Minecraft Tactics (survival) - Day 1

There exist many reasons for playing Minecraft, but if you play on a normal survival server then it mostly comes down to this checklist for day 1:

1. Scout
• Get an overview - Find a high point and look for a place with trees and exposed rocks where you can find coal deposits. 
• Some landscapes have little or no trees and you might be forced to travel for a long time. See if you can find a good place to settle.
2. Lumbering
•  Gather around 10-15 pieces of wood from trees and convert them all to wooden planks. 
•  Use 4 planks to make a crafting bench and 4 planks to make sticks.
3. Crafting
•  Place the crafting bench near the spot you have identified to be your shelter (often near coal deposits). 
• Make one pickaxe from 2 sticks + 3 planks.
4. Mining
•  Mine at least 3 rocks and all the coal you find nearby (dont spend too much time running around)
• Craft a pickaxe from 2 sticks + 3 cobblestone and use that one from now.
5. Fortifying
• Bouild your shelter for tonight with whatever excess material you have.
• Make it at least 4x4 in size.
6. Gather
•  Spend the rest of the time until nightfall to gather coal, wood, sand, cobble stone and (if lucky) iron ore.
7. Nightfall!
• Once the sun begins to set, you barricade yourself inside your shelter (have a 1x1 opening so you can see out).
• Spend the night crafting shovel, pickaxes, axe, chest, doors etc.
• Mine into the ground if you want ;-)