Minecraft wiki entry for Multiplayer_PvP_bases, associated text: The first thing to do is deciding where do you want to build your base. The best location would be an ocean, far away from the shore, but beware, as people can drop their render distances to glitch inside. Once you have located a good spot, create an airshaft and start digging down. You usually want to build the base at layers 10-20 so you can mine for diamonds easily. Get ready for LOTS of spare cobblestone, and you will eventually run into coal and iron, and if you're lucky, gold or even diamonds.