finished hut with a few torches on the outside to keep things
well lit.
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