Posts by RivingtonDown

I think a mixture of Redpower and Logistics Pipes is the best method. A proper Logistics Pipes sorting system isn't cheap... You need multiple diamonds - I'd say an absolute minimum of 10 if you want to have any efficiency. TONS of iron is required for the various chassis and then the gears used to craft the modules take a couple dozen gold and iron on top of that - not to mention a sugar cane farm to craft all the paper for the blank modules. On the other hand, Redpower isn't too hard, you need a good handful of materials but beyond a few pieces of gold, a few ender pearls, and a diamond or two to craft the handsaw everything is very common (Nikolite, Copper, Tin, and only 1 - 3 iron per machine). Both need a bunch of dyes... Logistics pipe to color the modules and Redpower to paint the pipes but that's easy.

Usually I start off with a simple Redpower Sorting system and slowly upgrade it throughout the game. Upgrading usually just entails adding a second sorter, a couple of extra filters to recolor things coming out of the machines, and maybe a relay or two to act as buffers to stop any clogging of machines. When the time comes when I want AutoCrafting and Requesting, adding a Logistics system is suddenly alot easier and cheaper. Since the actual sorting is already taken care of I just throw a bunch of Provider pipes on the back of my chests, the usual array of AutoCrafting Tables/Crafting Pipes, a Requester pipe somewhere, and a Default Route onto my already existing input chest. From there the two systems are merged.

That being said, I use Logistics exclusively for my Forestry farms, as setting up a bunch of Supplier Pipes is a lot easier than setting up multiple Retriever and Regulators. Unless I'm using Teleport Pipes though (not on servers at the moment, at least not the Bukkit one I'm maintaining) I transfer all the items into Redpower Mag Tubes with a Relay to pipe it back into my main Sorting System at the base.

On one hand I love the very start of Minecraft - finding an ideal location and building a base, mining out the world yourself, hunting animals and monsters for materials - it's all cool. After having played with so many mods for so long though I'm very spoiled with Automatic Sorting and Macerating/Cooking machines. I hate hate hate coming back from a long expedition and Macerating/Smelting everything by hand. For this reason I always make it a priority to build a rudimentary auto processing system as early as possible with buildcraft with the idea of upgrading it to a full fledged system in the future (Logistics Pipes or Redpower).

First Day
1) Basic starting routine (get wood, cobblestone, food, and at least 3 wool)
2) Unless I find a swamp, I completely shear the first rubber tree I find in search of sapplings. I also harvest as much sugarcane as I can.
3) Sleep in a hole the first night.

From there I spend the next day or two searching for an ideal location to set up camp. I'll travel a while usually, and will often plunder any small cave I come across for coal, iron, and copper. I usually avoid setting up my base in Deserts, Tundras, and Jungles and like to be near volcanoes and oil wells if I can. As soon as I find an ideal location I set up with a small house and plant all my rubber trees and Sugarcane. I then go down deep deep deep and mine for quite a while in search of Redstone. When I get back :

1) Generator, BatBox, Macerator, and Electric Furnace. If I have enough materials I build an Extractor as well.
2) I build a couple redstone engines and, using a mix of Sneaky Pipes, ABO, and Additional Pipes for Buildcraft, build a very rudimentary auto processing pipeline with an input and output chest.
3) I usually have to go mining again for something but I try to set up solar panels ASAP... at least three to start.
4) I start doing some Thaumcraft related things, Vis production and Research. Probably more mining as well.
5) Then I go enderman/zombie hunting for pearls and brains, I also grab as much clay as I can during my jaunts out.
6) BatPack/Drill and then a quick trip to the Nether for glowstone.
7) At this point, I see if I have the materials to upgrade my sorting system to Redpower. I usually avoid a Sorting Machine unless I'm playing on a server without Logistics Pipes since that's my final goal. If I have the resources I build a Alloy Furnace, Battery Box, etc... and set up a simple Filter/Retriever contraption to replace my buildcraft pipes.
So much more mining, usually have forestry Backpacks at this point so I collect a lot and the sorting system speeds it along. Thaumcraft is also getting along well and from here the game takes off.