There's always been this age old question, what is the best level to mine on? I have tested these variables by mining from levels 20 down to level 6, and the results show below. The area was in a controlled enviroment, taking into account the mining shafts and lava of a regular mining area. This test was a 100x100 area, with a 1% margin of error, so the numbers may be off slightly, but the results are still clear. A Silk Touch I Efficiency V Unbreaking III was used throughout the test. The Best Level To Mine On is 11. Be skeptics all you want, but 2 tests and the minecraft wiki don't lie.Results From My Test: Best level to find Diamonds:7 Best level to find Lapis Lazuli: 8,9 Best level to find Redstone:11 Best level to find Gold: 19 Best level to find Iron:14 Best level to find Coal:6 Best level to mine on for ECC values: 11 Logikable's Test: Best level to find Diamonds:9,10 Best level to find Lapis Lazuli: 13,12 Best level to find Redstone:6,10 Best level to find Gold: 10,19 Best level to find Iron:6,10,11 Best level to find Coal:6,20 Best level to mine on for ECC values:11 The Minecraft Wiki's Test: Best level to find Diamonds:11,12 Best level to find Lapis Lazuli:12,13 Best level to find Redstone:6,11 Best level to find Gold:6,15 Best level to find Iron:6,12 Best level to find Coal:6,17 Best level to mine on for ECC values:11 Note: The minecraft wiki's graph has not been updated since January 2012. Therefore, it's data is unreliable. Here are my final results in a spreadsheet: The "Redstone-4.5 per ore. Lapis 6.0 per ore" is the average amount of redstone and lapis lazuli received per ore. Just to reiterate: Here is the minecraft wiki graph that I used: These may be hard to read (try viewing it in full screen by clicking on the picture), but the 4 best levels by far are 11-14, which means the best level to mine at, is when your y is 11. You'll be able to view ores on 11,12,13, and 14. The Best Level To Mine On is 11.
This is so, so far from statistically significant. You need a lot more data before you can draw any conclusions whatsoever.
It's a 100x100 area therefore has a margin of error of 1%. The numbers will not be spot on averages, but you can get the jist of it
What _TANSTAAFL is saying is that your sample size is too small. A 100x100 area is too small of an area to make a statistically significant claim. You would need to mine several areas of the same size on multiple servers to make any data collected statistically relevant. Were talking a few hundred different servers. Your error percentage is off as well. It would be a 0% error if the entire world were 100x100 and you mined the entire world to bedrock. A 1% error would be a 102x100 world where you mined 100x100 to bedrock.
Alright thank you Ketzui, I understand that my margin of error is off as well as the numbers and averages will be but After all, the numbers do show 4 rows that are worth more in ECC than other rows by quite a bit. Since these numbers are off slightly, 12 could be considered another good level to mine on. Plus I spent 15-20 hours on this and I REALLY don't want to try a bigger sample size >.<
It is stupid to judge off own experiences simply search the minecraft wiki to find exact generation for correct statistics.
The minecraft wiki backs up my statements. As you can see, most ores peak or nearly peak at levels 10-14.
Correct it partially backs up the statement about best level to mine at, but I personally checked right now and minecraft wiki says the best levels for lapis is between 13-16, so personal research is never exact unless you mining infinity block which is impossible. You have to analyse the generation code or get the minecraft wiki to do it for you.
I want to apologize for my earlier skepticism... I did not realize just how much mining you did. Great data and I agree. Just from my anecdotal experience, I like 10, 11 and 12.
The best way to have gone about this would have been selecting, let's say, 10 chunks at random and then mining them methodically as you did. Good effort though and thanks for posting the data.
I'm planning to redo the data according to Minecraft averages from the wiki, as Mattybillo1 actually does bring up a lot of great points. I'll just translate those averages into ECC prices and see which levels are the most profitable.
This is a possibility but what if Andrew/KHobbits decided to alter the generation code to change the spots? Again, the Minecraft Wiki backs up his data.
You are still missing a few things. Personally, I mine at level 12. (feet level 12, not head level.) There is one statistic you completely forgot about - it's not all about how much of something good you find, but also how much bad you find. In other words - lava. This isn't even considering silverfish blocks, I have not studied those at all since they started randomly generating in caves, I'm not sure about them. Lava spawns most frequently at levels 10 and below, which I've learned from tons of experience and the Minecraft wiki itself. Having your feet on level 11 would therefore cause lots of lava to spawn in lakes below you, causing you to frequently have to stop and build across, not to mention how dangerous it is to do so. It's an extreme inconvenience, really. Diamonds also spawn most frequently at levels 8-16 (your statistics for more on 7 is just luck - I'm going off of Minecraft code here, which I sadly lack proof for. Your method of going level by level is also inefficient, since veins tend to be two levels high.) therefore 12 is dead in the middle for them, although this assumes you want diamonds more than anything else. The exact calculations/math/whatever behind it is complicated, and would also require testing in more than one area. In my personal opinion, if it's diamonds you want, 12 is the best level, but as for any other ores, I have no clue, but I'm fairly sure 11 will spawn too much lava for you to want to touch them anyway.
Well, if you go lower and run into lava, you have to build stairs to climb up over it. Seems just as inconvenient. Also, when you're lower, your veins can spawn into bedrock costing you money.