What's your favorite starting mod?

[Vaeliorin]

Metallurgy is usually where I start (teching up a grinder and furnace), then TiCo for tools, then Mekanism. My general goal is to have a steel pick/hammer, a shovel/excavator/hatchet/lumber axe (preferably platinum), a refined glowstone sword and a digital miner with max energy upgrades and whatever speed upgrades I can support power-wise by the end of my first couple days in a world.

At that point I start working on Ender IO for conduits, Big Reactors for power, and some form of farming.

I'm tempted to start with magic stuff in my next world, but Thaumcraft seems to play better if you've already built a bunch of other stuff that you can scan, Ars Magica I just don't know well enough to rely on starting up, and Blood Magic is a pain until you have some form of regen (and the spell system lacks in-game documentation and seems confusing...I love the rituals, the sigils, and the gear, but not the spell system.)

 

[Queue]

It does? It has been my impression that GregTech continues to be hard throughout a typical progression curve. But then, I haven't played it yet.

The premise of Gregtech is that it is a balanced mod by the standard of high-efficiency at high costs, but with large amounts of resources that you must explore to acquire and set up infrastructure to get. If you start off with Gregtech then that infrastructure and resource cost is negated.

So essentially, it is always hard and always expensive, but becomes more efficient at getting things done over time and by getting underway early, you can blow through the tech tree. We have players on our server who get to fusion in a matter of hours, and it is all about just diving in with a plan.

 

[Ieldra]

The premise of Gregtech is that it is a balanced mod by the standard of high-efficiency at high costs, but with large amounts of resources that you must explore to acquire and set up infrastructure to get. If you start off with Gregtech then that infrastructure and resource cost is negated.

So essentially, it is always hard and always expensive, but becomes more efficient at getting things done over time and by getting underway early, you can blow through the tech tree. We have players on our server who get to fusion in a matter of hours, and it is all about just diving in with a plan.

Hmm....interesting. Complicated infrastructure can be created fast if you know what you're doing, but large amounts of resources usually means a lot of grinding, at least early and in mid-game. How do people get around that? I assume that they do get around it if they achieve fusion in a matter of hours.

 

[Queue]

Hmm....interesting. Complicated infrastructure can be created fast if you know what you're doing, but large amounts of resources usually means a lot of grinding, at least early and in mid-game. How do people get around that? I assume that they do get around it if they achieve fusion in a matter of hours.

GT versions 5.0 and above have different world gen, so it is a matter of knowing where to look that can get you to massive ore veins. The gregtech forum thread has info in how the worldgen works.

Also you have to know what kinds of resources you need in what quantities to be the most efficient.

Gregtech is only a grind if you don't know what to do

 

[RavynousHunter]

Magical Crops, RotaryCraft, and Ender IO. Magical Crops to shore up areas in which you might be lacking due simply to poor luck (like coal or redstone early on), RotaryCraft to automate it, and Ender IO for all your non-entity transport needs.

 

[Ieldra]

GT versions 5.0 and above have different world gen, so it is a matter of knowing where to look that can get you to massive ore veins. The gregtech forum thread has info in how the worldgen works.

Also you have to know what kinds of resources you need in what quantities to be the most efficient.

Gregtech is only a grind if you don't know what to do

Higher chances of finding something specific by, say biome and elevation instead of elevation only? That sounds like I might like it. I take it v5.0+ is for MC 1.7? I'll try that if I find a modpack I like that has it. Is there one?

 

[Queue]

Higher chances of finding something specific by, say biome and elevation instead of elevation only? That sounds like I might like it. I take it v5.0+ is for MC 1.7? I'll try that if I find a modpack I like that has it. Is there one?

Yes, not by biome though. Sadly Greg removed that in favor of widespread veins, bug big ass veins at that. It is determined by elevation, as well, correct.

Also 5.0 is 1.7, correct, and I am not sure about any 1.7 gregtech modpacks. I usually make my own packs, and Greg's server runs a custom modpack as well.

 

[TheMissingLink]

TiC (Tinker's Construct) :3

 

[YX33A]

I still start with Magic then ease my way into Tech, so usually I start with Witchery and AM2. Thaumcraft is nice, but it's research gated and it gets annoying after a while.
I do have Blood Magic and Botania, so I do work on those soon after I start too, but my first few diamonds always go to Witchery.
As for Tech, well, I am always working in RoC these days. More fun then the RF plague and while many great mods have RF support... it's not as fun as using RoC to power them.

Yes, not by biome though. Sadly Greg removed that in favor of widespread veins, bug big ass veins at that. It is determined by elevation, as well, correct.

Also 5.0 is 1.7, correct, and I am not sure about any 1.7 gregtech modpacks. I usually make my own packs, and Greg's server runs a custom modpack as well.

Is that so? The huge ass veins instead of biomes? If so, gonna re-add GT. It's a right pain for the game to load with it, but still a great mod.

 

[RavynousHunter]

Yeaaah...that's like my biggest peeve with GT, the hideous amount of log spam and additional startup time. If you configure it right, it isn't too intrusive, but even with the intrusiveness almost entirely eliminated, it still spams the log with its anal retentive ore dictionary checks.

 

[Trailmix23]

Tinkers Construct and then Thermal Expansion

 

[AlCapella]

GT versions 5.0 and above have different world gen, so it is a matter of knowing where to look that can get you to massive ore veins. The gregtech forum thread has info in how the worldgen works.

Also you have to know what kinds of resources you need in what quantities to be the most efficient.

Gregtech is only a grind if you don't know what to do

@Queue
You'd be better off supplying us the relevant links to the relevant information next time. Wading through that gargantuan thread is a chore in itself at times.

 

[SatanicSanta]

I like to start with witchery and Steve's carts. Witchery for the infernal infusion to get bat powers; sc to get a steady flow of saplings and wood for fuel, building, and witchery. I don't get into ore processing too much until I get a Railcraft rock crusher and steam oven.

 

[Queue]

I still start with Magic then ease my way into Tech, so usually I start with Witchery and AM2. Thaumcraft is nice, but it's research gated and it gets annoying after a while.
I do have Blood Magic and Botania, so I do work on those soon after I start too, but my first few diamonds always go to Witchery.
As for Tech, well, I am always working in RoC these days. More fun then the RF plague and while many great mods have RF support... it's not as fun as using RoC to power them.

Is that so? The huge ass veins instead of biomes? If so, gonna re-add GT. It's a right pain for the game to load with it, but still a great mod.

Re-add it, you won't regret it.

@Queue
You'd be better off supplying us the relevant links to the relevant information next time. Wading through that gargantuan thread is a chore in itself at times.

Yeah, sorry, I had forgotten how much of a mess that thread is to outsiders over 38,000 posts and well over 1900 pages....

I was on mobile, so links are a nightmare, but essentially most of it is covered here: http://wiki.feed-the-beast.com/GregTech
I cannot find the relevant oreGen stuff for some reason... derp I think it is basically a given vein per X number of chunks and can be found most efficiently by digging down and caving, not strip mining.

If you pop over to the IC2 forum and ask there are many people willing to answer the question with more knowledge than me, as I am using PFAA currently

 

[malicious_bloke]

Tinkers construct is THE startup mod. If you don't make a stencil table/part builder/tool station at the same time as your first crafting bench, you should consider that you're a bad player and need to up your game.

That coupled with the smeltery as the quickest path to ore doubling in a new world makes it indispensable.

It basically occupies the bit of the playthrough before I get a thaumonomonomonomonom and a supply of praecantatio to make thaumium (that's usually once I dive into the nether hunting for netherwort)

Then after that, rotarycraft. Grinder becomes my transition point from early to mid game.

 

[Pyure]

If I know energy is going to be of concern, then the first mod for me is usually, weirdly, Railcraft.

I typically spend a portion of the first or second day gathering clay and sand in order to get Coal Coke Ovens. The increased energy efficiency of coal coke in addition to the creosote oil byproduct is just too valuable to ignore.

 

[trajing]

If I know energy is going to be of concern, then the first mod for me is usually, weirdly, Railcraft.

I typically spend a portion of the first or second day gathering clay and sand in order to get Coal Coke Ovens. The increased energy efficiency of coal coke in addition to the creosote oil byproduct is just too valuable to ignore.

:O Your first mod is Rotarycraft? Who would've guessed?
(Yes, that's sarcasm.)
EDIT: Wow, I really misread that.

 

[Strikingwolf]

:O Your first mod is Rotarycraft? Who would've guessed?
(Yes, that's sarcasm.)

RailCraft not Rotarycraft...

 

[Pyure]

RailCraft not Rotarycraft...

A month ago I might have said RotaryCraft

OP's question is tricky. I say RailCraft now because I'm playing a hardcore game. But the obvious answer for any "simple" game is TiCo, for reasons explained very well above.

 

[trajing]

RailCraft not Rotarycraft...

Wat.
I misread that insanely badly.