This is my first attempt at modding Minecraft, my first time ever using Java, and, to be honest, the first thing I've ever coded that I've released publicly. It was a rough journey, to say the least. Kind of like trying to write an inspiring speech in a language you don't know by using a cross-reference dictionary.
But, I finished, and here it is: Ecksie Trees!
Pictures:
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Left to right: oak, spruce, birch, jungle
Same trees a few minutes later
Growth of an Ecksie Tree confined by some stakes & string
This mod adds a new type of sapling that comes in four flavors: oak, spruce, birch, and jungle. Each sapling is crafted in a shapeless recipe using one vanilla sapling of the desired flavor and one soul urn. The trees have three special properties: they never stop growing, never produce wood blocks, and never grow up, just like me (pun intended).
Why I made the mod:
This mod is esentially a result of my frustration with the behavior of leaves in minecraft. I wanted to build an automatic leaf farm using block dispensers, but there's no way to get leaf blocks in front of the dispenser to pick them up except for that split second after they grow. My first attempt at an automatic leaf farm used sixteen block dispensers along one side of an auto tree farm and produced less than half a stack of leaves in around eight hours. For a resource that is almost completely for decoration, and one that is rediculously fast to harvest by hand, that seemed excessive. I thought about trying to make leaf blocks pushable by pistons, but came up with something more versatile, and fits better with the spirit of BTW.
So... what are they for:
Well, automatic leaf harvesting, that's the obvious one. One that isn't so obvious: combined with cement buckets, they allow you to pour ceilings, instead of just floors. And, when the cement hardens, the leaves can be rapidly removed with flint and steel. I've come up with a couple more uses, as well, but I'd be happier letting others discover stuff like that for themselves. Hint: they can be staggered upwards to produce leaves more than one block thick.
How to install:
Put the zip file in your .minecraft/mods/ folder, that's it. The default block ID is 149, if you want to change it, copy the config file from the zip to your .minecraft/config/ folder, and change the value there.
Notes:
This is currently SSP only. I have a lot of learning to do before I can think of tackling SMP mods.
Ecksie Trees can be planted on dirt, grass, and BTW planters. However, their growth rate, like vMC trees, are not influenced by the block they are planted on. They also need light, just like vanilla saplings.
Ecksie Trees can "grow around" obstacles, or expand horizontally to fill a confined space. Play around with them and you'll get a feel for their limits.
Ecksie Tree Saplings do not drop anything when broken, by tools or by saw, which is by design. They are not meant to be used, moved, and used again. They also cannot be picked up by block dispensers, though I may change this later, as a BD is a high tier item that should have that capability.
"Ecksie Tree" is not a random name. First person to figure out where the name comes from is a nerd.
So, enjoy! Please feel free to leave criticism, as long as it is constructive. I can't do anything with: "This mod sucks." However, if you say: "This mod sucks, and here's why:" it acts as useful feedback.
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