Overview#
MetalChests is designed as an enhanced alternative to the classic Iron Chests mod, specifically optimized for Minecraft. It provides players with a progression-based storage system, moving from standard wooden chests to massive diamond and obsidian containers. The mod is characterized by its inclusion of intermediate tiers like Copper and Silver, as well as specialized 'Hungry' chests that automatically collect items from the world.
Key features include:
- Increased Storage: Chests range from 45 to 108 slots.
- In-place Upgrades: Use upgrade items to increase chest capacity without breaking the block or spilling items.
- Special Properties: Obsidian chests offer blast resistance, while Crystal chests provide visual transparency.
- Hungry Variants: Chests that act as vacuum hoppers for dropped items.
Chest Tiers and Blocks#
The mod adds several blocks, each representing a different tier of storage capacity. All chests can be placed adjacent to each other without merging into 'double chests,' allowing for extremely compact storage rooms.
Standard Metal Chests
| Chest Type | Slots | Grid Size | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Chest | 45 | 9x5 | The first tier above wood, providing a significant early-game boost. |
| Iron Chest | 54 | 9x6 | Equivalent to a standard double chest but contained within a single block. |
| Silver Chest | 72 | 9x8 | A mid-tier chest that bridges the gap between Iron and Gold. |
| Gold Chest | 81 | 9x9 | A high-capacity storage solution for established bases. |
| Diamond Chest | 108 | 9x12 | The highest capacity standard chest available in the mod. |
Specialized Chests
- Obsidian Chest: Boasts 108 slots (9x12). It is completely blast-resistant, making it immune to Creeper explosions and TNT. It is the ultimate choice for secure storage in dangerous areas.
- Crystal Chest: Boasts 108 slots (9x12). This chest is transparent, allowing players to see the 3D models of the items stored inside. Note: In large quantities, Crystal chests may impact client-side performance due to rendering requirements.
Hungry Chests#
Hungry Chests are a unique functional variant available for every metal tier. These chests possess a 'vacuum' effect, automatically pulling any item entities that land on top of them into their internal inventory.
- Functionality: They act similarly to a Hopper but with the full storage capacity of the metal tier they represent.
- Visuals: Hungry chests are distinguished by a slightly different texture, often featuring a 'mouth' or darker rim to indicate their ability to consume items.
- Use Case: Ideal for automated mob farms, crop harvesters, or end-of-line sorting systems where items are dropped onto a belt or water stream.
Upgrade Items#
Upgrade items allow players to transform a lower-tier chest into a higher-tier one instantly. To use an upgrade, hold the item in your hand and Shift + Right-Click on the chest you wish to upgrade. This process preserves all items currently stored inside the chest.
| Upgrade Item | Target Chest | Resulting Chest |
|---|---|---|
| Wood to Copper | Wood Chest | Copper Chest |
| Wood to Iron | Wood Chest | Iron Chest |
| Copper to Iron | Copper Chest | Iron Chest |
| Iron to Silver | Iron Chest | Silver Chest |
| Silver to Gold | Silver Chest | Gold Chest |
| Gold to Diamond | Gold Chest | Diamond Chest |
| Diamond to Crystal | Diamond Chest | Crystal Chest |
| Diamond to Obsidian | Diamond Chest | Obsidian Chest |
Crafting Recipes#
Crafting in MetalChests follows a consistent pattern. Chests are generally crafted by surrounding a lower-tier chest with the new metal material, while upgrades use a combination of the metal and glass.
Chest Recipes
- Copper Chest: 8x Copper Ingot surrounding 1x Wooden Chest.
- Iron Chest: 8x Iron Ingot surrounding 1x Copper Chest (or Wood Chest in some configurations).
- Silver Chest: 8x Silver Ingot surrounding 1x Iron Chest.
- Gold Chest: 8x Gold Ingot surrounding 1x Silver Chest.
- Diamond Chest: 8x Diamond surrounding 1x Gold Chest.
- Obsidian Chest: 8x Obsidian surrounding 1x Diamond Chest.
- Crystal Chest: 8x Glass surrounding 1x Diamond Chest.
Upgrade Recipes
Upgrades typically require the material of the target tier and glass panes. For example:
- Iron to Gold Upgrade: 4x Gold Ingots, 4x Glass Panes, and 1x Iron Ingot in the center.
- Gold to Diamond Upgrade: 4x Diamonds, 4x Glass Panes, and 1x Gold Ingot in the center.
Mechanics and Interaction#
Minecart Variants
Every metal chest can be combined with a Minecart in a crafting grid to create a Metal Chest Minecart. These minecarts retain the full slot capacity of the chest used to craft them, allowing for massive mobile storage systems that far exceed the capacity of standard Chest Minecarts.
Sorting and External Access
- Automation: All chests are fully compatible with Hoppers, Pipes, and automated bus systems from other mods (such as Applied Energistics 2 or Refined Storage).
- Sorting: The GUI of MetalChests often includes a built-in sort button (depending on the presence of inventory management mods) that allows players to organize contents by ID, name, or quantity instantly.
Configuration#
The mod provides a metalchests.cfg file located in the /config folder of the Minecraft directory. Server administrators and modpack creators can adjust the following:
- Slot Sizes: Customize the number of rows and columns for every chest type.
- Enabled Tiers: Disable specific chests (e.g., Silver or Copper) if those metals are not present in the modpack.
- Crystal Transparency: Toggle the rendering of items inside Crystal Chests to improve performance on lower-end machines.
- Blast Resistance: Adjust the durability of Obsidian chests against various explosion types.
