Overview#
Davincis Vessels (formerly known as Archimedes' Ships Plus) is a sophisticated vehicle mod for Minecraft versions 1.12.2 and 1.10.2. It allows players to build custom structures out of standard blocks and transform them into functional, pilotable entities. Whether you want to sail the high seas in a pirate ship, fly through the clouds in a steampunk airship, or dive into the depths in a submarine, this mod provides the tools to make any building mobile.
The mod relies on the MovingWorld library to handle the conversion of static blocks into dynamic entities. It features a robust assembly system that calculates buoyancy, mass, and flight capabilities based on the materials used in construction.
Blocks#
The mod adds several specialized blocks that define the behavior and capabilities of your vessel.
Ship Helm
The Ship Helm is the most critical block. It serves as the control center for any vessel. Placing a helm on a structure allows you to open the assembly GUI, where you can name your ship, calculate its block count, and 'Assemble' it into a moving entity.
Balloon
Balloons are essential for airships. By default, at least 40% of your ship's total block count must consist of balloons for it to achieve flight. They can be dyed any of the 16 Minecraft colors by using dye on the wool before crafting or by right-clicking placed balloons with dye.
Floater
Floaters are lightweight blocks designed to increase the buoyancy of water-based ships. While standard wood blocks float, floaters are much more effective at keeping heavy ships (made of stone or iron) above the waterline.
Seat
Seats allow other players to ride along on your vessel. Once the ship is assembled, passengers can right-click a seat to mount it. The pilot always sits at the Helm.
Anchor Point
Anchor Points are used for precise docking. You need two: one on the ship and one on the ground. When the ship is aligned near a linked ground anchor, it will snap into the exact position of the anchor, preventing the ship from drifting or being misaligned when disassembled.
Crate
Crates are used to transport passive or hostile mobs. By leading a mob onto a crate, it becomes 'locked' to the vessel. To release the mob, right-click the crate or apply a redstone signal.
Steam Engine
Engines significantly increase the movement speed of your vessel. They require fuel (such as coal, charcoal, or wood) to operate. Adding multiple engines will further increase the maximum speed.
Buffer and Sticky Buffer
Buffers are 'blacklisted' blocks that the helm will ignore during assembly. They are perfect for building docks or berths. Sticky Buffers are used to ensure specific blocks are included in the ship assembly even if they aren't directly adjacent to the main hull.
Items#
Ship Gauges
Ship Gauges are specialized items/blocks that provide flight data.
- Compass: Shows the current heading of the ship.
- Speedometer: Displays the current speed in knots.
- Variometer: (In extended versions) Shows the rate of ascent or descent, which is vital for airship pilots.
Mechanics#
Ship Assembly
To create a ship, build your structure so that it is not touching the ground (except for the blocks you want to include). Place the Ship Helm and right-click it.
- Assemble: Scans all connected blocks. It will stop at 'excluded' blocks like Dirt, Grass, and Sand.
- Mount: Converts the blocks into a 'Moving World' entity that you can pilot.
- Undo: Reverts the last assembly if you accidentally picked up part of your house.
Flight and Buoyancy
- Water Ships: The depth at which a ship sits in the water is determined by its mass. Heavy blocks like Cobblestone or Iron will make it sink deeper. Use Floaters to counter this.
- Airships: If the balloon-to-block ratio is 40% or higher, the vessel is classified as an airship. This allows for vertical movement.
- Submersibles: By toggling settings in the Helm GUI (if enabled in config), ships can be made to dive underwater.
Anchoring and Docking
To dock a ship, you must use the Align key. This snaps the ship to the nearest block grid. Once aligned, use the Disassemble key to turn the entity back into static blocks. Using Anchor Points ensures the ship always disassembles in the exact same spot every time.
Recipes#
| Item | Ingredients | Recipe Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Ship Helm | 4 Wood Planks, 4 Sticks, 1 Iron Ingot | [P, S, P], [S, I, S], [P, S, P] |
| Air Balloon | 1 Wool, 1 String | [None, W, None], [None, S, None], [None, None, None] |
| Floater | 1 Log, 1 Wool | [None, W, None], [None, L, None], [None, None, None] |
| Seat | 3 Wool | [None, None, None], [W, W, W], [None, None, None] |
| Steam Engine | 7 Iron Ingots, 1 Furnace, 1 Water Bucket | [I, I, I], [I, F, I], [I, B, I] |
| Anchor Point | 4 Iron Ingots, 1 Iron Block, 2 Redstone | [I, R, I], [None, B, None], [I, R, I] |
| Crate | 3 Wood Planks, 3 Leather | [P, P, P], [L, L, L], [None, None, None] |
| Gauges | 2 Gold, 2 Iron, 1 Redstone, 2 Glass Panes | [G, I, G], [I, R, I], [P, I, P] |
| Buffer | 1 Wood Plank, 1 Wool | [None, None, None], [P, W, None], [None, None, None] |
Controls#
Once mounted, the following default keys are used to control your vessel:
- W / S: Move Forward / Backward.
- A / D: Turn Left / Right.
- X: Ascend (Airships only).
- Z: Descend (Airships only).
- C: Brake (Slows the vessel down quickly).
- = (Equals): Align ship to the world grid.
- \ (Backslash): Disassemble ship back into blocks.
- K: Open Ship GUI / Inventory.
Configuration#
The mod's behavior can be heavily customized via the davincisvessels.cfg file found in the Minecraft config folder. Key options include:
- max_ship_chunk_blocks: Sets the maximum number of blocks a ship can contain (Default: 2048).
- airship_balloon_ratio: The percentage of balloons required for flight (Default: 0.4).
- ship_speed: A multiplier for the base movement speed of vessels.
- block_blacklist: A list of block IDs that the helm will never pick up during assembly (e.g., bedrock, dirt).
