So, after running around the overworld after exiting a cave with 15 diamonds and only 1 heart remaining, I found that after 15 minutes of running from pretty much everything that I had no Idea where I was. So I decided I needed a system of finding out where I was. (No hacks or map editors, takes all the fun out of things :biggrin.gif:) It started out as simple as climbing to the top of the hilltops near my fortress and making an arrow pointing towards my fortress. (I also put a torch on top of it so it is easy to find in the darkness.
Then, I decided I could take this to caves, which resulted in my just putting a sand block in the appropriate tunnel at intersections with several tunnels. Then I grew tired of popping down into explored caves to find that they were only about 20 blocks long with nothing of use in them. I made a simple coding system by the entrance of each of my caves. I stack anywhere from 0-3 blocks and a torch depending on the deepness of the cave. 0 means the cave is pretty pathetic and doesn't really go anywhere, 1 means it goes down for a little ways, 2 means it goes down a long ways, but doesn't reach lava, and 3 means it goes down really far and reaches lava. Next to that pillar, I put a white cloth block if I have explored all of it. And also a gold ore block if there is gold, Iron ore if there is iron, etc. And I am currently using cobblestone to represent coal. (Will probably use dyed cloth for each of them once it is implemented.)
So, that's my plan for not getting lost. What do all of you use?
Great system! Sadly it wouldn't work for my caves; they're a tangled mess underground, and even the separate cave systems can be easily connected. I just leave a metric ton of torches everywhere and keep a mental map of the system. My world so far only has a couple of active mines, but I'm only running through one of them so the map stays fresh. I have no problem finding the surface, although I could probably use more signage for my treks down.
If I've expended the resources in a cave, I put up a wall of wood in front of the entrance so I don't meander down and get confused. Makes some of the multiple surface-entrance caves easier to navigate as I close off side passages.
As for surface navigation, again torches. Lots of torches. Snow world is actually making it easier because they melt a clear path through the terrain. That and my world is pretty small for now; just been focusing on building up and clearing out the current bases before I go on an expedition.
So, after running around the overworld after exiting a cave with 15 diamonds and only 1 heart remaining, I found that after 15 minutes of running from pretty much everything that I had no Idea where I was. So I decided I needed a system of finding out where I was. (No hacks or map editors, takes all the fun out of things :biggrin.gif:) It started out as simple as climbing to the top of the hilltops near my fortress and making an arrow pointing towards my fortress. (I also put a torch on top of it so it is easy to find in the darkness.
Then, I decided I could take this to caves, which resulted in my just putting a sand block in the appropriate tunnel at intersections with several tunnels. Then I grew tired of popping down into explored caves to find that they were only about 20 blocks long with nothing of use in them. I made a simple coding system by the entrance of each of my caves. I stack anywhere from 0-3 blocks and a torch depending on the deepness of the cave. 0 means the cave is pretty pathetic and doesn't really go anywhere, 1 means it goes down for a little ways, 2 means it goes down a long ways, but doesn't reach lava, and 3 means it goes down really far and reaches lava. Next to that pillar, I put a white cloth block if I have explored all of it. And also a gold ore block if there is gold, Iron ore if there is iron, etc. And I am currently using cobblestone to represent coal. (Will probably use dyed cloth for each of them once it is implemented.)
So, that's my plan for not getting lost. What do all of you use?
I usually use a trail of torches, which is very easy to follow at night.
I occasionally put a torch on a tree facing where my base is, but that only works if you are trying to backtrack. Usually I start off a map by making a huge tower near my spawnpoint.
But yea, nice system for caves with a tree-like structure, but it doesn't really work for tangled caves, like:
I usually just plug up smaller/mined out caves and use a sign for the entrance of larger caves. Navigation inside caves involve following the trail of torches to the exit, except I sometimes put a marker block at intersections.
I leave torches as I enter, so that they're always facing towards the exit. At the start of every large cave section, I put double torches for the exit.
Then, I decided I could take this to caves, which resulted in my just putting a sand block in the appropriate tunnel at intersections with several tunnels. Then I grew tired of popping down into explored caves to find that they were only about 20 blocks long with nothing of use in them. I made a simple coding system by the entrance of each of my caves. I stack anywhere from 0-3 blocks and a torch depending on the deepness of the cave. 0 means the cave is pretty pathetic and doesn't really go anywhere, 1 means it goes down for a little ways, 2 means it goes down a long ways, but doesn't reach lava, and 3 means it goes down really far and reaches lava. Next to that pillar, I put a white cloth block if I have explored all of it. And also a gold ore block if there is gold, Iron ore if there is iron, etc. And I am currently using cobblestone to represent coal. (Will probably use dyed cloth for each of them once it is implemented.)
So, that's my plan for not getting lost. What do all of you use?
If I've expended the resources in a cave, I put up a wall of wood in front of the entrance so I don't meander down and get confused. Makes some of the multiple surface-entrance caves easier to navigate as I close off side passages.
As for surface navigation, again torches. Lots of torches. Snow world is actually making it easier because they melt a clear path through the terrain. That and my world is pretty small for now; just been focusing on building up and clearing out the current bases before I go on an expedition.
I usually use a trail of torches, which is very easy to follow at night.
But yea, nice system for caves with a tree-like structure, but it doesn't really work for tangled caves, like:
CAUSE I'M AWESOME.