[SpookyZalost]

@darth.  I can say from experience that underwater bases aren't that difficult... In fact the easiest way to build one is to first put down a door... This acts as your air supply.  Then you level the area you want to build in.  Shape it in sand/gravel before you build the shell.  Then finally dig the sand/gravel out.  If anyone remembers my underwater domes from years ago, that's how I build them... Never was more happy to have a few diamond shovels.

I had never thought of that, but wanted to do an underwater base as well. This... why didn't I think of this. I'll have to try it next time I play.

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I genuinely enjoy the survival part though, and it kinda takes the fun out of it when you can cheat through it.

Same. Sometimes it takes forever then I switch to cheat or a minute, and it ruins the whole playthrough for me, so I start over. I need to remember never to switch cheats on... it just kills it. Just deal with the grind.

This is why my underwater base method works well.
In leveling the sea floor you get a ton of material to use for the mold and it's easy enough to do in survival...
Plus only a few mobs spawn under water and the hostile ones are usually location specific.
Tbh I've thought about trying one somewhere remote on a pvp server, the deeper beneath the waves the better because of the decrease in vision from water and the difficulty getting so deep without prep work.
I've found sub oceanic ravines at level 12 before that would be perfect lol.