Why so many tech power/processing mods in one pack

[MarkesOrelies]

one question: Why do we/people/aliens(if they have secretively invaded us)/merfolk put so many tech mods in modpacks that do the same thing. By this I do not mean comparing TE to MFr , but EnderIO to mekenism to TE. We do split IC2 from the rest, because it has a different power system, but put everyone under the RF banner and somehow everyone is friends?
Is it, because we just assume they will work like magical mods that are more based around exploration. In the same sense then, why do we not generally put ore generation in the same basket with Quarries, Ex nihlo, magical crops and so forth.
I would like to hear your opinion, thoughts and possible solutions/what you might do( other than: "just pick your favourite and go with it") on this.

 

[Nfrance]

Well some mods do things diffrent or add other things to, like EnderIo has many things that Mekanism doesn't and vice versa.

 

[CarbonBasedGhost]

one question: Why do we/people/aliens(if they have secretively invaded us)/merfolk put so many tech mods in modpacks that do the same thing. By this I do not mean comparing TE to MFr , but EnderIO to mekenism to TE. We do split IC2 from the rest, because it has a different power system, but put everyone under the RF banner and somehow everyone is friends?
Is it, because we just assume they will work like magical mods that are more based around exploration. In the same sense then, why do we not generally put ore generation in the same basket with Quarries, Ex nihlo, magical crops and so forth.
I would like to hear your opinion, thoughts and possible solutions/what you might do( other than: "just pick your favourite and go with it") on this.

In today's world more looks better to most people and more ways of doing something make a pack look better. Personally I like Mekanism and EIO in a pack but I usually cut TE because it is essentially repetitive (This is when I am not laying GT ). When pack makers go to make a pack they also try to give more than one option to suit more peoples likes. There is a essentially infinite list of reasons why this happens but these are just some of the main ones.

 

[Azzanine]

Sometimes a mod is added purely for one block/ item. For example; pre JABBA days I only used FZ for barrels.

 

[Yusunoha]

Sometimes a mod is added purely for one block/ item. For example; pre JABBA days I only used FZ for barrels.

but there were also routers and wrath lamps which I used Factorization for.

 

[MarkesOrelies]

Utility then, I to agree with. 3 Question then:
1 - Why does mod makers then not just keep on mod for power generation/ore processing and then add in all the neat little unique gadgets on the side.
2 - Is it really that important to have many mods just, because certain things are easier to do in some mods than others? We then uses all these easier ways together to get a good working system. Would it not be fun to be limited to one-two mods and try to come up with creative ways to replicate above mention system? (2 questions in here my bad)
3 - When presented with the same types of mods in a pack how often do you switch your power generation/ore processing methods?

 

[Eruantien]

Utility then, I to agree with. 3 Question then:
1 - Why does mod makers then not just keep on mod for power generation/ore processing and then add in all the neat little unique gadgets on the side.
2 - Is it really that important to have many mods just, because certain things are easier to do in some mods than others? We then uses all these easier ways together to get a good working system. Would it not be fun to be limited to one-two mods and try to come up with creative ways to replicate above mention system? (2 questions in here my bad)
3 - When presented with the same types of mods in a pack how often do you switch your power generation/ore processing methods?

Certain things may be easier to do at different points in the game by using different mods, but that doesn't mean it's the best or the most fun or creative way to do them. For instance, I could set up an MFR tree farm, or I could go the long route and use TC golems to chop and plant trees. Which way would be more interesting/rewarding to you? Again, lava or charcoal/steam power is all well and good for a low-infrastructure base, perhaps early- to mid-game, but once I have enough resources, it's about time to look into something a bit more complicated, like reactors, pumpkin pie power (it's real!), etc. So I think it would not be "more fun" to be limited to... limited ways of doing something, but since there are all these methods out there, we can pick the one we like best.

 

[MigukNamja]

eIO started out as a "all cables/conduits in 1 block" mod". It has since grown into a much larger, more encompassing mod that has power generation, lots of machines, and more. It was an obscure mod until almost all of the modded community jumped from 1.5 to 1.6 with MJ, but TE2 hadn't arrived yet. @CrazyPants 's eIO filled a need at the right time very nice. His RF cables and basic processing machines filled the gap nicely until TE2 arrived. By the time TE2 arrived, eIO had already cemented its place in major packs.

Mekanism started out having its own power system, but it was never popular beyond a small group of fans. So, it adopted EU and MJ, and then RF when that took over.

TE started out as a BC add-on, with mostly machines and maybe 1 power generator. Then, TE2 was its essentially its own mod with its own power production and no need for BC. It introduced RF because MJ changed in a way that its author didn't like (nor did many others). There was no original intention for RF to replace MJ outside of TE, but it has since become the de facto power system. Even RC, Forestry and BC have dropped MJ in favor of RF.

IC2 is still broken. Its power system is not much more complicated/involved than RF. You'd need to go back to MC 1.5 and prior to have a psudeo-interesting IC2 power system. Its 1.4/1.5 spirit sort of lives on in GT 5 for 1.7.10, though.

As it is, there's only a few mods like GT and Reika's that have very different power systems, along with a full set of machines. The problem with GT and Reika's, though, is they both want to be the center of any pack. And, everything else besides IC2 is using RF.

If you want an interesting power production and transport system, I'd have to say the most interesting, big one is Reika's. GT 5 is kind of neat, but a lot of makes no sense at all, such as why higher tiers of generators and machines alike are severely *less efficient* than lesser, cheaper, easier-to-make tiers.

 

[MarkesOrelies]

Yeah I remember, I think it was yogcast that made mekanism popular for the masses since everyone at that time thought the 5* ore processing was OP. Interesting to learn about the history of mods, since I am relatively new. Maybe if I knew that before, I may not be so quick to judge and want answers for mods that have fought hard to survive and come to this point.

 

[MigukNamja]

Yeah I remember, I think it was yogcast that made mekanism popular for the masses since everyone at that time thought the 5* ore processing was OP. Interesting to learn about the history of mods, since I am relatively new. Maybe if I knew that before, I may not be so quick to judge and want answers for mods that have fought hard to survive and come to this point.

Praise the Lord the modded community has since evolved beyond the ore processing and quarrying/auto-mining popularity contest era. As much as I admire and respect Reika, I him the credit for jumping the shark on that one. For 99.999% of players, it doesn't matter whether you have 1K diamonds or 1M diamonds or 1K stacks of iron or 1M stacks of iron. You still have way more iron and diamonds than you know what to do with.

 

[Azzanine]

but there were also routers and wrath lamps which I used Factorization for.

I found them too cumbersome to be usefull, but yes routers were a second FZ thing people went for.

Wrath lamps were technically banned on every server I went to. Not so much the lamp it's self but the means to make the dark iron.
In modern times FZ now has those servo arm things.

 

[Yusunoha]

I found them too cumbersome to be usefull, but yes routers were a second FZ thing people went for.

Wrath lamps were technically banned on every server I went to. Not so much the lamp it's self but the means to make the dark iron.
In modern times FZ now has those servo arm things.

wrath lamps were popular for a short time, as they were pretty much the only thing that could light up an area like that.
but soon after other mods started adding their own alternatives and the wrath lamp quickly got dumped

 

[b0bst3r]

I think a lot of mod pack makers are slightly scared to not include a common/popular mod, but they shouldn't be. They perhaps think that is a potential player looks down the mod listing and doesn't see TE for instance that this player will instantly think, "I'm not playing without TE".

Whilst this may be true in some cases it shouldn't be the basis for making a mod pack. The majority of mature gamers are looking for a themed mod pack more than one which just stuffs in as many mods as humanly possible.

Finding the perfect balance to a theme is not easy though, I've tried many many packs in the last year and only a few have managed to hit the nail on the head.

On another note, packs that were already released before TE was ready for 1.7 were so much more enjoyable and now have added it, the pack loses its focus, I mean why add it, just because everyone wants it in a pack? Players had to think before TE 1.7 was released .. "OMG no TE wtf do I do, how do I start". It was quite startling to sit back and see this happening and wondering if the majority had really become so reliant on a single starting path with the same mod.

 

[MarkesOrelies]

+bObst3r can you for reference list these few packs that use limited tech mods so we can see and example of when it works.

 

[Azzanine]

wrath lamps were popular for a short time, as they were pretty much the only thing that could light up an area like that.
but soon after other mods started adding their own alternatives and the wrath lamp quickly got dumped

Plus the wrath lamps hidden light block caused trouble for a few mods, Forestry farms as an example if set up near a wrath lamp wouldn't set up as it replace it's self every time the multifarm tried to clear the area.

 

[b0bst3r]

+bObst3r can you for reference list these few packs that use limited tech mods so we can see and example of when it works.

I don't see any point in doing this as what works for me may not work for other people, but if you want an example of a 1.7 pack which the mod pack maker has spent countless hours balancing and welding all the mods together, then go look at Beyond Reality, but be warned it's a GT hardcore pack.

 

[MigukNamja]

I don't see any point in doing this as what works for me may not work for other people, but if you want an example of a 1.7 pack which the mod pack maker has spent countless hours balancing and welding all the mods together, then go look at Beyond Reality, but be warned it's a GT hardcore pack.

Infitech2 is another 1.7 GT pack with countless time and attention to details. The pack has been around since 1.6, i.e. quite mature and bug-free at this point.

 

[b0bst3r]

Yeah it's kinda pointless naming packs as some people are happy with packs with mods just thrown in and some like me look for more theme based packs. This is backed up by the fact so many play DW20s pack which has no theme just mods chucked in.

Jadedcats packs (Ag Skies/Magic Farm, not the official FTB ones) on the other hand are a prime example of themed packs.

 

[MigukNamja]

Perhaps we, the community, need to do a better job of setting expectations and providing some basic recommendations in terms of what to expect from a pack and what not to expect from a pack.

Here's an example of a recommended progression algorithm that should result in expectations set and expectations met:

1. Play vanilla MC. If you like it, go to step 2.
2. Play a general-purpose, commonly-used pack that has good supporting videos. These days, it's hard to beat DW20. If you like it, go to step 3.
3. Make a forum post where you describe what you like about the pack in step 2 (ex. DW20), and ask for advice on what pack to play next
== or ==
3. Visit the Third Party Pack area and do some research yourself, using YouTube to quickly scan Let's Plays for those packs
4. After a few hours/days, try one or two of those candidate packs and to confirm they are a good fit
5. Visit the forums thread for that pack to provide feedback and ask for support for issues/problems.
6. Make your own pack.
7. Publish on FTB !

Most people don't make it beyond step 1, playing vanilla MC on the PC, console, or phone/tablet before moving on to other games. Then, of those that make it step 2 whether via Tekkit, FTB, or other, don't make it beyond step 2. Only a tiny fraction (far less than 1%) make to step 3. But, if you're reading this post, you are a prime step 3 candidate or else have already progressed to step 5 and well beyond.

 

[b0bst3r]

6. Make your own pack

I've been playing modded since Tekkit MC1.2.5 and considering how much I play (roughly 18hrs a day 7 days a week) it's no surprise that thrown together packs don't offer me anything anymore. And yeah I have made my own packs (privately) but ultimately I enjoy playing on the same server as other people. I just don't want the hassle of maintaining such packs I prefer to play.