IC2 Experimental Ore Processing - wat?

[asb3pe]

Direwolf20 1.6 modpack. Posting here because I'm not on the IC2 Experimental forums.

Just like Dire, I started off with Thermal Expansion 3 machines. Lovely mod, absolutely wonderful. Only one real problem - processing speed. It's sloooooow for mid/end game.

So I jump over to IndustrialCraft 2 Experimental for my ore processing. Wow are those machines quick! 2 transformer upgrades and 16 overclockers (cause 16 is a nice number, not because it's optimum number of OC). Except for the "Macerator-Ore Washing Station-Thermal Centrifuge" process. That is slow. Why? Yes, I threw a lever on the Thermal to keep it at 5000 heat all the time. But it's still slow as molasses when processing the purified crushed ores in comparison to the other IC2 machines. Is this because it's still "experimental"? Is this a bug? Am I doing something wrong perhaps?

Another question - for all IC2 machines, two transformer upgrades brings them to 8192 EU/t max power. However, the Thermal Centrifuge is once again the oddball machine, two transformers brings that one to 32768 EU/t max power. Why the inconsistency in max power? Why aren't all machines at the same max power with the same number of upgrades?

Also... how stingy (cheap) of the desingers to make us go thru this three-machine ore processing setup and then it only adds... I dunno, maybe 10% extra ore (all those tiny piles of dust)? Is this three-machine convoluted process really worth it, especially if you cannot create a lightning fast processing?

Another question - what ores or blocks can be run thru the Macerator? As of right now, I can only find seven ores total for the three-machine IC2 ore processing? Iron, gold, copper, tin, lead, silver and uranium? I can't macerate coal ore? Why not? TE3 pulverizer can accept so many different blocks.

 

[asb3pe]

I think with all the overclockers my power needs are exceeding my power input, I have a second MFSU with another 2048 EU/t I can add in (haven't been using it) so let me try that.

 

[SatanicSanta]

Why the inconsistency in max power? Why aren't all machines at the same max power with the same number of upgrades? Transformer upgrades don't set the max power, they add to it. For instance, if you have a machine that had a max input of 8EU/tick, and an upgrade added 40, you would have 48 EU/tick. But if you used the same upgrade on a machine with a max input of 40Eu/tick, it would be 80Eu/tick.

Is this three-machine convoluted process really worth it, especially if you cannot create a lightning fast processing? That's up to you. It's probably worth it if you don't quarry often, but not if you do.

Another question - what ores or blocks can be run thru the Macerator? I would assume any that have an IC2 dust, go to @Indust to figure that out

 

[asb3pe]

I think what would help me most is if the "exploding machines" mechanic comes back to IC2. Without this sort of feedback (dramatic and costly tho it may have been), I'm making blatant mistakes with my IC2 setup. For instance... my 16 overclockers were way too many for my 2048 HV power cable.

So now I have 4096 EU/t coming in from 2 MFSU's (using glass fibre cable from the point where the two cables meet up), and for my Macerator/Ore Wash/Thermal Centrifuge setup I use 2 transformer upgrades in each (8192 EU/t max power or 32768 EU/t max for Thermal Cent) and then I have:

Macerator - 14 overclockers = 1441 EU/t 13 overclockers = 901 EU/t
Ore Washing Station - 9 overclockers = 1100 EU/t
Thermal Centrifuge - 8 overclockers = 2062 EU/t

So when my ores come in and flow thru these three machines all at once, I'm pulling a total of 4063 EU/t with a power input of 4096 EU/t. No shortfall as long as I don't use other machines while these are running.

 

[asb3pe]

Oh yeah, one other thing - why don't hoppers connect to the thermal centrifuge? They connect to the macerator and the ore wash station. For the TC, I have to use one section of itemduct between the hoppers and the TC which seems rather silly and makes the whole setup an even bigger mess. I like neat.

 

[asb3pe]

So now I got the Thermal Centrifuge running... put a lever on it and it begins to go up from 0/5000 heat.

I run some ores thru the machine, and when I look at it, there's purified crushed tin ore going thru, and the heat level says: 3650/1000 heat. Huh? Wasn't it just at 5000 heat? Does it drop its heat level for each type of different ore and then ramp back up if needed?

And the TC is by far the slowest out of the three, even pulling double the power as the other two machines. Ouch.

Any suggestions on how to make this ore processing the most efficient it can be (given my 4096 EU/t current limitation)?

 

[SatanicSanta]

I don't actually know. I haven't really toyed around with exp ic2, I was just answering your original questions about upgrades.

 

[asb3pe]

I don't actually know. I haven't really toyed around with exp ic2, I was just answering your original questions about upgrades.

Thanks for the help. Doesn't seem like there are a lot of answers out there right now, the wiki isn't terribly informative although I certainly understand why working on the mod is much more important than working on the wiki about the mod. But for us players its a bit of a struggle. Ultimate mod pack was so much fun with IC2. I hope they can regain that feeling somehow.

( I think the fact that the wiki was completely up to date on all mods back during the FTB Ultimate days really spoiled me. Today, the wikis are horribly incomplete and/or out of date. There's just no good way to keep them current, it takes so much work and dedicated people to do it.)