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[Neoxx]

Like the 404 challenge?  Try my new challenge using 1.8, Four Oh FouR!  It features multiple crossed underground ravines and much more!  Try it here: http://www.minecraft...s-four-oh-four/

404:  Solid Ground Not Found!

UPDATE: With the 1.8 update, the seed name no longer works to generate the world.  Instead, you can download it HERE and place it into /.minecraft/saves folder to play it.  (Thanks RyanML for uploading!)

Welcome to the 404 Challenge!  With the coming of the 1.3 update and the new seed feature when creating new worlds, there have been a multitude of seeds searched in hopes of an epic world.  Well, with the dreaded 404 there is just that!  This world is filled with high mountains, cavernous terrain, and most importantly a sink hole!  Here is where the challenge begins.

Back story said:

You create a new world, and with a new world comes responsibility.  You have to gather resources and find a safe place to spend the night.  You hastily gather wood, coal, pork, and anything you can get your hands on.  The sun is falling and it is getting dark, so you decide to dig a hole in the ground next to some water.  Your shovel hits the ground and sets off a massive sink hole!  You are plunged into darkness with no way out.  You must now survive... the 404 cave!

The Challenge!

Survive the 404 sink hole as long as possible without dying!  This is a ruthless and expansive cave system that is very unforgiving of any of the many mistakes you could make.  The hardest part often proves to be surviving the descent!

Set your own goals or try to complete various achievements to get the highest score.  There are many achievements for different styles of play.  They will be listed after the rules.

How to setup the 404 Challenge:

1.  

UPDATE: With the new terrain generation in 1.8, the seed name no longer works to generate the world.  Instead, you can download it HERE and place it into /.minecraft/saves folder to play it.  (Thanks RyanML for uploading!)  

I'm not active in this thread anymore (or for a long time).  I'm keeping it alive for 1.8, but dont expect much more after this. If it remains popular, I may clean it up some more.  Have fun!


2.  Find your way to the sinkhole at coordinates -25, 65, 15 (press F3 to see your curent position).  This is where the challenge will begin!  If you find yourself too far from the sinkhole you can re-create the world to get a better spawning location.

The correct area can be recognized by the nearby reeds:


If you want to download the level the old fashioned way:

Download this save file and extract it into your .minecraft/saves folder:  The 404 Challenge.zip

This will place you right next to the 404 cave gravel.  However, you will start with 9.5 hearts because you are lazy!  (or because I spawned on a cactus and am too lazy myself to create more worlds to get another good spawn)

The Rules!

1. You have until night fall to gather supplies.  Spend your time wisely!  Once night hits you MUST venture into the hole, never to return to the surface again!

2.  You can gather any resource you find top side, but venturing into any other caves (for iron mostly) is not allowed.  Sunlit caves are allowed.

3. You must not break ground on the 404 gravel until you are ready to enter the cave.  You are intended to be finding shelter for the first night, digging the gravel, and discovering the cave.  Once you break ground on the gravel, you must enter the cave.

4. Once you enter the cave, you must descend all the way to the bottom!  The waterfall has swept you into the deepest parts of the cave.

5. No torches!  If you whine about why you can't use torches, just STFU.  Real men use lava for light anyway!     (Redstone torches, jack-o-lanterns, and flint n' steel are OK!)

6.  Survive and thrive.  Don't simply build a wall around yourself.  Explore.  Build.  Progress!  Your 'score' will be based on what you accomplished, not simply how long you survived.

7. Only mine ores that are is visible.  If you see an ore, you can mine it and the blocks around it to see if you got all of it.  No branch/strip mining allowed.  You are spelunking/surviving here, not at your 9 to 5 mining job.

8. Difficulty must be either Normal or Hard.  If you play on hard you could get a 1.5x score multiplier.

9. 1 life.  If you die the challenge is over.  Start a new 404 world if you want to try again.

10. No inventory edits or 'cheating' of any kind.  Using F3 to see mob locations is considered cheating as well.

Achievements!

You can gain points and achievements for many things during the challenge (even during the day time!).  Take video/screenshots as proof when submitting your score.  Score submissions without proof, although still wanted, will not be considered for a high score ranking.  Mob kills are the only achievements that are counted every time.  All other achievements are earned only the first time you do them.

Mob kills: (Player must actively kill each mob. Placing lava/sand/gravel/cactus to kill counts, but only for the first mob it kills):
Zombies: .5 each
Skeletons: 1 each
Spiders: 1 each
Creepers: 2 each
Zombie Pigmen: 3 each
Ghast: 6 each

Collection:

Place on the ground, 1 block of:
Iron: 2
Gold: 5
Lapis Lazuli: 5
Diamond: 20
All 4 blocks in the same shot: +25

Creeper blowing up directly next to all 4 blocks (please capture with video!): +50!!!

Gather:
3 Pumpkin: 2
32 Cacti: 4
20 Sugar Cane: 4
1 Obsidian: 5

Crafting:

Complete leather armor: 10
Complete iron armor: 10
Complete gold armor: 20
Complete diamond armor: 50
Bread: 4
Jack-O-Lantern: 2
Bow + 64 arrows: 10
32 glass: 5
Place 1 glowstone in Overworld: 10
8 different colored wool:  10
12 different colored wool: 15  (25 pts total)

Building:

Structure using at least 20 bricks:  10
Nether Portal: 15
Farm (10 wheat, 5 reeds): 10
Working double door (redstone, swings correctly on activation): 15
Mob spawner trap: 20

Bonus achievements: (must have 25+ points already to unlock)

Dungeon Runner  (never build a shelter that mobs cant get into)  15 points
Don't Need No Stinking Armor! (never wear armor)  15 points
Chuck Norris has nothing on me!  (play on hard difficulty)  +0.5x score bonus

Leaderboard!

It seems that people are awesome enough to basically get an unlimited score, so I wont be updating these any more.  Feel free to keep score and compare yours to your friends!

Ixxen: 231 points!   
iron ore:  182.25 points    
Kinski:  159 points:Iron:  
Pixellegacy:  82.5 points  
Neoxx: 19.5 points  
Th3Fa113n1: 12.5 points  
OTTOPI: 10.5 points  
Svencommando:  4 points

Videos!
Not all uploaded videos will make it on this list.  Its awesome there are so many videos that have been made, but I just don't have the time to update the OP with all of them.  I'll do my best to at least put a link it, but only the best ones will get embedded.  If you format it like how I have it (link/list, not embedded) it will be much easier for me to add it.  Thanks!

2Bucks:  Featured for his seed highlight videos!
-L_YNRlRbDQ

Myself:
Attempt 1:  An introduction to the 404 and a run on hard.  Go to 8:10 for an epic creeper encounter!
nxuoWQlBwK0
Attempt 2: The gathering stages kinda covers the new achievements for those who havent read about them yet.  Skip to about 11:00 for the fun to start!
WTrioCHV61c
Fail compilation & I actually live longer than 1 minute!
8S3LB5L8gKs

Xelvair476:      For great music and pretty funny "how not to" video!
awuBeKw-Vok

Bli33ard:     for first video!
JxfH_ScUYQ0

blachool:    for epic creeper lulz
Q3dZjFuWT_Q

Doctor G33K: pretty entertaining, long, and 2 commentators.
cM-Th-THfR8

muncher21:   because I forgot to list his
UP1Ds9PPyrM

Norbo11:   for Indiana Jones cave entrance!
-fP_rvyGudM

jsano19:
JGLWqlp1pHM

Svenskommando:
Attempt #1: <!-- m --> m -->
ikciG3kxNss

Lightaest:   consolation prize for unique (yet stupid) death.
BNy_aMlyq7Y

Norbo11:  Well commentated and edited.
-fP_rvyGudM

2Bucks:  404 was the first installment of his new series "Seed of the Day!"  Check out his thread and his youtube channel for his 404 run and more Minecraft videos.
Thread: <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.minecraft...=190903</a><!-- l -->
404 Run: <!-- m -->http://www.youtube.c...ser/Gameplays24 ... L_YNRlRbDQ<!-- m -->

niffirg51:
Attempt #1.  DQ for using torches:  <!-- m --> m -->
Attempt #2:  <!-- m --> m -->

Ichiru / Sheith:        for first livestream!
Link:  <!-- m -->http://livestre.am/Dbq8<!-- m -->  (Go to 30:00 for first run.  47:00 for second run.)

BadMo:
1 (preparation): <!-- m --> m -->
2 (start of the challenge): <!-- m --> m -->

Ixxen's channel with multiple 404 videos: <!-- m -->http://www.youtube.c...eature=mhum<!-- m -->

Th3Fa113n1:
5 episodes and kept score: <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.minecraft...2784726</a><!-- l -->

Kinam:   <!-- m --> m -->

big1987foot:   Nearly completely black the entire time but for pretty funny ending (3:10)  <!-- m --> m -->

Text/Image Submissions!

catstyle: Well written with lots of screenshots!

[*:2oarca9d]The Lost Brother
[*:2oarca9d]The Lost Brother pt 2

lordfrosteye:

[*:2oarca9d]Day one: Trees, skeletons, and oh my, caves!

Landmine:

[*:2oarca9d]1: Routine Mission

---------------------          ------------------------------------------
A special shoutout to [url=http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1020&t=189134&hilit=404+seed&start=30#p2742888]Sunfighter for finding this.  Thanks for the epic find!
---------------------          ------------------------------------------

[Ruralgeek]

Sounds cool, I'll give it a shot!

[xNightmare]

Challenge Accepted  

[Nathan_BS]

Count me in!

[immodium]

Neoxx said:

2. No torches!  Real men use lava for light!  

No. Real men would try and have sex with multiple creepers.

[histfanatic]

Sounds like a challenge! I accept!

Jw, how will the scoring work? There should be a systematic way of scoring or a small board for scoring.

[Mikey_R]

immodium said:

Neoxx said:

2. No torches!  Real men use lava for light!  

No. Real men would try and have sex with multiple creepers.

I tried that but they kept exploding prematurely.

On another note, this sounds like a fun idea and with more than 5 world available it seems like the perfect chance to try out some challenges.

[xNightmare]

I'll even try get a video up from when i enter the hole.
resource gathering ftw!

[Mettan]

I'd love to see someone do this challenge with a bunch of mods that make the game harder.

[Neoxx]

histfanatic said:

Sounds like a challenge! I accept!

Jw, how will the scoring work? There should be a systematic way of scoring or a small board for scoring.

I haven't really figured out any good way of scoring this.  Maybe having something to do with what materials/items you have acquired while down there.  For now, just post your results and we'll probably be able to tell who was the winner

So far it seems that the preparation stage has a HUGE affect on how well you do in the first moments that you get down there.  I still have some refining to do on what I decide to bring with me.

If you have ideas for anything with this, please post them.  I know that I can't think of everything on my own.

[Bli33ard]

This thread is full of win.
People must survive forever though.

[Neoxx]

Mikey_R said:

immodium said:

Neoxx said:

2. No torches!  Real men use lava for light!  

No. Real men would try and have sex with multiple creepers.

I tried that but they kept exploding prematurely.

I lol'd.

[Neoxx]

Mettan said:

I'd love to see someone do this challenge with a bunch of mods that make the game harder.

When people get their mods working with 1.3 I'll certainly try it out.  Mo' Creatures would be a bitch with all of the Ogres...

[xNightmare]

I have a surprise for you 404 - Cave fans.
Will take a while though.

[Necronus]

I failed it once I heard a cave ambiance.

[Neoxx]

Oh and by the way....

viewtopic.php?f=1020&t=189909&start=30#p2751092

[histfanatic]

Neoxx said:

histfanatic said:

Sounds like a challenge! I accept!

Jw, how will the scoring work? There should be a systematic way of scoring or a small board for scoring.

I haven't really figured out any good way of scoring this.  Maybe having something to do with what materials/items you have acquired while down there.  For now, just post your results and we'll probably be able to tell who was the winner

So far it seems that the preparation stage has a HUGE affect on how well you do in the first moments that you get down there.  I still have some refining to do on what I decide to bring with me.

If you have ideas for anything with this, please post them.  I know that I can't think of everything on my own.

Perhaps get a small board of people to do a dozen or so tests of this challenge and then have them discuss which materials will be most scarce, average life and what they found in the cave? Then, have the board create a point system in regards of how much each monster kill is worth, how much a dungeon is worth and how much each material is worth? This would produce a great score system but will take a while to create (a couple days or so). A faster alternative is if you do the challenge a dozen times or so yourself and carefully record each and every thing you do and do the calculations that way.

Anyways...

Question: Are we allowed to create a tree farm underground?

[histfanatic]

Edit: Please disregard this double post.
I apologize.

[Nathan_BS]

Well I heard a spider and now I've surrounded myself in planks. I'm already scared of the dark, this sucks -.-

[Neoxx]

Oh, interesting....




All I can think of now is 404 Challenge SMP!!!

Great ideas on the scoring system, though.  Hopefully with some test runs we can get a rough idea of the difficulty of different tasks.  Maybe mob killing is the main priority, since the lack of torches will make building permanent homes much harder to do.