Why does pretty much every mod use MJ?

[Dragonfel]

Dragonfel, the packagers are fairly useful. So are the wrath lamps. Also, factorization craft packets allow for a computer controlled sortron-powered automated crafting facility

Packagers can be pretty useful in certain situations, like xycraft block storage, but your video showcases how well red power can use factorization, not the other way around.

I mentioned in my previous post that I think of factorization as the "wrath lamp and barrel mod", and I agree both of these things are fantastic and my base wouldn't be nearly as well sorted or lit up without them. My only complaint is that the power generation and processing machines are convoluted and archaic compared to others in this mod pack, and for what they can do I do don't feel it necessary to bother making them. Hopefully neptunepink adds more functionality to them and maybe more power options.

 

[MrZwij]

You can put Railcraft on the IC power list as well: MFE and MFSU carts are good EU transporters.

 

[KirinDave]

If you watch all the Let's Plays on Youtube everyone seems to be keeping just enough IC2 power around to get to where they can cherrypick the very best features and generally leave the bulk of the work to Thermal Expansion machines. I am not sure the exact reasons, but it seems like EU and the IndustrialCraft family of power is slowly becoming less popular over time. For one, it's always been a little inherently stronger than all other forms of power (i.e., automatic regulation, a very inaccurate and player-friendly model of voltage and loss, good 0-maintenence renewable sources are very low in the progression, high end EU generation is used for matter fabrication which a lot of people still have concerns about after the EE2 fiasco) and thus many consider those mods somewhere between OP not worth the trouble. There's also the fact that GregTech, love it or hate it, is something of a social fiasco that is strongly intertwingled with IC2 and its family of mods.

Personally, I'm happy with that. IC2 was a blast the first time I tried it, but I quickly felt that the IC2 family of mods is trying to make Its Own Game rather than More Of Minecraft. And that's cool, because it's a good game, but in a mixed mod format it feels like it tends to either dominate your destiny or be a token gesture for renewable diggers like the Mining Laser and Mining Drill and Quantum Suit.

 

[HeffronCM]

I enjoy the heck out of IC2 and it's add-ons. I focus on MJ power because the options are there now, where the only thing I had to mess with for the longest time was IC2.

I'm really hoping for TC3 or EE2 to provide a flight option superior to IC2 jetpacks. I'd rather not go the gravisuit route again.

 

[Abdiel]

I personally use, and will keep using, IC machines for the core on-demand processing. Reasoning is very simple: overclockers. No other mod comes anywhere near the speed of an overclocked furnace/macerator. If I need to make dusts or advanced alloys or something, I don't want to wait five minutes for a pulverizer to pulverize a stack of coal.

As much as people are fascinated by the low costs and simplicity of TE setups (and I admit I love it too), once you get proper automation of other machinery set up, there is very little they do better than equivalent IC machines. About the only unique thing about TE ore processing is rich slag, which is getting severely nerfed in the next update, to the point where I wonder whether it's worth it at all. Frankly, except for very early game, once I get decently set up with resources and machinery, the only things I have running on BC power are centrifuges for processing bee products, a rolling machine for mixed metals, and an assembly table making gates and cheap circuits.

But to each their own - I am happy that there is now a choice of many different ways to build. I hope that the mods will diversify more and more and we'll see more people doing something more interesting than solars -> electrical engines -> quarry -> macerator -> barrels.

 

[Dark0_0firE]

I would have to disagree with you Abdiel. I'm very comfortable with IC2 machines and I think they do their job very well, but I think that the modder who created TE hit one out of the park. Personally I've actually rebuilt my entire ore processing line to bring in a large bank of pulverizers attached to powered furnaces along with some sawmills just to handle my basic ores. I completely skip over overclockers right to the advanced IC2 machines which I use for on demand processing. And it all seems to be working beautifully.

 

[KirinDave]

I personally use, and will keep using, IC machines for the core on-demand processing. Reasoning is very simple: overclockers. No other mod comes anywhere near the speed of an overclocked furnace/macerator. If I need to make dusts or advanced alloys or something, I don't want to wait five minutes for a pulverizer to pulverize a stack of coal.

Couldn't you rely on this for a "workshop" but have bulk ore processing done via TE? Because when it comes to efficiency unless you're heavily invested in HE solars the fuel options for generating MJ are better than everything but reactor. Reactors are awesome, but pretty late-game and pretty resource intensive.

It's pretty easy to set up a small MFE or two just to power your worktable machines, but still have your quarry processing system use MJ as a primary power source.

 

[Ember Quill]

If you watch all the Let's Plays on Youtube everyone seems to be keeping just enough IC2 power around to get to where they can cherrypick the very best features and generally leave the bulk of the work to Thermal Expansion machines. I am not sure the exact reasons, but it seems like EU and the IndustrialCraft family of power is slowly becoming less popular over time.

Thermal Expansion is shiny and new (well, newer than IC2, at least), and really easy to automate early in the game. And now that there are more ways to effectively handle ore processing than just the standard macerator/electric furnace setup, people are branching out and trying new things.

Some people might just be bored with IC2, since it's been pretty much the only way to handle ore processing for longer than many people have been playing.

 

[Dravarden]

so you rather have like 10 different types of energy?

 

[jnads]

I personally use, and will keep using, IC machines for the core on-demand processing. Reasoning is very simple: overclockers. No other mod comes anywhere near the speed of an overclocked furnace/macerator. If I need to make dusts or advanced alloys or something, I don't want to wait five minutes for a pulverizer to pulverize a stack of coal.

Anyone who sits and waits for the stuff to pulverize/macerate is a cave-man.

And, yes, I do have a Rotary Macerator and Induction Furnace, but I continue to use my TC stuff because the automation is superior. I can go do other things instead of waiting.

I mean, why? There are so many more ways of generating EU that there are MJ, yet the only mods that use EU are IC2 and GT, whereas virtually every other mod involving machines (apart from RP) uses MJ. Maybe there should be a way to configure the type of power than machines use (apart from Core IC2/BC machines).

To answer your question, most mods use MJ because for the longest time, BC was the only mod with a transport mechanism (BC Pipes).


Not to mention, Forestry is written by the BC creator. ThermalExpansion is more of an improvement on BC. So the only mod that really "uses MJ", without adding non-derivative functionality, is Railcraft.


But as mentioned, there's a lot of mods that use EU. Of course, many follow the same argument as above (improvements on IC2 and don't add significantly new non-derivative functionality). ComputerCraft Peripherals would be the only mod that uses EU that is not derivative (GregTech could be argued, but I'd argue a majority of it is derivative, similar to ThermalExpansion).


Anyhow, we now have Blutricity. And soon another power system whenever Xycraft releases. And there's the always-forgotten Factorization power system. Ah, thy red-headed stepchild. I find it easier to create new sulfuric acid batteries than use that power system.

 

[Sara Dr In te House]

BC power:
BC
Forestry
TE
Railcraft (more about producing, it has 2 machines that actually use MJ)

IC power:
IC
GT
Advanced Machines + Advanced Solars
Petrogen (generating only)
MFFS
Reactor Control
Turtle chargers from MiscPeripherals

I don't find it as uneven as you think... BC power runs with three major mods, while there's more smaller addons that use EU. And I hope FTB never goes the way of the other modpack, "create one power setup and power everything you have with converters".

Actually MFFS will run with EU, MJ and Universal Electricity if you use that mod. I used a 36HP boiler to run it. It was a smallish forcefield but it worked well. I could have probably made it larger than I had it with the power.

 

[EternalDensity]

And I'm sitting here wishing more mods would use MJ so I can just connect everything with redstone energy conduits. (Also I only just found rubber trees so I've only just built my first few IC machines and I need to build a new base to have room to put them and wire them up since they can't use my exiting (and messy) energy network.)

Say, if MFFS can run with MJ, and since I remember Direwolf mentioning being able to turn the force energy into EU, does that mean MFFS can potentially generate MJ or is that just a pipe dream?

 

[King Lemming]

I mean, why? There are so many more ways of generating EU that there are MJ, yet the only mods that use EU are IC2 and GT, whereas virtually every other mod involving machines (apart from RP) uses MJ. Maybe there should be a way to configure the type of power than machines use (apart from Core IC2/BC machines).

Yes, there is a glut of EU generation. That's specifically why I don't play with the current iterations of power converters and have no intention of ever letting Thermal Expansion stuff use EU. BuildCraft power feels more Minecrafty to me and it makes sense. It's "energy" not "electricity" and fits better in my opinion. There's a lot more depth of play this way - if everything worked with EU, then it'd be an extremely boring solar-(over)powered world.

 

[Vovk]

I mostly use buildcraft MJ to get things done

the way I see the power split is as follows:

Builcraft for the automation of basically everything, gathering of bulk resources and generally BUILDING (yay, eponymous mod title)

IC2 EU for the creation of gadgets and other wondrous items. I am a fan of gregtech, but even with GT installed I find I use rather low amounts of EU generation compacted into large bursts of use (creation of titanium, centrifuging materials for the construction of gagets, etc). This will probably change once I decide to start on a mass fab and nuclear power plant, but even then - most of my EU will be draining into my mass fab and my equipment, not into a continuous production line or world changing thing.

RP2 bluetricity for all sorts of sorting goodies and further automation - really cheap and relatively fast on demand furnacing of things like glass and food, frame machines, and then the rest gets dumped into a bluelectric engine for MJ.

Factorization for.... to be honest it's just easier to make new batteries. The ore processing line would be nice as an "I did it!" sort of thing or as a challenge to make all ore processing dependent on factorization. Craft packet makers, stampers, Routers, Barrels, Wrath Lamps and pocket crafting tables are my favorite parts of that mod and none of those things use Charge (though I think the router should)

Once xycraft hits I'mma probably build an entire base using purely xycraft energy with hidden aux systems for MJ and EU for things I need, assuming there's no xychorium MJ engine (which there very well might be)


to be honest one of my favorite mods at the moment is definitely petrogen. Allows me to use my large stockpile of BC fuel not only for my beloved combustion engines, but also for a very nice amount of EU. The ability to convert oil sands and crude oil into sweet greasy yellow power is definitely a plus.

 

[EternalDensity]

I'm reasonably certain that I'm never going to use Factorization Charge. Setting up a ton of silver mirrors, lead wires, and complicated machines isn't really worth it for an extra 50% yield from ores, in my estimation. Not that using it doesn't lead to some pretty awesome setups (like Elo's system in the previous ForgeCraft server), but that's just not my style.

Now that I've finally found rubber trees, I intend to make myself a diamond drill. I have some geothermal generators made to get the EU to power it up, I just need to build a new base to have room to fit stuff since my present (original and temporary) base is too small and is full of MJ-using stuff.

 

[Quesenek]

I personally use, and will keep using, IC machines for the core on-demand processing. Reasoning is very simple: overclockers. No other mod comes anywhere near the speed of an overclocked furnace/macerator. If I need to make dusts or advanced alloys or something, I don't want to wait five minutes for a pulverizer to pulverize a stack of coal.

As much as people are fascinated by the low costs and simplicity of TE setups (and I admit I love it too), once you get proper automation of other machinery set up, there is very little they do better than equivalent IC machines. About the only unique thing about TE ore processing is rich slag, which is getting severely nerfed in the next update, to the point where I wonder whether it's worth it at all. Frankly, except for very early game, once I get decently set up with resources and machinery, the only things I have running on BC power are centrifuges for processing bee products, a rolling machine for mixed metals, and an assembly table making gates and cheap circuits.

But to each their own - I am happy that there is now a choice of many different ways to build. I hope that the mods will diversify more and more and we'll see more people doing something more interesting than solars -> electrical engines -> quarry -> macerator -> barrels.

I agree with you. Unless your trying to avoid the whole solar panel thing there is nothing faster than an IC2 furnace/macerator/Compressor/extractor with 16 overclockers, 4 transformers, and 64 storage upgrades with 2048eu/t input.
The TE machines may be nice in that they are very compact and can transfer things without tubes/pipes but honestly I'm stuck using the TE stuff until I get a lot more resources and I'm always thinking "Is it done Yet?" where as with a properly setup overclocked IC2 machine its almost instant processing.

 

[bsb23]

SirSengir is not the creator of BC whoever said that, Spacetoad is. Sengir appears to be leading maintaince for the mod.

As for the energies both have their place and could by no means be merged. That being said I'm pretty sure that we really only need four energies, redstone, electric, magic, and beam(BC and Xycraft). Redstone should just be a basic signal in my opinion simple on/off I hate that Mojang wants to make it an electrical system. Electric should be complex and take effort to understand and use, simplicity is bad for it but it should power higher tier machines (Gregtech). Also can be used for more complex signals like the comparator. I'm sure magic energy systems will be added eventually some could argue that essentia is one already but more machines and processes (like enchanting or soul shards) need to be added to balance any magic vs tech. Beams are the simple "oh thats cool" of the energy world, engines should not produce these beams maybe solar for a little, geothermal, anything that seems energetic. It would take effort to reach but is easy to use once you get there, beams would power engravers powerful lights, furnaces, xycraft-ish stuff, probably some random laser stuff and in my opinion mffs. However physical machines do physical work (grinding, extracting, compressing, building) should not use lasers. They are two different areas. Additionally a physical system (cogs of the machine) would be great for early electrical and redstone signals.

This sort of grouping is something really attempts to do but it ends bringing much more content and possibilities. The thing is no one system can please everyone. Some people don't like magic, others think redstone is too complex for a good output, others don't like over-realistic feel of electricals and others still dislike the unbelievability of lasers. No one system is all of those but why can't people choose if they were grouped appropriately rather than all over the place. One system for each not three. Connections between systems are great too, magic could produce beams, beams could heat up an engine, and a machine could pump out magic energy. Obviously all would be affected by redstone too.

 

[SeniLiX]

You should try combining Factorization with Thaumcraft. Use the golems to work all of the machines. It's a nice way to triple your ores and it's awesome to just look at all your minions working.

 

[Captain Neckbeard]

...Unless your trying to avoid the whole solar panel thing...

Compact/Advanced Solars are pretty much the reason I won't touch most IC2 stuff on my server. Hell, my favorite mod in the whole pack is straight-up magic, but at least it's honest about it. I'll probably go into Xycraft on the grounds of sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable and all that, but powering a bunch of electric smelters off one square meter of photovoltaics makes me electricianrage.

 

[Vovk]

Compact/Advanced Solars are pretty much the reason I won't touch most IC2 stuff on my server. Hell, my favorite mod in the whole pack is straight-up magic, but at least it's honest about it. I'll probably go into Xycraft on the grounds of sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable and all that, but powering a bunch of electric smelters off one square meter of photovoltaics makes me electricianrage.

lol, maybe the electrician rage goes down a bit and is replaced by physicist rage when you realize that the photovoltaics in question generate a lot of power because they somehow have refined uranium built into them (This is also under the assumption that refined uranium alone produces charge and a difference in electric potential). We already have this convention in IC2 of "Something produces heat and thus electrical energy comes out". I don't see how you can be angry at IC2 solar and not be angry at IC2 hydro plants sitting in a still lake or IC2 nuclear reactors that take uranium in and output electricity with no heat engine or steam or anything.

I do like the nuclear -> steam config setting though. put tanks directly next to the reactor to create a bigger surface area for pipes to connect to.