General Description
GregBlock is a skyblock pack based around automation, industrialization and complexity, an Ex Nihilo skyblock based around GregTech. So why should you play it instead of all the other expert packs out there? Well, it's just different. It doesn't have your typical EnderIO, Thermal Expansion, Mystical Agriculture,... heck, it's based around only 20 content mods (it has a lot of small utility mods) and has more play-time than any pack with 100 content mods. The goal of GregBlock is to revisit how modded was in simpler times, when everyone could play with mods and where the goal wasn't being overpowered, but mass automation. Thence it requires merely 2GB of RAM and a multi-core CPU to run, meaning most people will be able to play it with ease. It's going to be really time consuming, so if you don't have a lot of time on your hands, this might not be the pack for you. You are going to need to plan how you spend your time, find the most efficient route and decide whether to grind it out or invest into automation. It's only going to be grindy only if you make it grindy. As you progress you'll find new challenges, but what used to be really difficult will be simple and what was once manual will become automated. With that said, why don't you give it a go?
Which GregTech?
For some of you the first thing that comes to mind when GregTech is said is an IC2 addon for 1.2.5 or 1.4.7. However, nowadays GregTech is much more than that. It resembles more of a pack than a mod with its progression line made of 10 power tiers and many recipe changes. This mod pack uses GregTech Community Edition with 3 custom addons making it more like GregTech 5 Unofficial from 1.7.10 and making it more skyblock-friendly.
Quests
If you're really interested, the pack has a total of about 800 quests, however, to put it simply, all of them are related to progression, but half are optional. Essentially, the quests tell you what you have access to and you need to decide whether or not and how to use it. Though, if you're a quest book completionist, don't worry, there will be a special reward for you. For unlocking new ages you gain trophies and for completing regular quests you gain coins that can be spent in the shop. Though, of course, the true reward in GregTech is automation and progress.
Servers
All versions of the pack should have server files that you can easily be installed by going into Files and then clicking "server files" next to the version you want to make the server for. To start up a server just open up "start_server.bat.". To join someone else's island, you need to leave you island with /island leave, get invited by the other person with /island invite <player name> and accept the invite with /island join.
Updates
For those who've played my previous packs, I'd like to clarify how updates in this pack are going to work. I won't be completely changing certain parts of the progression line every day, making content of the pack irrelevant, however, I will try to improve upon some features and remove inconsistencies. I'll work on one major version of the pack, making sure it's at least buggy as possible and on a separate one that's going to be completely different from the previous one, which is going to be released once it's fully complete.
Issues, suggestions and questions
You can report bugs or crashes here. You can also leave suggestions there, however keep in mind version 1.0 of the pack is pretty much complete, so your suggestions should be for version 2.0 of the pack. You can discuss about the pack on my Discord.
Credits
- Menu music used:
- https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100826
- https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100845
- https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100811 - Pack developer: TheEmosewaPixel
- Custom Addon developers: Bartz24, TheEmosewaPixel
- Main testers: gerb82, dotsofdarkness, ThaiMichael, pxoxd, BricksParts
- Streamers that playtested the pack: Recanem, JakeO, TheMatchyMan, Raetac
Other Pixel Packs
-Equivalent Skies - an expert skyblock pack based on ProjectE
-Crop Block - a skyblock pack based around AgriCraft and Mystical Agriculture
-Modern Skyblock 3 - a skyblock pack that practically doesn't have any recipe changes, but still has a progression line, stopping you from making certain items until you unlock them in the questbook
-Crimson Skies - an expert lore-driven skyblock pack
Developer Notes
Hi, I'm Pixel. As of the release of this pack I've already been making pack for 2 years. I believe this pack is the start of a new age of pack making for me. You see, for the longest time I was making packs that constantly got updated with changed content and with a lot of mods, and weren't tested. It's funny that it took me about 1.5 years to realize why that was a bad idea, but here I am now. With this pack I'd like to change that.
This pack has been in development for 4 months and it's been quite an experience for me. You see, since the day I got familiar with GregTech I've always wanted to make this and now I've finally made it! I, as most people, had a love/hate relationship with GregTech, I liked the automation and progression, but I disliked spending hours mining, so this pack is just the perfect thing for me. For this pack I made my first mods, learned some Java and bonded with my friend Bart in a way I hadn't before.
Besides for the quests, for me, making this pack was a lot of fun, so I hope you have just as much fun playing it.