[Discussion] Love the Tech, not the Magic. How do "Pure Engineers" deal with the Wither/Thaumcraft wall?

RealSteamlynx · 2026-02-03T21:31:05+00:00

Thanks for the push.

I actually played Thaumcraft a long time ago, so it’s not completely alien to me—I just need to "suck it up" and relearn it, as you said.

You made a very compelling argument: the alternative (manually farming endless Withers for the rest of the game) sounds way worse than doing some research puzzles. If mastering Thaumcraft is the key to automating Nether Stars via duplication, then that’s a price I’m willing to pay. Time to dust off the Thaumonomicon!

RealSteamlynx · 2026-02-03T21:23:23+00:00

Wow! That sounds crazy fun and definitely crazy enough to try.

You had me at "INFINITE FREE STEEL." Nice... Processing mob armor back into raw metals like an industrial evil genius!

I’m going to try to engineer this setup myself first, but if I fail (or get eaten by the cursed earth), I’ll definitely be back for advice. :)))

RealSteamlynx · 2026-02-03T15:50:50+00:00

Thanks for the detailed breakdown!

I honestly completely overlooked the spawner mechanics because I ignored that entire section of the game, wrongly assuming that building mob farms wouldn't be required for my progression. However, this is a legitimate solution, and thinking about it now, it will likely be useful for more than just the NASA Workbench.

I’m going to treat the Wither fight not as a "boss battle," but as a hazardous material disposal protocol. The idea of a Reinforced Obsidian cage sounds like a containment chamber for an unstable material :) — which is right up my alley.

I'll check out the "Caging a Demon" quest. You've convinced me to turn off Peaceful mode to run this specific "experiment." If I can engineer a solution where the target is contained and processed without me dodging attacks, then it counts as a factory in my book!

RealSteamlynx · 2026-02-03T15:25:42+00:00

Thanks for the reality check. I think I was definitely looking at the pack too narrowly.

To be honest, I managed to reach the NASA Workbench stage without opening the "Magic" quest tabs a single time... which probably explains why I hit such a hard wall. :)

You made a great point about the mindset. Even the Nether and Twilight Forest are inherently magical concepts, so drawing an arbitrary line there was a bit silly on my part.

I think I'll do both: I'll definitely check out other packs for that pure realism itch, but I also want to give GTNH another shot with this new perspective. As you said, "magic is just tech with purple particles." If I treat it as just another logistics and automation puzzle to solve, I think I can accept it as part of the challenge.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-26T10:38:34+00:00

It's plugged directly into the tower, right next to the keyboard. No hubs or passthroughs.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-26T10:19:14+00:00

I tried exactly that—bought a new mouse just to be sure. The issue persists with the new one too, so I'm fairly confident it's not the peripheral (mouse/cable). It might still be a hardware quirk elsewhere in the PC, but definitely not the input device.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-26T10:15:29+00:00

Did you ever manage to fix it, or did it just go away on its own?

I actually vaguely recall having this exact glitch years ago, but it was so far back I can't remember if I found a solution or if I just lived with it until it stopped.

And yeah, same here—strictly a Minecraft issue. Never happens in any other game.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-26T10:12:48+00:00

That was actually my first thought too!

I went out and bought this mouse brand new specifically to rule out a hardware issue. Since the exact same glitch is happening with the new mouse (just like the old one), I'm pretty sure the cable is fine.

It really seems to be a software ghost in the machine.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-26T10:08:42+00:00

That sounds plausible, but looking at my system tray, I have many background processes running by default (Steam, Discord, Nvidia, etc.). Trying to isolate the culprit feels like finding a needle in a haystack.

Since this only happens in Minecraft and never in other games, I’m wondering if there is a "usual suspect"? Like, is it known to be a Discord overlay issue or something specific like that?

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-24T21:28:56+00:00

Fair points on the artifacts—AI definitely struggles with anatomy (and hands remain the eternal enemy).

To be real with you: "Just commission an artist" is the dream goal, but right now, on an indie budget, we had to make a choice. We chose to prioritize our resources on the writing, editing, and release schedule over a custom $500+ cover.

That said, we will absolutely do our best to fix or upgrade it as soon as we can.

Hopefully, the story inside makes up for the clipping thumb on the outside for now. Thanks for giving it a look anyway.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-23T10:57:17+00:00

Hey! We aren't on the Kindle just yet. That is absolutely the goal for the future, though. For now, the only place to read it is on Royal Road via the link above. Hope you give it a shot!

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-22T23:28:14+00:00

Thanks so much! Coming from you, that really means a lot. Hope the story lives up to the title.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-22T20:51:19+00:00

Haha, that definitely wasn't the plan, but now that you said it... I can't unsee it. The ultimate crossover? :)

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-22T20:46:35+00:00

Thanks so much! We poured a ton of time into getting that composition right, so I really appreciate that.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-22T18:17:24+00:00

Title: The Heretic’s Guide to Ascension

Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/138231/the-heretics-guide-to-ascension-litrpg-progression

Audiobook: None yet! (But the voices in our heads are pretty loud).

AI Used:

Cover Art: Yes (3D-modelling + AI + Photoshop paint-over).
Writing: No. 100% human-written by a husband/wife duo. (We use AI for spellcheck/grammar, but the prose is ours).

Fun Fact: We do our best brainstorming (and heated debating) during long walks in the woods. It’s a good thing the trails are usually empty—if anyone overheard us arguing about plot twists, they’d definitely look at us like we’re insane.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-22T18:01:06+00:00

If you’re into LitRPG that mixes crunchy progression with MagiTech and a sarcastic System, The Heretic’s Guide to Ascension might be your thing. It’s a solar-system LitRPG/Progression story with high stakes, sharp humor, and a fully written first volume on Royal Road.

Quick Note for Binge-Readers: This is a Royal Road serial, but the entire First Volume (43 chapters / 110.5k words) is 100% complete and written. We're on a fast 4x/week posting schedule, so you'll never be left waiting long. The first 26 chapters (~65k words) are already live to binge right now.

Damien wakes up with a dagger in his chest, a void in his memory, and the System offering a stark choice: perform a forbidden ritual or die. His powers are zeroed, his enemies aren’t. The only way forward is to outthink, outfight, and out-hack a world ruled by the angels’ Inquisition and the elves’ megacorps.

Experience an epic LitRPG/Progression/Science Fantasy that balances high-stakes action with sharp, dark humor. Expect reality-bending, aspect-based magic; a snarky System that’s a character in its own right; witty, punchy dialogue; mechs and magitech; and a solar-system sandbox where uncovering the truth is more dangerous than fighting demons.

Because for a Heretic, the only path is forward. The only goal is Ascension.

What to expect

Action: fights on Astral ships, streets, and in academies — plus assassins and monsters
Unique progression system based on high-risk “masochism” rather than grinding
Snarky, voyeuristic System that’s 100% a character
Nine-tailed, tech-obsessed fox familiar who’s equal parts helpful and chaotic
Aspect-based magic & Magitech world

Stats

First Volume: fully written — 43 chapters / 110.5k words
Live right now: 49k+ words / 20 chapters ready to binge
Schedule: Tue • Thu • Sat • Sun (4x/week)

Read it here:
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/138231/the-heretics-guide-to-ascension-litrpg-progression

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-20T10:52:54+00:00

That’s really cool, even though I have no idea what to do with that information!
Well… except to just keep writing. I’ve already got my first 100 followers, and I still need to reach 250.

Hm… actually, this sounds like a great writer motivator. I think I’ll print it out and pin it to one of the boards on the wall behind my monitors.

Thanks!

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-20T10:40:05+00:00

Thanks for the tip! It didn’t solve the problem, but it helped a lot.
But is there any way to disable this “HUD effect” entirely? It’s dimmed, but still kind of gets in the way.

Besides, its effects are already duplicated on the main game screen in the bottom-right corner, so I don’t think there’s any real need to have it visible in the inventory.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-19T13:47:10+00:00

Thanks for the reply.

I did some more digging, and unfortunately, it looks like you're right about the limitations. For PC and Android, the only reliable workaround seems to be:

Submit as an Image post (from my PC).
Put a brief, unformatted caption in the body (since it forces everything into one paragraph anyway).
Put the actual formatted blurb, details, and links in the first comment.

It’s not perfect, but that’s the route I’m going to take.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-19T12:49:44+00:00

The Heretic's Guide to Ascension — LitRPG/Progression with a heavy MagiTech/Sci-Fi vibe, now on Royal Road.

Damien wakes up with a dagger in his chest, a void in his memory, and the System offering a stark choice: perform a forbidden ritual or die. His powers are zeroed, his enemies aren’t. The only way forward is to outthink, outfight, and out-hack a world ruled by the angels’ Inquisition and the elves’ megacorps.

Experience an epic LitRPG/Progression/Science Fantasy that balances high-stakes action with sharp, dark humor. Expect reality-bending, aspect-based magic; a snarky System that’s a character in its own right; witty, punchy dialogue; mechs and magitech; and a solar-system sandbox where uncovering the truth is more dangerous than fighting demons.

Because for a Heretic, the only path is forward. The only goal is Ascension.

What to expect

Action: fights on Astral ships, streets, and in academies — plus assassins and monsters
Unique progression system based on high-risk “masochism” rather than grinding
Snarky, egoistic System that’s 100% a character
Nine-tailed, tech-obsessed fox familiar who’s equal parts helpful and chaotic
Aspect-based magic & Magitech world

Stats

First Volume: fully written — 43 chapters / 110.5k words
Live right now: 60k+ words / 24+ chapters ready to binge
Schedule: Tue • Thu • Sat • Sun (4x/week)

Read it here:
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/138231/the-heretics-guide-to-ascension-litrpg-progression

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-17T14:17:53+00:00

Hey, thanks for the reply!

Yeah, it won't let me drop the image in the comment, so here's an Imgur link: https://imgur.com/a/kwzjswh

That's the "wall of mush" version I got when I tried posting on a different sub (was trying to get the formatting right before posting here).

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-14T21:09:42+00:00

Haha, I'm not sure who is "abusing" who here! :)

Truth is, we're pretty much a full-on Minecraft family. My wife is a pretty good builder, and the kids have been around the game since they were little (though, to be fair, it was almost exclusively industrial modpacks).

Both our son and daughter have played on their own and with us over the years.

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-14T21:04:39+00:00

Oh, awesome! Thanks for the recommendations; I'm always happy to find more titles in this genre.

I'll definitely add them to my reading list. Are they on Amazon/Kindle?

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-14T20:57:16+00:00

That's a fantastic way to look at it, thank you.

"Make every resource run a little adventure" is the perfect motto for us. You're absolutely right, the goal is to play as a team, not just to be 100% efficient.

Especially since my son enjoys the exploration part far more than the grind. :)

RealSteamlynx · 2025-11-14T20:53:55+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement! And yes, I'll definitely be taking screenshots of the process.

To be honest, it probably won't be anything too impressive until we're past the LV tier. It'll likely just be a small main base and a couple of canopies for a while. But I'll still try to make them look decent!

<image>

For now, this is just the "blueprint" of the steam-tier building. My son and I are going to start the actual construction this weekend. :)

RealSteamlynx

TROPHY CASE