f13.net

I awoke, alone on a tiny purple island that seemed to float suspended in space. Nearby was a battered old wooden chest; I had on a Vault-Tec jumpsuit and found a book in my pocket. I don't know how I got here; last thing I remember was talking to a Vault-Tec representative. He was talking to me about my test results, saying that I was eligible for acceptance into Vault 44. He must have drugged me, because after that, my mind's a blank.

(http://imgur.com/aDxQwpe.png)

"Hello? Hello!? HELLO!"

I screamed out into the void, but there was no response. I was alone. Taking stock of my situation, I opened up the chest; there were a handful of apples, some tree saplings, another book, a bit of flint, some dirt, and some crushed white powder. A lot of white powder, actually... Chems? What the hell is going on here?

(http://i.imgur.com/Np3um7F.png)

Feeling confused, I opened the book that was in my pocket and realized it wasn't a book at all; it was some sort of computer, more advanced than anything I'd ever seen. It seemed similar to those Pip-Boy things, except it was a book instead of something that goes on your forearm. I fiddled with it for a minute before finding the power button; when the screen came to life I got my biggest shock of the day.

(http://i.imgur.com/nYIKvBl.png)

Am I...in a vault? Did...did the war actually happen? This book says the world was destroyed... It mentions Overlords. Plural. I thought the vault was only supposed to have 1 Overlord? And anyway, where are they? Why aren't they lording over me?

(http://i.imgur.com/XrqE88N.png)

As I clicked through the screens on the Book-U-Tron(tm), I realized this is an instruction manual; a survival guide for this destroyed world.

(http://i.imgur.com/jCNxMis.png)

The first thing it wants me to do is grow some trees. I pulled out one of the saplings and planted it in the dirt at the island's center. And waited. And waited. I checked the Book-U-Tron(tm) again, looking for an update. Nothing. In my frustration, I smacked the screen; the image distorted with static for a moment, but when it cleared up there was something new.

(http://i.imgur.com/BN4AqQs.png)

Some new text and a crudely drawn image had appeared on the screen.

"I knew it! You're watching aren't you!? Just talk to me and I'll do whatever you want!"

Silence.

I looked back down at the Book-U-Tron(tm) and shook my head ruefully. Well, at least I know what the powder's for. I gathered some up and, feeling silly, rubbed some of it on the sapling.

(http://i.imgur.com/8MUlANR.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/mLN200x.png)

It worked! It grew so fast I almost fell off the island. In less than a minute the sapling shot up from 8" tall to more than twice my height! Looking back at the Book-U-Tron(tm), it indicated that I had to harvest the wood. I doubled checked the chest to see if I had a saw or something, but no dice. Then I remembered something I had seen on the Book-U-Tron(tm)'s main screen.

(http://i.imgur.com/N6MG6qq.png)

I looked up at the sky, where I imagined the Overlords were watching from, and sighed. "Really?"

Silence.

I sighed again, and punched the tree.

(http://i.imgur.com/56sVH6g.png)

That hurt! But, surprisingly I had managed to knock some bark off.

"Happy now?"

Silence.

I punched it again, and it started to crack. How is this even possible? I thought to myself, as I bludgeoned the tree repeatedly. After about a minute, the tree groaned and collapsed.

(http://i.imgur.com/ercAFPA.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/sFpIkxy.png)

I consulted my Book-U-Tron(tm), and saw that it wanted me to break the logs down into planks. By punching them. Which I did. As if it could sense them, a green laser shot out of the Book-U-Tron(tm) onto one of the planks. More lasers shot out, covering the plank with green light. The book began to whirr, vibrating in my hand, as the lasers increased in intensity. I looked away because it was so bright, and a moment later the Book-U-Tron(tm) fell silent. When I looked back, the plank was gone and there was a flashing "Claim Reward" button on the screen.

(http://i.imgur.com/shiJo1k.png)

If the screen was to be believed, I was going to get some more apples, another book, and either a pick or a frying pan. Thinking that fried apples didn't sound too bad, I tapped the button for the pan, hit "Claim Reward" and waited; I was expecting the Overlords to drop in a package from above or something. Instead, I got more lasers; they shot out of the Book-U-Tron(tm) and objects began to materialize out of thin air. First the apples, then the book, and last the pan.

(http://i.imgur.com/s2jn568.png)

After everything else, this doesn't even really surprise me. Maybe I'm getting the hang of this crazy world.

One minor hitch in my fried apples plan: no fire! Shucks. I try rubbing two of the planks together, but to no avail. As I put the pan into the chest for safekeeping, I notice something written on the handle: "Pan of Misfortune." And now the Overlords are mocking me. Fantastic.

"Laugh it up guys."

Silence.

I roll my eyes at their childish prank and consult my Book-U-Tron(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/GkllrIf.png)

Making the planks appears to have unlocked the next task, "Getting Equipped." I tap the icon.

(http://i.imgur.com/fJfW5UL.png)

The next task is to make a series of elaborate tables that I can use to fashion tools. The Book-U-Tron(tm) includes instructions for the assembly of each component. But first, I'm going to need some more wood. I take a few saplings and some of the Qwik-Gro-7000(tm) from my chest and get to work.

Plant. Rub. Punch. Repeat.

I break down the wood, but before I start on the tables I need to expand my living space. With a little elbow grease, I manage to attach some planks to the strange purple island; now I can walk around much more freely. I pull out the Book-U-Tron(tm) and start working on the tables.

(http://i.imgur.com/jRdPlhp.png)

Feeling pleased with myself, I consult Book-U-Tron(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/8KUAfkA.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/wZ94VIh.png)

Now it wants me to make an axe head out of flint. I knew that was in there for a reason! I grab a piece of flint from the chest and try to figure out the tables.

(http://i.imgur.com/Qoj6gk0.png)

First, I to draw a stencil of the axe head.

(http://i.imgur.com/jQtX7li.png)

Then, I move over to the part builder and...punch the flint into axe-head-shape? Just when things were starting to make sense...

(http://i.imgur.com/vawA5cf.png)

A familiar laser shoots out from Book-U-Tron(tm) and scans my axe head. It seems to pass muster, as the Claim Reward button appears. This time my rewards include some Aluminum Ore (which makes me wish I had that pick right about now) and either milk or eggs. I pick the eggs, and they are again materialized by the Book-U-Tron(tm). It suggests the next thing I should make is a barrel. I hold the axe head in my hand quizzically; I ought to put this to use first.

(http://i.imgur.com/uCW72mk.png)

I fashion a rod out of wood at the part builder, then take it and the axe head to the tool station.

(http://i.imgur.com/FQClunx.png)

I assemble my hatchet and give him a name: Choppie.

(http://i.imgur.com/hdyFGi6.png)

I lean Choppie on my storage chest and consult Book-U-Tron(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/7GtEENw.png)

Returning to the main menu, I decide to check out the other categories. Sky Farm and Mob Hunter don't seem promising, but since all I have is a single chest I tap Storage Wars.

(http://i.imgur.com/xJvrMXI.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/WqQXV5a.png)

It wants me to make a barrel, which is supposed to be better than a chest. I need logs (and I've already broken all mine down into planks), so I get out the Qwik-Gro-7000(tm) and put Choppie to work.

(http://i.imgur.com/z7GRk02.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/PgkqBpS.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/PsRA78J.png)

I chop down the tree, put the barrel together and scan it with Book-U-Tron(tm). I set the barrel down, take everything out of my chest, and try to put it all in the barrel. Going alphabetically, I put the apples in first.

(http://i.imgur.com/8fIZ0yK.png)

And now there's no room for anything else. But the barrel automatically shows me a picture of what's inside and a counter indicating how many there are. Which is nice...I guess. I put the rest of my meager possessions back into the chest. Book-U-Tron(tm) indicates that there are more things I could do with barrels, but I figure one disappointment is enough for the day.

I return to the main menu and reselect the primary tasks, "Learning to Skyblock."

(http://i.imgur.com/baVmr6B.png)

Three new tasks unlocked after I had finished the tables and Choppie.

(http://i.imgur.com/9Ah1RF4.png)

Farming, eh? Well I don't have seeds, or water, or a whole lot of dirt. Pass.

(http://i.imgur.com/kqX6Ypr.png)

Skeletons!? ZOMBIES!? NOPE NOPE NOPE NEXT TASK PLEASE AND THANK YOU

(http://i.imgur.com/4kO3wj2.png)

String from worms? That doesn't seem too bad.

(http://i.imgur.com/EW5lttY.png)

I assemble the crook, then reach for the Qwik-Gro-7000(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/zuWxS5f.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/o0c6QHV.png)

...maybe I overdid it a little with the Qwik-Gro-7000(tm). Oh well, Choppie and I are up to the task!

(http://i.imgur.com/aQS4qjC.png)

I cut down the tree and go through the leaves with the crook, finding 4 silk worms.

(http://i.imgur.com/tutA4yk.png)

Book-U-Tron(tm) now wants me to grow ANOTHER tree, then put the silk worm into the leaves and let it do its thing. Wait a minute...if the silk worms were already in the leaves, wouldn't they just make the silk without me crooking them and transplanting them? I pose this question aloud to the Overlords, but they ignore me.

(http://i.imgur.com/DJIBMOL.png)

I put one of the worms into the tree, then decided to get some sleep.

(http://i.imgur.com/u9xenA3.png)

When I awoke the next morning, the tree was literally covered in string.

(http://i.imgur.com/ooFvJMy.png)

Harvesting the string takes until nightfall; I then grab Choppie and take down the tree itself.

(http://i.imgur.com/Bwze2Wa.png)

All told I found nearly 30 pieces of string and a few more silk worms. I open up Book-U-Tron(tm) and let it scan some of the string. "Claim Reward" appears again, offering my choice of wheat or sugar seeds and...

(http://i.imgur.com/lMdD85E.png)

a Sheep Egg? I'm no scientist, but I'm pretty sure that's not a thing.

Aha! A radicalathon that makes sense to me!  :grin:

 :awesome_for_real:

First skyblock map I've played in years, and first time playing with HQM. Adds some interesting direction to the game; I hate having to use the stupid Curse client for it though. The original AS used FTB but AS2 uses Curse and I wanted to play the newer version.

Setting aside the Sheep Egg, I see 3 new quests in the Book-U-Tron(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/7IzpMUv.png)

Well, I can make the rod but with no water I doubt I'd have much luck. Next.

(http://i.imgur.com/P21p0Nk.png)

Sifting through a bunch of dirt to find-oh wait, I don't have a bunch of dirt. Next.

(http://i.imgur.com/4s2QJIP.png)

Ahh, here's the ticket. Turning plants into dirt. Which I can then sift. Seems promising!

(http://i.imgur.com/5COLKSe.png)

Made the barrel, and now it wants me to make some cobblestone. First, I want to see how the compost barrel works.

(http://i.imgur.com/goK8wuc.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/50lELOB.png)

I put some saplings into the barrel; 8 filled it to the brim.

(http://i.imgur.com/zzkiSjD.png)

Realizing how many of these I'm going to be using, I expand my island a bit and plant a sapling. My supply of Qwik-Gro-7000(tm) isn't infinite, so I decide to just let this one grow naturally while I wait for the compost to...compost.

(http://i.imgur.com/fBG5C1R.png)

So the Plantz-2-Dirt(tm) makes dirt, but the Book-U-Tron(tm) wants cobblestone. The sieve takes dirt and makes random stuff, including miniature stones. Which can be turned into cobblestone!

(http://i.imgur.com/xwEFSBu.png)

Using the string I crooked out of the infested tree earlier, I make the sieve. I grab some dirt from the Plantz-2-Dirt(tm) and get to work.

(http://i.imgur.com/efTkl1t.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/D0e0fWm.png)

(http://i.imgur.com/A6GwLWb.png)

One piece of dirt became four ministones, which will become one cobblestone.

(http://i.imgur.com/XgmQd65.png)

Book-U-Tron(tm) offers a reward for making the ministones: a pick or a crossbow, and what appears to be a grab bag containing random rewards. I take the pick since I've got some ore to mine and no bolts to fire.

(http://i.imgur.com/N5NrXse.png)

I open my grab bag and find 3 buckets of strange liquids. All smell quite foul. I gently place them in the chest.

(http://i.imgur.com/GLY2QJu.png)

I combine the ministones into cobblestone, and open Book-U-Tron(tm) for my reward.

(http://i.imgur.com/N6K5Ygy.png)

A pig egg. The whole world's mad; I alone, sane.

This is a crazy mod. You start on an island with nothing?

Yea, pretty much. Skyblock maps have been a thing forever; this one is more elaborate and uses the Hardcore Quest Mode mod to actually integrate MMO-style quests with rewards.

Nice, wish I had done this with Blightfall!

So what's the goal there?

Making clever use of mods to create something from nothing, essentially. It's more survival focused too, since you have very scarce resources.

(The Curse client is absolute shite and won't work offline, so I switched over to MultiMC and had to restart. Got back to roughly the same state, but if some of the numbers on items don't match, that's why.)

(http://i.imgur.com/dU75UKr.png)

In addition to the pig egg, the Book-U-Tron(tm) gave me a strange device labeled "Rainmaker." Tomorrow's problem for tomorrow's me! I place it in the chest and consider my next task.

(http://i.imgur.com/W1qDlbV.png)

"If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning..."
I sing a bit of the old song to myself as I look up the recipe in my Book-U-Tron(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/tor03UD.png)

Now it wants me to break down cobblestone into gravel, gravel into sand, then sand into dust.

(http://i.imgur.com/lhYxkDD.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/ndmS1wN.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Iw1KYux.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PXlHFXX.png)

Done and done. Rewards are either another Rainmaker or some clay. A device that alters the weather seems much more valuable than some clay, so I grab the Rainmaker.

(http://i.imgur.com/iihQqtu.png)

And the next task wants clay. Ugh. Well, I can collect water in my barrel if I make it rain, and combine that with dust to make clay.

(http://i.imgur.com/GfwMKdl.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/DjHWjQs.png)

So, I make another barrel so I can be more efficient. The Book-U-Tron(tm) mentioned explosions, so I expand my platform a bit so it doesn't blow up anything important.

(http://i.imgur.com/oALp1VV.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/P7LYSO3.png)

I set the Rainmaker down and press the button, then jump back as lightning shoots out of it into the sky! Water spurts from the top, spraying all over my tiny home. The device increases in intensity for about 10 seconds, before exploding violently and taking a chunk of the island with it.

(http://i.imgur.com/1u7vlCl.png)

I thought that's all it was going to do, but within 30 seconds the sky had darkened and rain began to fall in earnest.

(http://i.imgur.com/LkBpPpg.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/MH8jDIp.png)

It took the buckets almost an hour to fill. I take the dust and make some clay.

(http://i.imgur.com/efxc0iX.png)

The Book-U-Tron(tm) offers more clay, or some bones, which I can grind up into Qwik-Gro-7000(tm); I take the bones.

Since it's still raining, I decide to empty one of the buckets the Overlords gifted me with and save some of this water.

(http://i.imgur.com/olFFLSk.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/7FSLBln.png)

I dump the smelliest of the liquids off the side of the platform, rinse the bucket thoroughly then scoop up some water.

(http://i.imgur.com/m30NtTq.png)

I wall off a small section of the island and, after a few trips, fill it with water. (INFINITE WATER, HO!)

(http://i.imgur.com/Kzi93oT.png)

Since some of the foul liquid is still clinging to my platform, I scoop it back up and put the bucket back in the chest. Who knows when and if I might need it.

(http://i.imgur.com/oMr53Q8.png)

Since I've got water, I decide to try my hand at a bit of farming. I navigate back to the task on Book-U-Tron(tm) and get started.

(http://i.imgur.com/nOLUMyk.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/qwgFgqd.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/hTxvxtc.png)

The first thing I need to do is till the soil, so I grab some of my flint and fashion Farmie, my new Mattock. Giving things names makes me feel less lonely.

(http://i.imgur.com/owNW03s.png)

I place some dirt next to the water, and Farmie and I till it up.

(http://i.imgur.com/dJ1jQA4.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/tYFlp2h.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/hL8dK9t.png)

I make the crop sticks, place them on the soil and plant some wheat seeds, then open up Book-U-Tron(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/j1mulKG.png)

Rewards include some more wheat seeds, lettuce seeds, a watering can and either potato seeds or a hoe. I've already got Farmie, so I take the potato seeds. My doctor always said a varied diet is a healthy diet!

The rain continues without letting up. I wonder if they were experimenting with something like this back in the summer of 2069...

(http://i.imgur.com/0QbQAKN.png)

Now that I have water, Book-U-Tron(tm) automatically suggests my next task. Fishing. In a 6' x 6' pool. That I know for a fact contains no fish. Because I can see the bottom. Does the insanity ever end here?

(http://i.imgur.com/P47rU0c.png)

I fashion a rod out of string, because why not?

(http://i.imgur.com/4WDTf2i.png)

Feeling quite silly, I cast the rod into the water and open Book-U-Tron(tm) back up to find my next task. While I'm looking at the screen, I feel a tug on my rod (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sJRkj9DP9Y).

(http://i.imgur.com/LEF5KfK.png)

That just happened.

(http://i.imgur.com/vF6Sg3a.png)

The "Claim Reward" button flashes mockingly on Book-U-Tron(tm); I don't know how the Overlords did it but at this point I'm almost beyond questioning them. I get a handful of fish and either a half a heart or an aluminum berry bush. I don't know what use I would have for either of those things, but I take the bush.

(http://i.imgur.com/SYS6x0a.png)

Since I've got a bunch of fish, I get out my frying pan to grill them up. Alas, the Overlords have not blessed me with butter so I'll have make fish sans sauce.

(http://i.imgur.com/cg7Nifs.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/df1CsFU.png)

The pan has a built-in fire starter, so I add some wood and fry them up. I've never been a fan of sushi, so I'm really glad I chose the pan now.

(http://i.imgur.com/LjQncDY.png)

My next task is to make a rake. I don't have a weed problem, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right?

(http://i.imgur.com/7nf6uDK.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/2i6EldI.png)

Making the rake is easy enough, although how fence + sticks = rake, I don't know. I get some mushroom spores (seeds) as a reward, and either some mushrooms or a grab bag. The grab bags have been kind to me thus far, so I go with that. Besides, I can grow mushrooms now if I need them.

(http://i.imgur.com/tgUGnDI.png)

I have no words.

(Things get sort of messy after this. I can't really advance any of the quests without a bunch of cobblestone, and without lava there's no fast way to get it. It's just farming, fishing and growing trees then composting the excess. Once that's done I'll have another update.

Also, normal mobs like pigs, sheep, etc. are all set to hostile in this modpack. Because reasons. :uhrr: So I had to recover a backup after I spawned my animals and they attacked me through a fence, knocking me off the island and causing me to lose a whole bunch of stuff. I'm debating going and setting them back to passive, because that's just obnoxious.)

Yeah I have no idea WTF they're thinking with the Curse client, it just seems entirely redundant. MultiMC however is pretty nifty.

Agro farm animals does seem a bit unnecessary.

I think they bought the FTB guys or something. It's more bizarre because it's not tied to the Curse Client that installs WoW mods and stuff; it's tied to their Skype clone, Curse Voice. :uhrr: :uhrr: :uhrr:

Any idea where I'd go to change their aggro setting?

Edit: It was the SpecialAI mod. I didn't feel like fucking with it, so I just took the whole mod out.

(http://i.imgur.com/6GauGkN.png)

I have fished for days. Maybe weeks. The rain finally stopped. Then it started again. Then stopped. Fish are my only constant.

(http://i.imgur.com/XIYLoFR.png)

The Overlords aren't just conjuring fish in my tiny little pond. I fished up a glowing fishing rod.

(http://i.imgur.com/8PfY9zW.png)

And a whole bunch of other random stuff.

(http://i.imgur.com/GXiJmLK.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/KlxrMWd.png)

I dust off Book-U-Tron(tm) to remember why I was fishing. Oh, right. I have iron buckets already, but Book-U-Tron(tm) wants a clay bucket. I fashion the bucket from clay, but still have no means of firing it.

So I fish. And farm. And chop. All the excess goes into the compost barrel, converts to dirt, then gets sifted into ministones and combined into cobble. Between fishing and sifting I find more seeds, and slowly expand the farming area around my pond. And I fish.

(http://i.imgur.com/PO9EdKt.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/UIW0ynM.png)

After an eternity (about 12 hours IRL), I finally have enough cobble to make a furnace.

(http://i.imgur.com/Yrfro3I.png)

I first cook up some wood to make charcoal, because Book-U-Tron(tm) said that's the most efficient way to do it.

(http://i.imgur.com/bn5ikiJ.png)

Before getting to the bucket, I make some torches to light up my platform. That'll make the nights less scary and help my crops grow faster.

(http://i.imgur.com/fTIhYGm.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/EJeHBnE.png)

Then, I fire my bucket.

(http://i.imgur.com/TB1L58s.png)

All I get for that is some lousy clay? I think I'm too exhausted to even be disappointed.

(http://i.imgur.com/tXXZCCP.png)

Now that I've got the clay bucket, the Book-U-Tron(tm) wants me to make lava.

(http://i.imgur.com/x8yPMWu.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/xRtY2ph.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/ZuDgqFM.png)

I combine the clay I just got with some Qwik-Gro-7000(tm) to get porcelain clay. Next it wants a crucible. Isn't that a play about commie witches?

(http://i.imgur.com/T5u54p1.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/de6VBHL.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/WdvmNTn.png)

Easy enough; I put it together and fire it.

(http://i.imgur.com/L58DsnD.png)

Now I'm supposed to use the crucible to melt cobble down into lava.

(http://i.imgur.com/OPJVwpQ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/V60Ju72.png)

I put the crucible above a torch for heat, and put some cobble in. It melts down, but two pieces of cobble isn't enough to fill the bucket. So, back to the fish/farm/chop/compost/sift/combine grind.

(http://i.imgur.com/tnwR9eQ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Z3SOIAT.png)

While I'm working on that, I decide that now is a good time to finally build a house. I put a small hut together, light it up with some torches and move most of my supplies inside. All I need now is a bed, but that's a problem for tomorrow.

(http://i.imgur.com/OZwKGWM.png)

While farm/fish/chopping, I got a notification from my Book-U-Tron(tm) that I got better at wielding Choppie. Repairing him with some of my flint seems to have been the right decision.

(http://i.imgur.com/uFmmSAv.png)

At last, I have enough cobblelava to fill the bucket.

(http://i.imgur.com/eFl87aX.png)

I've never heard of aluminum brass, but I'll take it.

It's actually a real thing, a higher aluminium content in brass alloys makes them harder IIRC.  :awesome_for_real:

themoreyouknow.jpg

My next step, according to Book-U-Tron(tm), is to make a cobble generator.

(http://i.imgur.com/kqqQ353.png)

I get out one of the actual, physical books the Overlords left me, remembering something I had read earlier.

(http://i.imgur.com/F6eX4DV.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/bLGhrYo.png)

Alright, I think I can do that. I gather up as many non-wood materials as I can (because lava + wood = bad) and get to work.

(http://i.imgur.com/sXM0SZg.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/DI8SUbQ.png)

Got the generator working, using aluminum ore and dirt to keep everything together.

(http://i.imgur.com/OwPCZFG.png)

As I get some cobble, I replace the aluminum.

(http://i.imgur.com/wN75Bem.png)

While mining some more, I get another skill-up-notification, this time for my pick.

(http://i.imgur.com/BJvxmSx.png)

At last I've replaced all the wood and dirt with cobble. The physics of this don't make any sense, but then, neither did the fishing...

Having more cobblestone than I know what to do with opens up a lot of tasks I had to ignore.

(http://i.imgur.com/kHpXhfK.png)

This one wants me to sift some gravel to get iron.

(http://i.imgur.com/PQLfLZO.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/4QFqJfd.png)

I grab my hammer and some cobble, then break it down. 16 gravel ought to be enough for 4 iron ore.

(http://i.imgur.com/YTOiD60.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/ad8bVL5.png)

Not so much. I only got 1 broken iron ore from the gravel; I did find a whole mess of other stuff, including a diamond!

(http://i.imgur.com/yB8cTm2.png)

I make 25 more pieces of gravel and sift the lot; that gets me my 4 iron bits.

(http://i.imgur.com/8M0ljJH.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/oZ86S86.png)

I combine the broken ore into iron gravel.

(http://i.imgur.com/EerSeHv.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/OQ2ugHk.png)

I smash the gravel into pulverized iron.

(http://i.imgur.com/H15ESIk.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/W9mgvym.png)

I combine the pulverized iron into iron sand, then smash that. I combine the sand into iron dust, completing the task.

(http://i.imgur.com/h0upEyE.png)

The Book-U-Tron(tm) gives me 4 more iron dust, so I smelt all 5 down into ingots.

(This is stupid and tedious, because you can just smelt the iron gravel directly instead of fucking around with hammering it over and over.)

(http://i.imgur.com/VNbNSR9.png)

Since I'm tired of fishing, I found myself a quest that will give me some bread.

(http://i.imgur.com/MTWLRWi.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/hM7XyIp.png)

First I need a mortar & pestle, so I need some smooth stone.

(http://i.imgur.com/4GLhPRL.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/WLKyFvf.png)

I grind up the wheat into flour, and take the grab bag.

(http://i.imgur.com/EJo0npy.png)

Some banners! I can decorate the place a bit now!

(http://i.imgur.com/8kWSi58.png)

I hang one up to give my hut a little life, then move on to my next task.

(http://i.imgur.com/PVWu4pY.png)

This one's going to be a while, so I ought to start it now.

(http://i.imgur.com/2HiP039.png)

While mining more cobble to sit under the barrel, I skilled up my pick again.

(http://i.imgur.com/voG9Z6r.png)

I refilled the bucket and let it do its thing.

(http://i.imgur.com/A3h9InG.png)

Well, I've already made a regular furnace but the reward is a bunch of coal and a grab bag so why not?

(http://i.imgur.com/hMPyvA1.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/1Dw4voN.png)

Easy enough.

(http://i.imgur.com/fUZDDPI.png)

Oooh, a shirt that makes me swim faster!

(http://i.imgur.com/cN1JQGr.png)

And it fits perfect over my Vault-Tec jumpsuit!

My next task is to make some cooking implements, so I can start to make better food.

(http://i.imgur.com/njR2HwU.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/LVsSlrm.png)

I make a baking pan; with this and some flour, I can cook my fish to be even tastier.

(http://i.imgur.com/WLDB3sx.png)

But I'm out of fish. Except jellyfish, but I'm not cooking those because ew.

(http://i.imgur.com/hRY5UZ2.png)

Next I need a juicer and a mixing bowl.

(http://i.imgur.com/BeGNGXC.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/7RvX1dI.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/B2UtMWm.png)

I make both, and get some salt as a reward. Seasoning is important!

(http://i.imgur.com/BHnKwi8.png)

Something that mines all this cobble for me sounds pretty nice.

(http://i.imgur.com/659x4as.png)

I harvest some more cobble to make the AutoMiner; in doing so, I skill up my pick again again.

(http://i.imgur.com/65wkIZz.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/1BClF1u.png)

I cook up the cobble into smooth stone and make two AutoMiners, since I need to use one of them to make the upgrade for it.

(http://i.imgur.com/FwateSJ.png)

I make another clay bucket, melt some more cobble and collect the lava.

(http://i.imgur.com/rBL07QY.png)

I grab one of the water bottles I had fished up and make the upgrade.

(http://i.imgur.com/9oPDJbt.png)

The quest gives me 16 cobble and another heart piece; I combine it with one I found earlier. I've now got 3/4 of a heart!

(I don't really know how that mining thing is supposed to work. I put the cobble upgrade in it, it required a pick and a shovel. I put in a cobble pick and shovel, it made 2 cobble and broke the pick for a net 1 cobble loss. Moving on...)

(http://i.imgur.com/tTNtc7E.png)

I'm feeling brave, so I think I'm going to try to...er...hatch...my sheep. First, I make them a small pen. I put down some soft dirt and plant some grass for them to eat. It will take a bit to grow, so I open up Book-U-Tron(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/8yFZaU0.png)

The Seed Analyzer needs wood, cobble and some glass.

(http://i.imgur.com/X9svk8m.png)

I smash some cobble into gravel, gravel into sand, then cook the sand.

(http://i.imgur.com/jvG6RZs.png)

I make the Seed Analyzer, but the agriculture journal requires black dye. Alas and alack, that task will have to wait.

(http://i.imgur.com/lPlOfU5.png)

The grass has grown, so I set my sheep eggs in the pen. They hatch immediately, into full grown, wooly sheep. WHAT HAS SCIENCE DONE?!

I spend a brief moment contemplating the ramifications of sheep conjuration eggs, before getting back to work.

(http://i.imgur.com/vS1P42y.png)

I feed the two sheep wheat, which caused them to

(http://i.imgur.com/mpXuhfL.jpg)

While that was happening, I made some shears.

(http://i.imgur.com/W7y80ky.png)

When I got back, I saw that they had made a baby! I trimmed their coats in celebration (or, because I needed wool).

(http://i.imgur.com/bmicm2m.png)

With some light grey wool, some white wool, and some wood I made a bed...with red sheets. Really, Overlords? This is just getting a bit absurd.

(http://i.imgur.com/GxgIdEl.png)

I shoved the bed in between two chests in my hut, and fell asleep for the night.

He says, building on a platform floating in mid-air.   :grin:

Seeing you do this play through makes me fairly certain that Agrarian Skies isn't a pack for me. The lack of any landscape and scenery would do me in. I had a go at the Botania skyblock mode, Garden of Glass, and ditched it after a few hours for that reason.

Touche.

As someone who spends most of his minecrafting in either a base or a strip mine, the lack of scenery doesn't bother me.

You're turning the block of nothing into something, I'll say that.

Just remembered something, the AutoMiner - try using a Tinker's Construct tool in it. It should use up tool durability to generate cobble, but it shouldn't break the pick.

Yea I figured it out eventually; vanilla shovel is fine but you need a TiCon pick. The other counter-intuitive thing is that it only makes 1 cobble at a time, which you have to remove before it makes another.

(Sorry for the long delay; this is my playthrough on my work laptop and things have actually been busy. Slow day today though, and I have a large backlog of screenshots taken, so updates ahoy!)

(http://i.imgur.com/ubehOhm.png)

I open up Book-U-Tron(tm) and see that my next quest is to make a device to plant crops for me. Seems pretty useful!

(http://i.imgur.com/3CzoHXI.png)

I collect my full-size furnace because I need it to make the Planter, and replace it with the smaller slab furnace I made earlier.

(http://i.imgur.com/0McSLY3.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/krTb9M4.png)

Then, with a hoe and some stone, I make the Planter.

(http://i.imgur.com/zU6kIpo.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/brSEjJg.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/6dEWETF.png)

And I can't really figure out how it works. Welp.

(http://i.imgur.com/7wStqqv.png)

After some research using Book-U-Tron(tm), I think I've figured out how that AutoMiner is supposed to work. I need a pick from the tool station, not one from the crafting table.

(http://i.imgur.com/zdnLVkx.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/MUv65pZ.png)

I put the new pick in and it starts spitting out cobble.

(http://i.imgur.com/h8gOabD.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/pBdMSIh.png)

It makes me more than 100 before the pick finally breaks. All in about 30 seconds time. This is much faster than mining it by hand!

(http://i.imgur.com/EztXsx5.png)

I've been slowly collecting moss stone while I do other tasks, and finally I have 9.

(http://i.imgur.com/UyO6Ow0.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/FlUPUFn.png)

I craft them into a ball of moss and complete the task.

(http://i.imgur.com/BLAN1p5.png)

Book-U-Tron(tm) says that the moss can make tools regenerate (because that makes sense), so I take the moss over to the tool station and attach it to Choppie.

My next task is to make a smeltery to start processing ores.

(http://i.imgur.com/GfyqBVV.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/oELIILw.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/JTI8Eev.png)

I make some grout, smelt it, then combine it into seared bricks.

(http://i.imgur.com/6aa2yJc.png)

The bricks will make the framework, but now I need to make the bits that make the smeltery work.

(http://i.imgur.com/6rrPmG1.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Swz1qAk.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/URc5Xdf.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/8MIXHHR.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/cB2ejze.png)

Done and done.

(http://i.imgur.com/YbbnO80.png)

While clearing out an area to place the smeltery, my writing pick improved! I added some moss to it, too, so it will regenerate like Choppie.

(http://i.imgur.com/G6ST2kk.png)

Voila! Smeltery complete.

Before I mess with my smeltery, I decided to see if I could improve my farming.

(http://i.imgur.com/jefUlaf.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/LyrZWmn.png)

I took out the Seed Analyzer I had made before; it displayed various statistics for each of my seeds.

(http://i.imgur.com/ttvvDAG.png)

Book-U-Tron(tm) mentioned that cross breeding crops has a chance to improve their stats, so I set up an area to give it a shot. To cross breed, you need an empty bit of tilled dirt between two crops, with a second set of crop sticks set on top.

(http://i.imgur.com/OubPbVU.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/DP6SRlF.png)

Glad I had that rake from earlier; many failed attempts and cleared weeds later, and I had some better pumpkins!

(http://i.imgur.com/sWv48uR.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/4vPtwzB.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/1FVfWZi.png)

I also found another easy quest in Book-U-Tron(tm) and finished it rather handily. Now, it's smelting time!

Unlike normal furnaces, smelteries don't run on coal. They need lava.

(http://i.imgur.com/yEbaVbt.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/INEu6zL.png)

I pour some in and we're off to the races. I take a gander at the Tinker Toys section of Book-U-Tron, and see that the tasks all revolve around obtaining bits of various materials.

(http://i.imgur.com/rjXFWyT.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/OYDS5M3.png)   

The first one it wants is iron, which I already have! Easy enough.

(http://i.imgur.com/6BePbJU.png)

Next it wants copper, which isn't already sitting in my chests. So, I need to actually get the smeltery working.

(http://i.imgur.com/6Y61H3q.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/VDDeMUf.png)

The quests to make the smeltery told me how to get it working, but not actually use it. To do that, I need a faucet to drain the liquid metal out and a casting table to shape it into things. So, I make those.

(http://i.imgur.com/5OPN2da.png)

Book-U-Tron(tm) says that casts must be made from either aluminum brass or gold, so I throw an aluminum brass ingot in to be melted. I also toss in my iron ore, just to get it smelted down.

(http://i.imgur.com/4aoD1Jd.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/P73IZHc.png)

I place an iron ingot on the casting table, then pour the aluminum brass around it, making an ingot cast. Now I can make ingots of whatever metals I smelt down.

(http://i.imgur.com/6B6OPOE.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/WRlsOQK.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/kAHIsNY.png)

I sift some gravel until I get enough copper, then melt it down and make the two ingots required. Quest complete! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YCN-a0NsNk)

(http://i.imgur.com/rIl329j.png)

The next metal the smeltery wants is bronze, which is an alloy of 3 parts copper, 1 part tin.

(http://i.imgur.com/VGtAmo7.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/gCXGv3y.png)

I smelt down a tin ingot and 2 copper ore.

(http://i.imgur.com/pa378nI.png)

Each ore is worth two ingots, so in addition to the 4 bronze ingots I have some copper left over.

(http://i.imgur.com/jWbDNaL.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/qFu68X8.png)

I pour the bronze into my ingot cast and finish the task. Next up, I need some gold.

(http://i.imgur.com/zHdynPD.png)

Like the other ore, I get gold from sifting gravel.

(http://i.imgur.com/tUvvqvS.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/jGpsj93.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/peGsitq.png)

I sift it, combine it, and smelt it...

(http://i.imgur.com/KSJZb6o.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/L86PSCK.png)

...then pour it and turn it in; the previous ore quests have just give me more of the same for completing them, but this one's the exception. Instead of more gold, Book-U-Tron(tm) spits out a pair of invar ingots. I'll take "Alloys I've Never Heard Of" for 200, Alex!

So do you win when you get to the end of the quests?

I'm not sure, this is the first time I've used HQM. I'm really interested to see if the nether is a skyblock too, or if it's a full dimension. And I wonder if there's a stronghold somewhere so I can get to the end (or some other workaround modded in). If I finish all the quests I'll probably stop playing, that's for sure.

(http://i.imgur.com/swQHUSN.png)

Sifting for the gold took a lot of gravel, and yielded several other ores, including silver...

(http://i.imgur.com/MFTZIws.png)

...which is my next task.

(http://i.imgur.com/DlKLILp.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Uh5QMgi.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/rnU0ox7.png)

Done and done.

Next up, I need to make obsidian, which I get by pouring water onto lava. That sounds a little dangerous.

(http://i.imgur.com/wsB6b1w.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/ZKiFrWr.png)

The water almost pushed me off the island, but I survived, somehow. However, my poor pick isn't strong enough to mine the obsidian. Time for an upgrade!

(http://i.imgur.com/9TJr09u.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/CAhuRLV.png)

Using aluminum brass and a stone pickaxe head, I make a cast.

(http://i.imgur.com/OUYDoh9.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/6zHWykJ.png)

Then, I forge a new head from silver and put it all together. (Swappable parts is really cool combined with the mod that lets you level up specific tools).

(http://i.imgur.com/P3kZF7N.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/o2BMmMa.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/heyOPD2.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/vctkyAA.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/8pTKMTw.png)

I mine the obsidian, smelt it down, pour it out and turn it in.

(http://i.imgur.com/q0dkDOj.png)

The next quest wants diamonds, which I already found earlier, so I turn that one in too!

The next material quests are all for things I either don't have (Steel, Platinum) or I've never heard of (Enderium, Signalum), so I'm going to revisit an old quest.

(http://i.imgur.com/ShWK3ls.png)

It's monster hunting time! But before I even build a place of darkness that, according to Book-U-Tron(tm), will allow the Overlords to conjure monsters to try and kill me, I need a weapon!

(http://i.imgur.com/MY0C96s.png)

A longsword requires a blade, a guard and a handle.

(http://i.imgur.com/dTyeqXV.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/s2CQv23.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/cIY7BEN.png)

I make the casts from stone and aluminum brass, then forge the parts. I chose a bronze blade and iron for the handle and guard, because that's what I seem to have the most of. I name my blade Slicer, and give it a few swings to test the weight.

(http://i.imgur.com/J8iBCD6.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/KhEdADb.png)

I build a small hut out of cobble, with a door to keep the monsters under control. My sword-hand shakes as I wonder what sorts of horrors the Overlords have in store for me...

(http://i.imgur.com/3g0o1w3.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/w1JO6Iz.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/WuaBDM0.png)

Spiders, zombies, skeletons, oh my! I avoid blows from the giant spider and the zombie while slaying them, but suffer a grazing wound from the skeleton's arrow. Surprisingly, it closes before my eyes although I do feel a bit more hungry afterwords.

(http://i.imgur.com/w5Em20C.png)

After vanquishing my foes, I light up the dark room and back away to catch my breath.

(http://i.imgur.com/BRWvqkj.png)

I open up Book-U-Tron(tm) for my rewards, including a pair of cow eggs which don't even register as strange anymore.

(http://i.imgur.com/JWwnFkT.png)

I also got a grab bag which included some mushroom spores...

(http://i.imgur.com/vP37S6U.png)

...and a giant heart, that doesn't seem to do anything (because I'm not playing on hardcore mode and don't intend to).

(http://i.imgur.com/QHbCXGH.png)

Now that I have cows, time to milk them.

(http://i.imgur.com/MjlVwc6.png)

But before I, er, hatch them I need to expand my pen so I make some more fences.

(http://i.imgur.com/MzHYCIR.png)

While chopping down the old ones to make room, Choppie leveled up again and became more durable!

(http://i.imgur.com/3Jly4yZ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/gH5gD40.png)

I toss the eggs and out pop a pair of full grown cows. Aww, looks they're already warming up to one another!

(http://i.imgur.com/vA4Eyur.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Bw9mgs4.png)

I grab an empty bucket and milk away.

(http://i.imgur.com/N1pTLDX.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/WUTDNEG.png)

Book-U-Tron(tm) wants me to get the milk out of the bucket, so I do so by conjuring barrels from thin air. Science!

(http://i.imgur.com/67T1B6o.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/P5hQXlK.png)

I milk the other cow and repeat the barrel process, then open up Book-U-Tron(tm) for my reward, another cow egg.

(http://i.imgur.com/8vYEzkE.png)

Next up I'm going to make a cookbook, which I make by...cooking...a book. In a furnace. I roll my eyes at the Overlords' awful pun.

To make books I need paper, and paper is made from sugar.

(http://i.imgur.com/wbMkjTz.png)

Fortunately, I fished up some sugarcane seeds earlier and have been slowly stockpiling some.

(http://i.imgur.com/UsJU6ZH.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/OgCfzt1.png)

I make the paper, then grab some string and a pair of blank stencils and put the book together.

(http://i.imgur.com/m23OXBv.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/6GtwvzK.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/z39nqob.png)

I put the book in the furnace, grab the slightly charred cookbook and collect my diamonds from Book-U-Tron(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/enc4EUG.png)

Apparently I can upgrade my cookbook...using the two diamonds I just got. :oh_i_see:

(http://i.imgur.com/22VjrZ7.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/HakfdLF.png)

Oh well. I don't actually need the diamonds anyway, so I make the better cookbook. Book-U-Tron(tm) spits out some iron and mutton, which are probably more useful.

(http://i.imgur.com/XlIj1zh.png)

Now that I can make books, let's revisit the quest for the seed journal.

(http://i.imgur.com/d8gRl1z.png)

The journal itself is made of seeds, crop sticks, a book and a quill. Seeds and crops are no problem, but the quill requires squid ink and a chicken feather. Guess it's time to diversify the zoo.

(http://i.imgur.com/uyRMMgz.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/4KtFzeo.png)

According to Book-U-Tron(tm), the Overlords will conjure squid in any sufficiently large body of water; I make a pretty big tank of water and wait.

(http://i.imgur.com/u95r080.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/HYLVp7q.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/JcaNWU3.png)

After an hour or so, I hear some splashing and run to check the tank. Lo and behold, there are a few squid at the bottom! Slicer in hand, I dive in and chop them up. Covered in sticky black ink, I emerge victorious.

Now, for the feather...

(http://i.imgur.com/hdlUkVj.png)

I got 4 chicken eggs from Book-U-Tron(tm) some time ago, so I take them out. As I toss them into the pen in quick succession, I'm surprised that 3 of them are empty and the fourth produces a baby chick. So, cows and sheep hatch from tiny eggs into full grown adults with a 100% success rate, but chickens still have to grow up. Just when I was starting to understand this mad world...

(http://i.imgur.com/WOel2Az.png)

A day or so later, the chicken had finally reached maturity.

(http://i.imgur.com/6BVrvLA.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/4QHjl5z.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/TD3wkXp.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/qs6upwy.png)

I plucked a feather from it, fashioned the quill then finished the seed journal. Book-U-Tron(tm) gave me yet another grab bag and some strange dirt called Podzol.

(http://i.imgur.com/ghJACu1.png)

The grab bag had a full set of leather armor!

(http://i.imgur.com/D8QRYe7.png)

I keep on my swimming vest since I still have to go squid diving on occasion, but the rest of the suit fits nicely!

(http://i.imgur.com/Src9xgN.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/B5de9t0.png)

Now that I've got steady sugar cane production, I can take care of this quest too.

(http://i.imgur.com/4lAxiSN.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/UeWOgvb.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/0fEDUSG.png)

I make the pointy sticks and the barricades, and turn them in to Book-U-Tron(tm).

(http://i.imgur.com/ZxWFzU7.png)

The next defensive quest is to make iron spikes...

(http://i.imgur.com/vg2Ts3Z.png)

...which take a whole lot of iron. Maybe later.

(http://i.imgur.com/f5ewrLU.png)

Next up, a quest to make a grindstone...

(http://i.imgur.com/OCR98qw.png)

...which takes quartz crystals; I get those by sifting sand.

(http://i.imgur.com/NJWssvv.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Ap3dcRJ.png)

I sift a whole mess of sand (which I get from hammering cobble into gravel, then gravel into sand) until I have the requisite 3 crystals.

(http://i.imgur.com/4NJcqgX.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/EKWncU5.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/3ldr3Cp.png)

I make the wooden gear, put the grindstone together then make the crank.

(http://i.imgur.com/L2IAiNf.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/TFDpJun.png)

I set up the machine and play with it a bit, but I can't quite figure out how it's supposed to work. Oh well.

(http://i.imgur.com/oHBouNA.png)

The rewards are some bones, another heart, and a grab bag containing...

(http://i.imgur.com/PZMW8Zq.png)

...bees. :ye_gods:

(http://i.imgur.com/K905DTU.png)

Another easy quest here.

(http://i.imgur.com/RJvOHFt.png)

Clay mixed with Quik-Gro-7000(tm) makes porcelain clay...

(http://i.imgur.com/0wBZONq.png)

...which combines with a diamond to make a doll. This is a much fancier doll than anything my sisters played with as kids, that's for sure! The quest reward is another doll; I don't feel much like playing with them so I toss them in a chest.

Now, time to do some redecorating around the island.

(http://i.imgur.com/rAVDsGa.png)

I move all my tool construction stuff to a centralized location around the smeltery...

(http://i.imgur.com/6BMuWnU.png)

...then make a few more compost barrels and put an awning over them so they don't fill up with water.

(http://i.imgur.com/Qa7Dl8v.png)

I expand my animal pen so they've got more room to graze...

(http://i.imgur.com/tiJmgGP.png)

...and relocate my farm, greatly expanding it.

(http://i.imgur.com/GJ4DFCc.png)

Last but certainly not least, I give my home a long overdue makeover. It's about doubled in size now, with a proper roof and some windows!

The grindstone: put ores in it then right click the handle to grind stuff. You hold the right-click down and the handle spins. Check it every now and then to see if it's done because grinding it when empty will break the handle.

Ahh. Seems more efficient to just use the smeltery at this point.

Yeah for sure, the grinder is super-early-game ore doubling :-)  Only advantage over the smeltery is that it doesn't use lava!

I see. If I had found the crystals earlier it might have been useful. With the crucible and a cobble gen, lava isn't really a limited quantity.