Power Converters complaining thread

[Whovian]

Spoiler: Original OP in spoiler

Since another forum I frequent has a Skyward Sword love thread for those with the (apparently) unpopular opinion that SS is one of the best games in the Zelda series (it obviously isn't,) I decided to start a thread for those with the (apparently) unpopular opinion that Power Converters is OP. Obviously, normal forum rules apply and I hope this doesn't degenerate into a flame war.

Without further ado, let's get to my rant.

I don't know if everyone else shares my opinion, but I've always viewed FTB's "goal" as designing beautifully complex automated (though not necessarily self-sustaining) systems for resource production/processing. Such as my old automated Saltpeter Factory that I made with a huge amount of wiring because I didn't know how useful Sorting Machines were.

Now, in this process, I find it quite fun to design independent power grids for the different mods, usually fed with fuel from what they're powering. They might mingle with one another, and the more mingling the cleverer, but not to the extent where they're the same power grid.

However, with PowerConverters, this is entirely unnecessary, even discouraged. Once you've set up your one power grid, you can just plop down a block for any other kind of power you like. Thus builds are less complex and clever.

(And yes, I know this build's completely solar-powered, I was planning to set up a power grid from a tree farm but got distracted before I could.)

Eh, just my opinion.

EDIT: Thanks for pointing out my typo, thanks keyboard. Fixing.

EDIT 2: To clarify, let me be clear. (Erm, that was redundant.) I'm not here to hate on those who like PowerConverters. At all. I'm fine with them. I can see the confusion, as most people who dislike something also dislike people who like the thing in question.

So this is an anti-PowerConverters thread, not an anti-pro-PowerConverters thread.

Sorry, guys, this thread was probably unprecedented and unnecessary. So. Erm. Sorry.

Can I get back to making out with Flowerchild?

 

[connerity1]

You can't make Nintendo change the way they develop video games.

You can choose not to use PowerConverters and do cool builds with different power systems, it's what I'm doing.

Basically, you are complaining that other people don't play the way you do?

 

[Hydra]

Basically, you are complaining that other people don't play the way you do?

No he's giving an opinion. One which I share. Mods should add to the modpack, not substract from it.

 

[PonyKuu]

I know this build's completely solar-powered

KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!

Ahem...
Well you know what people will say. "You can stop using power converters". Meh. I don't like them, too.

 

[Succubism]

God forbid you remove a mod you don't like when you can pester the pack devs to do it for you.

 

[hotblack desiato]

let's take a look on a real factory.

obviously, one of the main power sources is electrical energy. engines and so use quite a lot of that.

then there is steam, mostly generated by a boiler in the basement, fuelled mostly by diesel or natural gas.

pressurized air is sometimes used, it's an expensive way of transporting energy. the main advantage is, it works very well in areas with an explosive atmosphere.

so the different mods with their energy networks add different solutions for an energy grid. each energy grid has it's own advantages and disadvantages. the only thing that looks like OP in my eyes is: those power converters work lossless. there are no lossless powerconverters in RL. so a loss of 10-20% per conversion step would be a step into the right direction. you can still set up a single power grid, but you loose efficiency.

 

[Succubism]

There's like, 5 different types of electrical energy in this modpack. I don't understand the issue with being allowed to convert between them. It's convenient.

Why does everything have to be a damn challenge?
How do you expect new players to get into this when you make everything complex?
Why can't you allow people to make their own challenge and stop forcing it upon them? You're not their damn mother.

 

[hotblack desiato]

yes, electrical energy-systems. a direct lossless power conversion between IC2 energy and UE energy should be no problem (although the idea behind UE was, that no one needs extra power systems).
the energy from redpower2 is electricity, but no one is allowed to touch that system

but buildcraft energy is something else, not electricity. steam is obviously not electricity. and whatever soaryn will add to xycraft isn't electricity aswell...

 

[ShneekeyTheLost]

This is precisely why the mod pack I've compiled only has ONE energy source: MJ. And thus obviating the need for power converters and nonsense like this in the first place.

 

[Succubism]

the energy from redpower2 is electricity, but no one is allowed to touch that system

I'm not going to rant about this. I've gotten into trouble for it before since people punish others for saying what they don't like hearing.
But Eloraam has made a blulectric engine (For what it's worth) for machines that use MJ.[DOUBLEPOST=1369078110][/DOUBLEPOST]

This is precisely why the mod pack I've compiled only has ONE energy source: MJ. And thus obviating the need for power converters and nonsense like this in the first place.

People enjoy that "nonsense." Otherwise it wouldn't have been included.

 

[RedBoss]

My personal stance is geared towards not giving a damn what other people do with their game. The only goal I see in the mods is to have FUN. Fun is a subjective term. I prefer efficiency to complexity. I don't want a lot of moving parts. Not everything I build needs to be a Rube Goldberg machine. Any mods that force that level of complexity as an integral part of their function are atrocious to me. Having multiple mods gives options and you can choose for yourself how complex or simple you wish your system to be.

Complaining about people using a simple system is just silly. Focus on your own game and leave people alone. Also, for those that always choose to invoke "real life" into these scenarios, then research the varied concepts relating to Manufacturing Cycle Efficiency. In layman's terms, manufacturers/ businesses accept that in producing a product, that a level of complexity will initially exist. Over time due to improvements in technology and the learning process of doing things over and over again, the process becomes far more efficient and hopefully cheaper. Moving parts are eliminated and manpower is usually reduced. The end goal being to improve the production by adding less, in order to gain more. Its a fact of business, science, and life in general.

Your goal of endless complexity is counter-intuitive to to many people. The novelty of being able to make huge, complex things is a past time that is admired but not yearned for by the masses. I'm not knocking anyone who wants to over engineer anything in this game. I do implore you to understand that not everyone wants that. Stop knocking other people's game play styles.

I love Power Converters. The mod allows me to not waste time on things I'd rather not be doing. I don't give a rat's behind about juggling several power systems, but I'll gladly watch your build that uses them. I'm not a complexity seeking person, I want a ton of materials to build stuff and things to explore and discover. Oddly enough, I still love complex builds. I just don't want to be the one building them.

Also.... *Complaining

 

[Lambert2191]

wrong complan-ing thread?

 

[Succubism]

When you don't have constructive argument, you can always pick out spelling errors and typos.

 

[hotblack desiato]

and it's not even a spelling error. it's a damn typo. that could happen to everyone.

by the way, english isn't even my first language (so, if someone spots a weird grammatical construction...)

 

[Whovian]

I now realize that I may have acted a little rashly and failed to explain the purpose of this. So I apologize. And I do realize this post also sounds slightly rash, and this rash-ness is completely unintentional.
To explain, I'm offering an opinion. Yes, many might not share it. I can understand how some might not share it. This is not to force my opinion, only explain it.

 

[MachineMuse]

May I suggest the alternative solution of breaking both of your hands? That would make it artificially more difficult and more complex without ruining it for the rest of us.

 

[Tohru Adachi]

Literally "I don't like how other people besides me play a sandbox-type game"

 

[snooder]

I like PowerConverters.

I like to build large and complex systems myself, but I don't generally see the power conversion aspect of them to be integral to the build and actually, having the power conversion portion stream-lined lets me do more and be more creative with the rest of the build.

For example, when I first learned about Steam consumers, I originally had a couple boilers and a bank of industrial steam engines providing power that got routed around with energy conduits. It wasn't all that complex, but it was cramped and ugly. I replaced them with a liquid tesseract and steam consumer combo. Having that much space free meant that instead of my basement looking like a mass of wires and crap, I could sculpt it into a more aesthetic design that integrated into the rest of my base. Which is currently a mostly open balcony hanging from the side of a mountain. I also put my bee machines up top in a little aerial garden next to my alvearies and (because of the tesseract) I could hide the energy bridge under the railings and not have any trailing wires hanging anywhere to break up the look.

Another useful bit is being able to stick with pure MJ for my base. Not that I can't just make a bank of geothermals, but I just like the looks of boilers more, and it's fun to tinker with something that I haven't tried before. I couldn't do that if I was stuck with the absolutely abyssmal steam:EU conversion from turbines.

 

[ahwtx]

please keep making awesome mods, power crystals. your work is appreciated!

 

[Captain_Oats]

Different strokes. As others have said there's rarely ever a problem with having too many options (forget the ignorant). If you don't like them, don't use them.

This has come up so many times it's ridiculous. Some people like intricacy and challenge, some don't see the point. That's why there's 'hard' and 'easy' mode Gregtech, Forestry etc. configs.

Personally I probably would have used them when I first got into modded Minecraft, but at this point in my FTB days, and of course in my opinion (and the very little experience I have with the mod), they seem too out of place and take the fun out of it.

Just as a single example, I like needing large expensive multiblock steam turbines to convert steam to EU. I like having Nuclear Reactors output steam instead of direct EU, I like the added layers of realism (I know how out of place that sounds). I played a little with plopping a couple blocks from Power Converters mod to convert the steam directly into MJ/EU, but it just seemed out of place and a little too simple. I don't really see the interest in wanting to have one SINGLE means of power generation and then just funneling everything into a few simple blocks in order to fill all my energy needs. I enjoy having farms, turbines, generators, engines, reactors, solar panels etc. all working together to provide my energy. With all the means of automation (Logistics Pipes, AE, Redpower, Buildcraft, Routers etc.), once an energy production plant is complete, there's very little maintenance anyways.

So back to my point, unless a mod is game-breakingly overpowered and your on a server with idiots exploiting said mod to no end, just don't use it. There's so many options that it seems pointless to argue and banter about OP mods when this is completely subjective and dependant on your play styles. Computers and turtles for example are incredibly OP'ed for those that are good with scripting, however for me, and many that don't program, they aren't. All these automated farms (golems, forestry, MFR, Carts etc) are amazingly OP'ed (literally infinite fuel and energy) compared to the old days of manual farming, but that's completely dependant on your level of skill, experience, dedication to the game (not everyone can burn 20 hours a week into a computer game). Play the way you like, use what suits your style and meets your level of challenge and production. fin