[Unleashed][Skyblock] Skyblock Plus!

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starglade

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Jul 29, 2019
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Hello and welcome!

This map was made to work with FTB Unleased 1.1.3, for Minecraft 1.5.2
It has not been tested on other packs, so use with other mods/packs at your own discretion.

A Brief Introduction!
What's that you say--"another skyblock map?!"
Yes, yes it is.
Because while the other modded skyblock maps are all fine and dandy and well made, they aren't exactly what I wanted to play. They were: A) for older FTB packs or B) handed you items or C) more focused on adventure, than exploiting mod mechanics
I wanted to create a full-on challenge. Nothing is available but the very basics in this version, and you still have to work your ass off just to get the mod-related basics.

The original Skyblock ended at the Nether, with little to be gained from going there (Aside from infinite water). I however saw the Nether as stepping stone to the next tier: mods!

For the most part, the beginning of this map remains exactly the same as skyblocks, aside from loot/mob alterations caused by mods. Once you get to the Nether the same way you would normally, that's where the fun begins! In the Nether you gain access to Gold, which will allow you to (after also acquiring Iron) create a Minium stone! This is your key to progression and unlocking the next "tier". After you manage to get enough gold and iron to create a diamond you'll want to travel to the Twilight Forest dimension, which will provide you with the basics of using the mods included in the pack.

From there you'll need to use your resources wisely--everything you're given has a distinct purpose, so think clearly about why you're given each item and make sure to use it in the most beneficial way possible!

Who is this map for?
This map is for those who love the challenge and idea of Skyblock, but who want to be challenged further by having the entire realm of mods opened up to them in such a bare-bones way.
Additionally it worth noting that this map is specifically tailored towards exploiting BEES to achieve most progress.
If you don't wish to, or don't like bee breeding you can still progress quite a bit, but you won't reach the End which provides the end content, and some machines will be unavailable to you.

Rules! (There aren't many)
-Play on at least Easy difficulty
-No creative or spawning in items
-NO creating Mystcraft ages!! While I have no way to preventing you from creating ages, doing so defeats the entire challenge and point of this map.
-NO going to the mainland in any of the dimensions! For the same reason as above.
-No creating new portals within the non-overworld dimensions

Important (or not) notes:
-Neither Cobalt nor Ardite are obtainable. This is done [mostly] on purpose
-There is an Aura Node underneath the End Portal, right above the void. Have fun getting to it.
-Bees are required to get to the End--unless you're VERY lucky with Spoils Bags.
-There is an Ocean and a Plains biome both near the End Portal. (You'll need them for a few bee species, though these ones aren't necessary to reach the end)
-If you waste your Glowstone or Lapis, you can't get more without bees.
-If and when you go to the End, I suggest you go with no items the first time around, and travel back. The end has a funny way of re-spawning people back in the overworld (Also it would be a swell idea to make sure that your starting platform is extended quite a bit in each direction for this reason)

GUIDE (Still a WIP, but it will get you up to getting started with Bee Breeding)
Step 0:
A number of items I'll be mentioning in this guide I will not explain how to craft.
You have the ability to look up recipes using the NEI (Not Enough Items) mod that comes in the Unleashed Mod Pack, please utilize that when you come across items you don't know how to craft that I mention.

Step 1:
Do everything you'd normally do in skyblocks.
You'll notice that nothing has changed in the chests you get.
"Why?! I thought this was a modded Skyblock map!"
Well, that's true! And you'll soon find out how to unlock the glorious mod content.

Step 2:
Acquire the means to enter the Twilight Forest dimension.
First thing you'll need to do to advance beyond vanilla is to acquire 1x Gold Ingot, 4x Iron Ingots, and 4x [Smooth]stone. Craft this into what's called an "Inert Stone". You'll then need 8 Minium shards (These drop off of monsters at random; you'll probably have a few by now) to craft this Inert Core into a "Minium Stone". You now have the item that's used in transmuting things!

"How do I get iron and gold?"
Iron is a rare drop from Zombies, along with Potatoes and Carrots. Since you'll need four, I suggest you set up a mob trap to farm the decaying buggers.

I actually suggest gathering up enough gold at this point and transmuting it down into iron, and creating a second Minium Stone, because once yours wears out it's going to be a pain to get that iron back for another without it! (Zombies really don't like you getting a hold on their iron.)

Once you're ready, gather enough gold to transmute it UP to a diamond. Just a single one will do. You'll now use this diamond to create a Twilight Portal!

Portal creation:
Water in a 2x2 area, surrounded by a single layer of grass. The grass must be occupied by flowers. Drop the diamond in and stand back! (No really, you should stand back.)

Dummy hint:
Don't do what I did and use your only infinite pool of water to turn it into a Twilight Forest portal. You can still get your infinite pool of water back by breaking one of the grass blocks, but then you'll need to spend another diamond to re-enable it.

Step 3:
Metal is the best genre in minecraft.
Oreberry Bushes! I know, those pretty bees and lapis are right there and you want to use them--but you have to set yourself up with a continuous supply of Copper, Iron, and Aluminum first.
Make room to house them. It will need to be as dark as possible for them to grow and yield their deliciously inedible fruits. Since it will need to be dark I advise that you make the aisles of your housing (That you'll be walking on to access the rows of bushes) the bottom half of slabs so no monsters can spawn on them (They CAN and WILL still spawn on the upper halves of slabs, so make sure you're using the right half!) It will take a while for them to grow, and to grow enough berries for you to do anything really fancy with, so be patient while they work their hardest to please you.
To harvest the berries, just right click on the bushes.

Step 4:
To infinity and beyond--now with less work!
Time to create an "Igneous Extruder". Unless you like gathering silly amounts of cobblestone all by hand for countless hours. It takes quite a few resources, but the only metals it requires are Gold and Iron, so you don't have to wait on your berry bushes.
Once it's crafted, place it anywhere. It's one of the few machines that require no energy, so you don't have to worry about powering it. Next take your coveted source block of lava and right click with it in-hand on the Igneous Extruder. Then do the same with a bucket of water. You're now producing unlimited cobblestone for no cost! (Don't you DARE change the settings off of cobblestone, though, or it WILL EAT YOUR LAVA)


Step 5:
Getting started with Bees
But not quite yet... There's a lot that has to be done to even get started with bees! You can start breeding your wintery bees, or make your way over to small chunks of Plains and Ocean biome near the End Portal, but it's advisable to get a head-start on acclimatizing your bees to be bred in your current wintery biomes. Besides, the machines you'll be making will be setting you up for an easier time later on. You just have to work your butt off getting them in the first place. If you still really want to skip this step and dive right in to producing some bees, skip down to "Step 5b". Come back to this step when you are no longer able to advance up the bee lines, or just finally wish to complete this step.

Let's take a look at what our end goal is for this step: an "Acclimatiser". This machine will, using different items, make it so your bees can tolerate different humidity and temperature levels. (Sand = dryer humidity, Water = wetter humidity, Ice/Snowballs = colder temperature, Lava/Blaze Powder = hotter temperature) (Yes, water and lava cells may be used)

If you look at the Acclimatiser's recipe, it takes "Lava Cans". Filling Cans with Lava consumes a whole lava source block. So how is this possible with just one block of lava? You'll be needing [infinite] lava.
To do this, you'll need to craft: a "Magma Crucible". This machine will convert 1x Cobblestone into 1x Lava (1000mB), using 24000MJ. That's a LOT of power, so be thinking about ways to create ample power for your machines. If you look at the recipe for the Magma Crucible, you'll see that it's nearly craftable--except how are you supposed to get 2x "Nether Bricks"?! The easiest way to get Nether Bricks is by compressing 3x Netherrack in a "Compressor" to get 1x Nether Bricks. And you're probably not going to like what the only way to get Netherrack is...

"Scrap Box"! Do you hate me now? Yes, the only way (As far as I'm aware) to acquire Netherrack is to get it by chance from Scrap Boxes. Scrap Boxes are made by crafting "Scrap" in a 3x3 grid. Scrap is created by having a "Recycler" turn all your unwanted items into waste. (This is another reason why making the Igneous Extruder was a great investment, now you have infinite cobblestone to throw into there, rather than waste your other items)

So what you'll need to do, is craft a Recycler. You can acquire "Redstone" from the Villager Trader in the Twilight Forest that's furthest on the left. 16x Redstone for 32x Obsidian (Obsidian can be made by transmuting 2x Wood Logs.

Next you'll need a way to generate EU (EU is Industrial Craft's energy). The most simple and inexpensive way is to create a "Generator".

*For that you'll need the copper you've gotten from your Oreberry Bushes. (The berries are smelted into Ore Nuggets, and then placed in a 3x3 crafting grid for the relevant ingot.)
*You'll also need to get "Sticky Resin" which grows on the wood logs of Rubber Trees. If you remember, the chest in the Twilight Forest came with 2x Rubber Tree Sapplings. You'll be wanting to plant them, chop down their leaves to accumulate a decent collection of saplings, as you do with any other tree in Skyblock. Click here if you're unfamiliar with creating rubber. http://technicpack.wikia.com/wiki/Rubber_Tree_(Industrial_Craft)

Get to making scrap! Chances are you'll need a LOT to finally get all the Netherrack you'll need (6x, for 2x Nether Bricks)

Once you have the Netherrack, make a "Compressor" and compress it into Netherbricks! Now you can make your Magma Crucible.

The Magma Crucible uses MJ type power, rather than the EU type power you've already been making for your recycler, so you'll need to look up the various "engines" that exist and figure out which one will work best for what you have to power them. (A "Force Engine" is a good way to go, if you've gotten loads of Force Gems from Spoils Bags dropped by enemies.)

And there you have it! Lava galore!


Step 5b:
The very basics of Bee-housing, is the "Bee House"--but you can't actually make that just yet! (I didn't give you any combs, and they're required in the recipe), so you're actually forced to jump straight into creating an Apiary.

To make an Apiary, we need several things. First and foremost, Apiaries require an "Impregnated Casing" which is made in a "Carpenter" machine, along with 250mB (1/4th of a bucket) of "Seed Oil".
With this we know right away that we need a Carpenter and Seed Oil.

Carpenters are actually very expensive given your very limited amount of Oreberry bushes given--which is why you can buy more from the second trader from the left, in the Twilight Forest. Carpenters require a lot of "Bronze" which is made using 3x "Copper Dust" (Or "Pulverized Copper") and 1x "Tin Dust"(""). When you have your Copper and Tin ingots, they can be used in a "Pulverizer"(uses MJ power) or a "Macerator"(uses EU power). When these dusts are put together in the crafting grid, you get Bronze! Smelt that up, and you're good to go.

Seed Oil is created through the use of a "Squeezer" machine. This machine, if you haven't guessed already, squeezes seeds. (Wheat, Pumpkin, and Melon)....and you'll need more Bronze to make this machine.

There you have it! Once you have a Squeezer supplying Seed Oil to your Carpenter, you can make an Impregnated Casing to craft into, with some Wood Slabs and Wood Planks, a Apiary! You're now ready to throw a Princess and a Drone into it and get started producing extra drones, and some combs! (Also, once you have your first Comb, you can start making "Bee Houses" rather than Apiaries, since they're cheaper.

Challenges!
-All original skyblock challenges (All original content still exists)
-Craft a Minium Stone
-Craft Tinker tables
-Craft Igneous Extruder
-Craft Magma Crucible
-Build Tinker's Forge
-Craft Knapsack
-Craft Acclimatiser (You'll need it for bee progress)
-Make power! (EU or MJ)
-Create UU Matter
-Get Portal Gun (Yes, it's possible)
I'll add more as I think of them.

Screenshots!
The only change to the overworld; an End Portal seen off in the distance.
aKCpix8.png
The Twilight Forest
TVeceoa.png
Small trade station in the North of the Twilight forest
Emmcvqd.png



HELP!
Can't figure out why you're given a specific resource or amount of resources? Open the following spoilers to see why!
Lapis?
10 lapis for a Mass Fabricator! Ten is the number you'll need to create a lapatron crystal, and the two advanced circuits--I hope you didn't use up your glowstone. If you're planning on getting into bees, then there isn't much to worry about if you accidentally use up your Lapis--there are bees that MAKE it!
Soulsand?
It's in the name! Although you are provided with more than you'll really need, the rest can be used aesthetically (Soul Panes are neat, go check them out)
Maze Map Focus?
Uncrafting table.
Why?
There is a small exploit to obtain something very special...

"I don't like [X] about this!"
Well, I'm happy to inform you that there are plenty of other skyblock map variations available to you. This map was made for myself, but I thought I'd share with anyone who wanted to give it a try.
However if you do think that something is a little unfair, feel free to let me know; I'd love feedback on the balance of the map and will make adjustments when I see fit.

"[X] is broken!"
I'll be happy to respond to any problems you run into playing the map. I've just made this map and haven't extensively tested it myself yet (It's a long way to progress legitimately). I'll try to get anything fixed that I can, but keep in mind that updated versions can't be applied to existing worlds (but you can always cheat in what you need to, as long as it exists in a later version of the map it isn't really cheating ;P)

A quick note about versions: Version 1.0.2 is the latest, and most difficult to progress through, as it has the least amount of resources available to you, though you're still capable of obtaining the items that are now omitted, through other methods. Version 1.0.1 makes the progression much easier--chose this version if you don't wish for such a great challenge.

Version 1.0.2 (Latest version)
Click here to Download!
Changelog:
- Removed Netherwart that was added in version 1.0.1. It is obtainable through crop hybridization. [Raised Difficulty]
-Removed Rubber tree Saplings. Rubber is obtainable through crop hybridization. [Raised Difficulty]

Version 1.0.1 (Easier version)
Click here to Download!
Changelog:
-Added Netherwart to Twilight Forest chest. [Lowered Difficulty]
(If you've already started a world and don't wish to restart, just cheat yourself 1x Netherwart, as it's now part of this map.)

Version 1.0 - Out of date - download not recommended
Click here to Download!
 
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starglade

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Jul 29, 2019
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What do you mean by "get powder"?
I'm not even sure where I made mention of any sort of powder? I did a search through my post with no results.

Unless you mean power, in which case I mean either EU or MJ, and I should have clarified that--thanks for pointing that out!
 

starglade

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Jul 29, 2019
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I could have sworn that make power was get powder before. I must be crazy.
I assure you that the best of us suffer from added letters into words :) I can also assure you that the "d" was never present in "power"! Nevertheless, you did alert me to something that was meant to be elaborated on, so thank you!
 

starglade

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starglade

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Jul 29, 2019
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Original Post updated to include the first part of a Guide, since it's not always obvious how to progress or get what you need. This will also serve as a guide for those who might play and aren't entirely familiar with the Modpack.
 

goreae

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Nov 27, 2012
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So in order to progress, you need to get tons of zombies, probably thousands of them, killed in order to get a very rare drop? and you need to do it four times? dude. Harsh. At least give us a brewing stand so we can cure zombie villagers and get iron golems, which is quicker and more interesting than a mass genocide of the undead.
 

kallekulle

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Jul 29, 2019
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So in order to progress, you need to get tons of zombies, probably thousands of them, killed in order to get a very rare drop? and you need to do it four times? dude. Harsh. At least give us a brewing stand so we can cure zombie villagers and get iron golems, which is quicker and more interesting than a mass genocide of the undead.


Hmm... Hmmm.... Hmmmmmm.. Something tells me you haven't thought about that too much.
 

starglade

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Jul 29, 2019
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So in order to progress, you need to get tons of zombies, probably thousands of them, killed in order to get a very rare drop? and you need to do it four times? dude. Harsh. At least give us a brewing stand so we can cure zombie villagers and get iron golems, which is quicker and more interesting than a mass genocide of the undead.

If you make a mob trap, and tickle their toes, it's far easier to acquire the iron. I got 4 in about an hour of non-constant trying (It's not really THAT rare of a drop when you're killing them by about 5-10 at a time). Skyblock (Even the original) isn't all about instantaneous gratification, and a lot of it is about waiting for things to.. well.. do their thing. At least with farming the iron you're actually *doing* something rather than just standing away afk waiting for something to grow ;)
 

starglade

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Map updated to 1.0.1, missing an item that is required for Bee progression. It was a sliiiight oversight that Netherbees require Netherwart to breed.

I wanted to avoid adding it in at all costs for a very specific reason, but as it turns out it's unavoidable. Oh well.

So if you've started this map already, just cheat yourself 1x Netherwart, as it is now added to the Twilight Forest chest.
 

steve g

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Jul 29, 2019
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So in order to progress, you need to get tons of zombies, probably thousands of them, killed in order to get a very rare drop? and you need to do it four times? dude. Harsh. At least give us a brewing stand so we can cure zombie villagers and get iron golems, which is quicker and more interesting than a mass genocide of the undead.


youve never built a proper platform spawner in skyblock have you? Try it. remember the game is trying to keep a steady supply of mobs near your vicinity at all times. in skyblock...where do you think they are? or can go? theres no caves underneath you, no vast plains of grass around you (unless you made them). if you properly set up your island, they wont spawn anywhere...unless you make something for them to spawn into, in your favor. all you need to worry about is not getting wiped out by the creepers :) think breach in the dam. its that bad

trust me. getting iron is easy. the hard part is everything else after that =)
 
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goreae

Ultimate Murderous Fiend
Nov 27, 2012
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And I've never really needed to make a platform for iron.

And by the way, if you follow the statistic exactly, then you would have to kill 40 zombies for a rare drop, times 3 to account for its other two rare drops times 4 to get enough for an inert stone. That adds up to 480 zombies killed. If we then assume that zombies spawn 1/4 of the time, then that's 1920 monsters total. That seems like a really long time to work to just barely get started with mods. In vanilla skyblock, this statistic is just fine, because iron is late-game, and by the time you start farming for it, you have already done most of the stuff there is to do. In this map, however, this is not the case. There are a bunch of mods in the pack, and you can't do anything with them until you get to that late stage in skyblock, so you basically are playing vanilla until you do get that iron. This is a modded minecraft community. The wast majority of people here don't normally play vanilla minecraft for a variety of reasons.

But the question still stands, why didn't you want to include nether warts? and why are they even needed? Even if you didn't include them, you could still get them using IC2 crop breeding. wheat+wheat = sugarcane+sugarcane = stickreed+stickreed = nether wart. The only three uses I can see in NEI are alkahestry, potions, and the auto-spawner.[DOUBLEPOST=1381304811][/DOUBLEPOST]
yo dawg, i heard you like to play skyblock ;)

sad thing is, i think a vanilla spawner (no soul shards, mfr, etc) spawns more mobs, faster, than any artificial methods in a skyblock. but. once you get up to that level, go buckwild with it
But you need to be near a natural spawner in order for it to work. Near the end of that playthrough, I had a major bonemeal shortage (I was using it in the steves carts farms to boost my supplies) because I was spending all my time with the bees and so monsters weren't spawning at all. With soul shards, I can leave it running, plop down a chunkloader, and go a mile away, and still earn resources.
 

starglade

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Jul 29, 2019
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And I've never really needed to make a platform for iron.

And by the way, if you follow the statistic exactly, then you would have to kill 40 zombies for a rare drop, times 3 to account for its other two rare drops times 4 to get enough for an inert stone. That adds up to 480 zombies killed. If we then assume that zombies spawn 1/4 of the time, then that's 1920 monsters total. That seems like a really long time to work to just barely get started with mods. In vanilla skyblock, this statistic is just fine, because iron is late-game, and by the time you start farming for it, you have already done most of the stuff there is to do. In this map, however, this is not the case. There are a bunch of mods in the pack, and you can't do anything with them until you get to that late stage in skyblock, so you basically are playing vanilla until you do get that iron. This is a modded minecraft community. The wast majority of people here don't normally play vanilla minecraft for a variety of reasons.

But the question still stands, why didn't you want to include nether warts? and why are they even needed? Even if you didn't include them, you could still get them using IC2 crop breeding. wheat+wheat = sugarcane+sugarcane = stickreed+stickreed = nether wart. The only three uses I can see in NEI are alkahestry, potions, and the auto-spawner.[DOUBLEPOST=1381304811][/DOUBLEPOST]
But you need to be near a natural spawner in order for it to work. Near the end of that playthrough, I had a major bonemeal shortage (I was using it in the steves carts farms to boost my supplies) because I was spending all my time with the bees and so monsters weren't spawning at all. With soul shards, I can leave it running, plop down a chunkloader, and go a mile away, and still earn resources.

Iron: The whole point of this skyblock map, is to play through the vanilla end of it, and then "unlock" the whole new level of modded. If that isn't to anyone's liking, then this isn't for them. I do strictly state in my OP "Do everything you'd normally do in skyblocks." and "For the most part, the beginning of this map remains exactly the same as skyblocks, aside from loot/mob alterations caused by mods." I never said it was going to be easy to unlock the mod part. If people don't like playing vanilla, then there are plenty of other Skyblock maps available for them to choose, but this is the map that I wanted to play, and so I made it. There is another wonderful skyblock map that gives you a Minium stone right off the bat, and the people who don't like vanilla should instead use that map.

Wart: Well then! I actually wasn't aware that you could mutate crops with IC2--that's a part of the mod that I never delved in to, or even knew existed. I may now need to alter the map again to cater to this, after I figure out what needs to go into it, and include it in the "Guide".
As for why I didn't wish to include it, the answer is the Auto-Spawner. I wanted to be fairly limited with the ways of "producing" mobs.
And lastly for why it has to be included, I stated that in my post announcing the update "Map updated to 1.0.1, missing an item that is required for Bee progression." It's require for Nether bees to breed.
 
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