Building Materials

Index

Primitive Materials

In the early stages of the game, building can be a challenge as many sturdy building blocks require metal tools to obtain. However, there are a few building blocks that can be obtained with just stone tools.

More Advanced Building Blocks are obtainable with metal tools.

Thatch

With just a Stone Knife, you are able to obtain Straw by breaking plant-like blocks. This can be used to craft a very simple building material: Thatch. Thatch is a lightweight block that isn't affected by gravity, however players and other entities can pass right through it! It can also be crafted back into Straw if needed.

Mud Bricks

Mud can be found on the ground, underneath some water features, in low elevation swampy environments, or directly made by dropping dirt into water with Q. With a little bit of Straw, it can be crafted into Wet Mud Bricks.

These can be placed on the ground in a dry location, and after a day they will harden into Mud Bricks.

Mud Brick Blocks

These dried mud bricks can then be crafted into Mud Brick Blocks. They can also be made into Stairs, Slabs, or Walls, if so desired. Mud brick blocks are mineable with shovels.

Pau-a-pique

Wattle and Daub is a versatile building and decoration block.
Wattle can be crafted and placed, however it is breakable and allows players and mobs to walk through it. It can be augmented with Daub, to make it solid.
In order to make Wattle solid, it first must be woven, which requires adding sticks to the structure.

tfc:textures/gui/book/tutorial/wattle_weave.png

Four sticks are required to weave wattle.

At any time, sticks can be added on each diagonal, as well as the top and bottom. Hold a single Stick in your hand and Clique Direito it to add a stick. Change what part of the wattle you're adding the stick to by selecting a different side of the face.

tfc:textures/gui/book/tutorial/wattle_add_stick.png

Adding sticks to wattle.

tfc:textures/gui/book/tutorial/wattle_add_daub.png

Using Daub on Woven Wattle creates a solid block.

tfc:textures/gui/book/tutorial/wattle_stained.png

It can then be stained by using Dye on it.

Wattle and daub process.

Advanced Materials

In addition to the primitive building materials of the Stone Age, the acquisition of metal tools allows the construction of more advanced building materials.

Alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster

Alabaster is a building block made from Gypsum. Alabaster can be made by directly crafting with gypsum, however it can be made more efficiently by sealing some gypsum with 100 mB of Limewater in a Barrel.
Decorative Alabaster
Decorative Alabaster
Decorative Alabaster

Alabaster can be dyed in a Barrel of dye into any color. Raw Alabaster blocks can also be chiseled into Polished Alabaster using the Smooth chisel mode, or crafted into stairs, slabs, or walls.
Bricks and Mortar

Stone Bricks can be made using a Chisel with some individual loose rocks. It then requires Mortar in order to form a strong building block.

Mortar can be made by adding Sand to a barrel of Limewater.

Other decorative stone blocks can also be made, such as both Cracked Bricks, and Chiseled Stone. Mossy stone blocks can also be created by placing cobblestone or bricks underwater, near existing mossy bricks or cobblestone. The moss will start to spread to these nearby blocks.

Block Interactions

There are many in-world interactions that can be done to streamline building:

  • Turn blocks mossy by Shift-Clique Direito them with Greens.
  • Crack stone bricks by Shift-Clique Direito with a Hammer.
  • Smooth stone bricks by Shift-Clique Direito with Sand Paper.
    All interactions can be viewed by browsing the block modifications tab in EMI.
Roof Building

Roof construction with the Roads and Roofs mod begins with a frame. Roof frame blocks can be crafted from lumber and sticks, and made into stair and slab variants. These blocks can be used to outline the shape of the roof and are the starting point for all roofs.

Once the roof frames are in place, they can be Clique Direito with any Roofing Material to create the corresponding roof. Types of roof include thatch, made by adding straw to a roof frame, but also terracotta tiles, wooden shingles, and more.

Roofs are necessary to keep your machines dry! Think of the poor machines...

Thatching a Roof
rnr:textures/gui/book/thatching.png
Modern Materials

Looking for something a little more modern?

  • GregTech has some concrete blocks and metal studs which also have a movement speed bonus. It also has a large number of colorful lamps and sheet metal blocks.
  • Create Deco has some metal catwalks, windows, sheet metal, lights, and many colors of bricks.

  • Girders, Struts, and Trusses are great for industrial supports.
  • Safety conscious? GregTech, Create Deco, and Modern Markings all have various hazard signs and decorations.
  • Ad Astra has many more futuristic blocks such as 3x3 doors, more light sources, and other metallic blocks.
  • Create: Steam 'n' Rails has Locometal for a huge selection of colored metallic blocks.