Should I give up on FTB?

[WAFFLE OF WAR]

Sorry if the title doesn't fit the forum topic, but the content should;

So I've been playing FTB for a few days now and I'm really struggling. The mod just seems too difficult and I wonder how others have done it. It seems like everything that I need to progress, in my eyes, requires one thing, but I can't make that one thing because I need it to get the materials to craft another thing which I can't make because... it just continues on like that and I'm really stuck. I'm self taught as of now, but I don't want to spend hours watching videos. I've tried joining servers, but that doesn't work. Anyways, is FTB always this hard to start up?

 

[Golrith]

Which pack have you started out with. If you've tried Ultimate or Mindcrack, those will be a lot more difficult due to mainly GregTech mod and some config settings. Try out DW20 pack instead.

Also, have you tried watching some Let's Play's on YouTube? Some, like Direwolf20 have good single player playthroughs that really help understand how things work. Even the first few episodes of his current series will give you a power source and some machines for processing. From that small seed, great things will grow.

 

[Guswut]

Anyways, is FTB always this hard to start up?

No, it is not. The first time will be difficult if you allow yourself to try and do everything at once.

Instead, you need to focus on one mod, such as Industrial Craft 2, Red Power 2, BuildCraft, Thermal Expansion, or ThaumCraft, and then stick with that until you get settled.

If you are running the ultimate pack, a good first step is to make a "quartz grindstone" to give yourself the ability to turn your ore blocks into dust, which you can use to double the yield for each ore block. After you do that, make an iron furnace (five iron and a normal furnace, the pattern looks like an "A" with the furnace between the lower legs) which will smelt ten things per coal/charcoal.

From there, mine, get materials, and start researching/doing on of the main mods.

 

[Jaybob32]

I believe that was the whole point of the mod pack. To make it a challenge to get things done. In my opinion, when you do it's that much sweeter.
There is a step learning curve, if you don't want to watch videos or read the wiki, I suggest picking a goal then go through all the recipes and prerequisites and work back until you have a starting point. You will have to get each to move to the next stage, that's just how it's set up.
I would watch a few videos and check the ftbwiki.org for help though.

 

[whythisname]

Well it is quite overwhelming at the start, I had the same experience.

I don't know which mod pack you're using, but if it has GregTech you might want to consider removing it as it does make the game harder (with a lot more "craft this and this and this and this and this and this and this... to make this and don't forget you need machines A B C ... X Y and Z to make the materials"). I personally started with GregTech on though and I don't regret it.

Other than that you should look into storage and crafting related mods (I recommend Applied Energistics), because those can make your life a whole lot easier (even if they're expensive and complicated to set up).

That said, you should play FTB for your enjoyment and that includes the learning process in my opinion, if you don't enjoy it you shouldn't keep playing (games are for fun, keep it that way!).

 

[Daemonblue]

Well, for starts it's a mod pack, not a mod. This point is fairly important for a few reasons.

Before anything though, which pack are you using? Mindcrack, Direwolf, or Ultimate? Also, you needing something else to make something is kind of standard even for vanilla minecraft. The biggest tool at your disposal is going to be NEI which lets you see the recipes for different items (default r) as well as what you can use those items for (default u). For example most of the machines for Thermal Expansion require Machine frames. By selecting the block in the NEI menu and hitting R you can see how to make the block, while hitting U will show you what all you can build with the machine frame. This functionality extends to various crafting methods such as the liquid transposer or industrial centrifuge.

What you'll want to do is set a goal for yourself and work towards that goal. Yes, reading a bit on the mods will help you with understanding what you're doing such as "why would I want to use this machine?" The same could be said about a lot of vanilla functionality though such as "why would I want a mob grinder?" or "why should I make a farm?" Mods tend to increase the number of these questions, but give you good answers. You want a macerator or pulverizer to double ore output. You want an engine to power a furnace so you use less fuel. You want to make an item sorting system so you don't have to dig through 20 chests to find one item. You want a powered tool or drill because you don't want to keep replacing normal tools. You want the plasma cannon for the power tool or a mining laser so you don't have to worry about arrows.

The list goes on and on. In the end though, you need to set your own goals. Ask yourself "what do I want to accomplish in minecraft?" After you've done that then work towards that goal.

 

[BeastFeeder]

Sorry if the title doesn't fit the forum topic, but the content should;

So I've been playing FTB for a few days now and I'm really struggling. The mod just seems too difficult and I wonder how others have done it. It seems like everything that I need to progress, in my eyes, requires one thing, but I can't make that one thing because I need it to get the materials to craft another thing which I can't make because... it just continues on like that and I'm really stuck. I'm self taught as of now, but I don't want to spend hours watching videos. I've tried joining servers, but that doesn't work. Anyways, is FTB always this hard to start up?

Dont give up until you edit the mod pack and disable GregTech. Then either start a new map or go generate some new chunks to mine in your current world.

Gregtech is good for hardcore minecrafters, but I had to edit the config to nerf it into oblivion in my last map to maintain my sanity. You didn't say what pack you're using but I'm guessing ulitmate. I disabled it and dont miss it one bit.

 

[WAFFLE OF WAR]

I'm using ultimate, and one of the first things I wanted to do was to make a macerator but I needed an assembly table to make the items I needed. I can't make the AT because I don't have something it to make something and it was just a huge process.

 

[RetroGamer1224]

herp derp..nvm.

EDIT:

In which case then remove GT and change the configs to make it a tad easier. That or switch to DW20 or even the Yogspack

 

[WAFFLE OF WAR]

You know...it would be funny if the op was playing the brony pack and all this advice is out the window.

Please don't give the trolls ideas.

 

[Guswut]

I'm using ultimate, and one of the first things I wanted to do was to make a macerator but I needed an assembly table to make the items I needed. I can't make the AT because I don't have something it to make something and it was just a huge process.

You don't need an assembly table to make a macerator. You need three diamonds.

That aside, make a quartz grindstone as that is a manual macerator. It will get you started.

 

[Golrith]

I'm using ultimate, and one of the first things I wanted to do was to make a macerator but I needed an assembly table to make the items I needed. I can't make the AT because I don't have something it to make something and it was just a huge process.

erm. I think you might be confusing what NEI is telling you the recipe. GregTech adds the option to make all circuits from Buildcraft and IC2 to be interchangable, and buildcraft circuits require the Assembly Table. You need a normal IC2 circuit, although I don't know if GregTech changes that.

 

[WAFFLE OF WAR]

You don't need an assembly table to make a macerator. You need three diamonds.

That aside, make a quartz grindstone as that is a manual macerator. It will get you started.

Thanks man, this will help me out. Someone mentioned the quarts grindstone before and I'd like to say thanks to them as well.[DOUBLEPOST=1363126977][/DOUBLEPOST]

erm. I think you might be confusing what NEI is telling you the recipe. GregTech adds the option to make all circuits from Buildcraft and IC2 to be interchangable, and buildcraft circuits require the Assembly Table. You need a normal IC2 circuit, although I don't know if GregTech changes that.

Exactly. It wasn't saying I had to build the macerator in the assembly table, but the things I needed to make it were crafted on the table which I didn't have.

 

[Chre903]

I'm using ultimate, and one of the first things I wanted to do was to make a macerator but I needed an assembly table to make the items I needed. I can't make the AT because I don't have something it to make something and it was just a huge process.

When you look at the Macerator (Industrialcraft) Recipe in NEI, you should see some things Changing. I this Case the Gates (Buildcraft) and the Advanced Electronic Circut (Industrialcraft). It means you can use all of this to craft the Macerator.
So you don't need the Buildcraft Assembly Table to make a Industrialcraft Item. Electonic Circuts are easy to make, just the Rubber is Painful to get at the Beginning. But in the Future, you need Tones of it. So make a Rubber farm

 

[Guswut]

Thanks man, this will help me out. Someone mentioned the quarts grindstone before and I'd like to say thanks to them as well.

That was me as well. The quartz grindstone really is awesome for what it does to early play. It is also extremely evil. You'll get sick of it very very quickly, I can assure you.

 

[WAFFLE OF WAR]

That was me as well. The quartz grindstone really is awesome for what it does to early play. It is also extremely evil. You'll get sick of it very very quickly, I can assure you.

Though your words aren't very encouraging, I just look at the Quartz grindstone interface and it scares me a little...

 

[Guswut]

Though your words aren't very encouraging, I just look at the Quartz grindstone interface and it scares me a little...

Put ore blocks (iron, copper, tin, gold, etc) in the top-left corner. Close the interface, and then hold down the right mouse button aiming at the grindstone's crank. Wait for a bit, and then check to see what has been processed.

Repeat this until you have enough materials for a macerator/pulverizer.

It's the GOOD type of suffering!

 

[Hitmaniac]

When you are starting out, KISS. Keep it simple stupid. I had this problem. I saw youtubers making advanced forestry tree farms and making biomass. I immediately hopped in my world and tried to do the same thing. It won't work. FTB is sort of like a ladder. You have to go through every step. If I was starting over I'd make a MJ power station as one of my first big projects.

 

[Bobodamonkey]

Could you use a deployer hooked up to a timer to keep a grindstone going automatically, since it simulates a player's right click?

 

[shaus]

Here's my startup order if it helps you at all.

1: Build the shell of my base(walls floors and stuff), Dig out a mine shaft, plant some trees/flax/wheat. Throwing items in normal chests, dirt/cobble in barrels. Use the string from flax to make a couple bags.

2: Build a couple hobbiest steam engines (aqueous accumulator attached via pipes to provide water), then use these engines to power a pulverizer and a powered furnace. Now ores are doubled + extras from the pulverizer.

3: Upgrade my chests to iron or gold, suit up in iron armor and head to the nether for some netherrack/netherrack bricks.

4: Build a couple more hobbiest engines, the thermal expansion induction smelter, liquid transposer, and magma crucible. Use the magma crucible/liquid transposer to create redstone conduits and the induction smelter to make the glass needed liquiducts/conduits.

5: Build a tank to hold liquids (xycraft tank valve structure, or railcraft iron tank structure) Put a magma crucible connected to the tank, and have it burn netherrack into lava, can power it with a hobbiest steam engine to start, but switch out to a magma engine and supply it with lava from your tank as soon as you can because it will produce more lava than it uses to power the engine. Switch out the other hobbiest engines connected to the other machines with redstone conduits connected to another magma engine thats getting lava from your tank.


From there you have an ok power source, that requires minimal effort to maintain, and the basic machines that will make your life easier in the long run (doubling ores, making energy conduits, and liquiducts).