Surviving the Frontier and Wastelands

Adventuring out into the Wastelands is the best way to collect resources, but it can also be dangerous if you are not properly prepared. While you are completely safe in the Town, the environments found in the Wastelands and Frontier are like the regular Minecraft world, complete with creepers, lava, and even death.

Take Supplies(top)

If you wander off into the Wilderness without any equipment, chances are you will die. Tools, armor, and food are the three most basic, yet important things you should take with you on your way into the Wilderness. This is especially important in the Nether - there are hardly any natural materials there to create the essential equipment.

Getting Back(top)

If you are deep in the wilderness, it can be very hard to find the outpost and get back to safety. Empire Minecraft has made it a little easier to find your way back to the spawn by adding some specific features:

Compass(top)

When you venture out in the Wastelands, your Compass will point to the closest outpost - just follow the needle! If you do not have a Compass, use the Empire Assistant by typing in the command /assist new.

Note that if you die, your Compass automatically points to your death point. To make it point to the outpost again, use the command /Compass spawn.

If you are in the Nether or the End, your Compass spins aimlessly, but you can still check the coordinates it is pointing to by using the command /loc.

Live Map(top)

Every world (except for the End) on every server has a Live Map, which can make it very easy to see where you need to go. You can find the URL for your current server by using the command /map. You can also access each server's map from the Servers page.

If you are ever hopelessly lost, head for the coordinates (0,0). On every world, those coordinates should be near a spawn area. You can use /loc to see your current coordinates. Another way to view your coordinates as you move is to press the F3 button. This displays the debug screen, which also shows your coordinates and the direction you are facing. Sometimes, it is best to use the Live Map to find the nearest outpost, however.

Another way to avoid getting lost is by using approved minimap mods, which not only display a map of the environment as part of your HUD, but sometimes allow you to set waypoints. Set these waypoints at your personal locations, such as bases, or at outposts/spawn areas.

Survival/Mining Techniques(top)

• Never dig straight down. Anything could be below you, from ravines to lava.
• Never dig straight up. Creepers love dropping in on unwary adventurers, and so does sand, gravel, and lava.
• Do not stand right up against the block you are mining, especially in the Nether. Lava can easily pour out of a newly-made hole and kill you.
• When you in the Nether, always have a stack of cheap materials like cobblestone on you. You can use it to build bridges, and to stack back up to where you were if you were knocked off by a ghast. Unlike netherrack, cobblestone is resistant to fireballs that ghasts shoot toward you.
• If you plan on being near lava, be it deep mining or during Nether expeditions, bring some fire resistance potions!
• If you are planning on building or exploring underwater, do not attempt to do so without having potions of water breathing, or you will have a high risk of drowning.
• Whenever you are building bridges or walking along thin walkways, hold shift. This prevents you from walking off, and it can really save your life.
• Always have a stack of obsidian and some flint and steel in the Nether. Ghasts love blowing up those portals.