IC2 is a tech mod. It may be unrealistic. However, where does all of the byproducts of machine use go? Are they sent into the dimension of cake? Are they warped into chili cheese fries? Energy CANNOT be destroyed! That is why I am suggesting Pollution!
PART 1. SMOKE:
The standard coal-powered generator is the most basic of the 6 power generators. It burns coal with out producing smoke. My basic suggestion for this is smoke. Smoke is released into the air when coal is burned in generators. 5 smoke particles are produced every minute a generator is constantly on. !hen smoke builds up and is released into the sky, the sky starts changing color. After 1000 particles worth of smoke release, the sky begins to turn slightly gray in the chunk you are in. After 10000 particles worth of smoke release, clouds become gray, and the sky is a lot more ominous. After 100000 particles are released, acid rain begins to fall. Acid rain is yellowish, and turns leaf blocks the color of desert leaves when hit. These leaves will no longer drop saplings. Eventually, the acid rain will began to start breaking leaf blocks. Finally, after 1 million particles are released, all plants except for cactus will refuse to grow. It should be noted that releasing smoke inside of a confined space will cause a fog effect inside of that space that builds up over time. Eventually, that fog will cause suffocation damage. This also applies to furnaces, and iron furnaces. However, because smoke is flammable too, generators have 5% more fuel efficiency
PART 2. AIR TANKS:
To prevent this smoke spam, smoke can be placed into a new item called an AIR TANK. An air tank is a block, that when placed on top of a generator, absorbs up to 95% of the smoke particles released by it.When it fills up with 100 particles, you must connect it to a compressor via a new block called a VENTILATION TUBE. This block transports any smoke it is fed from a air tank directly to a compressor.
An entire air tank's worth of smoke is worth 1 coal dust in the compressor. How this works, is that the air tanks has a block inside of it. In the air tank's GUI, you can see a gauge fill up. When this gauge is full, the block is coded to release particles into the tube. When the particles reach the destination, they turn into a SMOKE BLOCK. This block is unobtainable and when placed, releases 100 smoke particles into the air. Then, a piece of coal dust appears in the compressor.
PART 3. GEOTHERMAL HEAT POLLUTION:
Lava be hot. That is the first rule of minecraft. But WHY don't geothermal generators have ANY drawbacks? I have 326 of them in my base powering mass fabs and they don't do anything but make power. My suggestion for this is heat. Heat in geothermal generators can build up over time. After approximately an hour of being fed lava without any breaks, the geothermal generator begins to produce smoke at a much higher rate then a generator. After it is overheating for a long time, it WILL explode with the force of a creeper explosion. The generator explodes with a huge blast of smoke, almost 100 particles.
More to come.