let me guess. you want to be able to make, then infuse cards, that summon said mob on use, either peaceful or hostile is yet to be described
Um... of course no.
I just made a point, that many suggestions there was either drawing inspiration from MTG, or was a direct recite of it's magic system. No, not the card game, the backstory behind it.
Five elements, associated with respective environments, that not necessarily antagonistic. (Not even White+Black, or Red+Blue. There's enough examples of cards with these costs, either combined or interchangeable.)
Something similar could be done in this mod. Each biome assigned specific primary aura "color". And, depends on game difficulty, more or less secondary colors. (Easy - up to 3, normal - 1-2, hard and peaceful = none.)
If it would be made, that enchantments, infusions etc. (and probably research, too...) draw aura of associated color from nearby biomes, you'd have to travel and explore the world in order to complete your research.
You'd have to know the components beforehand for it to work in any reasonable timeframe.
I don't think you want to create a mod for a few enthusiasts...
Why...? Because it 1) sounds like it's (and is) associated with alchemy, 2) looks alchemical and arcane and 3) even does the right thing (distilling the "aspects" or "essences") of the items you put in into what you get out.
And can even goes well with other blocks, e.g. an arcane furnace makes the distillation of essences more effective (better furnace, better control over the temperature/gets hotter)...
i posted a drawing of a alchemical still earlier with a more minecrafty design,but it was made out of several modules(heating stand powered by nitor,ingredient tank,pipes and a condenser tank.
I'd love to see a golem system implemented to assist with task automation such as crafting and item movement.
They could be "bound" to a specific seal combination, similar to the teleport seal network.
Phased Wisp Golem: This little guy interfaces with containers and machines in the same way that the bellows attaches to various Thaumic Devices. When in use, the Wisp in the network will grab items and move them, similar to the various pipes / tubes in other forge mods. Graphically, you'll see a little semi-transparent wisp appearing to go into and out of the Wisp Interface carrying the objects. After a short distance (1 - 2 meters) from the Interface, they disappear and teleport to their destination, drop off the items, then teleport back.
Various upgrades and elemental effects would be possible, depending on the type of wisp.
Air Wisp: Fastest item transfer, but smallest stack.
Earth Wisp: Slowest item transfer, but multiple full stacks transferred per cycle.
Water Wisp: Capable of transporting liquids, or somewhere between Air and Earth.
Fire Wisp: Somewhere between Air and Water in stack / speed, or could possibly burn up low value items to increase vis aura.
Vis Wisp: Capable of absorbing vis aura in one area, and then expelling absorbed vis on the other side.
Taint Wisp: Same as vis, but for taint aura.
Productive Arcane Golem: This golem is bound to a particular set of machines. It's created from trapped souls, clay, and several more expensive resources. This is basically an automated crafting system that takes up several levels of space in the X, Y, and Z axis. Sort of the "end game" in Golem research. You basically need to set up a full Thaumic Laboratory in the correct pattern, then perform a dangerous ritual to activate the golem. Activation MAY NOT WORK, and you could create a very angy bezerker golem that wants nothing more than to paint your new Thaumatorium a sanguine shade of red... using your face as a brush.
Basically, this provides an automated crafting table, infusers, and furnace, and input-output chests. The golem is taught to make items in the crafting table by giving it a book with the specific crafting pattern written in it, and with a command. Items made in the infusers are made by feeding it the completed research scrolls, which can be copied from your Thaumanomicon. The Productive Arcane Golem will then need to be given the raw ingredients and then can be ordered to create something.
For instance, if you wanted to craft several Thaumium Shovels, this golem would need to be taught how to make thaumium ingots by giving it the final research scroll for thaumium ingots, and a book telling it how to turn wood logs into wood planks, wood planks into sticks, and then how to assemble the shovel using thaumium ingots.
Intelligence would be limited on how many Brain in a Jars you have in the system, with the same runic script travelling from the brains to the head of the golem. No brain jars and you're only able to tell it to make 1 step items, such as smelt iron ore into ingots, or planks into sticks. More brains means more steps. It would be fueled by coal, alumentium, etc.
Hunter Golem: This golem is basically a mobile damaging seal. While it's immobile, you apply the type of seal you want to it's head. When activated, this golem walks around zapping / flaminating as per the seal attached to its head. It fuels itself by eating vis crystals or taking a hefty chunk out of the vis aura.
Husbandry Golem: This golem walks around your animal pens and tends to their needs. It would need to be supplied with wheat to automatically feed your animals to have them breed. If equipped with a shears, it would shear any sheep under its protection. If given buckets, it would milk any cows under its protection. If any other creatures appear that would cause harm to your herds, (including yourself) when given a sword or bow. It would collect eggs as your chickens produce them.
The Husbandry Golem also has a second mode, called Animal Armageddon mode. You order it to harvest a certain number of animals (or all of a type) under it's protection. The golem's face changes to red eyes with tears streaming down (particle effect?) and it proceeds to murder the animals under its care, collect the remains, then then get over it once the task is done.
This golem is made from dirt, leather, wool, and feathers.
You'd have to know the components beforehand for it to work in any reasonable timeframe.
I don't think you want to create a mod for a few enthusiasts...
Call me a fanboy, I guess, but I would really like to see the research move away from the brute-force method. SURE I could throw 10 stacks of melon slices in the Quaesitum and back it up with 5 stacks of paper but frankly, that's boring and stupid, and pretty much the polar opposite of how that "research" thing works. If I did nothing but research melons for the next 10 years of my (actual) life, then in 10 years, I'd know a whole lot about melons, but nothing new about computers or religion or astrophysics or interpersonal skills.
The proposed essence-craft system is logical. Want to know more about tainted things? Throw tainted things in the research lab. Don't KNOW what you want to research? Throw random junk in, and see what ideas it sparks. You throw in ten stacks of melons, you're gonna know way more than is necessary about "sweet, juicy, living, plants" and be no closer to making magic swords. Unless they're made of melons. (hmm... Melon Slicer....)
Woo! We got research by tags! One of the this I like about Azanor is that he follows his community as much as they follow him, he doesn't just take our ideas, but neither does he exclude us, like here he took the central premise of the research tags and made them his own by modifying them to fit a system that he wants! Behold! THE SYSTEM WORKS!!!!
On to research... Research will need to be done a lot sooner than in TC2 - apart from the most basic raw materials everything will require research.
However (assuming it is technically possible) you could theoretically get lucky during crafting... at least with the Couldron. You could just randomly chuck in items and get something out of it, but your success chance will be low until you do the actual research. Knowing the ingredients is not the same as knowing the ratios required for said ingredients.
Research will not be done via stacks of cobble or bookcases. For example, to research nitor you will need to research items with the aspects required for nitor. Once again, I haven't nailed down the mechanics yet, but you will start out by combining items in the Q-block.
For example: You place a torch in the q-block.
This grants the [light], [fire] and [wood] aspects. You also gain a % success chance based on the number of aspects and the value of the research fodder. If succesful you will gain a theory that matches your aspects (or as many of them as possible).
Initially the theory will have almost no information - possibly not even a name. You know you have discovered something, but not what it is. The theory will have its own interface showing you what you have discovered about it thusfar. For this example it will be the theory for Nitor.
A good first step is to continue researching the theory using torches. This will be a manual process and cannot be automated (at least not easily by piping in cobble and paper like the current system).
A few successes and failures later you know know that the theory is for Nitor and that what you are researching has 3 aspects - but you don't know what they are yet. You research two more torches and suddenly you see one of the aspects of nitor is [light]. The second aspect has also gained some progress, but it is still unknown. The final aspect shows no progress.
The next success finally reveals the [fire] aspect but the third shows no progress or what aspect it is.
You keep researching torches since they are cheap (but the progress is minimal), but you start combining it with other odds and ends. After using redstone the third aspect finally shows some progress. Aha!
By this time you are almost complete with the [fire] and [light] part of the research - a few pieces of redstone later you now know the third aspect is [energy]. You quickly finish that using some more redstone and are rewarded with the discovery for Nitor.
Once again, nothing is final, but this is the direction I'm considering taking things. There might be some technical limitations that prevent this, but so far I think it (or something similar) would be doable.
Awesome. I bolded the part that I think is most intriguing.
What if you made it so that recipes for items were randomly generated during world-building? They'd have the same ingredients, but the ratio would be slightly different. That would give a mechanical reason why you have to research for correct ratios rather than just looking it up on the wiki.
I like the idea that in the beginning, the theory doesn't have a name. Maybe you could title it something mysterious, like "Theory of Limitless Flame" for Nitor or "Theory of Eldritch Metal" for Void Ingots.
Wow, this is coming together great! I love the idea of the magic caldron...
But, I would be so dissapointed if we don't have herbs, like different plants and stuff. Not only would this add to the magical feel, but it gives me an excuse to make more farms! In addition, it would probably help with the new way to make stuff!
For the record, I do hereby state that any idea I contribute to a Thaumcraft thread (retroactively to my first post and continuing until I formally revoke permission) is considered property of Azanor (and only Azanor), to use as he wishes. I forfeit my right to any form of recompense for the use of my ideas. Revocation of permission will apply only to ideas presented after said revocation.
Dunno how legally-binding a forum post is, but the intent is, donkey pants should Azanor want to use any part of any idea I've offered here.
I'm a good idea-bunny, but an absolutely crap coder. I'd rather see the ideas in game under another person's aegis, than never see them at all.
here's a silly suggestion that would take all of 5 minutes to add
Enchantment: Melon Aspect
Infused with the power of a Melon Elemental, all enemies slain with a weapon with this enchantment will instantly become melons, dropping melon slices instead of their respective loot.
IA IA M'LON FTAGHN!
(basically, it's relic hunter with melon slices)
(it can only be researched from melons, melon seeds, and melon slices)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hijacking is probably the least cool thing in the world.
actually, azanor has basically come up with the magical equivalent of drug manufaturing research.
they start with an idea: "oh, I wish I had a new souce of light" vs "I wish I had a medicine that stops headaches"
then they start with a base: "this torch gives off light..." vs "mashed willow bark contains quinine, which is a weak painkiller..."
Yet again, you can't just compare game with reality. Game does not produce new items out of void.
You have to know beforehand, what it is you're researching, to get any research done. The very word "research" implies, that it is nothing new...
Yet again, you can't just compare game with reality. Game does not produce new items out of void.
You have to know beforehand, what it is you're researching, to get any research done. The very word "research" implies, that it is nothing new...
I'm just gonna leave this... here.
re·search [ri-surch,ree-surch]
noun 1. diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into a subject in order to discover or revise facts, theories,applications, etc.: recent research in medicine.
It's is, logical, I do not argue agaist that.
It's so logical, when you know what you want to research, it's nearly obvious...
The problem is, you don't know, what you want, at most, you know that there's soemthing that you haven't researched yet. Probably know area. If that's at all helpful.
Want to know more about tainted things? Throw tainted things in the research lab.
I don't know, what you're speaking about. I just installed the mod.
Don't KNOW what you want to research? Throw random junk in, and see what ideas it sparks.
Doesn't spark anything. Now, what? Throw other junk? How it is much different from current system?
Or, more interesting question, is this mod about watching research progress?
Taint? I don't know, what you're speaking about. I just installed the mod.
Then you probably won't be needing to research taint, because it's unlikely you'll have any. Once you find tainted ground, there are weeds that respawn like wildfire, and drop researchable taintspores when broken.
All items will have aspects (or tags as they have been called so far).
A stone block might have a [rock 1] tag. Cobblestone will have [rock 1] and something like [volatile 1]. Redstone will have [powder 1] and [energy 2]. A piston will thus have [wood 3], [metal 1], [rock 4], [volatile 4], [energy 2], [powder 1], and [mechanism 1].
...other aspects will also get thrown into the mix. You can load up the couldron with stacks of redstone and torches with the hope of getting a bigger yield, but other aspects also start making their presence felt - like [wood] in the case of torches or [powder] from redstone.
...you might get the wrong thing or maybe some kind of accident happens. Even if nothing bad happens unused aspects form a magical residue that is unusable and polluting... taint.
So the way I'm reading this, *everything* you throw in the crafting interface will contribute to a result. It may or may not be the result you want, but something will happen.
For example: You place a torch in the q-block.
This grants the [light], [fire] and [wood] aspects. You also gain a % success chance based on the number of aspects and the value of the research fodder. If succesful you will gain a theory that matches your aspects (or as many of them as possible).
Initially the theory will have almost no information - possibly not even a name. You know you have discovered something, but not what it is. The theory will have its own interface showing you what you have discovered about it thusfar.
Same deal here. Everything has tags/aspects, so everything you throw in gives you research toward something. Once you know a theory uses, say, [wood], you can start thinking about what might be attached to that. Can I enchant wood? What happens if I throw something magical into the mix? Can I make wooden armor, or a shield? What happens if I add leather? Is it something that grows? What would bonemeal or seeds do for me? And all these things you try will be adding aspects - maybe not to the original project, but something is gonna benefit. By the time you start running out of unknowns which can benefit from randoms, you should have a bit of a handle on how it all works, and be able to focus your efforts better.
In the current system, you can throw in 64 cobblestone, and with a bad run on the RNG, get nothing for the whole stack. Cobble's something like a 1% chance of success, so statistically, you should have to burn TWO stacks to get a single success.
Not sure if I'm being a derp (as my name should hint at) as usual, but is it a given that this rebranded edition of Thaumcraft will have the Thaumonomicon (or some renamed variant)? I find it very handy to have all my discoveries in one little book so I don't need to dedicate an entire double chest to all of my discoveries. Plus with the new research system it could help track the progress on multiple researches, so that maybe when you're flipping through it one day you see some progress on some unknown theory and go "whoa I thought this page was blank!" and proceed to figure out what it could be.
Not sure if I'm being a derp (as my name should hint at) as usual, but is it a given that this rebranded edition of Thaumcraft will have the Thaumonomicon (or some renamed variant)? I find it very handy to have all my discoveries in one little book so I don't need to dedicate an entire double chest to all of my discoveries. Plus with the new research system it could help track the progress on multiple researches, so that maybe when you're flipping through it one day you see some progress on some unknown theory and go "whoa I thought this page was blank!" and proceed to figure out what it could be.
Or something. I'm probably being a derp again.
Yes the thaumonimicon should stay in the new version.
Wait, so are the infuser and dark infuser going away entirely? But they look so cool! Much cooler, I think, than tossing things in a crucible-like object. And you're able to be more precise with how much you're putting in.
Personally, I think it's cooler to magically tinker with things on a magic circle in order to combine them rather than just tossing a bunch of stuff in a pot and waiting to see what comes out. There might not be much difference in results, but the infuser are definitely cooler than the crucible, in my opinion.
Maybe they could still be in the mod, but as higher-level research items? Flavor-wise, I can really see using something like the infuser being more quick and efficient than tossing the items into a cauldron and waiting for them to cook up.
Secondly: the new research system ideas sound great, but are items still consumed when you research them? If so, you'll probably need to figure out a way to reduce the cost in rare or non-renewable resources. I think it would be more than a little frustrating to sink all of the diamonds, redstone, and iron you find into research (which might not even help the current research), only to have to use even more of those resources to craft the items once you have access to them.
Hmm…
Idea expansion: Research
You can only research and take apart a kind of item so much before you can no longer learn anything from it. After you research, say, redstone so many times, further research is not necessary. Everything you know about redstone, you already know and will not forget, so that same research can be used towards any of your theories that require knowledge of redstone.
Now just because you know a lot about redstone by itself, doesn't mean you know everything about advanced uses of it. If you know enough about glowstone and redstone to be able to create nitor, you can then research nitor to find out more about how glowstone and redstone interact to create nitor, or what nitor's specific new properties and useage might be, etc. In this way, you can create trees of research that require learning about certain things before being able to get to more advanced items using those things as components.
That still will require a lot of used resources (balanced by exactly how much of each item has to be consumed to learn everything there is to know about it), but at least you wouldn't be as likely to waste them to no end.
Time to contribute my two cents! In Thaumcraft I became fascinated by the Eldrich as a species, but yet I had nothing to learn of them, other than what few things that they made, It left me wanting to find out what kind of civilization would harness so many weird, cruel and yet fascinating technology. I want to know where they came from, how they arose to power, and what else they left behind. I want to explore the void that permeates their technology, regardless of the effect on my sanity.
Senseless ramble about my fascination with crazy things. On to a few new suggestions.
The Eldrich made the monoliths for some reason, the only sensible way to find out is by hitting one of them with incredible arcane force! Breaking the monolith could cause a fissure in the vis aura. This sucks you into the void, a dimension where horrors your mind cannot comprehend attempt to kill you. In that dimension you can get things that, when researched, teach you of the void word/tag. Upon finally understanding the concept of the void (which is hard to comprehend, considering how feeble our minds are compared to the Eldrich) you could begin to experiment with other tags ,maybe void-air-darkness for a set of void walker wings, which reduce fall damage completely, and allow you to fly for about 1.5x the magic carpet's flight time, or void-pain-metal for a void walker blade, which is like a void cutter, except much cooler looking.
Once you make a few items that have the void prefix, you could go back into the void, and search for the Eldrich themselves, possibly finding one of their abandoned void-cities, ripe with void tech, like void chests, and void relays, but also prowling with ancient hostile mechs, infected void dwellers, and monstrosities that would drive the meek insane. In these abandoned cities, you could find some major clues of what became of the Eldrich people. And if you can find a strong enough source of power, possibly draw in a few remnants of their species, like moths to a flame.
i'll see if i can give a few ideas on what the void walker items in a later post, but for now they sort of follow the disconnected, infinite star particle style of the monoliths.
Um... of course no.
I just made a point, that many suggestions there was either drawing inspiration from MTG, or was a direct recite of it's magic system. No, not the card game, the backstory behind it.
Five elements, associated with respective environments, that not necessarily antagonistic. (Not even White+Black, or Red+Blue. There's enough examples of cards with these costs, either combined or interchangeable.)
Something similar could be done in this mod. Each biome assigned specific primary aura "color". And, depends on game difficulty, more or less secondary colors. (Easy - up to 3, normal - 1-2, hard and peaceful = none.)
If it would be made, that enchantments, infusions etc. (and probably research, too...) draw aura of associated color from nearby biomes, you'd have to travel and explore the world in order to complete your research.
You'd have to know the components beforehand for it to work in any reasonable timeframe.
I don't think you want to create a mod for a few enthusiasts...
i posted a drawing of a alchemical still earlier with a more minecrafty design,but it was made out of several modules(heating stand powered by nitor,ingredient tank,pipes and a condenser tank.
They could be "bound" to a specific seal combination, similar to the teleport seal network.
Phased Wisp Golem: This little guy interfaces with containers and machines in the same way that the bellows attaches to various Thaumic Devices. When in use, the Wisp in the network will grab items and move them, similar to the various pipes / tubes in other forge mods. Graphically, you'll see a little semi-transparent wisp appearing to go into and out of the Wisp Interface carrying the objects. After a short distance (1 - 2 meters) from the Interface, they disappear and teleport to their destination, drop off the items, then teleport back.
Various upgrades and elemental effects would be possible, depending on the type of wisp.
Basically, this provides an automated crafting table, infusers, and furnace, and input-output chests. The golem is taught to make items in the crafting table by giving it a book with the specific crafting pattern written in it, and with a command. Items made in the infusers are made by feeding it the completed research scrolls, which can be copied from your Thaumanomicon. The Productive Arcane Golem will then need to be given the raw ingredients and then can be ordered to create something.
For instance, if you wanted to craft several Thaumium Shovels, this golem would need to be taught how to make thaumium ingots by giving it the final research scroll for thaumium ingots, and a book telling it how to turn wood logs into wood planks, wood planks into sticks, and then how to assemble the shovel using thaumium ingots.
Intelligence would be limited on how many Brain in a Jars you have in the system, with the same runic script travelling from the brains to the head of the golem. No brain jars and you're only able to tell it to make 1 step items, such as smelt iron ore into ingots, or planks into sticks. More brains means more steps. It would be fueled by coal, alumentium, etc.
Hunter Golem: This golem is basically a mobile damaging seal. While it's immobile, you apply the type of seal you want to it's head. When activated, this golem walks around zapping / flaminating as per the seal attached to its head. It fuels itself by eating vis crystals or taking a hefty chunk out of the vis aura.
Husbandry Golem: This golem walks around your animal pens and tends to their needs. It would need to be supplied with wheat to automatically feed your animals to have them breed. If equipped with a shears, it would shear any sheep under its protection. If given buckets, it would milk any cows under its protection. If any other creatures appear that would cause harm to your herds, (including yourself) when given a sword or bow. It would collect eggs as your chickens produce them.
The Husbandry Golem also has a second mode, called Animal Armageddon mode. You order it to harvest a certain number of animals (or all of a type) under it's protection. The golem's face changes to red eyes with tears streaming down (particle effect?) and it proceeds to murder the animals under its care, collect the remains, then then get over it once the task is done.
This golem is made from dirt, leather, wool, and feathers.
Call me a fanboy, I guess, but I would really like to see the research move away from the brute-force method. SURE I could throw 10 stacks of melon slices in the Quaesitum and back it up with 5 stacks of paper but frankly, that's boring and stupid, and pretty much the polar opposite of how that "research" thing works. If I did nothing but research melons for the next 10 years of my (actual) life, then in 10 years, I'd know a whole lot about melons, but nothing new about computers or religion or astrophysics or interpersonal skills.
The proposed essence-craft system is logical. Want to know more about tainted things? Throw tainted things in the research lab. Don't KNOW what you want to research? Throw random junk in, and see what ideas it sparks. You throw in ten stacks of melons, you're gonna know way more than is necessary about "sweet, juicy, living, plants" and be no closer to making magic swords. Unless they're made of melons. (hmm... Melon Slicer....)
Awesome. I bolded the part that I think is most intriguing.
What if you made it so that recipes for items were randomly generated during world-building? They'd have the same ingredients, but the ratio would be slightly different. That would give a mechanical reason why you have to research for correct ratios rather than just looking it up on the wiki.
I like the idea that in the beginning, the theory doesn't have a name. Maybe you could title it something mysterious, like "Theory of Limitless Flame" for Nitor or "Theory of Eldritch Metal" for Void Ingots.
But, I would be so dissapointed if we don't have herbs, like different plants and stuff. Not only would this add to the magical feel, but it gives me an excuse to make more farms! In addition, it would probably help with the new way to make stuff!
Dunno how legally-binding a forum post is, but the intent is, donkey pants should Azanor want to use any part of any idea I've offered here.
I'm a good idea-bunny, but an absolutely crap coder. I'd rather see the ideas in game under another person's aegis, than never see them at all.
Yet again, you can't just compare game with reality. Game does not produce new items out of void.
You have to know beforehand, what it is you're researching, to get any research done. The very word "research" implies, that it is nothing new...
I'm just gonna leave this... here.
re·search
[ri-surch, ree-surch]
noun
1. diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into a subject in order to discover or revise facts, theories,applications, etc.: recent research in medicine.
It's is, logical, I do not argue agaist that.
It's so logical, when you know what you want to research, it's nearly obvious...
The problem is, you don't know, what you want, at most, you know that there's soemthing that you haven't researched yet. Probably know area. If that's at all helpful.
I don't know, what you're speaking about. I just installed the mod.
Doesn't spark anything. Now, what? Throw other junk? How it is much different from current system?
Or, more interesting question, is this mod about watching research progress?
Then you probably won't be needing to research taint, because it's unlikely you'll have any. Once you find tainted ground, there are weeds that respawn like wildfire, and drop researchable taintspores when broken.
Excerpts from Azanor's post:
So the way I'm reading this, *everything* you throw in the crafting interface will contribute to a result. It may or may not be the result you want, but something will happen.
Same deal here. Everything has tags/aspects, so everything you throw in gives you research toward something. Once you know a theory uses, say, [wood], you can start thinking about what might be attached to that. Can I enchant wood? What happens if I throw something magical into the mix? Can I make wooden armor, or a shield? What happens if I add leather? Is it something that grows? What would bonemeal or seeds do for me? And all these things you try will be adding aspects - maybe not to the original project, but something is gonna benefit. By the time you start running out of unknowns which can benefit from randoms, you should have a bit of a handle on how it all works, and be able to focus your efforts better.
In the current system, you can throw in 64 cobblestone, and with a bad run on the RNG, get nothing for the whole stack. Cobble's something like a 1% chance of success, so statistically, you should have to burn TWO stacks to get a single success.
Sure, in the same way that Buildcraft is about "looking things up on a wiki."
Or something. I'm probably being a derp again.
Yes the thaumonimicon should stay in the new version.
Personally, I think it's cooler to magically tinker with things on a magic circle in order to combine them rather than just tossing a bunch of stuff in a pot and waiting to see what comes out. There might not be much difference in results, but the infuser are definitely cooler than the crucible, in my opinion.
Maybe they could still be in the mod, but as higher-level research items? Flavor-wise, I can really see using something like the infuser being more quick and efficient than tossing the items into a cauldron and waiting for them to cook up.
Secondly: the new research system ideas sound great, but are items still consumed when you research them? If so, you'll probably need to figure out a way to reduce the cost in rare or non-renewable resources. I think it would be more than a little frustrating to sink all of the diamonds, redstone, and iron you find into research (which might not even help the current research), only to have to use even more of those resources to craft the items once you have access to them.
Hmm…
Idea expansion: Research
You can only research and take apart a kind of item so much before you can no longer learn anything from it. After you research, say, redstone so many times, further research is not necessary. Everything you know about redstone, you already know and will not forget, so that same research can be used towards any of your theories that require knowledge of redstone.
Now just because you know a lot about redstone by itself, doesn't mean you know everything about advanced uses of it. If you know enough about glowstone and redstone to be able to create nitor, you can then research nitor to find out more about how glowstone and redstone interact to create nitor, or what nitor's specific new properties and useage might be, etc. In this way, you can create trees of research that require learning about certain things before being able to get to more advanced items using those things as components.
That still will require a lot of used resources (balanced by exactly how much of each item has to be consumed to learn everything there is to know about it), but at least you wouldn't be as likely to waste them to no end.
Senseless ramble about my fascination with crazy things. On to a few new suggestions.
The Eldrich made the monoliths for some reason, the only sensible way to find out is by hitting one of them with incredible arcane force! Breaking the monolith could cause a fissure in the vis aura. This sucks you into the void, a dimension where horrors your mind cannot comprehend attempt to kill you. In that dimension you can get things that, when researched, teach you of the void word/tag. Upon finally understanding the concept of the void (which is hard to comprehend, considering how feeble our minds are compared to the Eldrich) you could begin to experiment with other tags ,maybe void-air-darkness for a set of void walker wings, which reduce fall damage completely, and allow you to fly for about 1.5x the magic carpet's flight time, or void-pain-metal for a void walker blade, which is like a void cutter, except much cooler looking.
Once you make a few items that have the void prefix, you could go back into the void, and search for the Eldrich themselves, possibly finding one of their abandoned void-cities, ripe with void tech, like void chests, and void relays, but also prowling with ancient hostile mechs, infected void dwellers, and monstrosities that would drive the meek insane. In these abandoned cities, you could find some major clues of what became of the Eldrich people. And if you can find a strong enough source of power, possibly draw in a few remnants of their species, like moths to a flame.
i'll see if i can give a few ideas on what the void walker items in a later post, but for now they sort of follow the disconnected, infinite star particle style of the monoliths.