Any interesting rules that you impose on yourself to get more fun out of minecraft? Let's hear them! I'll get things started:
No free stuff (free stuff is boring) - energy, work or items. Free work is defined as automation that has no cost beyond the materials used to build the system. Includes anything that can be powered by redstone(redstone activation of an otherwise-powered machine is fine). Find creative ways to get a redstone signal to a machine that requires redstone power (IC2 detector cables & eu distance loss to power railcraft tracks - effectively electrifies my rail network). BC Redstone engines banned except for use as an ingredient in other stuff. Exception for gravity. If it makes sense that an item/liquid would fall down a pipe, it's ok. Handwave for biological functions (plant growth, bees).
Build ALL the things, pick last - massively lengthens the life of a world before you've done everything and get bored. Build as much as you can with your current tool level before crafting that level's pick. Make whatever you can with wood tools, then make your wood pick and join the stone age. Repeat until you need iron pick and so on. Main purpose is to stop the "punchtree, woodpick, 3stone, stonepick, mustgofasta, iron, redstone, EU, SPAAACE" race that I used to do.
Most expensive recipe wins - If there is more than one recipe that gives an effectively identical output, use the more expensive recipe (IC2 vs Forestry bronze, IC2 recipe is more expensive, Forestry recipe gets disabled). Basically, cheap is boring.
Finally, my new favourite since it can now be enforced, the tool rule - Break 3 logs, /gamemode 2, play. 3 logs gets you a workbench and 2 wood axes, and from then on you can only break blocks with the appropriate tool.
No free stuff (free stuff is boring) - energy, work or items. Free work is defined as automation that has no cost beyond the materials used to build the system. Includes anything that can be powered by redstone(redstone activation of an otherwise-powered machine is fine). Find creative ways to get a redstone signal to a machine that requires redstone power (IC2 detector cables & eu distance loss to power railcraft tracks - effectively electrifies my rail network). BC Redstone engines banned except for use as an ingredient in other stuff. Exception for gravity. If it makes sense that an item/liquid would fall down a pipe, it's ok. Handwave for biological functions (plant growth, bees).
Build ALL the things, pick last - massively lengthens the life of a world before you've done everything and get bored. Build as much as you can with your current tool level before crafting that level's pick. Make whatever you can with wood tools, then make your wood pick and join the stone age. Repeat until you need iron pick and so on. Main purpose is to stop the "punchtree, woodpick, 3stone, stonepick, mustgofasta, iron, redstone, EU, SPAAACE" race that I used to do.
Most expensive recipe wins - If there is more than one recipe that gives an effectively identical output, use the more expensive recipe (IC2 vs Forestry bronze, IC2 recipe is more expensive, Forestry recipe gets disabled). Basically, cheap is boring.
Finally, my new favourite since it can now be enforced, the tool rule - Break 3 logs, /gamemode 2, play. 3 logs gets you a workbench and 2 wood axes, and from then on you can only break blocks with the appropriate tool.