Minerealm Community Forums

Branch mining is the most efficient. Someone did a mathematical analysis on it in the official forums.

Here's a brief description of branch mining:

You dig down to the bedrock, because that's where you're going to find the most different kinds of stuff. One or two layers above the bedrock, so you don't have it interfering with your work, you dig a long tunnel, 2 high and 1 wide, which will serve as the trunk. Then, every 4 squares on either side of the trunk, you dig perpendicular tunnels extending out 20 blocks (or as far as you want). You leave 3 undug blocks between because veins are generally 2x2 horizontally, so you will see ore in the vein even though there is technically one row of unexplored blocks. When you finish that layer, you can start one a layer above, offsetting the branches by one block so that you are more likely to find veins you could possibly have missed the first time.

So when you thought I was using X-Ray, that was incorrect. But I will admit I was finding a ton of diamond, but that's because I know where to dig when using F3. SO I apologize if that bugged you enough to ban me, so could you please remove the Ban you placed on me >.> account name is 3022321.



http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/112 ... 2-and-you/

I've branch mined in the manner you talk about. It's hardly efficient enough to trip the script.

I do branch mining too..but usually I start at the top then go down..to avoid lava lakes. Anyhow, the script seems accurate enough. Diamond block clusters are like at least 16 blocks apart (i think). So I think it makes sense.

Indeed, each chunk only has one diamond vein in it. (so 16 apart on average)

It's possible you got lucky and maybe triggered the script in which case you should have a mod/admin check out your mine. If it is a branch mine you should be unbanned.

Just curious, is branch mining different than strip mining? I think strip mining doesn't leave out that middle column you were talking about. I do think he should be unbanned if he is branch mining. However, I've been strip mining since before the first purge and I'm not efficient enough to be auto banned by the script. Hope it doesn't happen to me in the future.

The only time I have ever almost passed the limit was in a massive cave system where I could see the diamonds across the room after I had lit it with torches. Branch mining is VERY unlikely to yield that many diamond in that amount of time.

Well the think is I WAS and I did get really lucky cause I came across a cavern with several clusters in plain view.. >.< I got a good 14-16 in the cavern then continued on my way

I also run the game through the browser >.> cause I get this Java error cannot create virtual machine, so If you had any doubts I hope that quelled them because I don't think u can use mods in browser. I don't know much about mods for minecraft..

Honestly, Branch Mining is a very efficient way to look for diamond. If you had enough practice it's no surprise that you could have caused some stir with the amount that you got.

Diamond clusters are actually relatively closer to each other than a lot of people might think. If he had a good quality pickaxe and knew what he was doing, finding diamond would be a walk in a park.

From the looks of the User's original post, it does look like he is knowledgeable in the technique of Branch Mining and he appears intelligent enough to abide by future rules given to him.

In my personal opinion, he should be unbanned.

Branch mining will not trigger the xray hack detector. We know what it is. The threshold is set high enough that branch mining alone will not get you caught. If you were banned for xray, claiming branch mine won't work.