FAQ and EAQ (Gameplay only!) --Worst Necro on the FTB forum, thanks for the notification spam guys!!

[Celestialphoenix]

I'm making this thread, as I'm kinda fed up of seeing the same things being asked again and again.

-Also there appears to be a lack of a FAQ thread. If I'm incorrect then feel free to delete/lock this one. thanks​

Note- This is only looking at gameplay mechanics and solutions- for installation/crashes/errors ect please look elsewhere. This is a work in progress. some things may be out of date.
I know I've missed a fair few- let me know and I'll add them.


General List of abbreviations

BC Buildcraft​

BT Blulectricity (RP energy)​

EBXL Extra BiomesXL​

Eu Energy Units (IC2 energy)​

ExB Extre Bees​

GT Gregtech​

IC2 Industrialcraft 2​

mB Milli-buckets​

NEI Not enough items (sometimes called any-items)​

MJ Minecraft Joules (BC energy) (sometimes called MegaJoules)​

RC Railcraft​

RP [RP2] Redpower 2​

TC Thaumcraft​

TE Thermal Expansion​

TF Twilight Forest​

(All/BC) Why won't Redstone engines generate power/run a quarry/machines?

As of 1.4 redstone engines and autarchic gates. will no longer run machines generate power through conductive pipes, with the exception of a few low power machines (like the BC pump).​

They can still pump items/fluids through pipes.​

(All) Why do I have different types of copper/tin ingots ect?

Every mod that uses copper/tin adds its own ores and ingots to the game. The extra ores are turned off, so you'll only find 1 type of tin/copper ore, but different ore processing will make ingots respective to that mod. (so maceration+smelt will make IC2 ingots, pulverise+smelt will make TE ingots).​

Ingot types can be changed by feeding back into your processing line and re-smelting them.​

-Update- you can also use the Forge Lexicon, or the Gregtech converter.​

(All) Why can't I find tin/copper ect?

You're mining/cave diving at the wrong Y level, tin and copper are found higher in the world.​

Gregtech ores are biome based.​

check the default ore distributions for you modpack. (Direpack, Mindpack, Magipack, Specific GT ores)​

​

(RP) Why can't I find indigo flowers?

Indigo flowers normally grow in any vanilla biome with naturally occurring flowers, but can be grown with bonemeal and pollinated/spread by bees. (check the forestry apiculture config->beekeeping.flowers.custom=214:0)​

(All) Waah!!!! New Terrain gen/features- what is XX?

Here's a fairly neat thread with all the new terrain gen.​

(RP) Deployers wont fill buckets from tanks!

This will (hopefully) be fixed soon, until then:​

-Liquid transposer can auto-fill buckets​

-Redpower pump can place source blocks through a grate (lava/oil/water only). Deployers can (still) bucket source blocks I think)​

-Railcraft and XyCraft tanks have an auto-filling feature for buckets ect in their GUI​

(Mindcrack) I can't make mineral blocks/quarry/drill/chainsaw/massfab ect....

GT changed a lot of recipes to rebalance the game. Mineral blocks are made in a compressor, and the massfab is turned off- craft the matterfab instead. See your NEI screen for details.​

-Currently this makes 'Gregtech' and not 'Redpower' storage blocks, so this may cause a few issues when cutting with a handsaw.​

​

(XY) Why wont quartz crystals stack together?

They have different damage values, and are seen as different items. This is fixed by shift clicking them into a container (any chest/canvas bag/backback ect.) Update- this appears to be fixed.​

​

(XY) Is there a practical use for XYcraft crystals?

They can be recycled into scrap, and used for TC research.​

(RP/BC) How do I connect a quarry to a tube network?

Build a RP relay. Its designed to connect tubes with pipes and vice versa. (Image)​

​

(RP/TE) How do I connect Thermal Expansion machines to a tube network?

Tubes will only connect to an input face (usually blue/purple/green), or a grey/neutral face.​

To connect the output faces, place a relay next to that side, and connect your tubes as normal. (Image)​

->Relays will eject into an input face- working as an omni-directional hopper.​

​

(BC/RP) My buildcraft pipes vanish when moved with frames!

Pipes do not mesh well with frames- use tubes.​

​

(All) How do I stop my engines overheating?

Combustion engines need a constant water supply to stay cool. Gates placed next to an engine can detect the engine heat level. Set them to​

Engine Blue= Redstone signal​

Engine Green= Redstone signal​

Note- engines/pipes also overheat/explode if the power has nowhere to go- conduits/cells/some machines will leak excess power and prevent this.​

​

(All) Items in inventory are very dark.

NEI has an item highlight option toggled by double clicking the search bar. All items, which name doesn't match search quarry, will appear darker. It is useful when searching for an item among different inventories.​

When this mode is active, the search bar has a yellow outline.​

(All) Vanishing/Invisible Barrels, signs, inventory ect.

Relogging will make them re-appear. This appears to be related to optifine and chunks unloading.​

Having optifine installed may also cause visual bugs with engines, inventory, player model and forestry machines. ​

​

(RP) Chunkloaders being moved by frames.

Chunkloaders and frames may have a few bugs/glitches (see DW20's server play).​

A mechanism to place and collect the chunkloaders appears to be the best workaround at this time.​

Worldanchors seem to be working in the current build.​

​

(RC) Why wont worldanchors keep an area loaded?

Worldanchors now use enderpearls as fuel to keep an area loaded. A single enderpearl will give you 12 hours real time. (available to change via config)​

​

(Forestry) Forestry biogas engines stuck/not drawing fuel from internal tank.

Make sure there is at least 1000mB (1 bucket) of fuel in the main tank.​

The engine sticking bug is being fixed in the next release.​

-Temporary solution, build several engines, and start them out of phase. When one is shut down, the others are running. If there's space in the internal tank, manually placing a bucket of fuel will kick-start the engine again.​

(Thaumcraft) My wand wont recharge.

Make yourself the goggles of revealing, and find an aura node (silverwood trees always have one)​

Plant a silverwood sapling next to your base.​

-If you dont see the aura when wearing the goggles, check the MCF thread on re-generating the nodes.​

(until then give yourself a fresh wand out of NEI)​

​

(Mystcraft) I'm stuck in an age because I forgot to brink a linkbook home!

Well that was clever, wasnt it?​

-There's no way out -so delete your world and start over.​

​

(Mystcraft) I'm stuck in an age because my linkbook was destroyed/I lost it.

If you have sugarcanes and cows/chickens make a linkbook and start age diving until you find a star fissure.​

If not then give yourself a notebook out of creative mode, and make an age with star fissure.​

-Or /give yourself some item 90 (nether portal). This will dump you in the nether, and you can head home from there.​

On a sever (or open to LAN with cheats), /tpx to go to overworld spawn.​

(Direpack) I cant make ultimate solar helmet.

This item uses the ultimate hybrid solar panel, from advanced solars. Direpack has compact solars, so you can't make it.​

(TE) How do I pick up liquiducts/RE conduits/Cells?

Crouch (shift) + right click with a crescent hammer.​

(TE) How do I get empty liquiducts to connect to liquid filled ones?

Right click the side you want to connect with a crescent hammer.​

​

 

[Celestialphoenix]

(All) Which machines produce which power?

Engines (typically made with a piston & gears) produce Buildcraft power/MJ​

Generators (typically contain refined iron) produce Industrialcraft power (Eu)​

Thermopile/Kinetic/Solar panel made with blue wafer/alloy produce BT for Redpower.​

(All) Which machines use which power?

General rule of thumb is to look at the crafting recipes: if it contains​

Machine block, uses Eu​

Machine frame or Sturdy machine and/or Gears, uses MJ​

Blue alloy ingot, uses BT​

(IC2) How do I pick up my machines?

Right click with a bronze wrench or electric wrench.​

​

(IC2) How do I switch to lossless wrench/change mining laser modes ect?

With the item in your hand, hold M (mode switch key) and right click.​

​

(All) How do I get excess/spare liquid fuel out of an engine?

Right click the internal tank GUI with a pipette. (will hold up to 1 bucket.)​

Pipettes can be emptied in the same fashion.​

RP fluid pipes and also suck excess fuel out of an engine.​

(All) Whats the best fuel source/power system?

Make lots of power. Get power fast. Easy/Cheap to do.​

You can only pick 2. Enjoy.​

(GT) How to I stop circuits/machine from cycling in NEI?

Pressing shift (sneak) will hold the animation.​

Alternately change all the #Circuitry tab options in the Gregtech recipes config to false.​

(RP/BC) How to I connect pipes/tubes to barrels?

Barrels only connect through the top and bottom faces; items go in the top and out the bottom.​

-If you want a solid wall of barrels, use the Factorization Item Router.​

(Forestry/Misc.P) Whats the difference between the Forestry and MiscPeripherals bee analysers?

The forestry bee analyser (item) is to manually identify bee types in your hand.​

The forestry bee analyser (block) is for automating bee analysis with pipes/tubes. (Apiarist pipes are very useful here)​

The MiscPeripherals bee analyser has the same functionality, but specifically designed to work with turtles and computercraft.​

(all) What are these crazy new enchantments?

Vorpal (blade) chance to 1 hit KO a monster/player, sometimes drops a head. (added by redower)​

Disjunction (blade) like smite, but for endermen. works well with the Atheme. (added by redpower)​

Soul Stealer (blade) increases the souls harvested per kill to charge your soul shard faster. (vile sword only)​

Shadow (?) need some help on this one- looks awesome though (part of soul shards mod).​

Thorns (armour) damages monsters in physical contact with you. (added by vanilla)​

Fiery (armour) damages monsters in physical contact with you (added by twilight forest) (needs confirming)​

Fiery (tools) needs confirmation, possibly auto-smelts.​

Repair (tool/blade)- self repairs by draining vis from the aura (thaumcraft toys only)​

Haste (?) Efficiency?​

Potency (wand) Increased effects/area. more damage on attack wands​

Charging (wand) Repair​

Frugal (wand) Unbreaking​

Treasure (wand) Fortune​

​

(all) Whats the best way to process ores?

See this thread for exact numbers, but generally​

Fastest- IC2, 200% yield at 20 items/second​

Biggest yield- Factorization- 300% yield, over 20 minutes per cycle​

Best Yield/tech -Thermal Expansion, 200+5-10%-> rich slag can make ANY base ingot.​

Best Yield/time- Thaumcraft Native Clusters, ~216% w/3 bellows on the furnace.​

Gregtech offers some advanced processing- giving 300% for certain ores.​

(all) Best way to gain XP/Enchantments?

By doing it properly- killing monsters.​

​

(all) But I'm a coward and I wussed out!!

Vanilla or Thaumic smelting, fishing, breeding, mining non-smeltable ore, Melee turtles, Villager priests, or simply pressing the X button with NEI open.​

Vanilla furnace will drop XP for re-smelting vanilla metal dusts into ingots. *cough*​

​

(TF) How do I make my saplings 20% cooler?

Plant canopy saplings, and don't bonemeal them.​

-This is probably the most awesome tree type in game.​

(TF) How do I grow a massive Twilight oak/ Get 'robust' saplings?

Currently cutting twilight oak only drops 'sickly' saplings- which grow the same as small vanilla oaks.​

Robust saplings grow to full size, and currently only appear as very rare dungeon loot.​

​

(All) I need to keep it dark - how do I stop monsters spawning?

Monsters dont spawn...​

In mushroom island biome​

On clear blocks (various forms of glass)​

On half/microblocks (as long as the top surface isn't a full block)​

On XyCraft blocks​

In fluids​

if there isnt enough space (such as 1 block high rooms)​

​

This is useful for running moisteners and other gameplay mechanics that need darkness. A well designed dark room can be fully open to your base and never cause problems with monsters.​

​

(EE/All) Equivalent Exchange is broken/overpowered- I can make infinite XX with YY machine and a minium stone!!

Please shut up- theres a little thing called self control.​

EE is a WIP, and first need to work/balance with vMC before adding unnecessary complexity with mod balance. Besides now you have semi-infinite XX, well what can you do with it? not too much huh?​

​

Given the amount of mods here, there's a fair few 'exploits' to give 'infinite' XX. Its not only EE, and some are far more overpowered than 'unlimited' bone meal.​

Some mod mechanics give far more resources for 'free' than a recipe exploit with a magic stone that'll eventually break. Please, self control and less whining.​

​

Exploits are only exploits if you exploit them.

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(All) Pumping lava from the nether is OP- I can't control myself THIS MUST BE NERFED!!!!!!

SSP- its called self control. If you can't then seek professional help and stop posting here.​

Server Admins- make it against your server rules if you dislike this.​

There's many other methods of creating equal/larger amounts of power on the cheap- try being creative instead of "Hurr-Durr! fuel lake."​

Besides Dire and Forge Co. generally disdain using exploits- and there's been nether pumping in every season.​

(RC) Are High pressure boilers REALLY that inefficient?

Block for block, a HP boiler will burn twice the fuel to make twice the steam than an LP boiler.​

(So same fuel efficiency in the long run)​

However bigger boilers are more fuel efficient, so an 18HP and 36LP will produce the same amount of steam- but the LP will be more efficient due to its size.​

~Generally only build an HP if you're going full size.​

(This is for continuous running at max heat.) (Wiki)​

​

(RC) Should I let my boiler idle, or shut down if I'm not using any power?

Leave it running and dump excess power into a magma crucible- reclaim the lava in magmatic/combustion engines or geo/thermal generators when you need extra.​

(BC) Help-My quarry disappeared shortly after powering it! (the engines didnt explode)

Did you put it inside the landmarked area? Yes? Aren't you clever?​

If you did there's no way to recover your quarry so delete your world mine another 11 diamonds and don't do it again.​

​

(Bees!) How do I get XX bee?

Full breeding guide here​

​

(Bees!) I want XX type- but needs YY species- I dont want to risk loosing my precious YY!

​

Dump your spare YY drones in an apirary with a modest princess. After a few generations you'll have a new YY princess. Any spare princess works, but modest ones are best.​

 

[DoctorOr]

Quartz crystals do stack together, you just have to shift click them into a container (forestry or rp bags work)

 

[Zjarek_S]

(All) Items in inventory are very dark.
NEI has an item highlight option toggled by double clicking the search bar. All items, which name doesn't match search quarry, will appear darker. It is useful when searching for an item among different inventories.

Honestly, there should be some better visual indication for this mode and how to disable it.

 

[Celestialphoenix]

Quartz crystals do stack together, you just have to shift click them into a container (forestry or rp bags work)

(All) Items in inventory are very dark...

Added. Thanks guys.

 

[Exe19]

(All) How do I stop my engines overheating?
....

Gates have condition "Engine safe". It is useful in iron AND gates combined whits pipe wire signal.

 

[Celestialphoenix]

Gates have condition "Engine safe". It is useful in iron AND gates combined whits pipe wire signal.

Lately I've been unable to access that one, but yeah- I'll add it.

 

[frederikam]

(All) Why can't I find indigo flowers?

Indigo flowers normally grow in plains biomes only, but can be grown with bonemeal and pollinated by bees.​

​

Wrong; they can be found pretty much everywhere with grass, in my ssp world I get natural flowers, and I haven't seen plains yet.

​

(All) Why wont worldanchors keep an area loaded?

Worldanchors now use enderpearls as fuel to keep an area loaded. A single enderpearl will give you a fair few hours (real time).​

[/quote]


To be exact; each enderpearl gives you 12 hours, but can be set to any amount or simply disabled in the config.

 

[K4b6]

Wrong; they can be found pretty much everywhere with grass, in my ssp world I get natural flowers, and I haven't seen plains yet.

To be precise indigo flowers can be found in any "Vanilla Biome" but if you live in a "Extra Biomes Biome" then they will not spawn with out bone meal or bees just so you know

 

[Dravarden]

I think if you forgot your linkbook in the overworld is the same thing as was destroyed/lost it, don't you think?

 

[Celestialphoenix]

you shouldn't say "there isn't a way out of a mystcraft world, delete it" there are a lot of ways to do it:

if cheats are on/you are in a server: do /tpx and follow instructions.
if you can enable cheats in NEI give yourself a nether portal block that will send you to the nether.

I've already covered all that in the next point.

I'd appreciate it if you could read the next pointer before commenting like this; but thanks for trying.​

​

​

Q: What is the standard ore distribution in these packs?
( and here's a link with some of the answer to further help out http://forum.feed-the-beast.com/threads/ftb-mindcrack-pack-ore-heights.4702/ )

(adds in http://gregtech-addon.wikispaces.com/worldgeneration that should help some more)
At your convenience, confirm that you can hold shift to stop possible substitutions in recipes from showing, and then make up a question to answer that? Noticing quite a few people having trouble understanding crafting for the more advanced machines, and compounded with all the substitutions from GT.

Updated, thanks.

(How did I miss this??)​

 

[Celestialphoenix]

Want me to add this to the guide until you get a sticky, I've been looking for a FAQ?

You're more than welcome to.

and Thanks for helping me tidy up the thread.​

 

[Dravarden]

I've already covered all that in the next point.

I'd appreciate it if you could read the next pointer before commenting like this; but thanks for trying.​

​

​

Updated, thanks.

(How did I miss this??)​

yeah thats why I edited the post

 

[Celestialphoenix]

yeah thats why I edited the post

Please don't back edit your posts like that, it makes the forum a lot harder to read.

I think if you forgot your linkbook in the overworld is the same thing as was destroyed/lost it, don't you think?

You're stuck in the same situation for a different reason; Its a subtle joke for those who've delete their worlds in the past and don't mind laughing at their own misfortune.

 

[Dravarden]

Please don't back edit your posts like that, it makes the forum a lot harder to read.



You're stuck in the same situation for a different reason; Its a subtle joke for those who've delete their worlds in the past and don't mind laughing at their own misfortune.

well, I edited right after I posted, maybe it didn't got updated

and for me isn't funny to delete a world that you worked months for it.

 

[Ashzification]

Can I add this to my guide as well?

 

[Celestialphoenix]

Can I add this to my guide as well?

You're more then welcome to.

 

[Ashzification]

Cool thanks!

 

[Celestialphoenix]

I'll delete my post #2 if you like, so that you can continue into the next post, instead of halfway down the page, alright?

Sweet, thanks mate

 

[ICountFrom0]

No problem Bruce.
Course you'll have to get bruce and bruce to delete a post each if you need 3 in a row.

I'm now seeing this

http://forum.feed-the-beast.com/threads/enchantments.7906/

often enough for it to be reaching faq status