Missing: Sponges

[Inner]

As some of you know, there is an underwater monument maybe 60-100 blocks off my little island. I don't "own" the monument, it's a shared resource I'm just very close to and willing to develop into a grinder. I've known of it's existence since day 1 of the map when I settled the island. But there is a bit of an issue.

Somebody has already raided the monument. They've taken the gold blocks and all the sponges. The gold is a non-issue. But without sponges it's difficult in the extreme to remove the water. So much so, I won't bother. Yes I could probably beg and borrow some, but that is not at all my question.

Are these sponges finders-keepers like dungeon/fortress chests? Or are the sponges "part" of the monument and should they be saved at the monument for future use in draining it? Or what? I mean other than draining monuments there aren't many (if any) uses for sponges that I know of. They are a sort of site-specific item.

Maybe if the sponges are in some far-off monument it's different than a very close-in, next to somebody's house kind of monument. I don't know. What do you think minecrafters of Villunville? How do we do this?

Thanks for your consideration.

[ADevilishPotato]

Well Sea Monuments are an interesting thing. Unlike regular temples, sea monuments take a bit of prep to get everything right to "clear em out" and cant be done in the 30 seconds like the others. I would say that it is "finders, keepers" like anything else, but if someone isn't "ready" to get the stuff when someone else happens by who "is ready," it isn't fair to the person who found it. So I would say in future situations, sign out the area that you have found said temple. Otherwise all resources found within belong to the person brave enough to venture in to get them.

My thoughts...

[c4ridw3n]

Yeah, I know you had been collecting sand to drain that temple, Inner. Sorry to hear it was plundered of the sponges before you could get to it. That being said, there are many temples around and I think that getting sponges comes down to raiding one yourself or with friends. Had you placed signage, lit it up and this happened, I think that would be quite rude. If it wasn't marked then it is hard to fault someone for raiding it.

[Boss Llama]

I would concur with Cari - if it was marked or had work in progress around it, I have a problem with somebody else coming in to take the sponges. Those things are more precious than diamonds. If it was unmarked and just happened to be there, well... it would have been nice for them to ask given the proximity to your home, but I dunno that I could actually call foul on the raid.

[Inner]

If you would be so kind, I'm going to ask you to think harder.

As I stated in the opening post, I believe this monument is a shared resource. Further I suspect sponges belong to a monument, not a player. But so far 3 out of 3 answers imply no, that is wrong, that the finder should put up a sign stating something like "Private property - Get off my lawn".

This is a very important issues of property rights. As Alizee himself said, "those things are more precious than diamonds." And Alizee is correct as usual. You can find diamonds literally anywhere on the map at a given depth range. Not so sponges. This monument thing is new, what? A couple of weeks old? The issue is different than ones that have existed before.

What I'm getting from your replies is that essentially you don't really believe in shared resources, that it's all first come first serve. I am okay with that. But we need to be very explicit about it and not talk about shared resources some times and then "If it's not in a labeled chest, it's mine" other times.

So, think hard. If this is what we really want, I'll play along. Just as soon as I finish raiding every monument in a 1 million square block area

[Boss Llama]

What I'm getting from your replies is that essentially you don't really believe in shared resources, that it's all first come first serve.

Correct

I don't believe we've ever used a shared resources approach. Even those buildings and resources that are at the spawn hub and at mob spawners have been built or collected privately, and voluntarily donated or opened for communal use. The buildings in particular are typically managed or overseen by one or two specific people who voluntarily "fund" them for the public benefit - if (for example) ADP and Cari wanted to close off their guardian spawner and make it private because they're tired of the traffic or are having problems with people coming their way, that would be their prerogative.

To the best of my knowledge, things found in private homes and marked territory have always been restricted/protected, and things that are "in the wild" with no signs of territorial marking have always been up for grabs. The only problem I would have with the raid in question (assuming it was unmarked, so to speak) is that it occurred within visual range of your home, and I would assume it to be your personal territory under the "if you can see them, you need to ask permission" rules we use for settling. I definitely wouldn't assume communal ownership.

Ocean Temples are uncommon, but aren't rare or limited in quantity in the way something like End Portals are, where it's not possible for a server to have more than X number. I would equate sponges to emeralds in some ways; they serve a useful but limited purpose, and they only appear in certain areas, but more of those areas can always be found. If, as you say, you want to spend the next several months methodically exploring and raiding every unclaimed ocean temple within 500km of spawn, that's cool with me. Fortune favors the bold, and it's up to each person to decide what they want to spend their time doing.

[FingerDemon]

I guess I am unclear on something. I thought you could use the sponge to clear the water, then cook the sponge of the water and reuse it. If the sponge is removed from the temple, does it refill? If not, we can use sponges from earlier temples to clear new ones, right? And there is a temple near my place that I am not ready to take on. I'm pretty sure it is untouched. If someone wants to join me, I'm interested more in the experience of it than the loot.

Also, tell me what I should do to prepare. At this point all I know is underwater breathing spell.

[Inner]

FingerDemon, your thinking is correct. Sponges as found are "wet sponges". You cook them to make dry sponges. You can reuse them infinite (?) times as far as I can tell.

Underwater breathing at a bare minimum, but I wouldn't go without also adding:

Night Vision 8min
Strength 8min
Regeneration 2min (have several)
Milk

Also darn handy: Resperation, Aqua Affinity, Depth Strider enchants on armor.

First kill the elder guardian fish, the big ones. They cause mining fatigue. Milk cures the mining fatigue. However be aware milk also erases all your other good potions too. What I do is have all my potions ready, but don't use them, and jump in to break open the top layer of the temple where one elder guardian hides. If I break in without getting mining fatigue, great! Take my other potions and go on to kill the 2 other elder guardians. If I don't break in because I got mining fatigued, drink the milk and break in. After you drink the milk you have maybe a minute before you get bitten with mining fatigue again. Be sure to pickup the sponge each elder guardian drops. Look for the sponge room and harvest. Best of luck sir!

[ADevilishPotato]

I guess I am unclear on something. I thought you could use the sponge to clear the water, then cook the sponge of the water and reuse it. If the sponge is removed from the temple, does it refill?

no, water physics apply so if you clear out the temple it doesn't refill with water. And yes you can dry them out an infinite amount of times

[Jonathin]

How I cleared one out:

No armor
No potions
No enchantments
All doors
Final Destination.

[Boss Llama]

There are a number of ways one can clear a temple, some of which have been suggested here. Just to add to the list, here's what I did to clear the one I'm working on:

-Remove all armor and open at least one slot on hotbar, so you can be empty handed
-Drink 8 minute potions of water breathing and invisibility
-Swim in with empty spot active, but carrying a high end sword in one of your other hotbar slots
-Swim straight up the the elder guardians, switch to sword, and kill them
-Locate a sponge room that shares a roof with the overall structure, and note the coordinates

Hard part done!

After that you just exit the temple, and build a hollow column to the surface directly over the sponge room. Drain the column by dropping in sand and then just dig straight down through it, placing ladders as you go. Enter sponge room by breaking through ceiling. Close off the exit to the room with trap doors, install chest and furnace directly in room for cooking sponges, drain room and harvest. You won't need potions again, though water enchantments will help. Just use that dry room you're in as a base to explore and drain the monument. Drying out rooms will force back the guardians with minimal combat in most cases, and the only tools you need besides the sponges will be some blocks to hold back water as temporary barriers, and a stack of ladders for moving between levels with the water removed. Maybe some torches to prevent mob spawns in the darker part.

If anybody would like to see a cleared/dry temple on the inside to get an idea of what they look like and how to navigate (all are different, but use the same set of rooms), let me know and I'd be happy to take you through when I'm on.

[Jonathin]

You can then

open the door, get on the floor and do the dinosaur?

[ADevilishPotato]

also when drying it out, it helps a lot to start from the top and work your way down.