Overview#
Mapper Base is a foundational library mod designed by Mapper to provide shared resources, items, and mechanics for a suite of mods, most notably EmbellishCraft and Road Stuff. While its primary purpose is to act as a dependency, it introduces several standalone features that impact survival gameplay, specifically a multi-stage steel production system and new world-generation materials like Bitumen.
In modern versions (1.20.1 and 1.21.1), the mod focuses heavily on balancing industrial progression. It offers a vanilla-friendly way to obtain Steel, which is more durable than Iron but less expensive than Diamond, while also providing the raw materials necessary for advanced road construction and decorative building blocks.
Materials & Items#
The mod adds several tiers of industrial components used in crafting recipes across the Mapper mod suite.
Steel Tier
Steel is the primary material added by the mod. It is used for tools, armor (in older versions), and as a crafting component for machines and decorative fences.
| Item | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Steel Ingot | The base refined metal. Used for Beacons. | |
| Steel Nugget | One-ninth of a steel ingot. | |
| Ferrite | An intermediate product created by blasting iron (1.20.1 and below). | |
| Pig Iron Chunk | An intermediate product created by blasting iron (1.21.1+). | |
| Raw Steel Dust | Created by combining Ferrite or Pig Iron Chunks. |
Industrial Components
These items are primarily used as crafting ingredients for more complex blocks in Road Stuff or EmbellishCraft.
- Iron/Steel Plates: Created by hammering ingots. Used for heavy-duty construction.
- Iron/Steel Rods: Used for fences, gates, and tool handles.
- Bolts & Rivets: Small fasteners required for advanced recipes like Steel Fences.
- Flatter Hammer (1.21.1+): A specialized tool used in the crafting grid to process Pig Iron Chunks into Raw Steel.
Bitumen & Fuel
- Raw Bitumen: Dropped from Bitumen Ore. Used to create Asphalt.
- Bituminous Coal: A crafted fuel source. 8 pieces of Bituminous Coal are produced by surrounding a piece of standard Coal with 8 Raw Bitumen. This fuel is slightly more efficient than standard coal, with 8 pieces smelting a total of 10 items.
Blocks#
Mapper Base adds a limited but essential set of blocks to the world and the player's inventory.
| Block | Hardness | Resistance | Tool | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitumen Ore | 3.0 | 3.0 | Pickaxe | Found near sea level; drops Raw Bitumen and XP. |
| Steel Block | 5.0 | 6.0 | Pickaxe | Can be used as a base for Beacons. |
| Raw Steel Block | 5.0 | 6.0 | Pickaxe | Storage block for Raw Steel (Added in 1.21.1). |
| Asphalt | 2.0 | 2.0 | Pickaxe | Decorative road block; often provides a speed boost. |
Bitumen Ore as it appears in the world.
Mechanics: Steel Production#
Steel production is designed to be a "long and expensive" process compared to other mods, encouraging players to eventually transition to more efficient machinery from mods like Mekanism or Immersive Engineering.
Process for Minecraft and Below
- Smelting: Place an Iron Ingot into a Blast Furnace. This consumes 1 Coal and produces 1 Ferrite.
- Crafting: Combine 3 Ferrite in a crafting grid to create Raw Steel Dust.
- Refining: Place the Raw Steel Dust back into the Blast Furnace. This consumes 0.5 Coal and produces 1 Steel Ingot.
Total Cost: 3 Iron Ingots + ~4 Coal = 1 Steel Ingot.
Process for Minecraft (NeoForge)
- Smelting: Blast an Iron Ingot to produce Pig Iron Chunks.
- Crushing: Place Pig Iron Chunks in a crafting grid with a Flatter Hammer to produce Raw Steel.
- Refining: Blast the Raw Steel to produce a Steel Ingot.
Note: If the Create mod is installed, Mapper Base will automatically disable its internal steel recipes to ensure compatibility with Create's metallurgy system.
World Generation#
The mod introduces Bitumen Ore to the Overworld.
- Spawn Height: Bitumen Ore typically generates in large, rare pockets around sea level (Y=60 to Y=70).
- Biomes: It is most commonly found near rivers, coasts, and oceans. It does not generate in hilly or mountainous biomes to prevent excessive abundance.
- Mining: Requires a Stone Pickaxe or better. It drops 1-4 Raw Bitumen and a small amount of experience. It is compatible with the Fortune enchantment for increased yields.
Recipes#
Common Crafting Recipes
| Result | Ingredients | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Steel Plate | 2x Steel Ingot | Vertical Column (2x1) |
| Steel Rod | 2x Steel Ingot | Horizontal Row (1x2) |
| Steel Bolt (x4) | 1x Steel Plate | Single Slot |
| Bituminous Coal (x8) | 8x Raw Bitumen + 1x Coal | Coal surrounded by Bitumen |
| Asphalt (x4) | 1x Raw Bitumen + 1x Gravel + 2x Sand | Shapeless |
Stonecutter Support
In versions 1.15.2 through 1.21.1, the Stonecutter can be used to efficiently craft Asphalt and Concrete blocks into various decorative variants if the associated mods (Road Stuff) are present.
Mobs#
Mapper Base is a utility and library mod; it does not add any new mobs, creatures, or entities to the game. All additions are strictly items, blocks, and world-generation features.
Configuration#
The mod's behavior can be adjusted via the mapperbase-common.toml file located in the /config folder.
Available Settings:
- Bitumen Generation: Toggle ore spawning on/off.
- Pocket Size: Adjust the number of blocks per bitumen vein.
- Biome Blacklist/Whitelist: Define specific biomes where Bitumen Ore is permitted to spawn.
- Steel Recipe Toggle: Enable or disable the vanilla-style steel crafting process (useful for modpack balance).
