well it took 18 IRON PICKAXES too get all the stone required and THREE TRIPS TOO THE NETHER for lava buckets for the furnace too turn the cobblestone into usable stone blocks and then into stone bricks, and some put through the furnace again too make cracked stone bricks
With all that effort just for material gathering I swear too god I will use them
plus have a plan and stick too it. but deviating from it slightly is okay as this might end up making it better. and example of this was adding the dungeon and having the nether portal there. But don't doo this too much else the project will never be done.