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Hey all,This will be my very first post! And please note: I don't ask to be excused for this being my first post at all, but just please be patient as updates will come slow, and the content probably won't be that great. So, first things first!
Where?So when I build in Minecraft, I first must find a suitable location! A good way to start out building, is in superflat! Well, it's not exactly the best in the way of scenic values, but hey, no terrain clearing, higher fps, and higher build height limit (due to the y-axis level of the grass). And, if you need underground, use the tunneler's dream surperflat preset.If you want a default world location to build, here are some of the best things to have:

• Water (rivers, oceans, large lakes)
• Interesting land features (extreme hills, cliffs, plateau, ravines, islands)
• Naturally flat areas (plateaus, superflat)
• Naturally cleared areas (forest clearings, etc.)
• Choice biomes (if you're building a town that fits well with a roofed forest, build it there!)

Materials! Materials! What to choose!?One of the first and primary issues I run in to every time I build, is materials! If I am building in creative mode, and want to build a mansion, what should I build it out of? Well, what would it look like in real life? Would it be dark and forbidding? What about a bright victorian style? Here's a list of building types and materials used:

• 11^th century European? Wood logs, dark-colored planks and stone for walls, cobblestone, gravel, medium-toned planks, dirt, or hay blocks for floors, fenced or empty windows, and a roof of hay blocks, wood planks, or any light, logical, practical roofing material that's not too out of the park expensive.

• 12^th Century European? Stone brick, stone, cobblestone and wood planks for walls, wood planks, gravel, cobblestone, stone bricks for floors, fenced or iron-barred windows, and a roof of wood planks.

• 14^th Century European? Try an expensive-looking version of 12^th Century European, with a thatched, or wood plank roof using wooden stairs or hay blocks. Use Iron bar or Glass pane windows, covered redstone lamp lighting (covered with trapdoors), and a fireplace w/ a chimney and a bit of cobweb smoke out the top.

• 16^th Century European? Well, think historically here! Around that time, much of the big European cities were nearly slums! Sewage dumped in the streets, houses packed as closely as possible, and thatched roofs that made fires run rampant. Use light wood (birch planks) for whitewashed wooden walls, and a thatched roof of hay, or whatever you see fit. In a city, make no space in-between buildings, and give some houses cobweb smoke. If you want, add a little soulsand in the streets and pathways, simulating sewage. You could even add cauldrons near the beds as chamber pots! XD

• Early America (Colonial) Well, think rustic for a start! The early American colonies were very simple and practical, with minimal extravagant additions. You may want to use horizontal logs (Oak or Spruce) as walls with cobblestone corners and borders, with a wooden stair roof for a log cabin look, or light-medium toned wood plank walls, and same roofs of stairs for a slightly more sophisticated, town-based house. If you use any stone, use cobblestone. That would be cobblestone chimneys, cobblestone floors, cobblestone roads.

• Victorian Mansion? Use bright colors! This is hard, because really the only bright colors are in unusual materials! (wool, hardened clay, leaves.) If you can, use pink wool undertones and accents, but avoid a girly, doll house look if you can! Use contrasting colors, like pink wool and spruce planks, but make it somber and sophisticated as well. You might try using checkered floors of two different wood tones. A roof? Well, you need a few theme colors! If any of them are wood, use what you see fit, but keep your color-scheme going! And remember: Bright, but not colorful, contrasting, but sophisticated.

• Haunted house!!! Ah yes, the haunted house. It is one of the most theme-soaked building styles ever done.

A good way to start, is to choose a bit of a material theme! Typically, a haunted house is a mansion (I don't know why, but it is!).

Try walls of 'smooth' stone (The stuff that's natural) or dark wood. You might use a heavily material-themed house of all spruce planks, etc, or varying. A good material theme is stone and nether brick. Yeah, you heard me! That ugly dark red brick that comes from nether fortresses! Nether brick is a surprisingly good 'evil mansion' material, and is perfect for stairs and accents.

One of many things that is a must, is redstone torch chandeliers! Use nether brick fence and redstone torches to make a perfect eerie lighting. Hide redstone torches to make it even more eerie, and if you like, use a redstone flash generator to make redstone torches/lamps flicker!

Use quite a bit of cobwebs, and make it two floors. I will make a mansion like this, and post a picture soon, but hold on till then XD! For now, I'll try to explain how to make a good haunted house entrance and stairs! Here I go:

As you walk in, the door closes behind you (use redstone for this cliche effect.) and you begin running as you hear ghosts (spawn ghasts in a pocket underground on entry.) You run up to a flight of red-carpeted stairs to a wrap-around second floor. The area is lit by faulty dim lights of wall-scaunces and chandeliers. You step into a room, and the ghosts scream wildly (kill the ghasts with lava, fire, etc.) You scream and run faster through, to the next room. Paintings and tapestries hang the walls of an old bedroom. it is coated in dust, and all of the furniture is clothed in sheets, telling you of the hasty leave of the previous owners (I don't exactly know how to do that, but you may come up with something.)

• Industrial: On request, I'm adding this whopping subject. So first there's a few different types of the Industrial theme, and I'll list them with a full explanation.

-'Steam-punk'- This is based around dwarvish fantasy. The time that it's based around? That could be anything! I always thought of it as timeless, falling into a category all it's own. But that doesn't matter, because, in truth, steam-punk is timeless! Dwarves, in theory, are highly advanced to their time period, and thus, in the early medieval era, they might have steam engines and clockwork basics and in the ancient times (hundreds of years before A.D) they could well have early cannons, advanced forges, and mining techniques of that thousands of years ahead of their time!

When choosing materials, think of old, broken down, but new and innovative! Steam-punk is definitely NOT just dwarvish-style building! Its rusty, its old, its dark, its depressing, its intricate, and its a difficult combination of old and new.

So you say, enough with the history lesson! Tell me what materials to use! Well, now I am, but it's critical you know what steam-punk is before I move on.

Materials often vary, but let me tell you, it's very difficult to pin down a specific material used! First and foremost, try a resource (or texture) pack! There are many steam-punk resource packs out there, and they simplify this problem greatly! Here are a few:

http://www.resource-packs.com/steampunk-resource-pack/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/texture_pack/dwarfcraft-dwarfpunk/

I can't finish this now, but it'll come soon!

• SCREENSHOTS LIKELY TODAY!

What to expect later:Dozens more building styles, and a full walkthrough guide, including exercises, activities, and images!-

Oh been waiting for this ages, you my friend are a great teacher, but adding pictures will make it way cooler. Maybe you could coach me in game please.

Quote from AlphaWolfZ

Oh been waiting for this ages, you my friend are a great teacher, but adding pictures will make it way cooler. Maybe you could coach me in game please.

Thank you! I'll update this today, and I'll add screenshots and more building types.

Quote from CreeperCooperBlock

There are hundreds of buildstyles ! From futuristic/alien to old ancient asia. Good luck making the guide .

Thanks! I plan on adding everything I can think of and everything the community thinks of! XD

A picture is worth a thousand words. Reading about how to make something visual is one thing, but seeing how to make something visual is a much richer experience

Quote from StalePhish

A picture is worth a thousand words. Reading about how to make something visual is one thing, but seeing how to make something visual is a much richer experience

I completely agree, and I've been trying to get some pictures, but it may be a while.

Any hints for industrial builds?
I have only been building on greeble type structures so far

Great post, but maybe separating that big chunk of words and making the font a tad bigger, as well as adding pictures, will make it more enjoyable and beneficial to read.

I really liked the idea for the haunted house with hiding ghasts underground so that they make the ghost sounds. I had not thought of that, though still pictures would really really help with the guide in my opinion.

Quote from Jyxpe

Any hints for industrial builds?
I have only been building on greeble type structures so far

Oh yes, the industrial build. I'll add that next, so it'll be there.

Quote from _TooK_K

I really liked the idea for the haunted house with hiding ghasts underground so that they make the ghost sounds. I had not thought of that, though still pictures would really really help with the guide in my opinion.

Thanks!:D And yes, I know, pictures. It's a lot harder than may be expected to get pictures.

And just so you know, I only get an hour to do anything in that direction on the computer a day, and typically don't have any time to use building and screenshotting any more...

BUT THEY WILL COME.

This guide was extremely helpful. Thanks!!!!

Quote from sheemee1836

This guide was extremely helpful. Thanks!!!!

Thanks a ton! All of these posts are very encouraging!

Quote from Silverbit

Great post, but maybe separating that big chunk of words and making the font a tad bigger, as well as adding pictures, will make it more enjoyable and beneficial to read.

Hmm, okay, I'll try to change that a bit. Thanks for the input.

ty this is very helpful and informative

Quote from crevendevoss

ty this is very helpful and informative

You are very welcome.

Thanks Man!

Quote from atomicanal

Thanks Man!

Sure!

WHITE OR BLACK?

Quote from RedSwan2002

WHITE OR BLACK?

Hm?