Strive to Survive
By: Eric Barber

As I spend my last breathing hours, I write this so that you may not make the same vital mistakes that I have made, and that you will have a fair chance to succeed where I have failed…

If you were able to get down here in one piece, I can assume that you have basic knowledge surrounding fighting mobs and crafting, in fact I applaud you for making it this far. But it doesn’t get any easier from here on out.


Most miners shiver and shriek over the thought of facing a mere “creeper” or “zombie” but really, these are fodder foes that you can take out with relative ease with simple stone tools. The true daunting enemy, if you are unfortunate enough to find her, is the witch. A good indicator that a witch is in the area is if you see a primitive hut in a swampy area. If you even get a glimpse of the monster DO NOT ENGAGE. Witches are known to be master brewers, far smarter than your ordinary mob. They will first slow you, weaken you, then slowly and painfully end you with a poison potion. I lost one of my dearest friends this way…


* RUN AWAY ON SIGHT *


Right now, I am sure you are surviving meal to meal by slaughtering every peaceful mob you see stripping meat right off their bones, but what if I told you there was a better way? Instead of doing to horribly inefficient and risky method of hunting for food, I suggest farming.  Farming melons, wheat, and carrots are easy to replenish and it’s very common to see your food stockpile exponentially grow. This also prevents further damage to the ecosystem.


As for your living quarters, it’s a fact that the world of Minecraft is not the safe place it once was, it’s actually so hard to even trust anyone in this nightmare of a world we live in. Don’t make a house, make a true base. I’m talking about high-grade protection man, line your entire perimeter with cactus so any intruders who try to break in will undergo heavy damage, line some traps around the outside of your base, preferably ones that involve steep falls or lava. Remember, the only good creepers are the ones that are bleeding or have hearts that aren’t beating! Make your base highly blast resistant, to start I’d double line the walls with cobblestone until you are able to upgrade into the much more durable obsidian. Having some water covering your base would give additional blast protection. It’s build over beauty.


The final step I want you to cover is efficiency. You need more time to enjoy life a little bit, rather than toil away like I have. I want you to seek out one of the greatest Minecrafters I have ever had the fortune to meet. Ellegard: the Redstone Engineer. She has a true gift with her abilities and will be able to teach you to create constructs that run on full automation giving you time to do what you really want to do. I hope you are really able to take advantage of her teachings and appreciate it to a greater extent than what I have learned.


My body grows weaker with each word I write... if there is one thing I want you to learn is that success must be earned and re-earned each day until it seems natural. Follow my guide and you may be able to know a prosperity I couldn’t even dream of.


            ~  Steve