computercraft Minecraft ComputerCraft Turtles - How I use them

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

 

This is the wily Turtle of Minecraft's ComputerCraft mod:

 

Turtles are computers that can move in the Minecraft world.  They use anything that burns as fuel.  They can equip a number of tools just like the player, including a Sword.  They ignore gravity, are invulnerable to fire and lava and most mobs (they can be blown up though!).  They accept computer programs written by the user, or programs written by others can be found on the many ComputerCraft Mod forums.  Depending on the mod version, they can have a number of peripheral attachments such as wireless modems or chunk loaders to make them even more functional.  They can even be crafted as "Advanced Turtles" with a Gold look and extra fuel capacity.

CCCode and I use them for a number of simple tasks like digging a tunnel, digging some stairs down a hole, or other mundane jobs on the VETERANS-GAMING Minecraft Server.

Personally, I take it to the nth degree - I use them for tons of things.  They are my primary Quarry miners,  they help me with basic geometric shapes on huge builds while I work on the details, they farm my crops for me, they are my Attack Bots in my Blaze/XP farm in the Nether, and I'll even get lazy and have them break a few obsidian blocks real quick to save time and wear on my pickaxe when needed.  I've written a couple ComputerCraft programs, but mostly I use some great programs I've found over time by other players.

I'll add to the content here with pictures, usage examples and basic instructions for those new or unfamiliar with ComputerCraft, and some functional ideas and ways to take advantage of Turtle skillz, but for now I wanted to get the links and descriptions up.  I use these turtles so much, I give them names and often miscall them "he" instead of "it" - I blame films like "Batteries Not Included" and "Short Circuit".  JOHNNY 5 IS ALIVE!!

 

A Turtle without a name forgets it's programs each time you break it/pick it up - any name will do...

examples:
Type: label set BOB            and press enter  (Turtle name will read: BOB)
Type: label set Bob 2         and press enter (Turtle name will read: Bob)
Type: label set Bob_2        and press enter (Turtle name will read: Bob_2)

A newly built Turtle will have no fuel.  To refuel a Turtle, place anything that burns in it's inventory...

Type: refuel all        and press enter (Turtle will display new fuel level)

 

Here is a list of the programs I use, links to their PasteBin pages, and simple copy/paste lines for easy drop-in to your game:

 

• Stripmine -- by =VG= CCCode

Usage:   Stripmine (length)

Example:  Stripmine 20        (will dig a tunnel 2 wide, 3 high, 20 long)

Description:  A very simple program he wrote to make a 2-wide, 3-high tunnel through solid material.  The mining turtle places a Torch every 6th(?) block on the left wall as he mines down a tunnel with a length defined by the player.  It will not know if it is over a cliff or floating in air, or tunneling through a lava flow, so care should be taken when using this Turtle program.  It's a simple way to mine ores or create a lighted pathway underground or through a mountain.

Pastebin: http://www.pastebin.com/7k8eeCM7

Copy/Paste this line into your turtle:  pastebin get 7k8eeCM7 Stripmine

Instructions:  Place a stack of torches in the Turtle's inventory, in the currently selected slot (the inventory slot with the large square border around it)

*Usage Ideas:  Quick mining, creating a tunnel from point A to point B, or try using 6 turtles with each two blocks from the other to quickly clear out a huge section of rock for a room or interior. Place a non-block like Bread, Slime, Coal, etc. into it's "Torch" slot to keep it from placing any block at all - useful for clearing out a section of blocks instead of making a tunnel with torches on the wall.

 

• OreQuarry -- by AustinKK

Usage:   OreQuarry (size) (current height in Y)

Example:  OreQuarry 16 43        (will create a quarry 16 x 16 and the turtle's Y coordinates are 43)

Description:  A very versatile Quarry program for a mining turtle, AustinKK really took the time to make this program work well.  The turtle can be commanded to dig a quarry of any size, and it does so by digging through every other layer down to the bedrock and inspecting the layers above and below it for ores.  It will not leave a giant hole in the earth like a standard Minecraft Quarry, but will "swiss cheese" the ground in a more efficient manner.  It can even empty the contents of any dungeon chest it comes across, returning the valuable and often rare items along with the ore it finds.  A standard Quarry will obliterate these chests, spilling their contents on the ground to de-spawn if I am not mistaken - this alone makes this a more valuable quarry option for the player.  It's speed is on par with or even a little faster than a standard quarry of the same size, and has the benefit of working from the bedrock up, as opposed to the standard quarry.  This brings the most valuable goodies home first (diamonds, etc.).  Can't recommend this enough - worth it to learn.

Pastebin: http://www.pastebin.com/3mkeUzby

Copy/Paste this line into your turtle:  pastebin get 3mkeUzby OreQuarry

Instructions:   The turtle will mine down, forward and to it's right in a square.  Place the turtle where you want the shaft to be, on the turtle's left place a chest with the fuel you want it to use.  Behind the turtle, place a chest for the turtle to deposit ores and anything from the quarry.   In the Turtle's top 4 inventory slots, place one block each of Gravel, Cobblestone, Stone (cooked cobble), and Dirt.   In the very last slot, place one block of the fuel that is in the fuel chest (best to just use coal) and in the slot just left of that coal, place one standard Minecraft chest.  A chunk loader is required to keep the turtle in a rendered part of the world for times when you are away or quarry sizes exceed player 'world load radius'- set the chunk loader radius to be slightly larger than the approximate quarry size and place it a few blocks above the turtle's fuel chest.
*Note 1: The ore deposit chest behind the turtle will fill up FAST! You must use some form of storage that allows you to pump items out of this chest as it fills to prevent loss of items due to overflow.
*Note 2: This program can take advantage of a Flat Bedrock world if that mod is installed, but you must edit the program very slightly - type: edit OreQuarry and press enter -- scroll down a little ways to the first entry  local bottomLayer = 5  and change it to = 2 for a slightly faster program run time, though this is optional.   It is best to watch his video on how to use it, though the above instructions will get it working.
Here is the link to his instructional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIugLVzUz3g

*Usage Ideas:  Since the turtle digs forward and to it's right, with it's fuel chest on it's left and ore chest behind, a total of 4 turtles can share the same fuel chest, each with an ore chest behind them, quadrupling your quarry output from one site.

 

• StairsDown -- by =VG= SemlerPDX

Usage:   StairsDown (length) (optional: stairs)

Example:  StairsDown 20        (will dig stairs down 20 blocks deep, placing torches every 3rd layer)

Example2:  StairsDown 20 1    (will dig stairs down 20 blocks deep w/ torches and place stair blocks on it's way back up)

Description:  Most build programs make things upwards - this is a quick and simple program I wrote to create a lighted staircase Down, of any depth.  If desired, actual stair blocks of any type can be placed in the turtle's 2nd inventory slot and it will place them on it's way back up.  The stairs will be tall enough for a player to ride inside a minecart if this is the design for the stairs.  It is not very versatile and caution should be used as the turtle could get stuck in a cascade of gravel falling or even get it's position data messed up by falling gravel blocking it's movement.

Pastebin: http://www.pastebin.com/rjLYah4D

Copy/Paste this line into your turtle:  pastebin get rjLYah4D StairsDown

Instructions:  Place a stack of torches in the Turtle's inventory in slot #1.  If you want stair blocks placed, put a stack of stairs in the Turtle's inventory slot #2.

*Usage Ideas:  Simple, quick stairs down to a mining area.  Also great for railways -- place minecart rails in the 2nd inventory slot instead of stairs to create a railway down instead of stairs.

 

 

 

....more to come, I will add sections for the other programs I use most

feel free to check these out...coming soon, descriptions of:

www.pastebin.com/KFVnXPZ1 Tower
www.pastebin.com/RAHj4r2K Build
www.pastebin.com/26FCDSc9 Farm

this is a simple machine power supply controller program I wrote for a minecraft Computer:

www.pastebin.com/fw5YpmUf Power

[Double_13]

Nice programs

Didn't you also make a custom program for the blaze farm or is that the basic one.

 

This was the program that I mainly used until I reached to point of not needing it.

Its made for digging tunnels and auto plant torches and chest to dump the shitz in.

http://pastebin.com/6qmBBLpz

 

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

Blaze farm is a full suite of programs meaning the turtles rely on the controlling Computer near them, which might even include a Help program, and it has a startup -- but the majority is not a turtle program... the bit on the Attack Turtles is just a simple one that makes them start attacking if they have a signal from the PC, and sucking the items (and each one "says" something different, printed on it's screen just for the fun of it).  The attack turtles loop very slowly checking for a signal before firing their less slower attack loop, and I don't like my computers to loop programs 24/7 at all, so basically the Blaze computer controller returns to a prompt after each "program" command like "on" or "off" or "purge".  Would be hard to pastebin link all those bits, but I could make a little tutorial for how I did the blaze attack bot farm and it's computer one day.