Good strategies for surviving underground?

[Reaux]

This applies to caves and ruins. I don't necessarily have a hard time surviving underground per se, but it's most certainly challenging. Are there any good strategies for going about the caves and ruins? Would building a base underground be worth the resources or a waste?

[keagan]

First time I went down there, I got stuck and then died. I haven't been back since 

[serpent]

Depends on your goal of playing

 

Some go to the caves/ruins just for loot, like tentaspikes from tentapillars and the ancient crafting in ruins and guardians horn, in which case a base is not really needed.

 

if you seek sustenance in a base, farms are optional, a small base of operations with farms, protection against worms and some green mushrooms for sanity (and clothing of course) is more than enough.

[orian34]

best place is to clear an ancient station for the infinite light...or get to the caves and be close to the green shrooms lands...

[Reaux]

Depends on your goal of playing

 

Some go to the caves/ruins just for loot, like tentaspikes from tentapillars and the ancient crafting in ruins and guardians horn, in which case a base is not really needed.

 

if you seek sustenance in a base, farms are optional, a small base of operations with farms, protection against worms and some green mushrooms for sanity (and clothing of course) is more than enough.

 

Well I like to head to the ruins to stock up on nightmare fuel and gems, but it's so time consuming because the entrance to the cave itself is about half-day's walk from my main base, and then about a full-day's walk from the cave exit to the ruins entrance. The two problems I face mostly are the nightmares and spiders, especially in the ruins, and time is as precious of a resource as everything else (food spoilage, hounds, giants, etc.) So I'd like a more immediate checkpoint to refresh and refuel. I just wasn't sure if a nearby underground base was too risky or if it was actually a good idea.

[THISTINYTHING]

I usually take a ton of berry bushes down there and cut down the spots were the trees grow and plant a garden.

I also live with the bunnies from time to time if I need a bunch of carrots.

Then you can feed off of bats sometimes.

 

I live underground during the winter.

[Auth]

Step 1. Don't live underground

[lynlynlora]

I have relocated beefalo herds underground to make it easier.  they reproduce and everything just like on the surface, so you have manure, meat, and fuel from the wool.

[serpent]

Dropping a beefalo down a sinkhole does seem a lot more logical than a rock lobster up a rope

 

i think i'll transplant a herd as well ^^

 

you can easily live underground, the trick lies with the hats and the lantarn

 

For exploration, use in safe positions the miner hat and walking cane

For unknown territories, use armor and a lantern

For threats that have not aggro'd you, put down the lantern and use a bush hat.

For threats that have aggro'd on you, seek protection of bunnies or rock lobsters, or just run during nightmare cycle.

For sanity, mushrooms, tam 'o shanter, jerky and taffy.

For health, use honey poultices or glands (you should get tons of glands in the caves) or dragonpie if you got a farm and a birdcage going.

 

Cave survival is just like surface survival, overcome problems by counteracting them.