DW20 and the paradox of choice

[GreenZombie]

So, having played AgS and some other exploration oriented modpacks I realized that in any particular modpack I tend to focus on mods that provide utilitarian value, and thus I don't get to explore the breadth of the pack.

So, I've installed DW20, with the goal of trying out "all" the mods in the pack.

The first mod to start with, logically, seems to be TiC - takes me about 2-3 hours to get setup with a smeltery and enough iron to make some of the "fun" tools (in stone) from the advanced tool station. Its almost distressing how much tree that axe can chop down in one go.

Now, ive done buildcraft, thermal expansion, ender io before... so Im thinking of getting started with IC2. It has an energy system and is accessible from the early game. I don't know how I can move items around without using a mod like buildcraft or TE, but those mods add their own power systems and item processing which somewhat corrupts the idea of "Trying out IC2".

So, are there any other mods in this pack that are accessible in the early game? Can IC2 actually be used in isolation of mods with competing power and processing systems? Am I right in ignoring factorization in that you can't start with it without some somewhat rare dungeon chest loots?

 

[Someone Else 37]

So, having played AgS and some other exploration oriented modpacks I realized that in any particular modpack I tend to focus on mods that provide utilitarian value, and thus I don't get to explore the breadth of the pack.

So, I've installed DW20, with the goal of trying out "all" the mods in the pack.

The first mod to start with, logically, seems to be TiC - takes me about 2-3 hours to get setup with a smeltery and enough iron to make some of the "fun" tools (in stone) from the advanced tool station. Its almost distressing how much tree that axe can chop down in one go.

Now, ive done buildcraft, thermal expansion, ender io before... so Im thinking of getting started with IC2. It has an energy system and is accessible from the early game. I don't know how I can move items around without using a mod like buildcraft or TE, but those mods add their own power systems and item processing which somewhat corrupts the idea of "Trying out IC2".

So, are there any other mods in this pack that are accessible in the early game? Can IC2 actually be used in isolation of mods with competing power and processing systems? Am I right in ignoring factorization in that you can't start with it without some somewhat rare dungeon chest loots?

IC2 has item ejector upgrades, so you can automate dumping dusts form a Macerator into an Electric Furnace, and from there into a chest, but if you don't like building vertically, you'll want to use another mod's item transport mechanism. People have been using Buildcraft and RedPower to automate IC2 machines for as long as I've played modded minecraft- so at least since MC 1.2.5.

As for other mods that you can do in the early game: you could try Botania, Thaumcraft, Blood Magic (once you get a couple of spare diamonds), Extra Utilities, MFR, PneumaticCraft (needs LOTS of iron), and Witchery, to name a few. Early-game Botania is probably the earliest of them all- literally all you need to get started is some stone, a bucket, some seeds (not sure if BoP seeds work- might actually be the hardest thing to find), and petals from the flowers that the mod adds all over the place.

Also, protip, use the Grindstone from AE2 on your ores until you can get some macerators or something started.

 

[ljfa]

Builcraft pipes, Transfer Nodes and even vanilla Hoppers are all useful for early game item transport.

Early-game Botania is probably the earliest of them all- literally all you need to get started is some stone, a bucket, some seeds (not sure if BoP seeds work- might actually be the hardest thing to find), and petals from the flowers that the mod adds all over the place.

And gold and wood

 

[GreenZombie]

Builcraft pipes, Transfer Nodes and even vanilla Hoppers are all useful for early game item transport.


And gold and wood

The one mod in DW20 I am not interested in using is ExtraUtilities. Its not that its a "Bad" mod. I just feel dirty whenever I use it. There are some nice things in it - the ridiculous things spoil it for me.

Likewise, using anything from buildcraft alongside IC2 seems to spoil the idea of "Trying IC2" as buildcraft adds a number of devices that are in direct competition to IC2. IC2 is seriously flawed if it can only be used in a modpack alongside its direct competition (as it were). i.e. if, for example, IC2 needs buildcraft pipes, who (in their right mind) would use an IC2 miner when there is the BC quarry available?

 

[ljfa]

You don't have to use all the stuff from ExU or BC, aren't you specifically interested in item transport?
IC2 doesn't have item transport short of some basics because it is typically used in modpacks where you have plenty options for item transport. I don't think every mod needs their own transport system.

 

[GreenZombie]

You don't have to use all the stuff from ExU or BC, aren't you specifically interested in item transport?
IC2 doesn't have item transport short of some basics because it is typically used in modpacks where you have plenty options for item transport. I don't think every mod needs their own transport system.

No they don't. But imagine for a moment I wanted to create a modpack with one powersystem. IC2's UE for example. How do I get item transport *without* adding a an unintentional 2nd power system?

 

[ewsmith]

No they don't. But imagine for a moment I wanted to create a modpack with one powersystem. IC2's UE for example. How do I get item transport *without* adding a an unintentional 2nd power system?

you can use a vanilla sorting system

 

[darkeshrine]

No they don't. But imagine for a moment I wanted to create a modpack with one powersystem. IC2's UE for example. How do I get item transport *without* adding a an unintentional 2nd power system?

There's Project Red, Translocators(though it's short distance transfer), and Steve's Factory Manager.

 

[GreenZombie]

I am rather of the opinion that my initial IC2 dive must be without any other mods at all. With any kind of item piping... who bothers with IC2 machine upgrades when you can bus things between machines without them?

Doesn't project red add a power system? I mean - Red Power had blutricity so I assume PR has some kind of parallel?

SFM also looks interesting as a mod ive never even touched at all. But that makes it less suitable for patching in IC2's deficincies - I should be doing a SFM and "nothing else" learning build first to find out what ITS actual capabilities are. The wiki has expired so I can't even read up properly...

 

[ljfa]

I am rather of the opinion that my initial IC2 dive must be without any other mods at all. With any kind of item piping... who bothers with IC2 machine upgrades when you can bus things between machines without them?

Go for it if you want. There are still hoppers and droppers

Doesn't project red add a power system? I mean - Red Power had blutricity so I assume PR has some kind of parallel?

Nope it doesn't
Also ProjectRed pipes have nothing to do with Redpower tubes. They're much more like Logistics Pipes.

 

[DREVL]

No they don't. But imagine for a moment I wanted to create a modpack with one powersystem. IC2's UE for example. How do I get item transport *without* adding a an unintentional 2nd power system?

IC2 doesn't do transport. you can eject something into the next block through eject upgrades, but nothing like actual transport.

 

[darkeshrine]

SFM also looks interesting as a mod ive never even touched at all. But that makes it less suitable for patching in IC2's deficincies - I should be doing a SFM and "nothing else" learning build first to find out what ITS actual capabilities are. The wiki has expired so I can't even read up properly...

SFM doesn't really have much to do in a "nothing else" environment.

Nope it doesn't
Also ProjectRed pipes have nothing to do with Redpower tubes. They're much more like Logistics Pipes.

Ideed. No power requirement, but a fairly terribad upgrade system that still doesn't upgrade them to anywhere near the efficiency of Logistics pipes or most other piping systems.

 

[GreenZombie]

SFM doesn't really have much to do in a "nothing else" environment

Ah. That actually seems perfect. I am, in principal, ok with using mirco mods - like JABBA (and SFM) to solve problems while investigating the capabilities of the more widely scoped mods...

 

[epidemia78]

The Tubes! mod is a real nice option. But if you want to go hardcore I would challenge you do do it all with carts.

 

[MigukNamja]

Early-game in the modpack I like to play, Infitech2, I use a line of vanilla hoppers in the floor, ending with a chest. The setup looks like this:

vvvvvv
MMMMMM
>>>>>>C

v : hopper pointed down
M : machine
> : hopper pointed to the side
C : chest

To make it look as neat as possible, I put the '>' hoppers in the floor, and the machines directly above the floor. This means the chest is in the floor.

 

[DREVL]

Early-game in the modpack I like to play, Infitech2, I use a line of vanilla hoppers in the floor, ending with a chest. The setup looks like this:

vvvvvv
MMMMMM
>>>>>>C

v : hopper pointed down
M : machine
> : hopper pointed to the side
C : chest

To make it look as neat as possible, I put the '>' hoppers in the floor, and the machines directly above the floor. This means the chest is in the floor.

that is the best and only way in vanilla or not transport based mods... one red flag though.... it can get to be ALOT of lag.

 

[GreenZombie]

Eish. TiC is solo good. I don't know if I have the patience to play pure ic2. But the TiC tools mean I'm not interested in the chainsaw, or mining laser.

 

[mcalpha]

for example, IC2 needs buildcraft pipes, who (in their right mind) would use an IC2 miner when there is the BC quarry available?

Those who don't like giant holes in the landscape. (Of course Ender Quarry does that as well, but it's from ExU which you don't want to touch.)

No they don't. But imagine for a moment I wanted to create a modpack with one powersystem. IC2's UE for example. How do I get item transport *without* adding a an unintentional 2nd power system?

You can do quite a lot with IC2 ejector upgrades and hoppers. (Translocators are also a mod that isn't meant to be used standalone.)

But be warned, you'll want to have quite a bit of Lapis available to craft lots of overclocker upgrades; the IC2 machines are quite slow without them. (And with enough overclockers, they are can be faster than those of any other mod.)

 

[GreenZombie]

I'll worry about over lockers once I've arranged a solid eu supply. My pools of water mills are providing a paltry ur/t. IC2 is surprisingly ... Balanced when other mods have been excluded.

I can't wean myself off my TiC stone hammer the mining drill really can't compete.

So I am trying to automate mining using ic2. I don't quite understand how to supply power to the miner. It has a slot for a battery but only accepts such low power batteries that it drains it flat before completing an operation. This implies I need to build an entire power plant to produce UE where the miner is. But the one ridiculous mechanic of IC2... The requirement to use a powered wrench in lossless mode to avoid breaking things makes moving miner a total pita.

Wtf?

Next - what advantages does the advanced miner offer?

 

[midi_sec]

Next - what advantages does the advanced miner offer?

according to ftbwiki.org, the max a standard miner drills is 9x9, where the advanced miner max is 32x32.