What would YOU change about BuildCraft?

[Celestialphoenix]

Handling of liquids while mining could be important. Flow calculations for liquids within quarry holes can cause lag on servers, and providing methods to mitigate that would be cool. It would have to handle the case where the edge of the quarry bisects fluid. This could be handled by placing a stone block on the edge to prevent flow.

What about pumping water into the quarry block itself?

Then when it digs it places a source block instead of leaving air- resulting in an 'ocean' rather than a hole full of flowing fluids.
(it'll need a couple of specific edge cases such as replacing "non-water/non-lava" fluids with water, and only replace air with water when theres a water source above)
You'll still get fluid calculations when the quarry encounters a cave, but thats no different to what happens when a manually flooded quarry encounters the same.
​

Yep, get a specific conditions where lava flow meets water and it turns your quarry in to a glorified cobble gen.

This is fun to set up in someone else's quarry.

 

[Golrith]

I've always felt there should be a pump upgrade to the quarry (like placing the pump next to the quarry) which will suck up the source blocks as it digs away.
Plus another upgrade (filler/builder block next to the quarry?) that replaces the outer edge of liquid source blocks with a solid block, so you can dam up rivers/seas if your quarry crosses them.

 

[Someone Else 37]

I've always felt there should be a pump upgrade to the quarry (like placing the pump next to the quarry) which will suck up the source blocks as it digs away.
Plus another upgrade (filler/builder block next to the quarry?) that replaces the outer edge of liquid source blocks with a solid block, so you can dam up rivers/seas if your quarry crosses them.

Pretty sure QuarryPlus did both of these things. More or less, at least- I think it actully filled the entire volume of the quarry with some kind of scaffolding block.

 

[Celestialphoenix]

I've always felt there should be a pump upgrade to the quarry (like placing the pump next to the quarry) which will suck up the source blocks as it digs away.
Plus another upgrade (filler/builder block next to the quarry?) that replaces the outer edge of liquid source blocks with a solid block, so you can dam up rivers/seas if your quarry crosses them.

Can we replace 'quarry upgrade' with 'swarm of robots'?

 

[OreCruncher]

Thing about the quarry and liquids is that I see this as more a server administration issue rather than adding additional features to make it cool. This is what makes the Ender Thermic Pump so popular - it helps mitigate the fact that players are pumping lava from the Nether and as a side effect creating the potential of lava lag. If the quarry would automatically void the liquid if there are no liquid pipes attached that would be great.

 

[asiekierka]

Fun facts:
(a) We already have anti-lag measures for the Nether, IIRC
(b) Zetta Industries has a Quarry Fixer which does what you described (place next to a quarry to remove liquid)

 

[Azzanine]

Zetta industries?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[Adagiovibe]

Zetta industries?

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Its an addon mod that adds a bunch of features to a variety of mods. It's pretty great.

 

[Golrith]

My Google-Fu fails. Searched and can find the GitHub, but nothing else about the mod, doesn't seem that well "advertised" but sounds like it has some interesting features.

 

[OreCruncher]

Fun facts:
(a) We already have anti-lag measures for the Nether, IIRC
(b) Zetta Industries has a Quarry Fixer which does what you described (place next to a quarry to remove liquid)

a. Cool. BTW, I noticed that the pump was leaving lava source blocks behind. It appears the pump scans differently. This was an earlier version of 7.x I used so...

b. It's nice they have something like that, though I really don't want to install yet another mod. Pack is pretty full as it is.

 

[Adagiovibe]

My Google-Fu fails. Searched and can find the GitHub, but nothing else about the mod, doesn't seem that well "advertised" but sounds like it has some interesting features.

From the following reddit post:

ZettaIndustries is addon mod to many different mods.

It is fully configurable and features include:

• BigBattery - Multi-block structure for energy storage (similar to BigReactor).
• OCWires - IE wires for OpenComputers.
• Hook Bullets
• Query Fixer - removes water and builds walls around BC query to prevent lag.
• Wire Rocket - induces lighting strike.
• RF Meter
• NFC - NFC tags for OpenComputers.

 

[Pyure]

I can see why someone might accidentally gloss over the "query" fixer.

 

[WildWinni]

I notice a lot of the answers to "I'd like to see this" are "Try another mod"...
No offence meant (okay a little) but I think that's a cop out. You can't always go and install random pack to get bla bla. What if you're doing a specific mod pack, or play though, or what if we're talking about server that we neither own or have control of.

Just cause there are other mods that go well to fix buildcrafts shortcomings, shouldn't mean build craft shouldn't try to fix them itself.

Shortlist I've seen the last few pages.
- Fewer pipes
- Heating coils
- Better displays / readouts
- Possible world-edit functions using robots
- More stability for item sending

[ Tech me being non tech]
Okay, so I'm not sure how pipes work in buildcraft behind the scenes, but I think where the classic crash comes in, is that it appears to physically move the 'item' objects through the world right?
So why not change it to like a lot of the other systems seam to use, where each pipe actually has inventories, and only passes objects if there is an adjacent pipe (glorified hopper functionality in other words, only in more than one direction). I'm sure it would have been more stable?

 

[sgbros1]

I notice a lot of the answers to "I'd like to see this" are "Try another mod"...
No offence meant (okay a little) but I think that's a cop out. You can't always go and install random pack to get bla bla. What if you're doing a specific mod pack, or play though, or what if we're talking about server that we neither own or have control of.

Asking modpack authors or server owners to update mods is no different from asking them to add mods.
Also, *DIVERSITY*!!

 

[asiekierka]

I notice a lot of the answers to "I'd like to see this" are "Try another mod"...
No offence meant (okay a little) but I think that's a cop out. You can't always go and install random pack to get bla bla. What if you're doing a specific mod pack, or play though, or what if we're talking about server that we neither own or have control of.

Just cause there are other mods that go well to fix buildcrafts shortcomings, shouldn't mean build craft shouldn't try to fix them itself.

What is good and bad in a mod is highly subjective. If you're doing a specific playthrough or modpack, you shouldn't be complaining that modpack A doesn't play like modpack B.

[ Tech me being non tech]
Okay, so I'm not sure how pipes work in buildcraft behind the scenes, but I think where the classic crash comes in, is that it appears to physically move the 'item' objects through the world right?
So why not change it to like a lot of the other systems seam to use, where each pipe actually has inventories, and only passes objects if there is an adjacent pipe (glorified hopper functionality in other words, only in more than one direction). I'm sure it would have been more stable?

But BC pipes have inventories! I planned to introduce a clogging system like that, but I haven't yet thought of a way I like aesthetically to make it seem intuitive and logical in-game.

 

[RedBoss]

What is good and bad in a mod is highly subjective.

Indeed. Isn't that the point of this thread you created?

I'm mostly curious. Since most of the BuildCraft feedback I get is from denizen of #buildcraft - who are generally fans of the mod - I'd like to hear from the general population more.

So, what would YOU change about BuildCraft (or what do you dislike about BuildCraft) and why? Also, what is your general opinion of the mod as it is now?

You don't have to change a thing in the mod, but you asked for what people would change themselves about BC. You 're getting the feedback. Its nice that other mods solve these problems. Most people aren't going to install an obscure addon for a mod that they have issues with, especially in a SMP scenario. Its easier to remove mods than to add them.

But the engagement and feedback indicates a truly positive thing to remember; people who actually use your mod! Again, you don't have to cater to every single request, but this can of worms is open due to your can opener.

 

[WildWinni]

Asking modpack authors or server owners to update mods is no different from asking them to add mods.
Also, *DIVERSITY*!!

This is exactly what I meant (although I know you were trying to counter)
Asking a modpack author or server owner to add update mods. Not going to happen most of the time.
But if a mod releases an update, and the server / modpack owner decides to update. Then wow, all these patches and fixes in the mod are included....

^_^ Nyhow try to remember we're not here trying to be hard asses or just for the sake of bitching.
If we didn't Like Buildcraft, we wouldn't BE here to respond to this thread

What is good and bad in a mod is highly subjective. If you're doing a specific playthrough or modpack, you shouldn't be complaining that modpack A doesn't play like modpack B.

But BC pipes have inventories! I planned to introduce a clogging system like that, but I haven't yet thought of a way I like aesthetically to make it seem intuitive and logical in-game.

1) I wasn't. I'm specifically talking about just buildcraft.

2) They do? Awsome, you do a great job of hiding it then. It always just looked like the individual items were floating through the world to me. The handling of the animation and stuff is really good if it's actually just reflecting the inventory actions.

 

[asiekierka]

2) They do? Awsome, you do a great job of hiding it then. It always just looked like the individual items were floating through the world to me. The handling of the animation and stuff is really good if it's actually just reflecting the inventory actions.

Each pipe has its own internal list of traveling items, to be exact, but that's essentially what an inventory is.

You don't have to change a thing in the mod, but you asked for what people would change themselves about BC. You 're getting the feedback. Its nice that other mods solve these problems. Most people aren't going to install an obscure addon for a mod that they have issues with, especially in a SMP scenario. Its easier to remove mods than to add them.

But the engagement and feedback indicates a truly positive thing to remember; people who actually use your mod! Again, you don't have to cater to every single request, but this can of worms is open due to your can opener.

See, the problem is that not every flaw is objective, as I keep repeating. BC has a design direction and I made this thread looking for two things: (a) input on BuildCraft as it is - which implies I did want to open this can of worms, as that lets me know more about the community's attitudes on BC, (b) suggestions that are in line with the general design direction. I got both and I'm reasonably happy with that. For example: I'm not going to turn BC into Thermal Dynamics; if you want that, just go play Thermal Dynamics. I'm not going to add teleport pipes, if you want that, just add a mod which adds them, but I personally think they impact gameplay heavily in a direction opposite to what we want to encourage.

 

[WildWinni]

I planned to introduce a clogging system like that, but I haven't yet thought of a way I like aesthetically to make it seem intuitive and logical in-game.

Thinking out loud here; in terms of clogging, well for starters I suppose there are two different ways you could think of pipes clogging. At the moment with liquid pipes its possible for a clog to occur already, say if you get two types of fluid using the same pipe (had that happen more than once) which causes back ups in the piping that prevents flow. In one case it was fuel and water.

Similarly, If we're talking item clogging then I can think of it applying two ways.
Making it so items can only flow one way in a pipe at any time, or making it so items going from a fast pipe to a slow pipe get packed together.
And in both cases I can think of two easy displays.
a) Either just seeing all the items sitting still in the pipe, while everything on either side bounces off. Which could cascade until all the items are just sitting still
b) Or, making the pipe look like it's bulging somehow...

In either situation if a pipe clogs there should probably be a falesafe built in, where wooden pipes wont suck items into a pipe if it's clogged: This leads up to perhaps the most important reason I could think of for clogging;
--- the most common time I have buildcraft crash (or try to crash) my game is if something happens and I find the system is sucking items into a pipe network, but they have no valid inventories to be put into. Eventually the number of items just gets so high java runs out of memory. And if it's really bad, I usually have to pull the map up in MC edit and write those items off for a loss. Or somehow cheat a void pipe onto the thing and again, write them off as lost.

So I would actually be really eager to see pipes 'clog' if there are no valid destinations, and the easiest way I could see to do that, is just prevent items from travelling in both directions through pipes. Even if it's only through the basic stone/cobblestone pipes - that would be enough.

Edit: Additional thought. To unclog a clogged pipe, hitting it (left click) with a wrench will cause it to spit out clogged items ^_^

 

[Someone Else 37]

--snip--

--- the most common time I have buildcraft crash (or try to crash) my game is if something happens and I find the system is sucking items into a pipe network, but they have no valid inventories to be put into. Eventually the number of items just gets so high java runs out of memory. And if it's really bad, I usually have to pull the map up in MC edit and write those items off for a loss. Or somehow cheat a void pipe onto the thing and again, write them off as lost.

--snip--

How long ago was that? I'm pretty sure that pipes explode nowadays when there's more than 100 items (or stacks of items?) in them, and destroy all the items contained within.