M4th Things
IMPORTANT NOTE: The mod has been completely rewritten from scratch. The new version (released on January 14, 2016) is absolutely incompatible with previous releases. If you were still using the old version - my apologies.
Feedback: At this stage, development is in its early phase, so any feedback, whether words of support or constructive suggestions, will be extremely helpful! Please note that I am also a graduate student, so work on the mod may slow down during the academic period, but I will try to regularly release updates and fix errors.
Support for version 1.8.9: Continued development for Minecraft 1.8.9 is planned. In the alpha release 0.0.0 for this version, only tanks and the necessary materials for working with them are currently available. Pipelines will appear in future updates along with refinements to the current implementation.
Main Concept
This project represents my attempt to create something useful and interesting for myself and other players. M4th Things was not conceived as a large-scale mod like Thaumcraft or Thermal Expansion, but rather as a supplementary addition with utility functions, similar to OpenBlocks and ExtraUtilities. However, some elements may overlap with other mods, but with unique implementation features. There are plans for completely original content as well, if there is enough time to implement it. Crafting recipes will not be described in detail - it is recommended to use NEI or similar mods to view them.
Basic Materials
To start working with the mod, you will need gilded iron, which is created in two ways: an iron ingot surrounded by four gold nuggets or an iron block with gold ingots on the sides (the second option yields a block of gilded iron). This material, along with regular resources, is used to create all items from the alpha version. The 4D wrench, when used in the air, switches between standard and inverted modes.
Tank System
Two types of containers are available: a regular tank and a quantum tank. The first holds 8 buckets of any Forge fluid, the second - 256 buckets (comparable to drums from XU at a lower cost). Both types retain their contents when broken with a pickaxe or disassembled with a wrench. Additional bonus: tanks can be used as a ladder in emergency situations.
Tanks operate in three modes:
- Standard - normal functioning
- Drain - automatic emptying into other containers or IFluidHandlers located below
- Place - attempt to pour fluid into the world directly below the tank
Switching between standard and drain modes is done by sneaking and right-clicking with an empty hand. To access drain mode in a quantum tank, use a right-click (without Shift) with a wrench.
Fluid Transport System
Magical pipes, created from gilded iron and stone, by themselves perform no functions other than connecting to adjacent pipes and containers. Visually, they look quite simple - perhaps this can be fixed (see below).
Right-clicking any side with any wrench toggles the connection on that face (indicated by small hemispheres near the block edges). Using the inverted 4D wrench toggles the connection on the opposite side, which is convenient when working with rows of tanks.
Important feature: pipes cannot be destroyed with tools. To remove them from the world, you must use a wrench for disassembly.
To move fluids, you need to install a Fluid Import Valve on the side of the tank from which you want to draw content. Regular and quantum tanks allow fluid input/output only through the top and bottom faces. Each fluid follows a unique route through the pipes, and the pathfinding algorithm (currently) uses depth-first search, so the fluid may not take the shortest path to its destination.
Magic Button
Created by combining a wooden button and a 4D wrench in the crafting grid (the wrench is not consumed). When using this button, all pipes in the world become invisible! They continue to function - only their visual representation disappears. Particles still show fluid movement, but the unsightly blocks no longer obstruct the view. To restore visibility, simply use the button again. Important: pipes always remain visible when holding any wrench, magical pipe, or fluid import valve.
Pack Permissions: You are free to use this mod in any modpacks provided you notify me about it!
Suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism are always welcome! I strive to make this mod both useful and visually appealing. Please share ideas on how to improve the project!
Bug Reports: Please report issues in the "Issues" tab, not in the comments. In case of crashes, attach a link to the crash report on pastebin or a similar service - do not post full reports directly in the issue or comments.
Future Plans:
- Adding fluid filtration in the transport system
- Alternative versions of magical pipes
- RF energy transfer and storage system
- Cobblestone compression (compatibility with compressed cobble from XU)
- Large multiblock tanks with enormous capacity
- Surprises... many surprises
