IC2 reactor vs Atomic Science, question.

1st Official Post

    Greetings.


    Since a long time, I've wanted to try out Atomic Science mod, being part of Universal Electricity. Things I like about stuff with Universal Electricity is that most of the stuff there resembles real machines, instead of just white square blocks with textures on them.


    Atomic Science is no different. Reactors in this mod are actual nuclear reactors - not a multiblock as much as an entire contraption of different blocks working together. A reactor chamber, control rods and turbines. The fusion reactors are even more elaborate.


    This puts IC2's reactors to a shame. A white block with a "radiation" sign on it. Here, there's some reactor chambers for ya. Sure, setting up a configuration of vents seems more complicated than building a Atomic Science reactor, but besides very ambitious individuals, setting one up in IC2 ends at looking a best design up on the internet, building it, and letting it merrily run on it's own. Usually it consists of a checkerboard of OC Vents and Component Vents. No actual steam and turbines is involved, unless you select a certain option in the config... which is pointless, since it turns those reactors into a late game item, since RC Turbines are expensive and hard to get.


    The question:


    As much as I want to try these things out, I've stumbled upon a problem. Since I remember, I was always a devoted fan of Industrialcraft. I've only tried a pack of Universal Electricity mods once (AS, Mekanism, ICBM etc.), and got quickly dissapointed and annoyed by them, since i got used to IC2's features too much. I really don't like the way recipes and resources are treated in UE mods.


    So I thought, why not install BOTH? I gladly would, but I'm not sure about interaction between two mods. Can IC2 uranium ore be used the same way as UE uranium ore (ore dictionary detects them as the same?)? What is the efficiency of uranium inside each of those reactors and how does it compare? Is one of those reactors OP compared to how the other mod treats the energy? Generally speaking - would it be balanced?


    I would really mix and match UE and IC2 modpacks if I wasn't so worried about the balance. Both options contain some very cool features.

    • Official Post

    In my opinion, IC² is "underpowered" if compared to UE (mekanism machinery is more "powerful" than IC²). They can be mixed together but will not bring the best balance as you would have much more uranium (and other ores) in your world, unless you disable one of the mods generation (UE in this case because it generates a hell lot more uraninite than IC² generates uranium).


    Note that i'm speaking as an "outdated" UE user, many things may or may have not changed since i've played with it.
    I think you should give it a a try with disabled UE ore generation and see if fits your balance.

    UE and IC2 can work together....sorta
    I haven't messed with nuclear fission reactors in either so I can't say if IC2 messes with the UE uranium production....but you can use UE's uranium ore to make IC2 uranium products
    however....be careful with the control rods...I'm not sure they like to be blown up....but test it out in creative mode on a map you aren't afraid to lose. the creative builder can be used to make fission and fusion reactors. just make sure you check them as they aren't always 100% right.
    I am a few versions behind so...it might be different
    just good luck trying to mix and match UE mods. They don't post which UE & Calclavia core's they use.....which is VERY frustrating.


    oh, and they provide a nice way of turning IC2 cables into UE cables, uninsulated of course. and UE's circuits can be swapped for IC2's circuits. which is nice as the advanced IC2 circuit is much cheaper to make

    From what I've discovered so far, Atomic Science does cooperate very well with IC2, so much that even the recipes for AS items and blocks follow IC2 standard - they use IC2 circuits, advanced alloys etc. Apart from ore generation, they do work well (and I was planning to disable AS ore generation anyway).


    I've also added Mekanism to my modpack, but this one doesn't seem to give two cents about Industrialcraft and it's recipes. Some items, like IC2 circuits, are interchangable with Mekanism's variants, but that's about it. I'm not sure about Mekanism's generators vs IC2's generators balance.


    Still, I'm curious how much energy each mod produces from the same resources. Right off the bat, the disadvantage of Atomic Science is that its reactors produce no plutonium, which can be used in IC2's Radioisotope Thermoelectric generators for constant free energy. These would be super useful for powering my spaceship from WarpDrive mod. In worst case, I guess I'm gonna use IC2 nuclear reactors and AS fusion reactors.

    that's why you make an IC2 breeder reactor to make plutonium.
    the one thing UE needs is a better way to use antimatter to produce electricity....the fulmination generators are horrid.
    they just need to make a ST style matter/antimatter reactor and be done with it. just require a powered magnetic container for the antimatter storage and you have your balance.

    Quote from Kye_Duo

    that's why you make an IC2 breeder reactor to make plutonium.
    the one thing UE needs is a better way to use antimatter to produce electricity....the fulmination generators are horrid.
    they just need to make a ST style matter/antimatter reactor and be done with it. just require a powered magnetic container for the antimatter storage and you have your balance.


    The thing is, we don't have breeders anymore.

    eh? you can't make a reactor who's sole purpose is to make plutonium? I thought the reactors were supposed to be modular and you could make them any way you want?
    though I haven't messed with even IC2's nukes in a while....

    Quote from Kye_Duo

    eh? you can't make a reactor who's sole purpose is to make plutonium? I thought the reactors were supposed to be modular and you could make them any way you want?
    though I haven't messed with even IC2's nukes in a while....


    Derp, I thought you meant the old style reactors from IC2 Classic.