User:ISFJbadger/Drafts/Spawn tunnel system
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 | This draft has been submitted for review. |
(To reviewers: the players who took part in the tunnel projects were randoms of little consequence.)
| ISFJbadger/Drafts/Spawn tunnel system | |
|---|---|
 A part of the tunnel system near X: -3k Z: -10k (likely destroyed now) | |
| Founded | Unknown |
| Dimension | Overworld |
The Spawn tunnel system refers to the network of underground passages in the Spawn region, made up of natural caves and player-dug tunnels. They may be used for travelling.
Description
Tunnels have likely existed under Spawn since the beginning of the server, consisting of natural caves and mining tunnels and were expanded by various players. Currently, there are no groups dedicated to maintaining them.
Types
- Natural caves generated in the Alpha and Beta versions. Most noodle caves within 5,000 blocks from spawn have been explored, looted and illuminated. Despite the disorienting nature of the caves, the tunnels frequently follow the course of natural caves, making navigation difficult without a map.
- Narrow tunnels dug by early players. Most of these tunnels are deep underground and have been connected to create long-distance thoroughfares. Oddly, there were some tunnels dug at the highest bedrock level.
- Tunnels that are part of another project. For example, the +X and -Z highways have tunnels underground that travel together with the highways. Wider, furnished tunnels that are ~30 blocks underground can lead to underground outposts or farms.
- Connections between the existing tunnels.
In 2020, there was widespread griefing of highways in the Inner Spawn region. For another way of travelling in Spawn, a few players started a project to map the tunnels in the Inner Spawn area through rudimentary means such as Freecam and hand-drawn maps. In this process, they improved existing tunnel systems within X/Z 5,000, connected segments and constructed checkpoints.
To hide the purpose of the tunnels, they adopted a no container policy and broke chests (mostly empty or containing junk) and furnaces on important thorough-ways. They also spawn-proofed some tunnels with cobblestone slabs, to ensure the safety of the travelers. However, they also destroyed some farms; one to protect the tunnels around them from being discovered and griefed, and one as to not make the experience too easy.
After the Spawn sky symbols were constructed, they were popular for travelling around spawn easily, but it was difficult to get down without water. There was a plan to connect the obsidian platforms with the tunnel systems, by digging strategically-positioned holes in the terrain so one could fall from the obsidian sky ~200 blocks directly into a pool of water inside the tunnels. However, only a few of these falls were implemented.
Notable tunnels
- The Viet Nam Tunnel, according to a sign from 2015, was a long underground tunnel running toward -Z, leading over 10,000 blocks.
- The Skele Spawn Tunnels, according to a sign found within, was a tunnel that connects to a skeleton spawner and a spider spawner.
- The accessory -Z road was a tunnel that ran along the -Z axis highway underground. It contains many signs from past travellers, plenty of empty chests but no food.
- The Wither Cave Bridge was a floating bridge made out of stained glass that went ~40 blocks above the bare bedrock and connected the base of two lavacasts, with columns of lit netherrack providing light. As of 2024, it has been destroyed.
- A 2x2 tunnel fortified with obsidian was found in the -X, -Z quadrant passing below the old lava curtain. It proved somewhat resistant to wither-caused destruction and ran a few hundred blocks.
Future
As of 2024, part of the Spawn tunnel system has been destroyed or filled in, probably because of increased player activity in underground Spawn after the 1.19.4 update. Some tunnels even contain wardens.
However, as Spawn has mostly been covered under multiple layers of obsidian in the sky, taking the tunnels might allow the player to avoid mobs and better survive.