First some early game tips which have probably been done before but I havent seen mentioned or seen in peoples lets play on youtube. I like to make everything serve more than one purpose in skyblock style maps. (Some may not be 100% useful because I have "cheated" by turning special mobs off )
Then after that I have some questions:
Use the slab furnace for a half block murder hole under your wall.
Dont bother trying to keep spiders out in early game, you need their eyes. Build some 2x1 columns of dust outside your door to make it easier to kill the big ones.
Making your water go further: FOUR uses from ONE source block.
Use 1: One water source block can feed a massive farm, instead of a 9x9 farm do a stepped 9 wide farm with a trench from your water source block. When the water runs out on the 8th block dig down one and step the entire farm down one block each time. I'm sure you can find something to do with all of that dust. place slabs/steps beside it so you dont have to jump up the farm levels, I do a harvesting round down one side then up the other once a day.
Use 2: Trench out to one side of your farm from your water source to use for your autonomous activator and sifter.
Put sifter one block below ground level under the last flowing water block.
put the autonomous activator to one side with a dust block on top. You dont want to be able to see water near anything you will right click.
Dig a 2 deep trench near it so you can see the back of the autonomous activator to fill it up.
Put your hopper next to the sifter into a single chest with a dust block on top (why?: see bonus use 2) then place a crafting slab next to the chest so you can access the contents without opening the chest (because it has dust on it) you will need to manually sort the chest through the crafting slab for a while. Once you get more resources you can move it across with an itemduct or a second hopper to open for auto sorting.
Use the crafting slab as one of your steps to climb out to save hunger from jumping.
Use 3: From the opposite side of your sifter trench out to your cobble generator. Place the source block right and you can dig under the leaking engine for the pyrotheum leak to come out the side facing your ship rather than letting it run out the broken side of the engine.
Use 4: From the remaining side run it under your ship, with some careful steps/benches like we used for the farm you can excavate almost all of the dust underneath the ship without lighting because it is all covered in flowing water. Keep an eye on the radar for squid, they will spawn.
Bonus use 2: Build a 1 high wall around your sifter and hopper and put a slab roof on it (1 above the hopper = 1 above ground level). Put carpet on your hopper and throw your eggs into the opening to break on the back wall above the hopper. The flowing water keeps the chickens in. The carpet stops the chicks from glitching down the sides of the hopper. (edit: this needs some work, I've lost a couple of chicks in the sifter.. )
QUESTIONS:
Is there a table or list somewhere for the heat value of blocks and items? I'm particularly interested in the road dark cobble and dark gravel, I'm thinking of tunnelling under it to the city, then paving the tunnel with cement to be able to move faster on the way back.
I've noticed being near a furnace or wearing gold armour overheats you, Is wooden armour better or is there an insulating garment to use near furnaces?
Is it going to help if I plant trees on top of my ship?
When overheating is standing in flowing water any help or must it be a source block?
