by Zedwick » Sun Jun 10, 2012 10:15 pm
when a claim is made, it will extend only 5 blocks below the surface. If the owner of the claim then digs or builds down, the claim will automatically extend with them. It's designed for just the situation you describe, it should only protect below the surface if there is a reason to do so.
There is discussion on adding height limitation, but no-one has an idea of how to do it whilst still keeping it as simple as claims are now. We don't want a convoluted system for new players to need to learn to be able to claim their land, and we also don't want claims to behave unexpectedly. So for the limitations of having claims from ground to the sky, it's probably the best and easiest system we could have.
"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." - Mark Twain