Your HCS Outpost Process?

[Taleric]

Do you have a specific process to your outpost construction in the HCS area? If so please share, when in tech, what you make, and what you leave ect.

Hashing into the new update sans maps till mid-game; I am contemplating a process to secure sustainable food in early game before dangerous deep caving takes place.

I plan to do a long early tech roam in the "suspected" HCS area. (the initial startup took me several hundred blocks from 0,0). I will play as Johnny pumpkin seed establishing outposts on chickens I find, plant hemp/pumpkins, do some light mining and move on.

I should not miss any fun, only save myself some tree punching if the outposts pay off once I do HCS.

I normally have waited till maps and wheat to outpost, time to try something new.

[FlowerChild]

I should not miss any fun

Dunno man. I actually am slightly disappointed now when I respawn in an area in my world that is already established :)

[kingcharlesiii]

Ok, so the term "Johnny pumpkin" brought a very pleasing image to my head.

What I'm trying to do is build up the tech level to actually quite a high point. I play it safe until hopefully I can get a crucible going. With that, I can get as much stone as I need to build markers. I plan to make them in a line going north and south, so that when I spawn and travel west, I can hit the line to find my main base.

It is risky. I've died a few times before I've even built a windmill. But its pretty fun to just keep going west, looking for lost bases.

[Gunnerman21]

Wouldn't it backfire if you go the wrong way?

[Taleric]

I thought I might get my fill of the early play but maybe the lack of spawn into the wilderness would become disappointing :P. At the moment it is that wonderful bare bones exploration :)

On the direction, I had set out with the sun and am making my way back. I imagine I will be a little off when I branch out but even if I get 1/3 of spawn it will lock me in nicely.

I will toss a map up in a few months to laugh at how it played out. (Got my fingers crossed it will be a cool looking web of roads to settlements.)

[Wibbles]

I find the first major step for me is actually to get over the initial ragequit associated with dying (and optionally losing all your diamond equipment in lava). It usually takes a RL day. Then I'm refreshed and ready to face the respawn :) It's much better than having the world deleted, that's for sure. I've found it isn't a setback as such, but what you could call an involuntary investment...

So far I've been playing my current world for what must be 100+ hours by now; I started setting up a spawn base, then I died and was plonked down in a snow biome bordered by some fantastic snowy mountain scenery. I loved the location so much it evolved into a proper fortress, complete with portal on a mountaintop in the distance (thanks for the inspiration -J- ); so now it's connected to spawn via a series of torches on top of 2 high cobble markers.

I find if you're dead set on getting back to your "main base" you'll find yourself rushing through the early game and dying repeatedly, getting frustrated and ragequitting. IMO, it has to be taken slowly and enjoyed. The sooner you accept you're not getting back any time soon, the more fun you'll have. And then it won't seem so urgent to get back to what you were doing when you died. With that in mind, these outposts I construct are not rushed shabby affairs, I put a lot of time and energy into them to make them look good, and getting a sustainable food source up for future use. They end up becoming fully functional bases.

To be quite honest I have never got as far as the end or defeating the wither - when I get there, I worry that it really will be the end and I'll lose interest. When I feel like it I'll go and do it, but there's no rush. There's actually far more incentive now for me to find a stronghold and visit the end now since it's the only way to get SFS. Absolutely brilliant design.

[PatriotBob]

I've kinda felt like I missed out on the whole HCS gameplay aspect. Usually by the time I've established a base, which I usually do when I have sustainable food source (usually chickens, pumpkins and mushrooms) I have done a fair amount of exploring in the area. So by the time I die, I know where I am well enough to get back to the base in a day. The only time I have had an issue is when I spawned in a jungle and built my base on the edge of it only to find most of the HCS area was in or on the other side of the jungle, which made a run difficult to do in a day.

And it's hard to justify building secondary bases when you know that your main base is just a half day run in a particular direction. So usually I'm just building roads for common travel routes, and that's about it. In the case of the jungle spawn, I just put a hut roughly a days run around the side with food in it.

Maybe I just play too cautious... *shrug*

[Six]

I find if you're dead set on getting back to your "main base" you'll find yourself rushing through the early game and dying repeatedly, getting frustrated and ragequitting. IMO, it has to be taken slowly and enjoyed. The sooner you accept you're not getting back any time soon, the more fun you'll have. And then it won't seem so urgent to get back to what you were doing when you died. With that in mind, these outposts I construct are not rushed shabby affairs, I put a lot of time and energy into them to make them look good, and getting a sustainable food source up for future use. They end up becoming fully functional bases.

You've nailed how respawns should be treated there in my opinion, though this is a thing which I've seen so many new players struggle with. It always amuses me when people set up a crafting bench in a cave and get a stone pick, and then when they die they go on about how they need to 'find their stuff', running around blindly in frustration till they back themselves into a hopeless situation. I feel this is where the rogue-like(-like) comparison is most apt, in that when you done-goofed you (hopefully learn from your mistake and) have to start again from the beginning, playing through again at least until you've got an iron pick and compass. I've seen far too many people fall into despair spending 20+ minutes hopelessly trying to get back to their cave, when it would only take 10 minutes to get to the same level of progress they already had.

[EtherealWrath]

Usually its a cave/hole in a wall with skylight and east or west window for tracking position of the moon.

I make a habit of leaving a bit of food in the 'cooked' area of a furnace, sawdust/bark or a stone axe in the food slot.
-more advanced holes have chests and torches.
The areas between get left alone- so theres usually fresh meat in the area.

[Mud]

I do much the same as Wrath; leave some food and tools along with my furnace and table.

-more advanced holes have chests and torches.

"advanced holes" made me laugh.

[eternal8phoenix]

In my current world I've only HCS'd once, but then I did start up a base there as I worked my way up to iron pick and a compass. Left myself a chicken hole, a pumpkin and a mushroom farm as well as markers to lead me home.

And if I die again, that will be my gameplan- establish a base with renewable food while grinding for gear, leave behind some survival tools for the next trip home, and leave trail markers pointing home. I wouldn't go far with the tech tree though, probs not even as far as a cauldron. I've built up a nice home at spawn and I don't want to stray too far from it. And I really don't feel there's much point to a cauldron without netherrack to keep it going.

[ExpHP]

Oh, is this thread asking about exploring the HCS zone? (as in, prior to spawning there?)

I don't really go too far from my shelter. For the most part, I don't really need to. When I used to go out on long hunting trips, I liberally placed landmarks pointing back to my current base, and did nothing else (because having an outpost would serve little purpose there as I could just as easily walk home following the landmarks)

This goes a long way from my initial dreams of eventually filling the HCS zone with floating structures containing breeding pairs of animals to replenish the wildlife that keep getting wiped from the face of the earth, but... uhm... yeah, those plans might be a little difficult to realize.


Old post:

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When I respawn, I don't build an outpost. I build a base.

I built up a base and got up to either Iron or Diamond at every place where I have HCSed. And I stayed at each one for real-life days; basically, I stayed until I died. Most of my outposts have small to moderately-sized pumpkin, melon, cocoa, and hemp farms, even if I didn't have much use for the latter two back then. (Just forward-thinking :P)

The intent always was to make a portal at each base so I could connect them, but for the longest time, I kept managing to get myself killed every time I got up to Diamond/Obsidian. But eventually, I did make that Nether Portal. And a few deaths later, I managed to make another. So my main base now consists of 2 of these "outposts" connected by a nether road.

It's been a long, looong time since I've respawned in a new land, but if I ever do - or if I happen to respawn at another old base - I'll work it into my network somehow. And then before I know it, the entire world shall be mine! Ah hahahahaa!

[Taleric]

This is good stuff! It sounds like people focus effort on their current HCS unless the way back is obvious; returning to the main if they tech to compass.

Outposts during exploration mid/late game sound like markers or very minimal supply cashes. I have definitely fallen prey to hopeless searching vice getting a start.

Maybe I will reconsider traveling far and wide so early, stick to the proper HCS mechanic and embrace the suck :P

[jkievlan]

I find if you're dead set on getting back to your "main base" you'll find yourself rushing through the early game and dying repeatedly, getting frustrated and ragequitting. IMO, it has to be taken slowly and enjoyed. The sooner you accept you're not getting back any time soon, the more fun you'll have. And then it won't seem so urgent to get back to what you were doing when you died. With that in mind, these outposts I construct are not rushed shabby affairs, I put a lot of time and energy into them to make them look good, and getting a sustainable food source up for future use. They end up becoming fully functional bases.

Yep I just treat it as a new game every time I die, and the HCS radius slowly evolves until it's covered in a network of well-run bases. At that point HCS hardly matters, because anytime I die I'm within sight of a bridge or road or base. Besides, having ten different bases to collect resources from is great when you're trying to scrape together iron and such for early tech development.

[erikdk321]

I should not miss any fun

Dunno man. I actually am slightly disappointed now when I respawn in an area in my world that is already established :)

Im starting to feel the same way, i find it kind of relaxing to start from scratch, and very rewarding once you finally find your precious redstone ore.

[Dorugami]

My bases outside my base are just quaint little hobbit holes. I make a point of leaving behind any scrap redstone I get in these bases, usually two to four to ease transition into HCS whenever it does happen. I don't really rush the bases either, as I want them to look like actual hobbit holes XD. HCS is all about enjoying the small things, put the big one in perspective when you get back there.

[FlowerChild]

I never really understood the "leave redstone behind" bit. I always construct arrows out of dirt slabs or whatever at my HCS bases indicating the direction to spawn so that I don't need to waste any redstone dust like that.

[EmptyNight]

I never really understood the "leave redstone behind" bit. I always construct arrows out of dirt slabs or whatever at my HCS bases indicating the direction to spawn so that I don't need to waste any redstone dust like that.

Maybe just thinking that you need a compass to get back to spawn and leaving redstone to make crafting one significantly easier. I wouldn't put it past myself to miss the obvious, simple solution of an arrow and do that instead.

[FlowerChild]

Maybe just thinking that you need a compass to get back to spawn and leaving redstone to make crafting one significantly easier. I wouldn't put it past myself to miss the obvious, simple solution of an arrow and do that instead.

Thanks for restating my point without adding anything :P

[Dorugami]

I never really understood the "leave redstone behind" bit. I always construct arrows out of dirt slabs or whatever at my HCS bases indicating the direction to spawn so that I don't need to waste any redstone dust like that.

I can only configure my arrows in the six obvious directions...I'm very unimaginative. Also, my new world no longer has a lighthouse and the entire base is sunk about 20 blocks underground...which renders it near undetectable if you don't go over the lip.

I also like torturing myself.

[Taleric]

For my underground locations I make sure to get a ladder well spire up high as quickly as possible. It is so easy to miss little dugouts by a few meters!

I have a disaster now searching for the diamond level base maybe just outside HCS area.... (Got lazy and decided I would mark path to 0.0 later.). So marking ASAP is a new lesson learned; it is taking so long to locate I am beginning to question if it really exists! Lol

[myrkana]

my current world im using pumpkins to point in the right direction ^^ the face of the pumpkins are facing towards spawn and i plan to add jack o lanterns in place of them alter on so you can see them at night from far away, and add small shelters along the path way with some eggs and a couple stone tools to materials.

[Gunnerman21]

My first HCS outpost building process is currently underway, I have no idea where I am or how close I am to spawn, but luckily I got enough iron for a pickaxe and I found some pumpkins and deep water for fishing. I just have to make it through each night now listening to the howling taiga biome in the distance. The iron pick I made is actually the first ever iron pick I've made in about a year, so now I'm gonna test its durability by collecting a ton of food and going on an epic hunt for the remaining iron to finish my hoe. But if I can somehow find redstone, my work will be done. I'll probably set up my farm and get food, but other than that, my original base should have plenty of things already set up. I'll most likely have to cross water to get back... I think.. but I can cross in the day which would work fine as long as I pay attention to where I steer.

TL;DR: I has plan!

[Taleric]

I like the jack-o-lantern idea, highly visible and relatively cheap!

Made a big error with water crossing recently; you can't help but be lured out to sea and only a matter of time till a freak storm summons the kraken :D