This is a guide for space programs in the modpack Colony, authored by myself.
I needed a separate post for the guide because I went over the character limit.
The thread for the pack itself can be found here: http://forum.feed-the-beast.com/threads/1-7-10-colony-tech-automation-focus-spaaace.80124/
The thread for the original guide can be found here: http://forum.feed-the-beast.com/thr...y-guide-for-tech-pack-do-not-post-here.80125/
Here we go.
This is the first part to a multi-part guide to space colonization. In the section, we shall cover the minimum infrastructure requirements to build an easy-to-access, renewable base on the moon. It will not detail how to use any of these things yet, only which ones you need.
1. Before everything else, you will need fuel. I suggest using Buildcraft's pumps and refineries to pump oil out of the ground and refine it into fuel. Not much is necessary for the one space flight you will take, but it can be used to generate Redstone Flux power as well. There are many resources that will tell you how to set up an oil rig, so I will not cover that in this tutorial. The only note I will give is that ender tanks can be used to efficiently transport oil and fuel over large distances and even across dimensions.
2. Next, your personal requirements: a pickaxe, and spacegear. For the pick, anything that can mine stone will do. For the space gear, there are several requirements: first, a frequency receiver, which allows you to hear in space. Next, and oxygen mask, oxygen gear, and two oxygen tanks, all of which are necessary to breathe in space (no, you cannot breathe out of the tanks with a straw). Note that, when crafting the oxygen tanks, there are three tiers - light medium, and heavy, which require copper, steel, or flux crystals (which require diamonds), respectively. Also note that crafting the recipe once, it yields two tanks. [Bug: the oxygen tanks can't be crafted in an AE2 Crafting Terminal. Go find a workbench.] Finally, a parachute is recommended, in the event of an emergency.
[IMPORTANT: READ THIS]
3. Now, the requirements for actually launching your rocket: You will need launch pads, a fuel loader, a tank of fuel, and a rocket. When crafting the rocket, craft the tier 1 rocket with the maximum storage space - this is important, as it is much cheaper than the others. Simply craft the other things.
[IMPORTANT: READ THIS]
4. You will also need to pack all the materials necessary for a working enhanced portal on the moon. See that section of this guide for more information.
5. Next, the oxygen machines for the moon: You will need several oxygen collectors (four is a safe amount), at least one oxygen bubble distributor, one or two oxygen compressors each for the earth and the moon, a stack of oxygen pipes, and about half a stack of flux ducts. Oxygen sealers are optional, and can be used to fill small-ish rooms with oxygen, but bubble distributors can be set to have an invisible bubble and are more reliable overall.
6. There is only one more thing you will need: some way to get power to the moon. There are several ways to do this: you can use tesseracts to teleport energy, an enhanced portal module for power transport, or you can simply set up a dynamo/big reactor system on the moon.
7. You should bring some sort of building material. This can be anything from dirt to diamond bricks (although personally, the factory blocks just look awesome).
8. Finally, you may want some type of storage for the moon. Just a simple vanilla chest will do; you only need something to store materials while you work.
See part two of this guide to begin building your space program.
1. Before everything else, you will need fuel. I suggest using Buildcraft's pumps and refineries to pump oil out of the ground and refine it into fuel. Not much is necessary for the one space flight you will take, but it can be used to generate Redstone Flux power as well. There are many resources that will tell you how to set up an oil rig, so I will not cover that in this tutorial. The only note I will give is that ender tanks can be used to efficiently transport oil and fuel over large distances and even across dimensions.
2. Next, your personal requirements: a pickaxe, and spacegear. For the pick, anything that can mine stone will do. For the space gear, there are several requirements: first, a frequency receiver, which allows you to hear in space. Next, and oxygen mask, oxygen gear, and two oxygen tanks, all of which are necessary to breathe in space (no, you cannot breathe out of the tanks with a straw). Note that, when crafting the oxygen tanks, there are three tiers - light medium, and heavy, which require copper, steel, or flux crystals (which require diamonds), respectively. Also note that crafting the recipe once, it yields two tanks. [Bug: the oxygen tanks can't be crafted in an AE2 Crafting Terminal. Go find a workbench.] Finally, a parachute is recommended, in the event of an emergency.
[IMPORTANT: READ THIS]
3. Now, the requirements for actually launching your rocket: You will need launch pads, a fuel loader, a tank of fuel, and a rocket. When crafting the rocket, craft the tier 1 rocket with the maximum storage space - this is important, as it is much cheaper than the others. Simply craft the other things.
[IMPORTANT: READ THIS]
4. You will also need to pack all the materials necessary for a working enhanced portal on the moon. See that section of this guide for more information.
5. Next, the oxygen machines for the moon: You will need several oxygen collectors (four is a safe amount), at least one oxygen bubble distributor, one or two oxygen compressors each for the earth and the moon, a stack of oxygen pipes, and about half a stack of flux ducts. Oxygen sealers are optional, and can be used to fill small-ish rooms with oxygen, but bubble distributors can be set to have an invisible bubble and are more reliable overall.
6. There is only one more thing you will need: some way to get power to the moon. There are several ways to do this: you can use tesseracts to teleport energy, an enhanced portal module for power transport, or you can simply set up a dynamo/big reactor system on the moon.
7. You should bring some sort of building material. This can be anything from dirt to diamond bricks (although personally, the factory blocks just look awesome).
8. Finally, you may want some type of storage for the moon. Just a simple vanilla chest will do; you only need something to store materials while you work.
See part two of this guide to begin building your space program.
This is the second part to a multi-part guide to space colonization. In the section, we shall cover the process of setting up infrastructure on earth.
1. The first thing you must do is equip the oxygen gear that you crafted. Open your inventory and go to the tab at the top with the oxygen mask on it. Equip all of your oxygen gear into the correct slots, except for the tanks.
2. A note about Galacticraft machines: unlike machines from most other mods, each machine has one side dedicated to each input/output. The square port with a green square inside accepts power, the yellow circle port accepts fuel, the blue circle port with a green dot accepts oxygen, and the blue circle port with a red dot outputs oxygen.
3. Next, fill up your oxygen tanks. In order to do this, you must set up your earth-side oxygen infrastructure. Place and power an oxygen collector and a compressor. Connect their oxygen ports to each other using oxygen pipes, and the collector should begin filling the compressor with oxygen from the air. Now, place your oxygen tanks into the compressor to charge them up. To charge them both at once, you will need to set up a second compressor. Once your tanks are filled, put them in the correct slots in your Galacticraft equipment tab.
4. Next, build a launch area make sure that the rocket has a 3x3 column up to space, or that one can be opened (secret underground rocket launch tunnels are awesome!). If your rocket runs into anything, you get a giant - giant - explosion. These are bad. Place a 3x3 section of launch pads - they should change to have a slightly different model. Place the fuel loader next to that, making sure that both the power and liquid ports are exposed. Connect the fuel loader to your power grid and use liquiducts to pipe fuel into the fuel loader.
5. Finally, place the rocket on the launch pad with right-click. Open the fuel loader's GUI and press "Start Loading." After gathering your supplies, right click on the rocket itself to get in. DO NOT PRESS SPACE! THIS WILL LAUNCH YOUR ROCKET PREMATURELY! Press F while in the rocket to open the inventory. The rocket's fuel tank should be filling or full. Begin loading your gear into the rocket.
6. Set up the earth-side part of your enhanced portals system if you have not yet. See that section of this guide for more information.
7. Now, read the next section. Do not launch yet! You should be prepared with a plan, which is detailed in the next section.
1. The first thing you must do is equip the oxygen gear that you crafted. Open your inventory and go to the tab at the top with the oxygen mask on it. Equip all of your oxygen gear into the correct slots, except for the tanks.
2. A note about Galacticraft machines: unlike machines from most other mods, each machine has one side dedicated to each input/output. The square port with a green square inside accepts power, the yellow circle port accepts fuel, the blue circle port with a green dot accepts oxygen, and the blue circle port with a red dot outputs oxygen.
3. Next, fill up your oxygen tanks. In order to do this, you must set up your earth-side oxygen infrastructure. Place and power an oxygen collector and a compressor. Connect their oxygen ports to each other using oxygen pipes, and the collector should begin filling the compressor with oxygen from the air. Now, place your oxygen tanks into the compressor to charge them up. To charge them both at once, you will need to set up a second compressor. Once your tanks are filled, put them in the correct slots in your Galacticraft equipment tab.
4. Next, build a launch area make sure that the rocket has a 3x3 column up to space, or that one can be opened (secret underground rocket launch tunnels are awesome!). If your rocket runs into anything, you get a giant - giant - explosion. These are bad. Place a 3x3 section of launch pads - they should change to have a slightly different model. Place the fuel loader next to that, making sure that both the power and liquid ports are exposed. Connect the fuel loader to your power grid and use liquiducts to pipe fuel into the fuel loader.
5. Finally, place the rocket on the launch pad with right-click. Open the fuel loader's GUI and press "Start Loading." After gathering your supplies, right click on the rocket itself to get in. DO NOT PRESS SPACE! THIS WILL LAUNCH YOUR ROCKET PREMATURELY! Press F while in the rocket to open the inventory. The rocket's fuel tank should be filling or full. Begin loading your gear into the rocket.
6. Set up the earth-side part of your enhanced portals system if you have not yet. See that section of this guide for more information.
7. Now, read the next section. Do not launch yet! You should be prepared with a plan, which is detailed in the next section.
This is the third part to a multi-part guide to space colonization. In the section, we shall cover the process of setting up a renewable bass on the moon.
Do not follow through this tutorial until you have read or at least skimmed it. Having a plan on the moon is important - you will run out of oxygen and suffocate if you don't know what to do.
1. First, you must launch your rocket. Once inside the rocket, press space. A countdown will begin - when it runs out, your rocket will begin to fly to space! Note: people standing underneath the rocket will take damage.
2. You will continue flying up for sometime, with your progress tracked on a bar to the left. Once you have reached space, the galaxy map will open. Double-click on the overworld, select the moon, and click launch. You will then begin to descend to the surface of the moon in a lander. Press space to slow down - crashing will end all of your hard work in a soundless* explosion on the moon!
*You would hear the explosion because of your (unrealistic) frequency receiver, but whatever. Close enough.
3. Once you have landed, you only have a limited time to build basic infrastructure. Your oxygen supplies will last long enough to build an oxygen system, but keep an eye on that oxygen meter until then!
4. First, click on the lander to open its GUI. Take everything out, as the lander is a little buggy and can disappear without reason. You can use the storage unit you brought with you to store things that don't fit in your inventory.
5. Your first task is to set up a power system. This might seem less important than oxygen, but you need power before those machines can be activated. The steps for this will vary based on your power generation choices.
... 6 isn't the number you're looking for...
7. Once that is set up, you needs to set up your oxygen collectors. Build them slightly elevated, power them, and connect all of their oxygen ports to the same oxygen pipe section, which will eventually be connected to your other oxygen machines. Now, surround them in leaves - a radius of two lead blocks out works. Leave at least one spot where you can access the GUI. They should be filling with or full of oxygen.
Note: If your oxygen collectors suddenly stop working, the fix is to reload the world (in single player, quit to the main menu and re-open the world, for servers, /stop it and start it again).
8. Now, simply place your oxygen bubble distributor, hook it up to your oxygen system, and power it. You should see a blue bubble slowly expand out from the distributor. Congratulations, you have created a habitable environment on the moon! Power your moon-side oxygen compressors and connect them to your network to give you the capability to refill your tanks without returning to earth.
9. There is one last step to perform - you need an easier method of transportation between the earth and the moon. You could, of course, take a rocket back and forth every time, but you will need a parachute for the trip back to the overworld, and the rocket itself will consume large amounts of fuel. Not only that, but on multiplayer servers, you need a rocket for every person on the moon simultaneously (you can't send a rocket back without being in it). The solution? Enhanced Portals!
10. The tutorial for Enhanced Portals included in this guide is designed specifically for this situation. Go follow that!
11. ... Now that you've read this tutorial, follow it. You weren't reading as you went, were you?
When you build the moonbass building itself, I suggest that you use Tinker's Construct clear glass and various blocks from Chisel, especially factory blocks.
Do not follow through this tutorial until you have read or at least skimmed it. Having a plan on the moon is important - you will run out of oxygen and suffocate if you don't know what to do.
1. First, you must launch your rocket. Once inside the rocket, press space. A countdown will begin - when it runs out, your rocket will begin to fly to space! Note: people standing underneath the rocket will take damage.
2. You will continue flying up for sometime, with your progress tracked on a bar to the left. Once you have reached space, the galaxy map will open. Double-click on the overworld, select the moon, and click launch. You will then begin to descend to the surface of the moon in a lander. Press space to slow down - crashing will end all of your hard work in a soundless* explosion on the moon!
*You would hear the explosion because of your (unrealistic) frequency receiver, but whatever. Close enough.
3. Once you have landed, you only have a limited time to build basic infrastructure. Your oxygen supplies will last long enough to build an oxygen system, but keep an eye on that oxygen meter until then!
4. First, click on the lander to open its GUI. Take everything out, as the lander is a little buggy and can disappear without reason. You can use the storage unit you brought with you to store things that don't fit in your inventory.
5. Your first task is to set up a power system. This might seem less important than oxygen, but you need power before those machines can be activated. The steps for this will vary based on your power generation choices.
... 6 isn't the number you're looking for...
7. Once that is set up, you needs to set up your oxygen collectors. Build them slightly elevated, power them, and connect all of their oxygen ports to the same oxygen pipe section, which will eventually be connected to your other oxygen machines. Now, surround them in leaves - a radius of two lead blocks out works. Leave at least one spot where you can access the GUI. They should be filling with or full of oxygen.
Note: If your oxygen collectors suddenly stop working, the fix is to reload the world (in single player, quit to the main menu and re-open the world, for servers, /stop it and start it again).
8. Now, simply place your oxygen bubble distributor, hook it up to your oxygen system, and power it. You should see a blue bubble slowly expand out from the distributor. Congratulations, you have created a habitable environment on the moon! Power your moon-side oxygen compressors and connect them to your network to give you the capability to refill your tanks without returning to earth.
9. There is one last step to perform - you need an easier method of transportation between the earth and the moon. You could, of course, take a rocket back and forth every time, but you will need a parachute for the trip back to the overworld, and the rocket itself will consume large amounts of fuel. Not only that, but on multiplayer servers, you need a rocket for every person on the moon simultaneously (you can't send a rocket back without being in it). The solution? Enhanced Portals!
10. The tutorial for Enhanced Portals included in this guide is designed specifically for this situation. Go follow that!
11. ... Now that you've read this tutorial, follow it. You weren't reading as you went, were you?
When you build the moonbass building itself, I suggest that you use Tinker's Construct clear glass and various blocks from Chisel, especially factory blocks.
Now that you have a fully functional moonbass, you're probably wondering where to go next. The answer is, obviously: to infinity and beyond! Just in case that isn't specific enough for you, here are some recommendations.
These are not in any particular order.
1. Raid a moon dungeon! The loot from this should allow you to build a rocket to get to Mars. Note, however, that recipes for Mars machines have not, for the most part, been re-balanced to fit this pack. You can get to Mars, it'll just be harder than getting to the moon.
2. Set up an oxygen detector with a system that turns on flashing red lights and sets computer monitors to display warnings any time the oxygen system fails. Design a set of procedures for evacuation, especially for multiplayer. Test this system... extensively. When your friends are online. Without warning them. *evil cackle*
3. Move all of your infrastructure to the moon. Storage? Check. Machines? Check. Smelteries, High Ovens, and other Tinker's stuff? Check. Is this a giant project? Check. The only thing you should leave behind is your quarry, if you have one (but not your mining laser). Even any systems you have for sorting/processing/storing what your quarry digs up should be moved to the moon.
4. Build an evil corporate lair. Bonus points for using Chisel blocks!
5. Dig out the moon! Set up a maximum-size quarry and a system to automatically sort, process, and store whatever it digs up. Once you're done with that, dig a hole to bedrock inside of that area (or wait for the quarry to do so) and set up a mining laser above that. Bonus points for using technical-block scaffolding! Set up a similar sorting/processing system for that, but have it store it's processed loots in the same spot as the quarry. When the quarry has mined out it's full area, move it.
6. Construct an emergency moon bunker in a cave, complete with emergency power and oxygen system. Set it up to look like an abandoned mine, with decaying metal platforms and old sterile-looking lights.
7. Power your base with nuclear power. Better yet, set up a computer system such that when the power in your energy storage cell falls beneath a certain level, the computer a) powers up a small backup reactor, b) turns off the regular lights and turns on a bunch of red flashing ones, and c) displays warnings on computer monitors. Set it up so that a password is required to restart the regular reactor. Test this system as well, and again, do so... extensively.
8. Automate food production. Automating the breeding of animals is harder, but cooler. Make sure to produce lots of sewage and store it in a giant vat.
9. Build a Trophy Room. Use armor stands, weapon racks, blocks of material, and lots of Chisel blocks to show off your wealth. Bonus points if you have an armor stand for every set of armor!
10. Automate all the things! If you ever get bored, randomly select a single task, then think of the simplest possible way to automate it. Now, scrap that plan and automate it in the most complex way possible! More bonus points for using more mods!
... And, of course, be sure to post lots of screenshots here! I'll feature as many as I can in the screenshots section.
These are not in any particular order.
1. Raid a moon dungeon! The loot from this should allow you to build a rocket to get to Mars. Note, however, that recipes for Mars machines have not, for the most part, been re-balanced to fit this pack. You can get to Mars, it'll just be harder than getting to the moon.
2. Set up an oxygen detector with a system that turns on flashing red lights and sets computer monitors to display warnings any time the oxygen system fails. Design a set of procedures for evacuation, especially for multiplayer. Test this system... extensively. When your friends are online. Without warning them. *evil cackle*
3. Move all of your infrastructure to the moon. Storage? Check. Machines? Check. Smelteries, High Ovens, and other Tinker's stuff? Check. Is this a giant project? Check. The only thing you should leave behind is your quarry, if you have one (but not your mining laser). Even any systems you have for sorting/processing/storing what your quarry digs up should be moved to the moon.
4. Build an evil corporate lair. Bonus points for using Chisel blocks!
5. Dig out the moon! Set up a maximum-size quarry and a system to automatically sort, process, and store whatever it digs up. Once you're done with that, dig a hole to bedrock inside of that area (or wait for the quarry to do so) and set up a mining laser above that. Bonus points for using technical-block scaffolding! Set up a similar sorting/processing system for that, but have it store it's processed loots in the same spot as the quarry. When the quarry has mined out it's full area, move it.
6. Construct an emergency moon bunker in a cave, complete with emergency power and oxygen system. Set it up to look like an abandoned mine, with decaying metal platforms and old sterile-looking lights.
7. Power your base with nuclear power. Better yet, set up a computer system such that when the power in your energy storage cell falls beneath a certain level, the computer a) powers up a small backup reactor, b) turns off the regular lights and turns on a bunch of red flashing ones, and c) displays warnings on computer monitors. Set it up so that a password is required to restart the regular reactor. Test this system as well, and again, do so... extensively.
8. Automate food production. Automating the breeding of animals is harder, but cooler. Make sure to produce lots of sewage and store it in a giant vat.
9. Build a Trophy Room. Use armor stands, weapon racks, blocks of material, and lots of Chisel blocks to show off your wealth. Bonus points if you have an armor stand for every set of armor!
10. Automate all the things! If you ever get bored, randomly select a single task, then think of the simplest possible way to automate it. Now, scrap that plan and automate it in the most complex way possible! More bonus points for using more mods!
... And, of course, be sure to post lots of screenshots here! I'll feature as many as I can in the screenshots section.
Last edited: