A+ likes exploring different Minecraft Java modpacks in creative mode. We're currently playing FXNT Create 2. I like challenging myself to figure things out in survival mode, so I'm getting a lot of practice in building early-game survival farms with Create. My setup has changed a little bit over the last few modpacks/worlds. I usually start by mining enough iron and zinc to make a mechanical press so that I can make the iron sheets used in other machines. Then I make a mechanical mixer so that I can make andesite nuggets more efficiently. Then I make a millstone and an encased fan so that I can process cobblestone and wash the resulting gravel manually.

Once that's in place, I can start making more elaborate things.

I used to have the encased fans just blowing horizontally. After I learned that I can use encased fans to blow upwards through a depot, I switched to setting up my blasting/smoking/washing stations vertically so that I didn't burn myself as often.

The most recent thing I added to this world is this cobblestone-gravel-iron nugget machine.

I needed to upgrade to a large waterwheel to drive the two millstones along with the fans.

Next things I'll probably try:

• The lava farm is filling up nicely, so I can put some pipes underneath it and have a pump move lava into a basin for making andesite. That'll give me something to do with the flint from the iron nugget farm. I'll need to mine some copper first, though.
• I can start mining for diamonds so that I can get obsidian and go to the Nether. I made a rope pulley + drills mining contraption, but (a) I think it got stuck after going past some lava and water, and (b) the shaft it made uncovered a deep dark biome, so… that's a little scary. Maybe I'll do some branch mining, or cave mining when the world is set to peaceful.