diff --git a/manual.md b/manual.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08e99d2 --- /dev/null +++ b/manual.md @@ -0,0 +1,169 @@ +Minetest technic modpack user manual +==================================== + +The technic modpack extends the Minetest game with many new elements, +mainly constructable machines and tools. It is a large modpack, and +tends to dominate gameplay when it is used. This manual describes how +to use the technic modpack, mainly from a player's perspective. + +The technic modpack depends on some other modpacks: + +* the basic Minetest game +* mesecons, which supports the construction of logic systems based on + signalling elements +* pipeworks, which supports the automation of item transport +* moreores, which provides some additional ore types + +This manual doesn't explain how to use these other modpacks, which ought +to (but actually don't) have their own manuals. + +Recipes for constructable items in technic are generally not guessable, +and are also not specifically documented here. You should use a +craft guide mod to look up the recipes in-game. For the best possible +guidance, use the unified_inventory mod, with which technic registers +its specialised recipe types. + +ore +--- + +The technic mod makes extensive use of not just the default ores but also +some that are added by mods. You will need to mine for all the ore types +in the course of the game. Each ore type is found at a specific range of +altitudes, and while the ranges mostly overlap, some have non-overlapping +ranges, so you will ultimately need to mine at more than one altitude +to find all the ores. Also, because one of the best altitudes to mine +at is very deep, you will be unable to mine there early in the game. + +The ores that matter in technic are coal, iron, copper, tin, zinc, +chromium, uranium, silver, gold, mithril, mese, and diamond. + +Coal is part of the basic Minetest game. It is found from altitude ++64 downwards, so is available right on the surface at the start of the +game, but it is far less abundant above altitude 0 than below. It is +initially used as a fuel, driving important machines in the early part +of the game. It becomes less important as a fuel once most of your +machines are electrically powered, but burning fuel remains a way to +generate electrical power. Coal is also used, usually in dust form, as +an ingredient in alloying recipes, wherever elemental carbon is required. + +Iron is part of the basic Minetest game. It is found from altitude ++2 downwards, and its abundance increases in stages as one descends, +reaching its maximum from altitude -64 downwards. It is a common metal, +used frequently as a structural component. In technic, unlike the basic +game, iron is used in multiple forms, mainly alloys based on iron and +including carbon (coal). + +Copper is part of the basic Minetest game (having migrated there from +moreores). It is found from altitude -16 downwards, but is more abundant +from altitude -64 downwards. It is a common metal, used either on its +own for its electrical conductivity, or as the base component of alloys. +Although common, it is very heavily used, and most of the time it will +be the material that most limits your activity. + +Tin is supplied by the moreores mod. It is found from altitude +8 +downwards, with no altitude-dependent variations in abundance beyond +that point. It is a common metal. Its main use in pure form is as a +component of electrical batteries. Apart from that its main purpose is +as the secondary ingredient in bronze (the base being copper), but bronze +is itself little used. Its abundance is well in excess of its usage, +so you will usually have a surplus of it. + +Zinc is supplied by technic. It is found from altitude +2 downwards, with +no altitude-dependent variations in abundance beyond that point. It is +a common metal. Its main use is as the secondary ingredient in brass +(the base being copper), but brass is itself little used. Its abundance +is well in excess of its usage, so you will usually have a surplus of it. + +Chromium is supplied by technic. It is found from altitude -100 +downwards, with no altitude-dependent variations in abundance beyond +that point. It is a moderately common metal. Its main use is as the +secondary ingredient in stainless steel (the base being iron). + +Uranium is supplied by technic. It is found only from altitude -80 down +to -300; using it therefore requires one to mine above altitude -300 even +though deeper mining is otherwise more productive. It is a moderately +common metal, useful only for reasons related to radioactivity: it forms +the fuel for nuclear reactors, and is also one of the best radiation +shielding materials available. It is not difficult to find enough uranium +ore to satisfy these uses. Beware that the ore is slightly radioactive: +it will slightly harm you if you stand as close as possible to it. +It is safe when more than a metre away or when mined. + +Silver is supplied by the moreores mod. It is found from altitude -2 +downwards, with no altitude-dependent variations in abundance beyond +that point. It is a semi-precious metal. It is little used, being most +notably used in electrical items due to its conductivity, being the best +conductor of all the pure elements. + +Gold is part of the basic Minetest game (having migrated there from +moreores). It is found from altitude -64 downwards, but is more abundant +from altitude -256 downwards. It is a precious metal. It is little used, +being most notably used in electrical items due to its combination of +good conductivity (third best of all the pure elements) and corrosion +resistance. + +Mithril is supplied by the moreores mod. It is found from altitude +-512 downwards, the deepest ceiling of any minable substance, with no +altitude-dependent variations in abundance beyond that point. It is a +rare precious metal, and unlike all the other metals described here it +is entirely fictional, being derived from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth +setting. It is little used. + +Mese is part of the basic Minetest game. It is found from altitude +-64 downwards. The ore is more abundant from altitude -256 downwards, +and from altitude -1024 downwards there are also occasional blocks of +solid mese (each yielding as much mese as nine blocks of ore). It is a +precious gemstone, and unlike diamond it is entirely fictional. It is +used in many recipes, though mainly not in large quantities, wherever +some magical quality needs to be imparted. + +Diamond is part of the basic Minetest game (having migrated there from +technic). It is found from altitude -128 downwards, but is more abundant +from altitude -256 downwards. It is a precious gemstone. It is used +moderately, mainly for reasons connected to its extreme hardness. + +rock +---- + +In addition to the ores, there are multiple kinds of rock that need to be +mined in their own right, rather than for minerals. The rock types that +matter in technic are standard stone, desert stone, marble, and granite. + +Standard stone is part of the basic Minetest game. It is extremely +common. As in the basic game, when dug it yields cobblestone, which can +be cooked to turn it back into standard stone. Cobblestone is used in +recipes only for some relatively primitive machines. Standard stone is +used in a couple of machine recipes. These rock types gain additional +significance with technic because the grinder can be used to turn them +into dirt and sand. This, especially when combined with an automated +cobblestone generator, can be an easier way to acquire sand than +collecting it where it occurs naturally. + +Desert stone is part of the basic Minetest game. It is found specifically +in desert biomes, and only from altitude +2 upwards. Although it is +easily accessible, therefore, its quantity is ultimately quite limited. +It is used in a few recipes. + +Marble is supplied by technic. It is found in dense clusters from +altitude -50 downwards. It has mainly decorative use, but also appears +in one machine recipe. + +Granite is supplied by technic. It is found in dense clusters from +altitude -150 downwards. It is much harder to dig than standard stone, +so impedes mining when it is encountered. It has mainly decorative use, +but also appears in a couple of machine recipes. + +subjects missing from this manual +--------------------------------- + +This manual needs to be extended with sections on: + +* alloying +* electrical networks +* the powered machine types +* how machines interact with tubes +* the mining tools +* radioactivity +* frames +* templates +* chests