Imagine traversing vast landscapes in mere seconds, bypassing treacherous ravines, or reaching a distant ore vein without breaking a sweat. In the expansive world of All the Mods 10 (ATM10), this isn't a pipe dream—it's the everyday reality for those who master the ATM10 Portal Gun. This iconic tool, synonymous with ingenious transportation, transforms how you interact with your environment, offering unparalleled mobility and strategic advantage. But wielding such power comes with a learning curve, and a few critical safety considerations. Let's dive deep into making this extraordinary device your ultimate travel companion.
At a Glance: Your Portal Gun Journey Awaits
Before we blast off, here’s a quick overview of what you'll master in this guide:
- What it is: Understand the core mechanics and purpose of the Portal Gun in ATM10.
- Acquisition & Activation: Learn where to find or how to craft your Portal Gun and its essential fuel.
- Mastering the Controls: Navigate the ins and outs of creating, traveling through, and managing portals.
- Safety First: Identify and mitigate the serious risks associated with careless portal usage.
- ATM10 Synergies: Discover how the Portal Gun integrates with other powerful ATM10 mods for maximum efficiency and safety.
- Variants & Easter Eggs: Explore different Portal Gun types and uncover hidden quirks.
Understanding the Portal Gun: More Than Just a Fancy Toy
The Portal Gun is a marvel of spatial engineering, designed for instantaneous transportation and creative world manipulation. In a modpack as colossal as ATM10, which blends advanced technology, deep magic, extensive exploration, and complex automation, the ability to instantly reposition yourself or even entire blocks is a game-changer. Whether you're escaping a Creeper ambush, zipping back to base, or moving critical machinery, this tool is indispensable.
At its heart, the Portal Gun functions by creating two linked portals on most solid surfaces. Step through one, and you emerge from the other, regardless of the distance between them. This simple premise unlocks a world of strategic possibilities, making tedious journeys a relic of the past.
Where to Find Your Gateway to Worlds
Unlike some modded items with intricate crafting trees, the Portal Gun in ATM10 typically leans into the thrill of discovery. You'll often stumble upon these prized tools in dungeon chests scattered across your world. The excitement of raiding a new structure isn't just for loot anymore—it's for a chance at finding this legendary device.
For those who prefer a more deterministic approach, or if luck isn't on your side, some mod configurations allow for direct crafting. While the exact "Basic Recipe" isn't specified for ATM10 specifically beyond its mention in the FTB Beta Pack A context, knowing that it can be crafted provides hope. Always check your in-game recipe book (like JEI) for the precise requirements in your current ATM10 instance. Remember, the spawn frequency and even the specific locations where Portal Guns can be found are often configurable within the mod's config file. This file lives in your .Minecraft directory (for Windows, that's %app data%\Roaming; Mac users will find it in their Minecraft folder), allowing server owners or single-player enthusiasts to tailor their experience.
The Vital Spark: Ender Dust
No matter how you acquire your Portal Gun, it won't function without power, and that power comes in the form of Ender Dust. Think of Ender Dust as the essential fuel that makes your teleportation dreams a reality. Always keep a healthy supply on hand, as running out mid-teleport could leave you in a sticky situation—or worse.
Managing your Ender Dust supply efficiently is key to uninterrupted adventures. This is where ATM10's emphasis on storage and automation truly shines. Consider integrating Sophisticated Storage systems or automated farms to ensure a constant influx of this crucial resource, allowing you to focus on exploration rather than fuel scarcity.
Wielding Your Portal Gun: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teleportation
Once you have your Portal Gun charged with Ender Dust, you're ready to master its intuitive controls. Practice makes perfect, and understanding each function will turn you into a spatial manipulation maestro.
- Create Portals: This is the core function.
- Left-click on a surface to fire your first portal. This will typically be the blue or primary portal.
- Right-click on a different surface to fire your second portal. This will link to the first, creating your instantaneous gateway. Portals can be fired from a significant distance, allowing for intricate setups.
- Travel: With your portals established, simply walk or run through either one to instantly emerge from its linked counterpart. This applies to entities as well, so you can guide mobs, items, or even fellow players through your portals.
- Dispel: Made a mistake? Need to clear your portals? A quick press of the R key will instantly remove any active portals you've created. This is your emergency reset button and crucial for preventing unwanted (and potentially dangerous) portal links.
- Zoom: For precision placement, especially when firing across long distances or at tricky angles, you can zoom in by pressing your middle mouse button. This key is configurable in your game settings, so adjust it to what feels most comfortable.
- Pick Up Block: This is where the Portal Gun goes beyond mere transportation. By pressing the G key at a block, you can turn it into a movable entity. This means you can transport crafting stations, valuable ore blocks, or even decorative elements through your portals, and other Portal Gun users can also interact with and carry these blocks. It's an incredibly versatile feature for base building and resource management.
The Perilous Side of Portals: Staying Safe in ATM10
While the Portal Gun offers unparalleled convenience, it's not without its dangers. As a seasoned explorer in ATM10, you must approach this tool with respect and foresight. Careless use can quickly lead to unfortunate—and often fatal—outcomes.
Gravity's Unforgiving Embrace: Fall Damage
The most common and immediate danger is death by fall damage. If you portal from ground level to a high ledge, you’ll safely arrive. But what if your exit portal is high above an open void, or worse, points downwards into one? You'll fall to your demise, losing all your hard-earned gear. Always scout your exit points carefully, especially when portaling into unexplored areas or from high altitudes.
The Moon's Deadly Kiss: Moon-Portal Suction
A more unusual, yet equally deadly, hazard involves moon-portal suction. Firing a portal at the moon (or sometimes specific distant blocks that mimic its effect) can create a suction force that instantly kills blocks and most entities. Even Creative mode players aren't immune; while they appear at Y=400, they lose all items unless they're clad in full Quantum Armour, surviving with a mere half-heart of health. This isn't a scenario you want to test! Avoid firing portals indiscriminately into the sky or at extremely distant, unidentified targets.
Dimension Locks: A Hard Limit
Perhaps the most important limitation to remember is that the Portal Gun cannot teleport across dimensions. This means you can't link a portal in the Overworld to one in the Nether, or the End, or any of ATM10's custom dimensions like the Mining Dimension or The Other. For interdimensional travel, you'll still rely on traditional Nether portals, End portals, or specialized modded solutions like Warp Plates (which offer customizable, fixed links between dimensions).
Proactive Safety: Mitigating Risks in ATM10
Given these risks, how do you stay safe while enjoying the Portal Gun's benefits in ATM10?
- Early Game Flight is Your Lifeline: One of the best early investments in ATM10 is securing flight capabilities. A Wooden Jetpack (from the Iron Jetpacks mod), powered by FE, can be a literal lifesaver. Pair this with Mekanism’s Free Runners for crucial step assist and fall damage prevention. Being able to toggle flight on just as you emerge from a high-altitude portal can negate fall damage entirely.
- Secure Your Destination: Always ensure your exit portal isn't in a hostile environment or above a lethal drop. When exploring dangerous new areas, consider placing Light Field Blocks. These ingenious blocks emit light in a 24-block radius, completely preventing mob spawns. Strategically placing one at your portal exit point in, say, a dangerous dungeon in The Other dimension, can transform a risky arrival into a safe staging ground.
- Scout with Care: Before portaling yourself, consider sending a drone, a simple projectile, or even a sacrificial block through your portal to confirm the safety of the destination. Better a lost item than a lost life.
Advanced Portal Gunnery: Tips for the Savvy ATM10 Explorer
The Portal Gun doesn't exist in a vacuum within ATM10; it's a powerful tool that shines even brighter when integrated with the modpack's other features. Here's how to make your teleportation adventures truly seamless.
Complementing Waystones for Flexible Travel
While your Portal Gun offers on-demand, temporary links, Waystones provide fixed, reusable fast travel points. You can find Waystones in villages or craft them yourself. Use them to create permanent teleportation hubs between key locations like your main base, an outpost, or a critical resource farm. The Portal Gun, then, becomes your tactical, short-range jumper, bridging gaps between your established Waystone network. Think of Waystones as your highway system, and the Portal Gun as your off-road vehicle for reaching specific points along those highways or exploring new areas.
Strategic Resource Gathering with Portal Precision
You can't portal directly to the Mining Dimension for its flat, ore-rich terrain or to The Other for its valuable (and dangerous) loot. However, the Portal Gun is invaluable within these dimensions once you've arrived via your crafted Teleport Pads. Use it to quickly traverse vast distances in the Mining Dimension, zipping between ore veins after using your Vein Miner (grave key) to clear entire deposits. In The Other, use portals to rapidly reposition during combat or to ferry valuable blocks back to a safe collection point.
Remember, efficient mining starts with identifying locations. Use your Nature's Compass to locate specific biomes needed for resources like Allthemodium (found in the Deep Dark), and your Explorer's Compass to pinpoint structures like Bastions or Woodland Mansions. Once you've located your target, your Portal Gun can help you quickly set up a base of operations or an escape route.
Protecting Your Portal Exits with Light Field Blocks
We touched on this for safety, but it bears repeating: Light Field Blocks are a Portal Gun user's best friend. Imagine portaling into a completely dark, monster-infested cavern. Without a Light Field Block, you're immediately under attack. With one strategically placed at your exit point, you create an instant safe zone, allowing you to survey your surroundings, prepare for combat, or simply secure a temporary base. This synergy transforms dangerous incursions into manageable explorations.
Managing Fuel and Loot with Sophisticated Storage
Every teleport consumes Ender Dust, and every adventure yields loot. An unorganized inventory is a slow inventory. ATM10’s Sophisticated Storage mod is perfect for keeping your Portal Gun's fuel and gathered treasures in order. Invest in high-quality Sophisticated Backpacks with Magnet Upgrades to automatically collect items. Back at base, use efficient sorting systems to automatically funnel collected Ender Dust into designated storage or processing units, ensuring you're always topped off and ready for the next jump. For a deeper dive into streamlining your storage, explore The ATM10 Portal Gun Hub.
Durability and Repair with Silent Gear
While not directly related to the Portal Gun itself, the general ATM10 tip of using Silent Gear for your tools is highly relevant for extended portal adventures. Silent Gear tools are modular, don't break but become unusable, and can be repaired indefinitely. If you're using your Portal Gun to reach new mining spots or tackle dangerous dungeons, you'll want reliable tools. Crafting durable Silent Gear pickaxes, for example, means you won't be caught off guard with a broken tool far from home, especially after you've just ported into a prime mining spot.
Beyond Blue & Orange: Exploring Portal Gun Variants and Quirks
The basic Portal Gun might fire the iconic blue and orange portals, but the mod introduces several fun and functional variants, each with its own flair.
- Atlas Portal Gun: This variant shoots light-blue (left-click) and purple (right-click) portals. A subtle aesthetic change for those who prefer a different color palette.
- P-Body Portal Gun: If yellow and red are more your style, the P-Body Portal Gun has you covered, firing yellow with a left-click and red with a right-click.
- Potato Gun (formerly Bacon Gun): This is where customization truly comes into play. The Potato Gun, which evolved from the older Bacon Gun, allows you to configure your portal colors in the mod settings. This is perfect for personalizing your experience or for differentiating your portals from others in a multiplayer environment. The old Bacon Gun previously shot weak blue and weak purple portals.
The Cake is a Lie: An Indestructible Easter Egg
Fans of the original Portal game will appreciate a delightful Easter egg hidden within the mod. If you fire your Portal Gun hundreds of times, or strategically create a portal within your spawn chunks, you might trigger a curious phenomenon: a cake with a torch will appear directly in front of your portal. This isn't just a decorative treat; it's a reference to the iconic "The cake is a lie" meme.
What's special about this cake? It's indestructible, you can walk straight through it, and it disappears and reappears with every new portal you create. It's a fun, harmless nod to the Portal series and a quirky companion to your teleports.
The Ascending Quicksand Glitch
For those who enjoy experimenting with game mechanics, there's a fascinating glitch involving quicksand. When quicksand is teleported between two upwards-facing portals, it can ascend indefinitely. While not a practical application for most players, it's a testament to the dynamic and sometimes unpredictable interactions possible when spatial manipulation meets unique block properties. This kind of glitch reminds us of the endless possibilities within ATM10's modded environment.
Troubleshooting & FAQ: Mastering Your Teleportation Tool
Even the most seasoned Portal Gun users encounter questions. Here are some common concerns and their concise answers:
Q: My portals aren't linking or appearing. What gives?
A: First, check your Ender Dust supply. The gun won't fire without it. Second, ensure you're clicking on valid, solid surfaces. Some blocks or air won't accept a portal. If all else fails, try moving to a new location or restarting your game client, sometimes a small glitch can occur.
Q: Can I use the Portal Gun to steal a mob spawner?
A: The "Pick up Block" function (G key) is for movable entities, not typically fixed blocks like spawners. For moving spawners, you'll need the Silk Touch enchantment (e.g., on a Steam Mining Drill or through enchantment books) to acquire Apothic Spawners, which can then be further modified with items like Echo Shards or Nether Stars.
Q: I'm worried about fall damage. What's the best defense in ATM10?
A: As mentioned, Early Game Flight is your best friend. A Wooden Jetpack with Free Runners is excellent. Also, ensure your exit portals are always on a safe, solid surface, or activate flight before stepping through a potentially high portal.
Q: My portals sometimes disappear on their own. Is this normal?
A: Portals can time out or be dispelled automatically if the area they are in is unloaded (e.g., if you travel too far away). If you want more permanent, fixed teleportation, Waystones or Warp Plates are better long-term solutions, though they serve a different purpose than the dynamic Portal Gun.
Q: Why did a cake appear when I fired my portal?
A: Congratulations, you've triggered the "The cake is a lie" Easter egg! This happens after numerous portal shots or by creating a portal in spawn chunks. It's harmless and disappears/reappears with your portals.
Your Next Adventure: Embracing the Portal Gun in ATM10
The ATM10 Portal Gun is more than just a novelty; it's a fundamental tool for efficient navigation and creative problem-solving in a modpack designed for boundless exploration. By understanding its mechanics, respecting its dangers, and leveraging its synergies with other ATM10 mods, you transform from a mere player into a master of space and time.
So, gather your Ender Dust, keep your eyes peeled for those dungeon chests, and prepare to redefine your journey. Whether you're spelunking in the Deep Dark, constructing an automated farm, or battling formidable foes, the ability to instantly bend space to your will will be your most potent advantage. Go forth, explore, and may your teleportation adventures be seamless and safe!