As the FTB specific mod, I'd like to poll people who use that server about something. I've been trying to move us up to the Ultimate pack for a while now (about two months), and it's down to one real decision and me catching Dots or Disco or some other admin at the right time.
A new ore will need to be generated. This has to be done in new chunks, and there are three ways of doing this.
A) Keep our current map, and venture out into unexplored terrain. Alternatively, create a Mystcraft age specifically for mining Quartz.
Pros: Everyone's progress is kept, and nothing will need to be rebuilt or reobtained.
Cons: New terrain might cause unneeded stress on the server.
B) Create a new map, with the same seed as the old.
Pros: Nobody's minimap needs to be re-calibrated, and quartz will spawn all over the overworld.
Cons: Our things will be gone. Also, it will be much harder to obtain steel, and thus electric tools.
C) Create a new map with a completely new seed.
Pros: Quartz, and a sense of adventure and perhaps one of comradery, akin to when the server first started.
Cons: Again, nothing will be carried over, and steel will require Nether access and magma cream.
A
quick visual guide of which mods will be available between the current pack (Mindcrack 8.2.0) and the Ultimate pack (1.0.1). And about Mystcraft, I submitted a config file that disables crafting of a block necessary for age creation - the Book Binder. This block will only be available to myself and administrators to help ease the stress FTB might cause on the rest of Caffie. Best case scenario, pages won't spawn either, but we'll have to see about that. I plan to have a fast-travel hub age, which will be built in creative mode and supplied with books, and either one or two flat mining ages in which people can set up automatic mining devices like the Quarry block or Frames with Block Breakers on them. The first of these will be in a Beach biome, and the second (if there will be a second) will be in a Forest biome (for bauxite).
This poll will end on Saturday, May 11th. I feel that this is enough time to get the opinions of everyone.