ADVANCED STRATEGY

GUIDE TO MINECRAFT ®

Second Edition

Stephen O’Brien

800 East 96th Street,

Indianapolis, Indiana 46240 USA

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 ii Advanced Strategy Guide to Minecraft

Editor-in-Chief
Advanced Strategy Guide to Minecraft®
Second Edition Greg Wiegand

Executive Editor
Copyright © 2016 by Que Publishing
Rick Kughen
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in
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photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from Todd Brakke
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taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume Sandra Schroeder
no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for
damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Project Editor

ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-5573-5 Seth Kerney

ISBN-10: 0-7897-5573-4 Copy Editor
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013946682 Bart Reed
Printed in the United States of America
Indexer
First Printing November 2015 Cheryl Lenser

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®
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 iii

Contents at a Glance
Introduction 1

CHAPTER 1 Getting Started 5

CHAPTER 2 Automated Produce Farms 23

CHAPTER 3 Mining and Ore Generators 53

CHAPTER 4 Mob Farms, Traps, and Defense 67

CHAPTER 5 Advanced Construction 95

CHAPTER 6 More Power to You 131

CHAPTER 7 Empire Building with BuildCraft 155

CHAPTER 8 Titans of IndustrialCraft 185

CHAPTER 9 Rolling with Railcraft 211

CHAPTER 10 Recording and Sharing 225

CHAPTER 11 Building Your Own Adventure 243

Index 263

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 iv Advanced Strategy Guide to Minecraft

Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Become a Minecraft Expert! 2
What’s in This Book 2
How to Use This Book 3
Chapter 1 Getting Started 5
Managing Minecraft 5
Launch Control 6
Mod Management 10
Custom Launchers 11
Adding Mods to MultiMC 16
Modpack Installers 20
The Bottom Line 22
Chapter 2 Automated Produce Farms 23
Make Mine a BUD 24
Automated Cane Farms 27
Automated Collection and Transport 32
Automated Pumpkin and Melon Farms 36
Automated Wheat, Potato, and Carrot Farms 43
Automated Sorting 46
The Bottom Line 51
Chapter 3 Mining and Ore Generators 53
Creating Cobblestone 53
Creating Stone 58
Obsidian Generator 61
The Bottom Line 65
Chapter 4 Mob Farms, Traps, and Defense 67
Evil Mob Farms 67
Spawning Mob Mayhem 68
Building a Water-Based Mob Farm 70
Grinding Mobs and Collecting Drops 73
Grinding for Experience 81
Dastardly Mob Traps 83

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 Table of Contents v

Treacherous Trenches 83
Killer Cactus 85
Indispensible Dispensers 88
Pulverizing Pistons 92
The Bottom Line 94
Chapter 5 Advanced Construction 95
Choosing a Building Style 96
Medieval Style 96
Up Go the Walls! 98
If You Like It, Put a Roof on It! 99
Victorian Style 101
Pitched Roof 102
Complex Roof 104
Japanese Style Building 106
Modern and Suburban Styles 108
Residential Roads 110
Viking Style 111
Egyptian/Desert Style 113
Steampunk Style 114
Elven/Fairy Style 115
Build an Igloo 116
Advanced Decoration Techniques 118
Creating Natural Terrain and Trees 122
Drawing 2D Pixel Art 123
Sculpting a 3D Statue 124
Creating Spheres, Circles, and Arches 127
Building in the Nether and End Regions 129
The Bottom Line 130
Chapter 6 More Power to You 131
Combination Lock 131
Minecart Switches 140
Project:Red 142
Automating a Pumpkin Farm 144
What Else Can Project:Red Do? 148

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 vi Advanced Strategy Guide to Minecraft

Core 148
Integration 148
Transmission 150
Transportation 152
The Bottom Line 152
Chapter 7 Empire Building with BuildCraft 155
BuildCraft Core Concepts 155
Pipe Dreams 157
Engines 163
Creating a Power Station 164
Mining Wells 167
Managing Combustion Engines 168
Refining Oil 173
Automated Quarries 174
Blueprints, Building, and Templates 178
More BuildCraft 182
The Bottom Line 182
Chapter 8 Titans of IndustrialCraft 185
IC2E Core Concepts 185
Agricultural Pursuits 187
Crossbreeding Guide 189
Strip Farming for Profit 190
Square Farm Dancing 193
Using the Cropnalyzer 194
Improving Growth with a Crop-Matron 197
IC2E Armor, Weapons, and Tools 198
Generating Energy Units (EU) 201
Mining, Macerating, and More 202
Automated Mining 202
Macerators and More 204
Going Thermonuclear 205
The Bottom Line 209

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 Table of Contents vii

Chapter 9 Rolling with Railcraft 211

Getting Started 212
Creating Standard Track 214
Reinforced Track 218
Boring, Not So 219
Undercutting the Competition 222
More Mods 222
Galacticraft 222
Forestry 223
ComputerCraft 223
The Bottom Line 223
Chapter 10 Recording and Sharing 225
Choosing the Right Software 226
FRAPS for Windows (License Approximately $40) 227
Bandicam for Windows (License Approximately $39) 228
QuickTime Player for Mac (Free with OS X) 229
Hardware Recording Devices 230
AVerMedia’s Live Gamer Portable (LGP) 230
Elgato Game Capture HD Recorder 230
Plotting Camera Paths and Animation 230
Overlaying Audio and Titles 233
Editing with iMovie—OS X 233
Titles 235
Adding Audio to Your Movie 235
Exporting Your Completed Movie 236
Editing with Windows Movie Maker—Windows 236
Titling 236
Adding Audio to Your Video 237
Exporting Your Completed Video 237
Publishing to YouTube and Vimeo 238
Uploading Your Video 238
Basic Info 240
The Bottom Line 241

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 viii Advanced Strategy Guide to Minecraft

Chapter 11 Building Your Own Adventure 243

Adventure Mode 244
Initial Planning and Implementation 245
So, What’s Your Story? 245
Mastering Command Blocks 246
Breaking Down the Command String 247
Selectors 248
Commands 248
Specifiers 251
Teleporting to a Central Point 251
Using effect Commands 252
Rewarding Players 254
The Comparator 254
The tellraw Command 255
World-Editing Tools and Helpers (Map the Middle Kingdom) 259
Publishing Your Own Adventure (Terrifying Noobs) 260
The Bottom Line 261
Index 263

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 About the Author ix

About the Author

Stephen O’Brien is an Australian-born writer and entrepreneur currently residing in Sydney
after too many years in Silicon Valley. He has previously written over 30 titles across multiple
editions with publishers such as Prentice-Hall and Que, including several best-selling titles.
He also founded Typefi, the world’s leading automated publishing system, and invented a
new type of espresso machine called mypressi. He has been using Minecraft since its early
days and remains astounded at the unparalleled creativity it engenders. Stephen is also the
author of the internationally bestselling The Ultimate Player’s Guide to Minecraft, published
by Que.

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 x Advanced Strategy Guide to Minecraft

Dedication
To Mika, who makes me proud every single day. The future, my dear son, is yours for the taking.

Acknowledgments
This has been an interesting project. Having had a very varied career that has spanned many
books, I don’t think there was ever one more challenging. The mod market for Minecraft
involves an astonishing cavalcade of creativity that is somewhat Wild West-ish. So West it’s
somewhere over the Pacific, probably beyond any cardinal point.
Bringing some sense to the chaos has been a bit of a challenge.
It has also been a challenge for my ever-patient publisher. Thank you, Rick Kughen, for
your endless patience. You can cajole the best out of anyone. Also to Tim Warner who has
become my partner in crime. Seth Kerney, you didn’t freak out even as things went down
to the wire. Not sure if I’d ever be able to exude such control. Mark Shirar, cover design…
thank you.
One last person, but not the least by any stretch: Preeti Davidson. Your love and support is
more generous, thoughtful, and caring than I could ever have imagined possible.
Thank you everyone. Reader, I truly hope you enjoy this work and find much delight herein.

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 Reader Services xi

We Want to Hear from You!

As the reader of this book, you are our most important critic and commentator. We value
your opinion and want to know what we’re doing right, what we could do better, what
areas you’d like to see us publish in, and any other words of wisdom you’re willing to pass
our way.
We welcome your comments. You can email or write to let us know what you did or didn’t
like about this book—as well as what we can do to make our books better.
Please note that we cannot help you with technical problems related to the topic of this book.
When you write, please be sure to include this book’s title and author as well as your name
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and editors who worked on the book.
Email: [email protected]
Mail: Que Publishing
ATTN: Reader Feedback
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Reader Services
Visit our website and register this book at quepublishing.com/register for convenient access
to any updates, downloads, or errata that might be available for this book.

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 Introduction
Minecraft has become one of the most talked about gaming titles in recent years. It has, quite
remarkably, reached across all walks of life. In a surprisingly short time it has gained footholds in
educational institutions (K–12 and beyond), in rehabilitation centers, and in many other markets
where a traditional game would never dare tread.
But what do you do after you’ve gained your own foothold in the Minecraft world? You’ve survived,
plundered, and mined your way through the hills, dungeons, and temples, fought a tough but
successful battle with the Ender Dragon, and taken home the prized Dragon Egg. What next?
Well, that’s where the fun really begins…and is precisely the source of so much of Minecraft’s
enduring appeal.
Many of the features included in the standard Minecraft installation—redstone wiring, the ability
to create complex automated mob farms, and the ability to use standard features in very creative,
unexpected ways—makes Minecraft the ultimate sandbox game. Add to that downloadable custom-
crafted adventure maps, the massive multiplayer servers whose customizations add trading systems,
mini-games, and arguably entire societies, and the game becomes a whole other world.
But even that isn’t the end of the story. Incredible add-ons provide Minecraft with goals and creative
capabilities that are far more numerous than those built in to the standard game. These include
taking Minecraft into the industrial age, all the way to nuclear power, high-speed rail, signaling
systems, pipes that automate crafting and shifting supplies across the landscape, and so much
more. These alone, which are free to download, give the game an enduring playability that goes far
beyond the original premise.
However, as with everything Minecraft, the discovery of these things is by no means easy. Their
documentation is scattered across the Internet in a mish-mash of YouTube videos and enthusiastic
wiki sites that, as a result, lack cogency. Although this is certainly no fault of the sites, among this
turgid churning of possibility, there has been no single guide or site that can lead Minecraft players
with surety—and a set of clear tutorials—through the extraordinary, awe-inspiring age of wonder that
is Minecraft beyond the basics.

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 2 Introduction

Thus, this book, already into its second edition, is written to delight you in a process of
discovery, quickly help you on your way, and leave you amazed at how much further you
can go in a game that you may well have thought you’d already completed.

Become a Minecraft Expert!

Go far beyond Minecraft’s initial game with this ultimate guide by your side. You’ll learn to
use the standard features in amazing, new ways, and a whole lot more:
■ Easily install mods and manage Minecraft versions, games, and profiles.
■ Automate all aspects of your mining, harvesting, and building tasks.
■ Generate infinite ores on demand.
■ Build mob spawners and traps for fast experience gains and a wealth of item drops.
■ Create gorgeous 2D and 3D art.
■ Add beautiful aesthetics to any building or construction.
■ Run redstone like it should be run, with timed circuits, combination locks, and other
exciting creations.
■ Take Minecraft into the industrial and nuclear ages, and gain numerous new goals,
tools, and capabilities.
■ Run connected trains with a signaling system that provides perfect routing.
■ Share your creation with the world and learn how the professionals capture their videos
and overlay audio.

What’s in This Book

Go far beyond the basics with a whole new set of tips, tricks, and strategies. Each chapter
in this book focuses on a key aspect of the game, from initial survival to building an empire.
Make the most of your Minecraft world today:
■ Chapter 1, “Getting Started,” goes beyond the Minecraft launcher to help you install
mod packs and access all kinds of advanced functionality.
■ Chapter 2, “Automated Produce Farms,” contains the best techniques I’ve found (in
too many gameplay hours) for creating self-sustaining systems that deliver constant
results, hands off. You can then sort and stock chests with the results using rails,
minecarts, and some very neat tricks.
■ Chapter 3, “Mining and Ore Generators,” removes the need for mining. Build an
endless supply of cobblestone, and create portals to the Nether without searching for
diamonds.

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 How to Use This Book 3

■ Chapter 4, “Mob Farms, Traps, and Defense,” shows you how to create an endless
supply of items and experience points. Mob grinders remove the grind and give you
endless drops.
■ Chapter 5, “Advanced Construction,” moves into awesome building tips that focus on
aesthetics. Create 2D and 3D art, decorate with style, and create trees and natural-
looking terrain. Use terraforming tools to make huge changes to your world.
■ Chapter 6, “More Power to You,” takes Minecraft’s redstone and delivers a jolt of
creativity. Build a combination lock to protect your fortress, learn rail switch designs,
and take power to a new level.
■ Chapter 7, “Empire Building with BuildCraft,” takes on one of the most complex mods.
You’ll learn how to sort with simplicity, dig huge quarries, shift oil with pumps, refine
fuel, and power massive engines.
■ Chapter 8, “Titans of IndustrialCraft,” will help you create new plant species, build
powerful new weapons and tools, and even create a nuclear power station.
■ Chapter 9, “Rolling with Railcraft,” brings a bevy of enhancements to the minecart
system. Let’s just say that it will keep you on track.
■ Chapter 10, “Recording and Sharing,” will help you publish to the world. Three of the
Top 10 YouTube channels are run by regular Minecrafters. You’ll learn about the right
hardware and software, how to plot camera paths, overlay audio, and publish like a
professional.
■ Chapter 11, “Building Your Own Adventure,” is your game within the game. Learn to
create a map you can share with others and then fill it with hidden extras (including
teleportation). It’s the perfect, fun way to terrify noobs.

There’s a lot herein—a cornucopia of tips, tricks, and very cool stuff that extends Minecraft in
surprising and very fun ways.

How to Use This Book

Throughout this book, you’ll see that I have called out some items as Notes, Tips, and
Cautions—all of which are explained here.

NOTE
Notes point out ancillary bits of information that are helpful but not crucial. They often
make for an interesting meander.

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 4 Introduction

TIP
Tips point out a useful bit of information to help you solve a problem. They’re useful in
a tight spot.

CAUTION
Cautions alert you to potential disasters and pitfalls. Don’t ignore these!

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 3
Mining and Ore Generators
In This Chapter
■ Create an endless expanse of self-healing cobblestone.
■ Generate all the stone you need for massive constructions.
■ Save on diamonds and create a portal on the spot without mining obsidian.

Ores are the building blocks of Minecraft. You can use them to create creeper-proof buildings,
dwellings, and rail bridges across the sky. Actually, unless you plan to live in a mud hut, you really
can’t beat cold, hard stone. But why grub about in dark tunnels when you can create all the building
ore you could ever possibly need, and then top it off with an overdose of some of the toughest stuff
in Minecraft—obsidian—and do so without putting so much as a scratch on your new diamond
pickaxe? It’s all surprisingly easy.

Creating Cobblestone
Cobblestone is one of the most prevalent and useful blocks in Minecraft. As a building material
it provides the same blast resistance as any other, with the exception of obsidian, which is about
200 times tougher, and the essentially indestructible bedrock. Even a wall of diamond blocks won’t
provide any greater protection than cobblestone against a creeper waiting outside your door.
The venerable cobbled stone is also exceptionally versatile. Cobblestone is used in the crafting of
furnaces, dispensers, droppers, levers, and pistons, among other things. It can also be turned into
stairs, slabs, moss stone (for that Temple of Doom appeal), and the usual tools.
Although cobblestone is found just about everywhere underground, it’s also one of the easiest ores
to automatically produce. I’ll show you how to create an endless supply, and also how to turn it into
an endlessly healing platform. Doing so requires a few pistons and a simple redstone clock circuit.
Cobblestone is formed when flowing water meets flowing lava at the same level, as shown in Figure
3.1. (Flowing water meeting a lava source block produces obsidian, and flowing water dropping on
top of flowing lava creates stone.)
Creating a supply of cobblestone therefore requires just a bucket each of lava and water.

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 54 CHAPTER 3: Mining and Ore Generators

FIGURE 3.1 Cobblestone forms at the junction point of flowing water and
flowing lava.

There are many ways to arrange such a junction, but the simplest is shown in Figure 3.2.
You could sink this arrangement one block further into the ground and avoid having to
build the border, but we’re going to use this layout because it lifts the cobblestone above
ground level where it can be pushed with pistons.
Spill a bucket of water on the far left. It will flow down over the lip into the two-block-
deep hole and, due to the mechanics of the water flow model, will actually, and rather
conveniently, stop right there.
Then spill a bucket of lava on the far right, forming the cobblestone that was shown in
Figure 3.1.

FIGURE 3.2 Cobbling together some cobblestone.

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 Creating Cobblestone 55

Try mining the cobblestone, and you’ll see it pop out and another block form within
moments. Infinite cobblestone. Pretty easy, right?
Let’s ramp this up a bit.
Place a standard piston so that it’s facing the cobblestone. (You may need to scoop the lava
into a bucket and then remove the formed cobblestone before placing the piston because
it can be quite tricky to obtain the right angle for the piston with the cobblestone block in
front.) Figure 3.3 shows the intended layout.

FIGURE 3.3 Pistons provide an easy way to push out a string up of up to 12

cobblestone blocks.

It’s possible to build a BUD switch, described in Chapter 2, “Automated Produce Farms,”
to detect the creation of the cobblestone block and then activate the piston to push it out.
However, there’s an easier way that also introduces a new type of circuit we haven’t looked
at before: the repeater clock.
Clocks send a redstone pulse hurtling around a closed circuit. There are many ways to
achieve this, including with the use of pistons, items moving between hoppers, and by just
using a string of torch inverters. However, the easiest method for fine-tuning the interval
between pulses is with a string of redstone repeaters arranged in a loop. In its default
configuration, each repeater adds a 0.1-second delay to the circuit, with the slider on top of
each repeater allowing this to be lengthened to as much as 0.4 seconds.
Figure 3.4 shows the circuit we’ll use here. The pulse originates with the button attached to
the plank block. A trail of redstone leads directly to the base of the piston, but also splits
off into the repeater loop. As it travels through each repeater, it is ever so slightly delayed,
eventually traveling around the entire loop in a clockwise direction, back through the plank
block and toward the piston once more, and also restarting its endless circuit of the loop.

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 56 CHAPTER 3: Mining and Ore Generators

FIGURE 3.4 Clocking on and off with a repeater loop.

Create the circuit by laying the repeaters, ensuring they all run clockwise. Run the redstone
to the piston and also to connect the repeaters; then press the button.
Now take a look at the piston. You’ll see it start to push out the cobblestone, but there’s
a slight problem. The piston flies back and forth so fast that it spends most of its time
blocking the flow of lava, preventing the cobblestone from forming. There’s an easy way
to fix this. Start right-clicking the repeaters, shifting their sliders back to the last available
position. As you do so, the pulses will slow down. Keep going until you have the piston
synchronized with the cobblestone production. I’ve found this requires setting six of the
repeaters to their slowest position.
This is all well and good. You should see a row of cobblestone form, as shown in Figure 3.5,
spanning out 12 blocks—the maximum a piston can push at any time. Try digging out any
of those blocks, and the piston will quickly “heal” the gap with a new block of cobblestone.
This is quite commonly used to create self-healing bridges, but why stop there? Let’s create
an entire self-healing platform—perfect for that game of Spleef (see the note “Playing
Spleef”) or just developing an expanse of easily minable cobblestone.
Start by laying down a line of pistons and blocks behind, as shown in Figure 3.6. Connect
them up to the timing loop with some redstone. You’ll also need to place one more repeater
before the pistons to boost the current so they all fire off. Otherwise, the redstone trail will
be a little long and will lose its punch before it reaches the end of the pistons. Other than
that, that’s all there is to it. If you need the platform created in a more specific shape, use
other blocks that pistons can’t shift to form the outline. This includes growing trees, other
extended pistons, and most block-sized items such as dispensers, hoppers, furnaces, and
the like.

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 Creating Cobblestone 57

FIGURE 3.5 Periodic pistons provide an easy way to push up to 12 cobblestone

blocks out of the generator.

FIGURE 3.6 Creating a full self-generating platform—perfect for that game of

Spleef.

PLAYING SPLEEF
Spleef is one of the older arena games played in Minecraft. It can be played in a
“vanilla” (or standard) Minecraft world without requiring a special server configuration.
Spleef is played on a one-block-thick suspended platform. The idea is simple enough:

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 58 CHAPTER 3: Mining and Ore Generators

Try to knock out the block under your opponent so they tumble into a deadly pit, lava
pool, or other dastardly trap. The last man standing takes home the prize. There are
numerous variations on the theme.

As the game continues, the platform gradually turns into Swiss cheese, making just
moving around something of a challenge. Arm the players with a bow and arrows,
and the rapid movement required to dodge those fletched missiles turns the game
into a rather joyful combination of parkour and abject hilarity.

Playing with more than two people also adds to the frantic nature of the battle, and
you can then become a little more creative, perhaps adding further platforms below
so the battle can take place over multiple rounds, and throwing in some hostile mobs,
protective barriers, and so on, to make things a little more interesting. Use a self-
generating platform with a lever before the piston range to turn off the pistons while
a match is in progress. The first line of blocks will still update, but another lever can
solve that, or even a more sophisticated circuit that can switch them both off at
once. Figure 3.7 shows a design that works off an AND circuit that is mirrored to
accept two inputs from each end of the repeater loop, and a lever in the middle that
acts as the master toggle. Remember to place the two redstone torches on the back
end against the faces of their blocks.

FIGURE 3.7 This double AND gate controls two circuits with one lever.

Creating Stone
Stone appears abundantly in the Overworld and is also formed ad hoc when lava flows on
top of still or moving water. When mined with a normal pickaxe, it turns into cobblestone.

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 Creating Stone 59

Because this takes less time to mine than cobblestone, stone generators are a slightly more
efficient method of obtaining cobblestone than through an actual cobblestone generator.
Stone mined with a pickaxe enchanted with Silk Touch will drop a stone block instead of
cobblestone, but all is not lost if you’re lacking one of these. Smelting cobblestone in a
furnace also delivers a smooth, elegant stone block. Although using stone for construction,
rather than the comparatively knobbly cobbles, is just a matter of aesthetics, it’s nice to
have the choice of either that a stone generator delivers.
Start by creating the layout shown in Figure 3.8. This is similar to the cobblestone generator
with some subtle differences; in particular, take note of the position of the hole in the
ground and the slightly different geometry of the border blocks (as compared to Figure 3.3).

FIGURE 3.8 The foundation of a stone generator.

Now place a set of four glass blocks on top (see Figure 3.9). These act as the tower well
for the lava, allowing it to drop down onto the flowing water. You’ll need to add some
temporary blocks to attach the two floating blocks in the correct position and then remove
them. Alternatively, just create a square using eight glass blocks. Either way will work,
and you can use any solid block material you prefer, except wood, which has the habit of
bursting into flames when in close proximity to lava.
Finally, in this order, spill water into the far end of the trench and pour lava against the
inside of one of the blocks at the top of the tower well. This positions the lava source block
at the top of the tower so that it continually flows down. Assuming all has gone to plan,
you’ll see a block of stone form almost immediately under the lava (see Figure 3.10).

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 60 CHAPTER 3: Mining and Ore Generators

FIGURE 3.9 Creating a tower well for the lava.

FIGURE 3.10 Place the water source first and then the lava to ensure they meet
in the correct order, thus forming stone.

All that remains is to set up the same circuit to control the piston as you used in the
cobblestone generator. Just make sure you use a stone button on the circuit’s starting block
because stone buttons produce a 1-second pulse of power. A wooden button will push the
piston forward for 1.5 seconds and not leave enough time while retracted for the lava to
flow down once more into the water.
Extend the design further, if you like, by adding the same string of pistons shown in Figure
3.6 that created the self-healing cobblestone platform.

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 Obsidian Generator 61

Obsidian Generator
Besides for building portals, obsidian is primarily useful as an incredibly effective blast-
resistant building material. I mentioned earlier that it is some 200 times tougher than any
other, excluding the unmineable bedrock, and it is therefore also immune to the attacks of
any naturally spawned hostile mob, including exploding creepers. Indeed, the only mob that
can break obsidian is the player-created Wither.
Unlike the previous two generators, there is a core problem with automatic obsidian
generation: the requirement of lava source blocks. Although it’s possible to build an infinite
water source by emptying two buckets of water into the diagonally opposite ends of a 2×2
hole, the same cannot be said for lava. In essence, lava source blocks are a finite resource
within any particular chunk, although given the practically infinite size of each Minecraft
world (approximately 64,000,000×64,000,000 blocks in surface area), not to mention the
enormous lava pools found in the Nether, lava, like any other resource, can be considered
essentially infinite.
At this stage there are several ways to obtain obsidian:
■ Pour water on top of the still lava that fills lava lakes. These are most commonly found
below level 10 in the Overworld, and everywhere in the Nether, although they do appear
on the surface, especially when you’re playing a customized world using the “Good
Luck” preset (see Figure 3.11).
■ Pour lava into a mold, as shown in Figure 3.12, and then place water on top to form
obsidian in the final desired shape. This has the advantage that you don’t need to mine
the obsidian with a diamond pickaxe, saving wear on your tools. Figures 3.13 to 3.16
show how to mold a Nether portal frame without mining any obsidian. It doesn’t take
long at all and therefore is actually a more efficient construction method than having to
tunnel down to layer 12 to find diamonds.
■ Obtain enough obsidian to build a portal (including molding a frame, as described
earlier), craft a chest (or a couple of ender chests for even easier content transfers), and
pack a diamond pickaxe and a couple of stacks of stone or cobblestone. Place a bed
and take a nap at night to reset your spawn point, and then clamber through the portal
to travel to the Nether. This creates a portal at your destination, automatically spawn-
ing the obsidian blocks required for the frame. Create some protection around the
frame using the cobblestone so that you can take the time to knock the obsidian out of
the destination frame, piece by piece, without worrying about ghasts flinging fireballs
your way. When you’ve finished, place the chest and store everything you have therein—
every last skerrick. Then jump into some lava, fall off a cliff, or die in some other conve-
nient way. You’ll respawn next to your bed. Head into the frame again. A new one will
appear either at the same place as the original Nether frame or nearby. Take some care

004_5735_03.indd 61 10/9/15 11:13 AM

 62 CHAPTER 3: Mining and Ore Generators

before you step out because they can appear over lava, or very close to cliff edges. Then
hoist your pickaxe from the chest, take apart the obsidian frame, and repeat. When you
have enough, collect everything from the chest and travel back through the frame to the
Overworld.

TIP
Bringing Back Disappearing Chunks

Chunks are columns of blocks, 16×16 in surface area, and 256 rows high. Each
Minecraft world is divided into these chunks. Each spawns and is loaded in its totality
as you travel around the different regions. If you find chunks not rendering correctly,
leaving odd gaps in the ground through which you can see tunnels, dungeons, and
such in other chunks, try changing your video settings so that the Render Distance
is set to 16 chunks. You may find this too much of a slow-down for a low-powered
computer, but if you have a recent model with an equivalent of an Intel i5 or i7 CPU,
there’s a good chance your chunk gaps will become a thing of the past.

FIGURE 3.11 Convert a portion of a lava lake into obsidian by pouring water on a
non-lava block nearby so that it has the chance to flow over the lava.

004_5735_03.indd 62 10/9/15 11:13 AM

 Obsidian Generator 63

FIGURE 3.12 Mold obsidian with the placement of surrounding blocks; then pour
a bucket of lava into the gap in the middle.

FIGURE 3.13 You can convert a row of lava with one bucket of water, but
building a vertical tower requires a layered approach.

004_5735_03.indd 63 10/9/15 11:13 AM

 64 CHAPTER 3: Mining and Ore Generators

FIGURE 3.14 Build the frame one layer at a time, placing the lava and then
water on top to control the conversion of the blocks. The left side of the frame
is ready for the water, whereas the right side shows it already converted.

FIGURE 3.15 A final spill along a channel at the top completes the frame.

004_5735_03.indd 64 10/9/15 11:13 AM

 The Bottom Line 65

FIGURE 3.16 The frame is now ready for action and requires just 10 lava
source blocks nearby if you leave out the corners.

The Bottom Line

Although you can’t generate a huge number of the different ores in Minecraft, being able to
create the basics, such as stone and cobblestone, can be a boon, saving you from having to
tunnel through the countryside or mar the landscape with strip mines. Indeed, ever wonder
how players create enormous structures while playing a game that is strictly Survival? Well,
they don’t do so by digging up all that ore. Generators take up very little space, and pistons
are easy to create. Plant some saplings to provide wood for the handles, and you’ll have all
you need to build any number of pickaxes so you can keep pulling in the output from the
generator and use it wherever you require. Build an enormous castle and turn the pistons
so they face up and create towering walls. You may even want to use a generator to create
huge platforms such as the one required for the mob farm described in the next chapter.
Read on to gain a huge amount of other useful resources from mob drops.

004_5735_03.indd 65 10/9/15 11:13 AM

This page intentionally left blank
 INDEX

Symbols selectors in, 248

specifiers in, 251-254
2D pixel art, drawing, 123-124 enabling bonus chests, 244
3D statues, sculpting, 124-129 enabling cheats, 244
griefers, 261
A interaction with blocks and objects, 244
invisible wall mazes, 244
accounts, managing in MultiMC custom
maps
launcher, 13
editing tools for, 259-260
adding mods to MultiMC custom launcher, 16
publishing, 260-261
advanced logic gates, BuildCraft, 182
types of, 245
adventure maps, 6, 245, 261
stories, 245-246
command blocks, 246-247
switching from Creative mode, 244
commands, 248-251
agriculture
command strings, 247
crops, 189
comparator, 254-255
IC2E, 186-188
selectors, 247-248
aurelia, 187
specifiers, 251-254
coffee, 188
tellraw command, 255-258
Cropanalyzer, 194-197
game rules, 250-251
Crop-Matron, 197-198
publishing, 260-261
crossbreeding, 189
world-editing tools, 259-260
ferru, 187
Adventure mode, 243-245
hops, 188
command blocks, 246-247
redwheat, 188
commands in, 248-251
reed, 187
command string, 247
square farming, 193
creating, 247
stickreed, 187
list of, 247
strip farming, 190-193
messages to players, 256-259
terra wart, 188
output to comparators, 254-255

013_5735_Index.indd 263 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 264 agriculture

agriculture. See farming farming

air quality, crops, 189 cane farms, 27-32
AND gates, 40-41, 89, 93, 131, 148 carrot farm, 43-46
angle brackets, commands, 248 collection and transport, 32-34
animation, planning, 230-233 melon farm, 36-42
anti-griefer plug-ins, 261 potato farm, 43-46
APIs (application programming interfaces), pumpkin farm, 36-42
16 sorting, 46-51
arches, creating, 127-129 wheat farm, 43-46
architectural styles. See building styles minecart switches, 140-142
arena games, Spleef, 56-58 mining (IC2E), 202-204
armor, IC2E, 186, 198-200 pistons as mob traps, 92-93
arrows, 88-89 planting produce, 43-46
artwork, drawing, 123-124 Project:Red, 142
asymmetrical floor plans, 95 Core component category, 148
ATLauncher, 20 installing, 143
audio, overlaying in captured video, 233 Integration component category, 148-150
iMovie, 233-236 pumpkin/melon farm automation, 144-148
Windows Movie Maker, 236-237 Transmission component category, 150-151
aurelia, IC2E agriculture, 187 Transportation component category, 152
automatic upgrades, 6 pumpkin farms, Project:Red, 144-148
automation quarries, 174-178
BUD switches, 24 sorting produce, 46-51
cane farm automation, 27-31 with BuildCraft pipes, 157-162
creating, 25-27 stone creation, 58-60
pumpkin/melon farm automation, 36-43 AVerMedia’s Live Gamer Portable, 230
cobblestone creation, 53-57
collecting drops, 73-82 B
collecting string, 88
collection and transportation of produce, Bandicam for Windows, 228-229
32-35 base platforms, creating, 133
combination locks, creating, 133-139 Basic Info tab, 240
construction, BuildCraft, 156 bathrooms, 119
crafting table, BuildCraft, 182 BatPack (IC2E), 199
dimmer switches, creating, 131-133 Binvox, 125
dispensers as mob traps, 88-91 biome, 189

013_5735_Index.indd 264 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 BuildCraft 265

blast furnaces, 219 bore head, creating, 219-221

building, 218 brackets, commands, 248
Blender.org, 125 bronze armor (IC2E), 198
blocks BUD (Block Update Detector) switches,
BUD (Block Update Detector) switches, 23-24, 28, 32, 51
23-24, 28, 32 cane farm automation, 27-31
documentation, 24 creating, 25-27
events, 26-27 documentation, 24
pistons, 25-26 events, 26-27
BuildCraft transport, 155 pistons, 25-26
cobblestone, 53-58 pumpkin/melon farm automation, 36-43
command, 246-251 BuildCraft, 22, 155-212
command strings, 247 advanced logic gates, 182
commands in, 248-251 automated construction, 156
comparator, 254-255 automated quarries, 174-177
list of, 247 automatic crafting tables, 182
messages to players, 256-259 block transport, 155
output to comparators, 254-255 blueprints and templates, 178-181
selectors, 247-248 combustion engines, managing, 168-172
specifiers, 251-254 creating item sorter, 157-158
tellraw command, 255-258 downloading, 155
IC2E, 186 energy, 156
multipart, 142 engines, 156, 163
obsidian, 61-65 chaining, 163
protecting, 140 combustion, 163
slime, 30 combustion engines, 168-172
stone, creating, 58-60 creating power station, 164-166
Block Update Detector (BUD). See BUD Creative, 163
(Block Update Detector) switches mining wells, building, 167-168
blueprints (BuildCraft) MJ/t, 163
building with, 178-181 oil refineries, 173-174
defined, 179 power stations, building, 164-166
downloading, 181 redstone, 163
storing, 181 stirling, 163
bonus chests, Adventure mode, 244 types of, 163
booby traps, 83 factories, 156
spawns, 254 filler machine, 182

013_5735_Index.indd 265 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 266 BuildCraft

fluid extraction, 156 nuclear reactors (IC2E), 205-208

fluid transport, 155 power stations, 164-166
informational resources, 183 reinforced track, 218-219
kinesis pipes, power management, 168 spheres/circles/arches, 127-129
library, 181 standard track, 214-217
logic gates, 182 statues, 124-129
mining wells, 167-168 trees, 122-123
oil extraction, 156 tunnel borers, 219-221
pipe facades, 182 with blueprint and templates (BuildCraft),
pipes, 157-159 178-181
emerald, 160 wooden track, 214
Emzuli, 162 buildings
kinesis, 168 decoration, 118
obsidian, 161 bathrooms, 119
plugging, 172 external, 122
plugs, 172 flooring, 119
stripes, 161 furniture, 121
T-junctions, 159 kitchens, 120
void, 160 lighting, 121
pipe wire, 182 walls, 119
quarries, automation, 174-178 windows, 119
refining oil, 173 floor plans, 95
sections, 155-156 Nether and End regions, 129-130
system requirements, 18 styles, 96
templates, 180 desert, 113
transportation pipes, sorting produce, Egyptian, 113
157-162 elven, 115
wrenches, 217 fairy, 115
BuildCraft.com, 16 igloos, 116-117
building Japanese, 106-108
see also construction medieval, 96-100
automated quarries, 174-178 modern, 108-110
blast furnaces, 218 steampunk, 114
coke ovens, 212-214 suburban, 108-110
generators (IC2E), 201-202 Victorian, 101-105
iron rails, 214-216 Viking, 111-112
mining wells, 167-168

013_5735_Index.indd 266 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 combination locks 267

building styles, 96 cheats, Adventure mode, 244

Egyptian/desert, 113-114 chests
elven/fairy, 115 connecting to hoppers, 30
igloo, 116-118 trapped, 91
Japanese, 106-108 Chicken Chunks mod, 94
medieval, 96-100 Chicken Jockeys, 82
modern/suburban, 108-111 ChromaHills resource pack, 18-19
Nether and End regions, 129-130 chunks, 62
steampunk, 114-115 circles, building, 127-129
Victorian, 101-106 circuits
Viking, 111-112 AND gates, 40-41, 89, 93, 131, 148
Bukkit, 261 repeaters, 37-42, 91, 131
Bukkit anti-griefer plug-in, 261 clear command, 248
bundling wires, 150 clocks, redstone repeater clocks, 55-56
buttons versus levers, 39 cobblestone
creating, 53-58
C smelting, 59
cobblestone generator, 59
cables, overloading, 205 cobblestone pipes (BuildCraft), 158
cacti, 85 CodeChickenCore library, 18
as mob traps, 85-87 coffee, 188
spider spawners and, 88 coke ovens, building, 212-214
cameras collecting
plotting paths, 230-233 automating, 32-34
Camera Studio, 230 drops, 73-82
keyframes, 231-232 experience points, 81
recording with, 233 produce
shortcuts, 232-233 in chest-connected hoppers, 30
cane farms, automation, 27-32 minecart automation, 32-35
carrot farms, automation, 43-46 minecart switches, 140-142
carts, 211 pumpkin/melon farm automation, 36-43
ceilings, building, 98 stacks, 158
central points, teleportation, 251-252 string, 88
chaining, BuildCraft engines, 163 combination locks, 131-139
challenges, teleportation commands, creating, 133-139
249-250
protecting, 140
Change Group option (MultiMC), 14

013_5735_Index.indd 267 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 268 combustion engines, BuildCraft

combustion engines, BuildCraft, 163 weather, 250

managing, 168-172 xp, 250
command blocks, 246-247 command strings, 247
commands, 248-251 comparator, commands, 254-255
command strings, 247 comparators, 47-48, 133
comparator, 254-255 automation
creating, 247 collecting produce, 32-35
list of, 247 in combination locks, 136-137
messages to players, 256-259 in command string, 254-255
output to comparators, 254-255 compare mode, 133
redstone power, 246 complete the monument maps, 245
selectors, 247-248 complex roofs, 104-106
selectors in, 248 compressors (IC2E), 205
specifiers, 251-254 ComputerCraft, 223
tellraw command, 255-258 Config Folder option (MultiMC), 15
commands, 248-251 configuration, MultiMC, 12-15
adventure, 248, 250 connecting hoppers to chests, 30
angle brackets, 248 construction
clear, 248 see also BuildCraft; building
difficulty, 249 automated, BuildCraft, 156
Edit Profile, 9-10 building styles, 96
effect, 252-254 Egyptian/desert, 113-114
gamemode, 249 elven/fairy, 115
game rules, 250-251 igloo, 116-118
give, 248 Japanese, 106-108
in command string, 248-251 medieval, 96-100
New Profile, 7-9 modern/suburban, 108-111
say, 249, 255 Nether and End regions, 129-130
spawnpoint, 249 steampunk, 114-115
specifiers, 251-254 Victorian, 101-106
square brackets, 248 Viking, 111-112
tell, 249, 255 decoration techniques, 118-122
tellraw, 255-258 exterior depth, 110
time add, 249 planning, 96
time set, 249 residential roads, 110-111
tp, 249-250

013_5735_Index.indd 268 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 detector rails 269

roofing, 99-100 square farming, 193-194

complex roofs, 104-106 strip farming, 190-192
double-layered roofs, 106-107 double, 190
pitched roofs, 102-104 harvesting, 189
steep pitched roofs, 111 improving with Crop-Matron, 197-198
spheres/circles/arches, 127-129 crossbreeding
survival mode versus creative mode, 95 crops, 189
3D statues, 124-129 Cropnalyzer, 194-197
trees, 122-123 square farming, 193-194
for tree houses, 115 strip farming, 190-192
2D pixel art, 123-124 IC2E, 189
walls/flooring, 98-99 crowbars, 217
with blueprints and templates, BuildCraft, custom launchers, 10-13
178-181 benefits, 11
copying resource packs and saved packs, 10 MultiMC, 12
core component (Project:Red), 148 adding mods, 16-20
coupler tracks, 217 configuring, 12-13
crafting table, automatic, BuildCraft, 182 functionality, 14, 15
Creative engine, BuildCraft, 163
creative maps, 245 D
Creative mode, 95
survival mode versus, 95 day/night triggers, setting, 249
switching to Adventure mode, 244 decoration, 118
toggling with Survival mode, 143 bathrooms, 119
credits for videos, 240 external, 122
Credits option (Basic Info tab), 240 flooring, 119
creosote, 212 furniture, 121
creating, 214 kitchens, 120
Cropanalyzer, IC2E, 194-197 lighting, 121
Crop-Matron, 189, 193 walls, 119
IC2E, 197-198 windows, 119
Crop-Matron (IC2E), 197-198 defenses. See traps
Cropnalyzer (IC2E), 188, 193-197 delays in redstone circuits, 39-40
crops, 189 Delete option (MultiMC), 15
crossbreeding, 189 Description option (Basic Info tab), 240
Cropnalyzer, 194-197 desert building style, 113-114
detector rails, 140

013_5735_Index.indd 269 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 270 diamond pickaxe

diamond pickaxe, 53
E
diamond pipes (BuildCraft), 158
difficulty command, 249 editing
Digital Engineering with Minecraft, 130 captured video, 233
dimmer switches, creating, 131-133 iMovie, 233-236
dispensers, 39, 44, 88-91 Windows Movie Maker, 236-237
arrows, 88-89 instances in MultiMC custom launcher, 14
fireballs, 89 profiles, 10
lava, 89 video, Movie Maker, 236-237
mob traps, 88-91 editing tools for adventure maps, 259-260
redstone signals, 91 editing video, iMovie, 233-236
refilling, 91 Edit Instance option (MultiMC), 14
spawn eggs, 90 Edit Notes option (MultiMC), 14
wall of flame, 90 Edit Profile command, 9-10
water, 38-39, 44-45, 89 effect commands, 252-254
documentation, BUD switches, 24 eggs. See spawn eggs
doors, combination locks, 131-139 Egyptian building style, 113-114
protecting, 140 electrical tools (IC2E), 199
double crops, 190 Electric Drill (IC2E), 200
double-layered roofs, 106-107 Electric Jetpacks (IC2E), 200
double-layer pistons in BUD switches, 31 elevator tracks, 217-218
downloading Elgato Game Capture HD Recorder, 230
blueprints and templates, 181 eleven building style, 115
BuildCraft, 155 embarking tracks, 217
Minecraft Rome, 130 Embed option (Basic Info tab), 240
mods, 20 embed settings in Vimeo, 240
MultiMC custom launcher, 12 emerald pipes, BuildCraft, 160
Railcraft, 212 Emzuli pipes, BuildCraft, 162
snapshots, creating profiles for, 7-9 Endermen, 70
texture packs, 118 End region, building in, 129-130
drawing 2D pixel art, 123-124 energy
Dropbox, 241, 260 automated quarries, building, 174-178
importing videos to Vimeo, 241 BuildCraft, 156
droppers, 88 combustion engines (BuildCraft),
drops, mobs, collecting, 73-82 168-172
drowning mobs, 73 generators, building, 201-202

013_5735_Index.indd 270 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 farming 271

IC2E, 186 extracting sticky resin, 187

measurements, 163 extractors (IC2E), 204
mining wells, building, 167-168 Ezekiel tellraw generator, 258
nuclear reactors, building, 205-208
OD and OV Scanner requirements, 203 F
oil refineries (BuildCraft), 173-174
facades, pipe (BuildCraft), 182
power stations, building, 164-166
factories in BuildCraft, 156
energy units (EU), 186
fairy building style, 115
generating, 201-202
fall damage of mobs, 72
overloading cables/machines, 205
farming, 23
engines, BuildCraft, 156
see also agriculture
chaining, 163
automated
combustion, 163
cane farms, 27-32
combustion engines, 168-172
carrot farms, 43-46
creating power station, 164-166
collection and transport, 32-34
Creative, 163
melon farms, 36-42
managing combustion engines, 168-172
potato farms, 43-46
mining wells, building, 167-168
pumpkin farms, 36-42
MJ/t, 163
sorting, 46-51
oil refineries, 173-174
wheat farms, 43-46
redstone, 163
collecting produce
power stations, building, 164-166
in chest-connected hoppers, 30
stirling, 163
minecart automation, 32-35
types of, 163
minecart switches, 140-142
EU (energy units), 186
pumpkin/melon farm automation, 36-43
generating, 201-202
in IC2E
overloading cables/machines, 205
Crop-Matron, 197-198
events, block updates, 26-27
Cropnalyzer, 194-197
experience points, collecting, 81-82
crossbreeding, 189
explosive templates (BuildCraft), 180
plant species, 187-188
exporting
square farming, 193-194
iMovie videos, 236
strip farming, 190-192
video, 236-237
mob farms, 67-68
Windows Movie Maker videos, 237
grinding mobs, 73-82
exterior decoration techniques, 122
rate of spawn, 94
exterior depth in construction, 110

013_5735_Index.indd 271 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 272 farming

spawning mobs, 68-70 fluid extraction, 155-156

water-based mob farms, 70-72 fluid transport pipes
planting produce by villagers, 43-46 gold, 169
pumpkin/melon farms plugging, 172
automation, 36-43 stone, 169
Project:Red, 144-148 wooden, 169
sorting produce flying, mods for, 230
automation, 46-51 folders, copying resource packs into, 10
automation with BuildCraft pipes, 157-162 Forestry mod, 223
farms Forestry plugin, 183
encasing in glass, 31 Forge, installing, 16
mob, 67 Forge Multipart, 142
building water-based, 70-72 frame rate, 226
grinding for experience, 81-82 frames, rotating items
grinding mobs and collecting drops, 73-81 combination lock creation, 133-139
spawning, 68-70 dimmer switch creation, 131-133
pumpkin, Project:Red, 144-148 FRAPS, 227-229
village, running, 44-46 fuel
fatal falls, mobs, 73 creating in oil refineries, 173-174
Feed the Beast launcher, 20 for stirling engines, 166
ferru, IC2E agriculture, 187 furniture, 121
filler machines (BuildCraft), 182
finding saved worlds, 9 G
fireballs, 89
flaming arrows, 89 Galacticraft, 21, 222-223
flaming wall, 90 game maps, 245
superflat worlds, 69 gamemode command, 249
creating, 24 Game Output tab (Profile Editor), 10
flooring gameplay window, resizing, 8
building, 98-99 gamerule command, 250-251
decorating, 119 game rules, adventures, 250-251
decoration techniques, 119 gates
floor plans, 95 AND, 40-41, 89, 93, 131, 148
flowing lava, stone creation, 58-60 logic, 148
flowing water, 44-45 advanced, 182
cobblestone creation, 53-54 NOR gates, 136
obsidian creation, 61-65 XOR, 149

013_5735_Index.indd 272 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 IC2E (IndustrialCraft2) 273

generators, 65 hops, 188

building, 201-202 hydration in farming, 189
cobblestone, 56
obsidian, 61-65 I
stone, 59
IC2E (IndustrialCraft2), 185-186, 200, 209
give command, 248, 254
agriculture, 186-188
glass, encasing farms, 31
aurelia, 187
gold, growing, 187
coffee, 188
gold fluid transport pipes, 169
Cropanalyzer, 194-197
GregTech, 185
Crop-Matron, 197-198
griefers, 261
crossbreeding, 189
grinding mobs, 73-81
ferru, 187
drowning, 73
hops, 188
fatal falls, 73
redwheat, 188
for experience, 81-82
reed, 187
lava blades, 73-76
square farming, 193
suffocation, 73
stickreed, 187
strip farming, 190-193
H
terra wart, 188
hardware, recording video, 226, 230 armor, 186, 198
harvesting. See collecting produce armor/weapons/tools, 198-200
hazmat suits, 206 automated mining, 202-204
health, mobs, 72 blocks, 186
high-speed tracks, 218 compressors, 205
homes. See buildings elements in, 185-187
hoppers, 30, 34, 51 energy, 186
automation extractors, 204
sorting produce, 46-51 farming
sorting produce with BuildCraft pipes, Crop-Matron, 197-198
157-162 Cropnalyzer, 194-197
collecting drops, 74 crossbreeding, 189
connecting to chests, 30 plant species, 187-188
minecarts with, 74-75 square farming, 193-194
stacking, 48 strip farming, 190-192
standard, 74

013_5735_Index.indd 273 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 274 IC2E (IndustrialCraft2)

generating energy units, 201-202 instances, 10

generators, building, 201-202 custom launchers, benefits, 11
ingots, 186 editing in MultiMC custom launcher, 14
macerators, 204-205 Instance Settings option (MultiMC), 15
machines, 187 Integration component (Project:Red),
nuclear reactors, 205-208 148-150
plates, 186 interior decorating
recycling in, 209 bathrooms, 119
tools, 187, 199 flooring, 119
BatPack, 199 furniture, 121
Electric Drill, 200 kitchens, 120
Electric Jetpack, 200 lighting, 121
Mining Laser, 200 walls, 119
weapons, 199 windows, 119
NanoSaber, 200 interior lighting, 121
wiring, 186 interior walls, 119
IC2 (IndustrialCraft2), 16, 185 invisible wall mazes, 244
ice, molding, 116-118 iron, growing, 187
igloo building style, 116-118 iron rails, building, 214-216
iMovie, 233-236 item frames
importing .schematic files, 125-127 rheostats, 131
IndustrialCraft2 Experimental (IC2E). See rotatable, 132
IC2E (IndustrialCraft2 Experimental) item IDs, list of, 248
IndustrialCraft 2 (IC2), 16, 185 item loaders, 222
infinite water sources, 61 items
ingots (IC2E), 186 Project:Red, 143
installers, modpacks, 11 sorters, creating, 157-158
installing
Forge, 16 J-K
modpacks, 20-22
Japanese building style, 106-108
mods
Java settings, 9
MultiMC custom launcher, 17-19
junction track, 218
Project:Red, 143
resource packs, 18
Kelly, James Floyd, 130
Instance Folder option (MultiMC), 15
keyframes, 231-232

013_5735_Index.indd 274 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 managing 275

killing players in Adventure mode, 252-253 levers versus buttons, 39

kinesis pipes, quartz, 170 LGP (Live Gamer Portable), 230
kinesis pipes (BuildCraft), power libraries (BuildCraft)
management, 168 blueprints and templates storage, 181
kitchens, 120 lighting, 121
creating dimmer switches, 131-133
L LiteLoader, 16
Live Gamer Portable (LGP), 230
landmark tool (BuildCraft), 175-176
loaders, 224
LapPacks, 199
item, 222
Launcher, 6
locking track, 217
profiles
locks, combination, 131-139
creating, 7-8
protecting, 140
editing, 10
logic gates, 148
options, 8-9
advanced, 182
launchers, 20-22
logs, server/client message, viewing, 10
ATLauncher, 20
loops, repeater, 55-56
cracked, 6
LUA language, 223
custom, 10-13
benefits, 11
MultiMC, 12-20
M
custom. See custom launchers macerators (IC2E), 204-205
Feed the Beast, 20 machines
Technic, 21-22 IC2E, 187
launch track, 217 overloading, 205
lava, 89 Magic Launcher, 12
cobblestone creation, 53-54 malware, 6
in dispensers, 89 Manage Screenshots option (MultiMC), 14
flaming arrows, 89 managing
flowing lava, stone creation, 58-60 accounts in MultiMC custom launcher, 13
in trenches as mob traps, 83-85 mods
lava blades custom launchers, 11-19
grinding mobs, 75-80 methods of, 10-11
mobs, 73-76 modpack installers, 20-22
lava source blocks, obsidian creation, 61-65 reasons for, 5
leveling playing field, 250 screenshots in MultiMC custom launcher,
14

013_5735_Index.indd 275 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 276 manual mod management

manual mod management, 10 Minecraft Launcher, 6-10

maps profiles
adventure, 6, 245, 261 creating, 7-9
types of, 245 editing, 10
command blocks, 246-258 options, 8-9
editing tools for, 259-260 Minecraft Rome, downloading, 130
publishing, 260-261 Minecraft Wiki, BUD switch
complete the monument, 245 documentation, 24
creative, 245 mining
game, 245 automated, IC2E, 202-204
parkour, 245 cobblestone, 53-57
player versus player, 245 obsidian, 61-65
puzzle, 245 stone, 58-60
survival, 245 Mining Laser (IC2E), 199-200
world-editing tools, 259-260 mining wells
mazes, 244 see also quarries
MCEdit, 122, 125-126, 259 BuildCraft, 167-168
Mediafire, 260 building, 167-168
medieval building style, 96-100 mob farms, 67-68
roofs, 99-100 building water-based, 70-72
walls, 98 grinding mobs, 73-82
melon farms spawning, 68-70
automating, 36-42 rate of spawn, 94
automation, 36-43 water-based mob farms, 70-72
Project:Red, 144-148 mob infestation, creating, 249
messages to players in command string, mobs
256-259 fall damage, 72
minecarts grinding
automation drowning, 73
collecting produce, 32-35 fatal falls, 73
sorting produce, 46-51 lava blades, 73-76
sorting produce with BuildCraft pipes, suffocation, 73
157-162 grinding and collecting drops, 73-81
collecting drops, 74-75 grinding for experience, 81-82
hoppers, 74-75 health, 72
switches, 140-142 spawning, 68

013_5735_Index.indd 276 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 mods 277

traps, 83 pipes, 157-162

cacti, 85-88 pipe wire, 182
dispensers, 88-91 refining oil, 173
pistons, 92-93 templates, 180
trenches, 83-85 choosing, 20
modern building style, 108-111 ComputerCraft, 223
residential roads, 110 custom launchers, 10-13
modes benefits, 11
Creative, 95 MultiMC, 12-20
Survival, 95 defined, 6
switching players, 249 flying, 230
modifications. See mods downloading, 20
modpacks, 11 Forestry, 223
installers, 11, 20-22 Galacticraft, 222-223
mods, 5-6, 10-11, 22, 222 GregTech, 185
adding to MultiMC, 16-20 griefers, 261
adventure maps, 259-260 IC2E, 185-186, 200, 209
BuildCraft, 155-156 agriculture, 186-198
advanced logic gates, 182 armor, 186, 198
automated construction, 156 automated mining, 202-204
automated quarries, 174-177 blocks, 186
automatic crafting table, 182 compressors, 205
block transport, 155 energy, 186
blueprints, 178-181 extractors, 204
creating item sorter, 157-158 generating energy units, 201-202
energy, 156 ingots, 186
engines, 156, 163-166 macerators, 204-205
factories, 156 machines, 187
filler machine, 182 nuclear reactors, 205-208
fluid extraction, 156 plates, 186
fluid transport, 155 tools, 187, 199
library, 181 weapons, 199
managing combustion engines, 168-172 wiring, 186
mining wells, 167-168 IC2. See IC2
oil extraction, 156 installing, MultiMC custom launcher,
pipe facades, 182 17-19

013_5735_Index.indd 277 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 278 mods

managing functionality, 14-15

custom launchers, 11-19 MultiMC custom launcher, 12-15
methods of, 10-11 account management, 13
modpack installers, 20-22 adding mods, 16
reasons for, 5 downloading, 12
MCEdit, 122 editing instances, 14
mudpack installers, 20-22 installing mods, 17-19
natural terrain and trees, 122-123 screenshot management, 14
NEI (Not Enough Items), 18, 143-144, 155 Multipart, 142
Optifine, 17 multiple mining wells
Permissions Mod, 140 building, 167
Project:Red, 142-143, 148, 153
core component, 148 N
installing, 143
integration component, 148-150 nano armor (IC2E), 198
items, 143 NanoSaber, 199-200
pumpkin/melon farm automation, 144-148 NanoSuit, 199
transmission component, 150-151 natural terrain, building, 122-123
transportation component, 152 NEI (Not Enough Items) mod, 18, 143-144
Railcraft. See Railcraft Nether region
Tekkit, 183 building in, 129-130
update cycle, 6 portal frames, 61
updates, 16 New Project command (File menu), 7-9,
236
VoxelMap, 18
NOR gates, 136
Mojang, 5
Not Enough Items (NEI) mod, 18, 143-144,
molding ice, 116-118 155
monument completion maps, 245 nuclear reactors (IC2E), building, 205-208
Movie Maker
adding audio, 237 O
editing video, 236-237
titling, 236 obsidian
movies. See video generator, 61-65
MultiMC, 12, 224 obtaining, 61-62
adding mods, 16-20 obsidian pipes (BuildCraft), 161
configuring, 12-13 OD Scanners, 199
energy requirements, 203

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 portals, Nether portal frames 279

oil stripes, 161

creating deposits, 169 T-junctions, 159
extraction, 156 transportation pipes, sorting produce,
pumping, 172 157-162
refining, 173-174 void, 160
usage, power stations, 172 wire, 182
Optifine, 17 pistons, 29
ores, 53 BUD, 25-27
cobblestone, 53-57 cobblestone creation, 55
obsidian, 61-65 double layer, 31
stone, 58-60 mob traps, 92-93
oscillating pistons, BUD, 25-26 oscillators, 25-26
oscillators, creating, 25-26 pumpkin-piston harvester, 36
overlaying audio, 235 single-layer, 32
overlaying titles, 235 synchronizing, 56-57
overloading cables and machines, 205 traps, 92-93
OV Scanners, 199 pitched roofs, 102-104
energy requirements, 203 pixel art, drawing, 123-124
Planet Minecraft, 20
P planning
camera paths and animation, 230-233
painting, 259 construction, 96
parkour maps, 245 story in Adventure mode, 245-246
Permissions Mod, 140 planting
pickaxes, 58, 65 produce by villagers, 43-46
diamond, 53 trees for tree houses, 115
Silk Touch enchantment, 59 plant species in IC2E, 187-188
pillars, 110 crossbreeding, 189
pipes (BuildCraft), 157-159 plates (IC2E), 186
emerald, 160 platforms, self-generating, 56-57
Emzuli, 162 players, rewarding, 254
façades, 182 player versus player maps, 245
fluid transport, 169 Play Offline option (MultiMC), 14
kinesis, 168-170 Play option (MultiMC), 14
obsidian, 161 plugging pipes (BuildCraft), 172
plugging, 172 portals, Nether portal frames, 61

013_5735_Index.indd 279 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 280 potato farms, automating

potato farms, automating, 43-46 protecting blocks, 140

power publishing
generators, 201-202 adventure maps, 260-261
management, kinesis pipes, 168 video, 238-241
measurements, 163 pulse formers, 145
nuclear reactors, 205-208 pumping oil, 172
redstone torches, 26 pumpkin farms, automation, 36-43
power stations Project:Red, 144-148
building, 164-166 puzzle maps, 245
energy usage, 172
pressure plates, spawning, 254 Q
Privacy option (Basic Info tab), 240
privacy settings in Vimeo, 240 Qblock, 125
private messages, sending, 249 quantum armor (IC2E), 198
produce quarries, automation, 174-178
collecting quartz kinesis pipes, 170
in chest-connected hoppers, 30 QuickTime Player, 229
minecart automation, 32-35
minecart switches, 140-142 R
pumpkin/melon farm automation, 36-43
Railcraft, 16, 21, 211-214, 222
planting by villagers, 43-46
carts, 211
sorting, automation, 46-51, 157-162
coke ovens, 212-214
Profile Editor, 10
configuration file, 15
profiles
creating standard track, 214-218
creating, 7-9
creosote, 212-214
editing, 10
crowbars, 217
options, 8-9
downloading, 212
Profile Editor, 10
elements in, 211-212
Project:Red, 142-143, 148, 153
reinforced track, 218-219
automating pumpkin farm, 144-148
standard track, 214-217
core component, 148
stations, 215-216
installing, 143
steam engines, 216
integration component, 148-150
tracks
pumpkin/melon farm automation,
coupler, 217
144-148
elevator, 217
transmission component, 150-151
embarking, 217
transportation component, 152

013_5735_Index.indd 280 10/9/15 11:06 AM

 resolution of gameplay window 281

high-speed, 218 red alloy wiring, 145

junction, 218 redstone
launch, 217 BUD switches, 27
locking, 217 comparators, 133, 136-137
relayers, 222 engine, 158, 163
wooden, 214 Project:Red, 142
tunnel bore, 211-212, 219-221 core component, 148
undercutters, 222 installing, 143
rails integration component, 148-150
automation, collecting produce, 32-35 pumpkin/melon farm automation, 144-148
detector rails, 140 transmission component, 150-151
minecart switches, 140-142 transportation component, 152
RAM availability, 9 oscillators, 25-26
randomizers, 150 power, command blocks, 246
rebar, creating, 219 repeater clocks, 55-56
RE-Battery, 201 repeaters, 39-40
recording video, 225 signals, dispensers, 91
animation, 230-233 torches as inverters, 26
camera paths and animation, 230-233 Redstone Ready option (Customize and
Camera Studio, 233 Presets), 24
frame rate, 226 redwheat, 188
hardware, 226, 230 reed, IC2E agriculture, 187
overlaying audio/titles, 233-235 reeds, 187
iMovie, 233-236 refilling dispensers, 91
Windows Movie Maker, 236-237 refining oil, 173-174
plotting camera paths, 230-233 reinforced track, 218-219
resource capacity in Windows, 228 removing weeds, 193
software, 226-228 rendering chunks, troubleshooting, 62
Bandicam, 228-229 repeater clocks, 55-56
FRAPS, 227-229 repeater loops, 55-56
QuickTime, 229 repeaters, 37-42, 91, 131
selecting, 226-227 Project:Red, 145
uploading to YouTube and Vimeo, 238-241 redstone repeaters, 39-40
rectangular floor plans, 95 residential roads, 110-111
recycling in IC2E, 209 resizing gameplay window, 8
resolution of gameplay window, 8

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 282 resource packs

resource packs, 10-11 screen recording. See recording video

ChromaHills, 18-19 screenshots, managing in MultiMC custom
copying into folders, 10 launcher, 14
installing, 18 screwdrivers, 145
versus texture packs, 10 sculpting 3D statues, 124-128
rewarding players, 254 seeds, analyzing with Cropnalyzer (IC2E),
194-197
rheostats, 131
selecting software for recording video,
road construction, residential roads,
226-227
110-111
selectors in command blocks, 247-248
roads, residential, 110
self-generating platforms, 56-57
roofs
sending private messages, 249
building, 99-100
sequencers, 145
complex roofs, 104-106
server/client message log, viewing, 10
double-layered roofs, 106-107
sharing
pitched roofs, 102-104
adventure maps, 260-261
steep pitched roofs, 111
with BuildCraft libraries, 181
complex, 104-105
shortcuts in Camera Studio, 232-233
medieval style, 99-100
single-layer pistons in BUD switches, 32
pitched, 102
SketchUp, 125
rotatable item frames, 132
slime blocks, 30
rotating items in frames
smelting cobblestone, 59
combination lock creation, 133-139
snapshots, 6
dimmer switch creation, 131-133
downloading, creating profiles for, 7-9
rubber, creating, 187
software
Bandicam for Windows, 228
S FRAPS for Windows, 227
sandboxing custom launchers, 11 QuickTime Player for Mac, 229
saved worlds recording video, 226-228
copying, 10 Bandicam, 228-229
finding, 9 FRAPS, 227-229
saving blueprints and templates, 181 QuickTime, 229
say command, 249, 255 screen-recording, 226
schematic files, importing, 125-127 selecting for recording video, 226-227
Schrödinger’s cat, 24 Solar Helmets, 200
sorters, creating, BuildCraft, 157-158

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 suburban building style 283

sorting stickreeds, 187

automated, 46-51 sticky pistons, BUD, 25-26
produce sticky resin, extracting, 187
automation, 46-51 stirling engines (BuildCraft), 163
automation with BuildCraft pipes, 157-162 building power stations, 164-165
sowing. See planting stone
spawning, 94 cobblestone, 53-58
booby traps, 254 creating, 58-60
eggs, 90 stone fluid transport pipes, 169
mob farms, 68-70 stone generator, 59
rate of spawn, 94 stories, Adventure mode, 245-246
mobs, 68-70 strings
water-based mob farms, 70-72 collecting, 88
spiders, cactus and, 88 command, 247
spawnpoint command, 249 stripes pipes (BuildCraft), 161
specifiers strip farming (IC2E), 190-193
command string, 251-254 styles, building
separating, 254 desert, 113
testfor, 254-255 Egyptian, 113
spheres, building, 127-129 elven, 115
spider spawners, 86-88 fairy, 115
Spinal Tap, 131 igloos, 116-117
Spleef, 56-58 Japanese, 106-108
square brackets in commands, 248 medieval, 96
square farming (IC2E), 193-194 roofs, 99-100
stacked hoppers, 48 walls, 98
stacks, collecting, 158 modern, 108-109
standard hoppers, 74 residential roads, 110
standard track, building, 214-217 steampunk, 114
state cells, 145 suburban, 108-109
stations, Railcraft, 215-216 residential roads, 110
statues, building, 124-129 Victorian, 101
steam engines, 216 roofs, 102-105
steampunk building style, 114-115 Viking, 111-112
steep pitched roofs, 111 suburban building style, 108-111

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 284 suffocation, mobs

suffocation, mobs, 73, 92-93 terraforming, 259

sugar cane. See cane farms terrain, creating, 122-123
Superflat option (World Type), 24 terra wart, 188
superflat world, 69 testfor command, 254-255
survival maps, 245 texture packs, 11, 118
survival mode, 95 versus resource packs, 10
toggling with Creative mode, 143 Thumbnail option (Basic Info tab), 240
switches thumbnails for videos, 240
BUD (Block Update Detector), 23-24, 28, time add command, 249
32 time set command, 249
cane farm automation, 27-31 Title option (Basic Info tab), 240
creating, 25-27 titles, overlaying, 233-237
documentation, 24 T-junctions for pipes, 159
events, 26-27 toggling Creative and Survival modes, 143
pistons, 25-26 tools (IC2E), 187, 198-200
pumpkin/melon farm automation, 36-43 BatPack, 199
minecart, 140-142 Electric Drill, 200
synchronizing pistons, 56-57 Electric Jetpack, 200
Mining Laser, 200
T torches, redstone as inverters, 26
tower well, creating, 59
tags for videos, 240
tp command, 249-252
Tags option (Basic Info tab), 240
track
taps, 94
coupler, 217
Technic launcher, 21-22
creating, 214-218
Tekkit mod pack, 21, 183
elevator, 217
teleportation
embarking, 217
central points, 251-252
high-speed, 218
commands, 249-250
junction, 218
tell command, 249, 255
launch, 217
tellraw command, 255-259
locking, 217
templates (BuildCraft)
reinforced, 218-219
building with, 178-181
relayers, 222
defined, 179
standard, 214-217
downloading, 181
undercutters, 222
storing, 181
wooden, 214

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 video recording 285

train stations, 215

U
transmission component (Project:Red),
150-151 Ultimate Guide to Minecraft Server, 261
transport Ultimate Player’s Guide to Minecraft, The,
automating, 32-34 23, 33, 43, 51, 153
in BuildCraft, 155 undercutters, 222
transportation component (Project:Red), updates, mods, 16
152 upgrades, automatic, 6
transportation pipes (BuildCraft), sorting uploading
produce, 157-162
maps, 260-261
transporting
video, 238-241
blocks, 155
fluid, 155
produce, 32-35
V
trapped chests, 91 vanilla software, 11
traps Victorian building style, 101-106
mob, 83 video
cacti, 85-88 editing
dispensers, 88-91 iMovie, 233-236
pistons, 92-93 Movie Maker, 236-237
trenches, 83-85 exporting, 236-237
setting correctly, 254 overlaying audio and titles, 235
treasure hunt maps, 245 publishing, 238-241
tree houses, 115 recording
trees animation, 230-233
building, 122-123 Camera Studio, 233
creating, 122-123 frame rate, 226
planting for tree houses, 115 hardware, 226, 230
trenches, 83-85 plotting camera paths, 230-233
triggers, weather, 249-250 software, 226-229
Trimble SketchUp, 125 video recording, 225
tripwire, triggering pistons, 93 camera paths and animation, 230-233
troubleshooting, rendering chunks, 62 frame rate, 226
tunnel borer, 211-212, 219-221 hardware, 230
turtles, 223 overlaying audio/titles, 233-237
Twitch, 238 resource capacity in Windows, 228

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 286 video recording

software infinite sources, 61

Bandicam for Windows, 228 in trenches
FRAPS for Windows, 227 as mob traps, 83-85
QuickTime Player for Mac, 229 stone creation, 58-60
selecting, 226-227 water-based mob farms, 69-72
uploading to YouTube and Vimeo, 238-241 water channels, feeding mobs to lava blade,
viewing server/client message log, 10 76
Viking building style, 111-112 weapons (IC2E), 198-200
village farms, running, 44-46 weather command, 250
villagers, planting produce, 43-46 weeds, 189-190
Vimeo avoiding, 189-190
creating account, 239 removing, 193
importing videos via Dropbox, 241 wells, mining, BuildCraft, 167-168
publishing video to, 238-241 wheat farms, automating, 43-46
uploading to, 238-241 windows
viruses, 6 decorating, 119
void pipes (BuildCraft), 160 resizing, 8
voxelization, 125 Windows Movie Maker, 236-237
VoxelMap, 18 wiring
VoxelModPack, 16 bundling, 150
Voxel Sniper, 122, 259 climbing and bending, 150
IC2E, 186
W pipe, BuildCraft, 182
Project:Red, 150-151
wall of flame, 90 wooden crops, 189
walls wooden engines (BuildCraft), 163
building, 98-99 wooden fluid transport pipes, 169
decorating, 119 wooden pipes (BuildCraft), 158
interior, 119 wooden track, building, 214
medieval style, 98 World Edit, 122, 259
Warner, Tim, 261 world-editing tools, 259-260
water, 89 WorldGuard, 140
dispensers, 38-39, 44-45 World Painter, 259
flowing, 44-45 worlds
cobblestone creation, 53-54 saved worlds, 9-10
obsidian creation, 61-65 superflat, 69
in dispensers, 89 wrenches, 217

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 zombies in invisible wall maze 287

X-Y-Z
XOR gates, 149
xp command, 250
XRay, 231

YouTube
creating account, 239
publishing video to, 238-240
uploading to, 238-241

Zombe, 231
zombies in invisible wall maze, 244

013_5735_Index.indd 287 10/9/15 3:21 PM