Underrated/lesser used techniques and items

[Wagon153]

We all know of the most used items and techniques. Using a forestry/mfr tree farm, steam boilers and all that. But are there any lesser known things you use to do what you need/want?

 

[Golrith]

I've used a factorization solar power farm to generate steam for my TE3 steam dynamos. Big and expensive, but looks damn impressive. Because it's just "solar power" I pump the steam into a large railcraft tank to act as a buffer during the night.

 

[Wagon153]

I've always though factorization was an awesome mod. More people should use it.

 

[Mevansuto]

I've used a factorization solar power farm to generate steam for my TE3 steam dynamos. Big and expensive, but looks damn impressive. Because it's just "solar power" I pump the steam into a large railcraft tank to act as a buffer during the night.

I've seen about the same number of people using FZ steam generation as RC steam in 1.6. Still a great way to get power.

 

[SaintLucifer]

Rotary Craft Hydrokinectics to generate free power for the other mods counts?

 

[Wagon153]

Rotary Craft Hydrokinectics to generate free power for the other mods counts?

Yes it counts, since many people are still getting a grasp on the workings of Rotary Craft.

 

[MigukNamja]

TC4.1 Golems are currently underrated.

In TC 4.1, you can now target golem research and get a basic wood golem pretty darn fast. Harvest is also very shallow in the research tree. And, very importantly, you just need *2 of any shard* to make a Thaumometer. No more waiting before you have 1 of each of the 6 kinds of shards. TC 4.1 is much, much easier to get into than previous versions, IMHO.

With a small number of Harvest and Gather Golems, you can have a crop farm up faster in TC 4.1 than in MFR or Forestry. You can then feed a large percentage of those crops into the newer energy producers, like the ExtraUtilities generators or the new TE3 Dynamo or kick it old school with the MFR Bioreactor. Another good thing about golems is they don't have any energy or maintenance costs.

I predict the "Rise of the Golems" as more people start using TC 4.1

Edit : Can you tell I play @Jadedcat 's MF2 ?

 

[TrJace]

Ars magica sigils. Great for animal farms, crop growth and moonstone control. All fairly easy to make as well.[DOUBLEPOST=1393264582][/DOUBLEPOST]

TC4.1 Golems are currently underrated.

In TC 4.1, you can now target golem research and get a basic wood golem pretty darn fast. Harvest is also very shallow in the research tree. And, very importantly, you just need *2 of any shard* to make a Thaumometer. No more waiting before you have 1 of each of the 6 kinds of shards. TC 4.1 is much, much easier to get into than previous versions, IMHO.

With a small number of Harvest and Gather Golems, you can have a crop farm up faster in TC 4.1 than in MFR or Forestry. You can then feed a large percentage of those crops into the newer energy products, like the ExtraUtilities generators or the new TE3 Dynamo. Another good thing about golems is they don't have any energy or maintenance costs.

I predict the "Rise of the Golems" as more people start using TC 4.1

Agreed. Golems are awesome and low maintenance. Just keep them protected

 

[hiroshi42]

Although it seems to be gaining in popularity, blood magic Serenade of the Nether produces a lava source block above it. I've got a Autonomous activator with buckets hooked up to a couple fluid transposers set to empty the lava into [transport system of your choice]. Lava power without the nether, pumps, or massive chunkloaded areas. All you need is some way to generate LP which can be automated rather handily, but if your power draw isn't much you can just keep an eye on things and fill when you need to.

I also have been using factorization for steam since unleashed. It is nice but can start to take a toll on systems just because it requires so much volume. One maxed out solar tower produces 240 steam/t and requires 3 chunks to be loaded minimum (and I don't know if you can get all the steam out of a maxed tower).

 

[Padfoote]

Hmm, since @hiroshi42 beat me to my standard answer, I'm going to go with mining with the Blood Magic Bound Pickaxe. A single right click with that thing and your entire inventory is full for several trips.

 

[hiroshi42]

Hmm, since @hiroshi42 beat me to my standard answer, I'm going to go with mining with the Blood Magic Bound Pickaxe. A single right click with that thing and your entire inventory is full for several trips.

I've been having problems with beast mode mining and have been avoiding it, but yes it can be stupidly awesome especially with the diggers and miners backpack or the dartcraft dartpack. It is even more fun when you right click in the middle of your store room. Really brings your hoarding problem into a new light.

 

[Padfoote]

I've been having problems with beast mode mining and have been avoiding it, but yes it can be stupidly awesome especially with the diggers and miners backpack or the dartcraft dartpack. It is even more fun when you right click in the middle of your store room. Really brings your hoarding problem into a new light.

And that right there is why I keep those things off of my hot bar unless I'm mining. Good excuse to upgrade your storage room though

 

[rhn]

The factorization Routers have been greatly ignored for a long time despite their great possibilities. They are not a all-round wonder block, but it is excellent in specialized jobs.

 

[darkeshrine]

The factorization Routers have been greatly ignored for a long time despite their great possibilities. They are not a all-round wonder block, but it is excellent in specialized jobs.

To be fair, they're fairly slow to operate and almost expensive to make with the upgrades needed for most things you'd use it for. To clarify, the reason i say "almost expensive" is simply because dark iron isn't as easy to acquire as it once was, especially with it spawning just below the lava level being rather hazardous to mine for.

On a similar note, almost all of Factorization is fairly underrated and rarely used. Yeah, there's barrels and Wrath Lamps, but that's about all of what people use. There's a few accounts of people actually using it fully but are few and far in between.

 

[kaiomann]

Hang gliders. Combine these with a jetpack and you got an easy yet pretty darn efficent way of flight.

 

[rhn]

To be fair, they're fairly slow to operate and almost expensive to make with the upgrades needed for most things you'd use it for. To clarify, the reason i say "almost expensive" is simply because dark iron isn't as easy to acquire as it once was, especially with it spawning just below the lava level being rather hazardous to mine for.

What you call expensive is offset by the capability of the router to service many machines at the same time. For example 1 router can supply 50+ alvearies with frames.
And I don't follow what you are saying about them being slow. Their transfer rate is instant, there is a little delay between machines which the speed upgrade negates. Bandwidth upgrade makes it move stacks at the time.
For what it does/is capable of I think it is pretty cheap.

As for the Dark Iron, there is no such thing as a "lava level". The dark iron spawns in connection with bedrock or very close to it. It is true that there is an increased chance of lava at that depth, but it is pretty easy to find spots to mine down to bedrock without any lava(Zans minimap's cave mode is a great help for this).

 

[Strikingwolf]

Reactant dynamos are getting little use but are super cool. Also, I haven't seen many people use witchery. Witch it does have very cool features. Awkward pun for the win

 

[netmc]

I am starting to like growthcraft. The grapes are pretty awesome in magic farm 2. They can out produce the normal harvestcraft farms. They do require a few hard to get items in early game, but not too bad over all.

 

[Not_Steve]

TC4.1 Golems are currently underrated.

In TC 4.1, you can now target golem research and get a basic wood golem pretty darn fast. Harvest is also very shallow in the research tree. And, very importantly, you just need *2 of any shard* to make a Thaumometer. No more waiting before you have 1 of each of the 6 kinds of shards. TC 4.1 is much, much easier to get into than previous versions, IMHO.

With a small number of Harvest and Gather Golems, you can have a crop farm up faster in TC 4.1 than in MFR or Forestry. You can then feed a large percentage of those crops into the newer energy producers, like the ExtraUtilities generators or the new TE3 Dynamo or kick it old school with the MFR Bioreactor. Another good thing about golems is they don't have any energy or maintenance costs.

I predict the "Rise of the Golems" as more people start using TC 4.1

Edit : Can you tell I play @Jadedcat 's MF2 ?

That culinary generator is a godsend

 

[tedyhere]

Engineers Toolbox Hydrokinetic Generators in a river biome for all your RF power needs