Mod Feedback ChromatiCraft questions and suggestions

[lucariomaster2]

I just made the Biome Painter, and I have to say, it is pretty neat. I do have a few ideas/suggestions for it though.

-The framerate absolutely plummets on the painting screen itself (I went from about 45 FPS to 5), though I don't think this is really avoidable due to its nature.
-The ability to zoom in would be really nice for precision work. (Ever try painting perfect hexagons for your beekeeping building? It's somewhat painful.)
-Every time I erase a few blocks and go back into paint mode, it forgets the biome I had selected before. Again, not a major issue; just a quality of life thing.

 

[Reika]

I just made the Biome Painter, and I have to say, it is pretty neat. I do have a few ideas/suggestions for it though.

-The framerate absolutely plummets on the painting screen itself (I went from about 45 FPS to 5), though I don't think this is really avoidable due to its nature.

This is known.

 

[Boldar]

It seems like i was on a wrong way - it turned out i was indeed to suppose to upgrade the table and not build another one. I really think this should be more clear from the Lexicon. Also i had a weird state were the table structure was correct but not recognized, which was only fixed by removing the table and replanting it (I found that while i still cant remove the table with a pickaxe, the Mining Spell from AM2 can).
But i have another problem now -
After placing a repeater next to a Pyloon it crashed the server with a
java.lang.NoSuchMethodError: Reika.ChromatiCraft.TileEntity.Networking.TileEntityWeakRepeater.doDestroyingFXClient
and now the world is no longer loading... I will try to patch to the latest Version (i was on V12d) and see if the problem persist, then i can post a more detailed report with a full trace.
But nevertheless - Reika, i really think you should work on giving more information ingame, because while the point of an ingame manual is amazing, the usability right now is horrible.
For example: there are some mysterious Diamond-Shapes in the top corner of the Casting table, but they are not mentioned at all, and it is quite shady what they show. Also there seems to be some kind of XP tied to the table (I wonder why is that tied to the table and not saved in the player like everything else? It doesn't make sense for me and only leads to misunderstanding), but one can't know about that from ingame information. The level-up seem to only be notified by sound, if at all, which is problemtatic for people playing without sound or with very low volume. Also, even that you have to hit the Casting table with the Elemental manipulator to actually Craft something should be noted somewhere - everywhere else in modded or vanilla Minecraft you can simply drag it out, and here you see the item, but can't take it. At first i searched for a bug ~30min, and while one can indeed look at the sourcecode at Github, i prefer mods where i don't have to evaluate functionality from sourcecode. I mean, you have implemented a wonderful ingame manual, but it is mostly filled with flavour-text, and while i generally like the "try it out" approach, in my opinion things that are actually counter-intiutive to the rest of modded minecraft should be explained there.
Also, it would be nice to somewhere out of the game have a precise list of the progress conditions. If i would have known that the condition for More Complex Crafting is in fact the assembly of the correct Casting Temple, i could have deducted immediatly that the structure must be faulty and that could have saved me so much time.

 

[lucariomaster2]

I'm a bit confused about how to use World Shift. Could someone please help me out?

 

[Boldar]

Ok, i have a weird thing going on here.
It crashed when putting down a repeater next to a pylon and i could not load the world after that. This was the first crash:

http://pastebin.com/jfy0MtBc

And then when restarting the world:

http://pastebin.com/YZqAJg8D


After that, i patched from V12d to v13b, and then for some obscure reason it started crashing EnderIO:

http://pastebin.com/6Syky1fT

Then i tried also patching EnderIO to the latest version, but again:

http://pastebin.com/EJfZnkk0


That all seems really weird to me - the enderIO error seems like it is executing client-side code on the server, but i have no idea how that can be caused by patching Reikas mods. Without them EnderIO loads just fine. So it must be something that changed in one of your mods, specifically in chromaticraft - if i take only chromaticraft out, enderIO loads fine. It must be something that changed lately, because it loaded fine with v12d. it seems like Chromaticraft is somehow tricking enderIO into thinking it is on a client, or passing a wrong reference or something like that.


Edit:
After looking at the source it seems like that somehow an event is fired which lets this code crash:

  private void processImc(ImmutableList<IMCMessage> messages) {
    for (IMCMessage msg : messages) {
      String key = msg.key;
      try {
        if(msg.isStringMessage()) {
          String value = msg.getStringValue();
          if(IMC.VAT_RECIPE.equals(key)) {
            VatRecipeManager.getInstance().addCustomRecipes(value);
          } else if(IMC.SAG_RECIPE.equals(key)) {
            CrusherRecipeManager.getInstance().addCustomRecipes(value);
          } else if(IMC.ALLOY_RECIPE.equals(key)) {
            AlloyRecipeManager.getInstance().addCustomRecipes(value);
          } else if(IMC.POWERED_SPAWNER_BLACKLIST_ADD.equals(key)) {
            PoweredSpawnerConfig.getInstance().addToBlacklist(value);
          } else if(IMC.TELEPORT_BLACKLIST_ADD.equals(key)) {
            TravelController.instance.addBlockToBlinkBlackList(value);
          } else if(IMC.SOUL_VIAL_BLACKLIST.equals(key) && itemSoulVessel != null) {
            itemSoulVessel.addEntityToBlackList(value);
          } else if(IMC.ENCHANTER_RECIPE.equals(key)) {
            EnchanterRecipeManager.getInstance().addCustomRecipes(value);
          } else if(IMC.SLINE_N_SPLICE_RECIPE.equals(key)) {
            SliceAndSpliceRecipeManager.getInstance().addCustomRecipes(key);
          }
        } else if(msg.isNBTMessage()) {
          if(IMC.SOUL_BINDER_RECIPE.equals(key)) {
            SoulBinderRecipeManager.getInstance().addRecipeFromNBT(msg.getNBTValue());
          } else if(IMC.POWERED_SPAWNER_COST_MULTIPLIER.equals(key)) {
            PoweredSpawnerConfig.getInstance().addEntityCostFromNBT(msg.getNBTValue());
          } else if(IMC.FLUID_FUEL_ADD.equals(key)) {
            FluidFuelRegister.instance.addFuel(msg.getNBTValue());
          } else if(IMC.FLUID_COOLANT_ADD.equals(key)) {
            FluidFuelRegister.instance.addCoolant(msg.getNBTValue());
          } else if(IMC.REDSTONE_CONNECTABLE_ADD.equals(key)) {
            InsulatedRedstoneConduit.addConnectableBlock(msg.getNBTValue());
          }
        } else if(msg.isItemStackMessage()) {
          if(IMC.PAINTER_WHITELIST_ADD.equals(key)) {
            PaintSourceValidator.instance.addToWhitelist(msg.getItemStackValue());
          } else if(IMC.PAINTER_BLACKLIST_ADD.equals(key)) {
            PaintSourceValidator.instance.addToBlacklist(msg.getItemStackValue());
          }
        }
      } catch (Exception e) {
        Log.error("Error occured handling IMC message " + key + " from " + msg.getSender());
      }
    }
  }

But right now, I don't get how and why chromaticraft could possibly cause that.



Edit2: AAAh, ok, i after some search i managed to find the Issue mentioned in the EnderIO Issue Tracker on Github. As Reika mentioned there that a patch is coming, i think i can only wait.

 

[lucariomaster2]

Just found a bug: If you place an Adjacency Core and then break it with Silk touch, it drops the old Tile Accelerator, allowing you to basically convert any of the cores into an Accelerator. Not too big of an exploit since the costs are the same regardless (just with different colours); it's just sort of annoying.

 

[Ieldra]

My sojourn in the chroma dimension was marred by frequent crashes. They are always of the type I posted here. They are moderately reproduceable under the following conditions:

(1) Attempt to use Elemental Sonar without waiting for all chunks around you to have been rendered, to the maximum distance set in your options.
(2) Attempt to use Elemental Sonar very close to or within a dimension structure.
(3) Resume play after a crash while in the "Locks and Keys" puzzle, and attempt to use an elemental lock left in your inventory from before.

There is a significant chance that after one of those crashes, my ChromatiCraft progress will be reset. I'm rather glad I'm paranoid and keep backups of my worlds beyond the ones provided by Ftb Utilities.

For completeness' sake, I should also mention that the same crash happened when I attempted to cheat with one of the dimension puzzles, but the instances mentioned above are from a different copy of my world.

There's also this bug:

(1) If you attempt "Locks and Keys" after another puzzle, in the same visit to the dimension, "Locks and Keys" will cease to work at some point, usually manifesting as doors that won't open in spite of correctly placed keys. I do not know if this affects other puzzles, since after having had this three times in a row with "Locks and Keys", I ceased to attempt more than one puzzle per visit.

...and this general observation:

After upgrading to v13b, my fps rate was cut by 30-40% (went from around 40 to around 25).

 

[Ieldra]

So much for the bugs, now for the questions:

(1) How do you use "Applied Hotbars"? I was under the impression that this would add a second hotbar and connect it to my ME network, but if so, I haven't got it to work. Specifically, how do I link with my ME network after activating the ability?

(2) How do you use the Item Inserter? I'm trying to find out if I can use it to automate alloy production as the description suggests, but the GUI remains inert.

 

[lucariomaster2]

So much for the bugs, now for the questions:
(2) How do you use the Item Inserter? I'm trying to find out if I can use it to automate alloy production as the description suggests, but the GUI remains inert.

Funny, I struggled with this just yesterday. Here's how it works:

First, use the Linker to bind it to a location within 64 (?) blocks. (Right-click with the Linker on the inserter and then right-click it on the block to bind to. For alloys, you'll then want to replace said block with a puddle or reservoir of Liquid Chroma.)

Then, open the Inserter GUI and put the ingredients for the alloys in the left slots. You'll see the grey arrows turn red. Also, click the yellow arrow on the right hand side until it turns purple for "entity" mode. (DO NOT PUT IT ON RIGHT-CLICK MODE IF YOU BOUND THE INSERTER TO SOMETHING WITH A GUI! It will basically spam right-click on the machine, opening the GUI on your screen. The only way to get out of this is to use MCEdit to remove the Inserter.)

Finally, just click the red arrows. They'll turn green, and the ingredients will get dropped to wherever you bound it. It'll keep one of each, though. Since it has a range of 64 blocks and can be configured to put items directly into an inventory, I'd imagine it can also work as a short-range teleporter.

Applying a Redstone signal will stop it from dropping one specific item, depending on which side is receiving the signal.

As for automation, I came up with an idea last night, though I have yet to see if it works and I like people to come up with their own setups. The only hint I'll give is that it revolves around Railcraft.

 

[Reika]

My sojourn in the chroma dimension was marred by frequent crashes. They are always of the type I posted here. They are moderately reproduceable under the following conditions:

(1) Attempt to use Elemental Sonar without waiting for all chunks around you to have been rendered, to the maximum distance set in your options.
(2) Attempt to use Elemental Sonar very close to or within a dimension structure.
(3) Resume play after a crash while in the "Locks and Keys" puzzle, and attempt to use an elemental lock left in your inventory from before.

There is a significant chance that after one of those crashes, my ChromatiCraft progress will be reset. I'm rather glad I'm paranoid and keep backups of my worlds beyond the ones provided by Ftb Utilities.

For completeness' sake, I should also mention that the same crash happened when I attempted to cheat with one of the dimension puzzles, but the instances mentioned above are from a different copy of my world.

There's also this bug:

(1) If you attempt "Locks and Keys" after another puzzle, in the same visit to the dimension, "Locks and Keys" will cease to work at some point, usually manifesting as doors that won't open in spite of correctly placed keys. I do not know if this affects other puzzles, since after having had this three times in a row with "Locks and Keys", I ceased to attempt more than one puzzle per visit.

...and this general observation:

After upgrading to v13b, my fps rate was cut by 30-40% (went from around 40 to around 25).

CMEs are impossible to trace and often the result of multithreading. None of your three conditions have any relevance to how Elemental Sonar works.

 

[Ieldra]

CMEs are impossible to trace and often the result of multithreading. None of your three conditions have any relevance to how Elemental Sonar works.

All right. Is there anything I can do to minimize their occurrence?

 

[Ieldra]

Crash when putting a non-empty storage crystal of lower than Aru level into the casting table to be upgraded, if the casting structure already contains all other ingredients for the casting, so that the target should be rendered in the output box. 100% reproducible. Does not occur with empty storage crystals that never contained energy. Not tested with empty crystals that had been used. Also occurs if you have the full recipe in the casting structure and activate the casting table's GUI. Workaround: don't place the storage crystal last - inconvenient for fast multi-level upgrades though.

Crashlog at http://pastebin.com/C17Cxaig

 

[Ieldra]

One more thing: I noticed that the "Operation Speed Bonus", "Silk Touch Bonus" and "Energy Efficiency Bonus" items aren't craftable any more. This means that the Mineral Extractor can't mine with Silk Touch anymore, and I don't think that's intended.

 

[RavynousHunter]

Having a bit of an issue with making proper repeaters. I've gotten literally every other progress step other than the one that has the icon for the weak repeaters. I've made...quite a large number of them, and even have a line of them leading from a karmir pylon to my ritual table. Alas, I can't seem to get that progress bit to trigger. Another oddity: I can't seem to craft certain cores. It might be all of them, but I've only tested so far with the energy core. I've got the kitrino runes set up properly, items laid out as they ought to be, but the ghost item for the result doesn't show in the casting table. Just one off from being able to do pylon casting, so I doubt its a progress issue, and my casting structure is also one before pylon casting.

 

[Ieldra]

Having a bit of an issue with making proper repeaters. I've gotten literally every other progress step other than the one that has the icon for the weak repeaters. I've made...quite a large number of them, and even have a line of them leading from a karmir pylon to my ritual table. Alas, I can't seem to get that progress bit to trigger. Another oddity: I can't seem to craft certain cores. It might be all of them, but I've only tested so far with the energy core. I've got the kitrino runes set up properly, items laid out as they ought to be, but the ghost item for the result doesn't show in the casting table. Just one off from being able to do pylon casting, so I doubt its a progress issue, and my casting structure is also one before pylon casting.

In order to complete "Lumen Harnessing", you must cast the ritual "Pylon surge protection", the only lumen-using casting you can do at this time. Just connecting repeaters isn't enough. Also, there are undocumented progression dependencies in many recipes. I don't recall if cores are affected, but try again after you've completed "Lumen Harnessing". One step later in progression, most pylon-casting recipes remain locked until you've completed "Top-Tier Crafting" by making one of the few pylon-castings that can be made at this time, for instance potion crystals. And lastly, energized cores can only be made after you've completed "Recharge".

 

[Reika]

One more thing: I noticed that the "Operation Speed Bonus", "Silk Touch Bonus" and "Energy Efficiency Bonus" items aren't craftable any more. This means that the Mineral Extractor can't mine with Silk Touch anymore, and I don't think that's intended.

That system is being redesigned.

 

[RavynousHunter]

In order to complete "Lumen Harnessing", you must cast the ritual "Pylon surge protection", the only lumen-using casting you can do at this time.

I thought as much, but I still have zero idea how to get power from my pylons to my ritual table to get the thing going in the first place...unless I build three separate structures near pylons and move my ritual table around to each one and fill its power buffer. Dunno if that'd work, but at this juncture, I'm willing to try 'bout anything, so long as it friggin works.

 

[Ieldra]

I thought as much, but I still have zero idea how to get power from my pylons to my ritual table to get the thing going in the first place...unless I build three separate structures near pylons and move my ritual table around to each one and fill its power buffer. Dunno if that'd work, but at this juncture, I'm willing to try 'bout anything, so long as it friggin works.

That's what the repeaters are for. The idea is to connect your ritual altar to one pylon of each of the required colors by placing lines of repeaters. So you'll need to find a place where the required pylons aren't all that far away, and then place repeaters every 16 blocks or so - pay attention to the dashed lines to see if your repeater can connect to others - between your ritual altar and those pylons, so that the repeaters can lead the pylon energy to your ritual altar. Mind you, "not all that far away" can still mean 600 blocks if you're particularly unlucky, and in that case building the lines is a lot of work, but that's how the system works. BTW, if you step on the ritual table after the power is in the ritual table you'll get a nice animation of being enchanted. This may even be required.

I don't know if moving around the ritual table (you could also move around the altar - you'll want to build one closer to home eventually anyway) works. If the ritual table retains its stored power after being broken, it may work, and might even be worth it for a one-time casting like this, but I haven't tried it.

This is also preliminary work. In the next progression steps after this, you'll have to build a complete network between your casting complex and at least one pylon of every color, using crystal/multicolor repeaters (range 32). Most castings will only require three to five colors, but you will eventually need all 16 at the same time for a casting if you want to progress.

Use the pylon compass to find suitable places for the preliminary ritual altar, and to find the nearest pylons to your casting complex in the next progression steps.

Also, just in case you're wondering if what you'll eventually get is worth all that work: yes, it is. Apart from that, to see a pylon network functioning after many hours of building it is a beautiful and satisfying experience.

 

[RavynousHunter]

I've found all the pylons I need; as I said, I've gotten literally everything except that step and "Painful Loss," which I know isn't gating. The thing is, I can't get the wood repeaters to connect to a pylon and draw power. I literally placed one of them just a block away from the pylon structure itself, with the repeater block on the same Y level as the pylon orb and it still won't draw power; when I whack it with the manipulator it gives me the "no valid connections" sound and holding Tab over it (I have the debug thing enabled for precisely this kind of thing) and the "Depth" tag is at -1 across the entire line.

Simply put, the wood repeaters refuse to function for no other reason than, I guess, to mock me.

 

[Ieldra]

I've found all the pylons I need; as I said, I've gotten literally everything except that step and "Painful Loss," which I know isn't gating. The thing is, I can't get the wood repeaters to connect to a pylon and draw power. I literally placed one of them just a block away from the pylon structure itself, with the repeater block on the same Y level as the pylon orb and it still won't draw power; when I whack it with the manipulator it gives me the "no valid connections" sound and holding Tab over it (I have the debug thing enabled for precisely this kind of thing) and the "Depth" tag is at -1 across the entire line.

Simply put, the wood repeaters refuse to function for no other reason than, I guess, to mock me.

Did you attempt a casting? The repeaters will only draw power if you attempt a casting, and the colors are drawn in a particular order, so if you have one pylon connected and another not, nothing at all may happen.So really, unless you have the complete three-pylon network plus ritual altar built and attempt a casting it is quite likely that nothing will happen.