IC2 Addon [Tools/Armor/Recipes This Update][Functionality Next]

[ILoveGregTech]

So skip solars and go with water.

And wow those emojis annoy me.

I like the : D and the : P
Nevar!
seriously though I haven't learned java and a lot of people have been getting quite mad at me, which is slightly understandable. So yea I have to do that and then do some simple things like armor, etc. then learn to work with an API..

 

[jumpfight5]

I like the : D and the : P
Nevar!
seriously though I haven't learned java and a lot of people have been getting quite mad at me, which is slightly understandable. So yea I have to do that and then do some simple things like armor, etc. then learn to work with an API..

But you can go learn your armor and stuff, then skip solar and go straight to water.

How can you compete with a guy who actually knows how to code and has almost finished his mod?

 

[ILoveGregTech]

But you can go learn your armor and stuff, then skip solar and go straight to water.

How can you compete with a guy who actually knows how to code and has almost finished his mod?

I'm not trying to?
I'm making this mod for myself.
The solar mod (my planned one at least) is going to be a lot like advanced solar panels except more balanced recipes (harder >) without storage, and without night EU, however during the day the output will be higher (1024 and 8192 Eu/t output solars along with 512, 64, 8)

 

[jumpfight5]

I'm making this mod for myself.

Then why'd you make a thread about it and ask us if we'd download the mod?

 

[ILoveGregTech]

Then why'd you make a thread about it and ask us if we'd download the mod?

Encouragement always helps

 

[Hydra]

If you just want to learn to code mods, go ahead and do whatever you want. But if you want a mod that's actually going to be used by people it's a bad idea to make something that's just a copy of something that's already there. Another version of Advanced Solars that's more expensive and gives less power is just never ever going to be used by others.

Try to make something unique. The solar tower is something that I'd use. Your armor / advanced solars II mod I am never ever going to use.

 

[Lambert2191]

seriously though I haven't learned java

you say that like it's a trivial thing :/

 

[ILoveGregTech]

If you just want to learn to code mods, go ahead and do whatever you want. But if you want a mod that's actually going to be used by people it's a bad idea to make something that's just a copy of something that's already there. Another version of Advanced Solars that's more expensive and gives less power is just never ever going to be used by others.

Try to make something unique. The solar tower is something that I'd use. Your armor / advanced solars II mod I am never ever going to use.

This may sound rude but meh. People don't get it. If my mod gets 0 downloads I could care less.. I'm making this for myself..
And they don't produce less power.. AND people will use then because they think ASP is cheaty

 

[Hydra]

This may sound rude but meh. People don't get it. If my mod gets 0 downloads I could care less.. I'm making this for myself..
And they don't produce less power.. AND people will use then because they think ASP is cheaty

You said that they don't produce power during the night. So that means less power. ASP is 'cheaty' because a single block produces a lot of power. If your system is going to do the same it's going to be just as cheaty. I personally think that both compact and advanced solars should not be in FTB, and neither should a mod that's just as unfeasable as those mods. That's why I was actually looking forward to a solar tower mod: that one would actually make sense scientifically.

I don't want to dissuade you from making a mod; on the contrary. But you're advertising something that doesn't exist at all and is never going to exist in your signature.

 

[jumpfight5]

This may sound rude but meh. People don't get it. If my mod gets 0 downloads I could care less.. I'm making this for myself..
And they don't produce less power.. AND people will use then because they think ASP is cheaty

ASP got so nerfed, nobody wants to need UU/Iridium for the first tier one.
And you said you wanted your recipes harder.

So where's the link for this other guy? I'll try to direct my suggestions at him.
Tis a shame, I thought this thread was more for giving suggestions.

 

[ILoveGregTech]

It's a buddy from the server that I play on:
http://www.squirrellystudios.com/index.php?threads/solar-tower-mod.249/

 

[ZantagX]

I'd create a new post for the mod itself but I prefer to wait till it is a bit more complete.
Currently could use suggestions for recipes for heliostats (reflecting mirrors, motors), the blocks that heat up, the insulating blocks that are on top.
Also, looking for suggestions to make it balanced and based on science.

Short version of how this works:
Assume tower is constructed, and heliostats are placed.

Upon daylight (which I'm actually having trouble with, the isDaytime() doesn't seem to function...?) and clear sky, mirrors start reflecting light to the solar tower.

Solar tower begins to heat up. Larger tower requires more input energy (light from heliostats) to heat up, compensated by placing larger number of heliostats.
So long as the tower has heat, it is producing EU/t. This means if you can keep the tower hot longer, by placing the heat shields on the top (helps to conserve heat longer), you can continue to produce EU well into the night.

ventHeight is the variable that represents the layers of blocks that accept light energy to heat up. Notice range isn't taken into account for how much heat is gained?
Just like in reality it is easier to heat something up when it isn't hot. That is what is happening here. Likewise it is easier to cool something off when it is hot.

public void increaseHeat(int helios){
float change = (float)helios / (ventHeight * 8);
float heatAdjust = change * (1F - currentHeatValue / maxHeatValue);
currentHeatValue += heatAdjust;
}
public void decreaseHeat(int helios){
float heatAdjust = ventHeight * (currentHeatValue / maxHeatValue);
currentHeatValue -= heatAdjust * ((shieldHeight > 0) ? 2 : 4);
}

Also, on the link ILoveGregTech posted - you can see how much EU/t the tower produces at max heat.
All of the equations are subject to change and would like if I could get input on this, I've been currently just getting input from the people I play with on the FTB server I'm on.

I want the Solar Tower to be exactly what it is in real life, a power plant, that can output substantial amounts of power if it is large enough (current max tower height is 40, with a max of almost 7k heliostats surrounding it) I don't care to get any larger than that as visibility becomes an issue, not to mention keeping chunks loaded.

 

[ILoveGregTech]

That^^^

 

[ILoveGregTech]

Hey Zant, here is my link to my current ideas page. It's some of the recipes from the mod your working on and a lot of new ones. If you'd like to use the recipes for circuits and such then go ahead.
Please don't steal Nokia or Particle accelerator though
https://drive.google.com/#folders/0B8tPubB6mpPsMEZ6SVVpSnRwd2s

 

[ZantagX]

I can't access that.

 

[ILoveGregTech]

I can't access that.

Wow I'm a moron..
Ill repost tomorrow

 

[Hydra]

ZantagX: I think you could have a look at Railcraft boilers on how they heat up / cool down. Your heliostat is basically a boiler that uses light as 'fuel' (not literally ofcourse).

Just like RC boilers have different sizes your heliostat could too. I don't see much of a point in 'insulating' panels or anything, that's not how they work IRL either.

Personally I would really love it if they would require a supply of water and produce steam. What you could do is something that forestry does with the multifarm: you can yourself decide which input / output blocks to put where. So in your case you could have a "steam" output block (very cheap) where people could connect liquiducts for steam to connect to steam engines OR a "generator" output block (more expensive) that would output EU directly.

Cost wise I think the heliostat itself should be slightly more expensive than a RC HP boiler of the same size. The mirrors should not be too expensive; some iron (frame), silver + glass (mirror) and copper (servo). Most people will probably go for the max size anyway, a bit like RC boilers.

 

[ZantagX]

The heliostat is the mirror, all it does is reflect the light (includes servo/mirror/frame)

I would like to add in options for water/steam output but I'm first going for ic2 integration only to start with, and will expand once that is completed.
I do like the idea of adding in the forestry style blocks, that can be setup for various connections.

My first impression for the liquid was to use molten salts instead of water. And later on, there could be two tiers of efficiency, high efficiency for salt and slightly lower efficiency for water. But this part would wait on the ic2 setup to be completed. Which just missing balance and to finalize recipes, so close.

The heat does work somewhat similarly to how railcraft boilers work. It just needs tweaking so it doesn't heat up so fast/cool off so fast.
You are correct on the insulation, this was half for effect, and half for looks of the tower itself.

One concern with steam, is the volume of steam produced, water proof pipes and liquiducts have relatively low outputs compared to what I would think this would output / tick, specifically for the larger towers.

Pending the turnout of this (after integration with other mods for steam and the like), I would be interested in adding other power plants or large multiblock structures, perhaps a scale-able coal power plant would be next? Perhaps an oil refinery with all the different products one can get from crude oil?

 

[Whovian]

Ooh, ooh!

Multiblock large-volume liquid pipes! Something like a 2x2 pipe which has ginormous volume!

 

[jumpfight5]

Ooh, ooh!

Multiblock large-volume liquid pipes! Something like a 2x2 pipe which has ginormous volume!

SUPER-DUCTS!