How do i find stuff around ? Like ruins, castles and such - how do i find all the nice materials and templates i read about on the wiki? I know what to look for, just wanted to get some pointers on how to explore more.
Playing pure vanilla, having a server on which kid and me are building.
For general materials, like iron and diamond, digging while being patient is your best bet. Alternatively, cave exploring might be more your thing. Note that certain materials only spawn below certain Z levels, so if you’re not finding what you need, you may need to go deeper. Diamond and redstone, for example, are easiest to find on the same level as lava.
Once you have a diamond pickaxe you can mine obsidian (pour a bucket of water on lava) which is needed to build a nether portal.