So I range far and wide looking for a spot for my new base and to explore in general. I cross many many different kinds of biomes, many thousands of blocks. I come across a desert temple. The loot is average. I dig down below the tnt (as is my habit), a staircase-tunnel about 20 blocks down. It opens to a nice underground ravine which leads even further down to a massive abandoned mineshaft complex ranging from 6-16 blocks from bedrock.
Being a compulsive miner and well equipped for the journey I cannot resist: the vast complex of caves, mineshafts and ravines SO CLOSE TO BEDROCK means a truly huge amount of exposed ore. That much exposed ore at that level means there is likely less diamonds per chunk than if the entire area was encased in solid blocks, but it also means that the chance of tons of diamond and gold ore being exposed without any digging, is huge.
So I explore and explore. Killing wave after wave of cave spiders, zombies, creepers and skeletons. Started with 25 xp levels and by the end I had 33 levels. 33 levels, 14 diamonds, a half stack of gold ore, two stacks of iron, a full stack of coal, 3 saddles and an emerald from the temple loot and other assorted goodies. I was throwing away lapis and redstone to make room in my inventory, but continued to mine it anyways for the xp.
At that point I should have been happy and just returned to the surface and made the trek home. But noooo...I am thinking 14 diamonds is not enough for such a large exposed area so close to bedrock. I still have 3 loaves of bred, and 4 steaks. My diamond pickax with unbreaking II on it is not even half way depleted. To me I still had a ways to go before leaving that area. I find a single diamond ore at the bottom of another underground ravine encased in stone and right on the very edge of a lake of lava.
I proceed to carve out the ore very carefully, attempting to expose any other diamond ore around it while also shaping the area so as not to have diamonds plop into the lava when mine them. Without warning I hear the "tick tick tick" of a zombie munching at me and as I look up I see fire around me and my hearts going down rapidly. Jump jump jump and I am back on stone but still on fire, I panic and hit escape to pause the game. One heart left. I unpause the game and immediately eat the golden apple but it is too late. All that loot and all those levels.....
Thanks guys, I lost track of this post and am glad to see the replies now. In retrospect I should have had water with me and just cleared out the lava that way. hehe yes that particular complex much like Moria.
So I range far and wide looking for a spot for my new base and to explore in general. I cross many many different kinds of biomes, many thousands of blocks. I come across a desert temple. The loot is average. I dig down below the tnt (as is my habit), a staircase-tunnel about 20 blocks down. It opens to a nice underground ravine which leads even further down to a massive abandoned mineshaft complex ranging from 6-16 blocks from bedrock.
Being a compulsive miner and well equipped for the journey I cannot resist: the vast complex of caves, mineshafts and ravines SO CLOSE TO BEDROCK means a truly huge amount of exposed ore. That much exposed ore at that level means there is likely less diamonds per chunk than if the entire area was encased in solid blocks, but it also means that the chance of tons of diamond and gold ore being exposed without any digging, is huge.
So I explore and explore. Killing wave after wave of cave spiders, zombies, creepers and skeletons. Started with 25 xp levels and by the end I had 33 levels. 33 levels, 14 diamonds, a half stack of gold ore, two stacks of iron, a full stack of coal, 3 saddles and an emerald from the temple loot and other assorted goodies. I was throwing away lapis and redstone to make room in my inventory, but continued to mine it anyways for the xp.
At that point I should have been happy and just returned to the surface and made the trek home. But noooo...I am thinking 14 diamonds is not enough for such a large exposed area so close to bedrock. I still have 3 loaves of bred, and 4 steaks. My diamond pickax with unbreaking II on it is not even half way depleted. To me I still had a ways to go before leaving that area. I find a single diamond ore at the bottom of another underground ravine encased in stone and right on the very edge of a lake of lava.
I proceed to carve out the ore very carefully, attempting to expose any other diamond ore around it while also shaping the area so as not to have diamonds plop into the lava when mine them. Without warning I hear the "tick tick tick" of a zombie munching at me and as I look up I see fire around me and my hearts going down rapidly. Jump jump jump and I am back on stone but still on fire, I panic and hit escape to pause the game. One heart left. I unpause the game and immediately eat the golden apple but it is too late. All that loot and all those levels.....
the killer is greed.
Interesting and impressive story.
Thanks guys, I lost track of this post and am glad to see the replies now. In retrospect I should have had water with me and just cleared out the lava that way. hehe yes that particular complex much like Moria.