Here we go out to the wild to Minecraft! Woot woot! And what does everyone’s house look like at first?
Heck, we’re grateful it’s not dirt and has windows right? But it’s still the box of mass wood box-iness. Every time I make something that turns into a box or plain rectangle, I kinda die a little inside. This is easily fixed though! We have options 😀
This is a box. We can make it stronger, faster, better!
Ok, all we can really do is just make it better (I hope). Some strategies:
Break up the box shape on the corners.
Kick it out into an oval.
Just link 2 boxes together.
I’m going to go with Option 1 and kick out the corners. Now, how to add some eye pleasing interest to my wood box. Blocks have a kind of visual “movement” to them in addition to patterns. Here are some examples.
From left to right:
Light horizontal, Horizontal, Vertical, Neutral, Busy/Heavy Patterned Neutral
If I make a build out of all horizontal type blocks, it’s going to quickly become an eye-fatigue. Horizontal blocks need some vertical blocks to balance them out and catch your eye, and vice versa. All neutral blocks could use a some heavy patterned blocks so they don’t become a snooze fest. Ever seen the giant all quartz rectangle of “I have a bazillion rupees” or “spent way too much time in the nether”? They’re usually an impressive feat, and a visual snooze fest.
Another great trick is to add depth. Overhangs, walls that are more than 1 block deep, various levels to floors, etc. Adding depth adds interest, and in the wild, it also keeps the spiders from crawling onto your roof.
Slabs are another way to keep the mobs at bay. Mobs cannot spawn on slabs or stairs. The position of the slab is important though. In the pic below, the slab on the left is positioned correctly to prevent spawns. The pic on the right is an invitation for unwelcome guests.
Be careful with your slabs though or your bed will not work. At least one corner must be at a regular solid block level. I’ve placed a torch here on a critical corner. Any of the 4 corners will work. Make sure you have at least 2 blocks of space because that’s where you’ll be standing when you wake up. I usually give myself at least 2.5 clearance, or just 2 with the 3rd high block being a transparent one (leaves, glass, etc).
A giant 5×5 torch grid is effective at keeping the mobs at bay, but not the most beautiful creation ever. Direct lighting is needed and effective, but I’ve always thought indirect lighting is far more pretty. So what sorcery is this? Why is it not dark in this enclosed corner?
Because light shines through many blocks, such as leaves, chests, etc. In the pic above, I hid torches under the chests. See?
Speaking of chests, it’s pretty easy to dress up your chests. Chests can still open with many different blocks above them. Here are some examples, and there are many more.
Here is the final 5×5 survival house gone from drab to fab. Middle section is 2.5 blocks of clearance so if an enderman comes calling, he can’t fit there.
Happy building, hope you all enjoyed 🙂
Blog post by Empire Minecraft player khixan.
Very nice article indeed, and it’s true! I also often play in survival and so far all my builds have been pretty squared. I’ll definitely try to keep this in mind during the build of my next base!
Gee this has given me do many more helpful tips.
Goodbye ugly squares, hello beautiful ovals 🙂
Quote: “Here is the final 5×5 survival house gone from drab to fab. Middle section is 2.5 blocks of clearance so if an enderman comes calling, he can’t fit there.”
What do you mean by saying “2.5 blocks of clearance”? I’m interested in knowing how to stop endermen from getting inside a house.