Ok so ore multiplication. I honestly dislike it as it is something that was added to assist with the higher needs for modded MC. But really it is only needed due to automation of ore collection and the ramped up need for resources to make most mid to end tier (tier not game there is no end game it is a lie) items. Instead of locking mid and end tier stuff behind some other sort of tread mill (and lets me honest that is all it is a tread mill) that requires some sort of thought early devs chose the MOAR STUFFS option to balance. This started a sort of arms race in mods that has seen all sorts of 'hard mode' recipes in the name of balance. They all chase this same idea of making their high tier stuff use something is hard to farm or multiply. And then some other mod comes along and breaks that. First it was stuff like blaze rods or the ender dragon egg. Then it was nether stars. Now we are starting to see that it does not matter what MOAR STUFFS HARD STUFFS option you go with so other mod is going to break it.
Racing to the bottom of the design space, indeed.
One of the things I've always respected the most about Thaumcraft and Thermal Expansion is that they have proposed alternative balancing factors besides just cramming more stuff into a single recipe. I really hope @MachineMuse finds her way to this as well (because right now a full powersuit is like you know, a pyramid of solid iron strapped to your chest. Thaumcraft and TE, for their flaws, said, "Well instead of increased cost why don't we take unusual things and ask for your to automate that same sum of resources in new ways."
Thaumcraft did this with research and environmental pollution. TE did this by making all the best recipes require molten materials which to this day still fluster novice automators (and I only know one one mod that can really automate the liquid transposer "well.").
But people, and that includes us in these forums, keep using "have you seen the cost? Wooowwwwww" as a balancing factor. "This is too cheap" is a common complaint against Mekanism's ore tripling line despite the fact that it's actually more expensive in terms of actual machine costs. Mekanism just doesn't play quite as deep into the "resource use as gating factor" idea of minecraft balancing.
I think we need to get out of this mind set as a community. Do the math for some end tier items like say the 64K storage for AE and you will see the sheer ridiculousness of resources needed. Why? jazz hands that is why. So few people do anything by hand anymore because of the sheer amounts needed. People build systems that auto collect, auto farm, and auto build for them and most of the time you ask people why and the answer is so they don't have to worry about it can just go build pretty stuffs. But why has it come to this in the first place?
Indeed. Several of our friends sort of look down on my playstyle as being too slow and not being aggressive enough, but in reality all I try to play to is an organic pace. Like, "I need this so I build it" not "I can accomplish these X things, achieve resource post-scarcity, then make something."
Don't get me wrong I am a firm believer in balance and pacing in game play. But I think we have gone down the wrong path in modded MC and I personally would like to see a change. I like how mods like TiC and TC have come in and freshened the idea space up a bit. Sure they are not prefect but they are a fine sight better then MOAR STUFFS as an answer.
The most amazing thing about TiCo is that there IS a progression from day one to day one hundred. The mod starts out useful and measured, and then proceeds to grow. It us usable by hand, with primitive automation, and with advanced automation. It's a shame mDiyo is feeling so burnt out already.
