data/claims/buildcraft-history.yamlBuildCraft (history and reach)
Game: BuildCraft.
SpaceToad posted BuildCraft on the Minecraft Forum on 25 April 2011, describing it as "a new game mod aiming at allowing users to build advanced structures and mechanisms". The thread's opening post credits the code to SpaceToad and the pixels to plashal. buildcraft-history/first-release
opening post, SpaceToadPosted 25 April 2011 - 04:47 PMBuildCraft (original Minecraft Forum thread) · opening post, SpaceToadBuildCraft is a new game mod aiming at allowing users to build advanced structures and mechanisms.BuildCraft (original Minecraft Forum thread) · opening post, SpaceToadCode by: SpaceToad Pixels by: plashalBuildCraft History and Design · opening sectionBuildCraft 1.4.1 (the first release) came out on the 25th of April, 2011.Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — found the post's date line, description and credits in the pinned January 2012 capture, and asie's date in the pinned capture of his postThe capture is from January 2012, when the post's title named 2.2.12 and 3.1.2, so its text is the opening post as edited by then; the date line is the post's own. The repository's tag 1.4.1 ("archived 1.4.1 release") points at a commit of the same day (buildcraft-1-4-1).
Cited by: BuildCraft
Adrian Siekierka (asie), who joined BuildCraft's developers in October 2014, wrote in 2015 that when BuildCraft came out, under Minecraft Beta 1.4, almost none of the later mods existed, and IndustrialCraft 1 had come out a month before. buildcraft-history/modding-in-2011
opening sectionOur story begins in Minecraft Beta 1.4. Yes, that was April 2011BuildCraft History and Design · opening sectionalmost none of the mods that exist today were out back then. IndustrialCraft 1 had only come out a month beforeBuildCraft History and Design · opening sectionas it were when I joined the development team in October 2014Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read the opening section of the pinned captureCited by: BuildCraft
In October 2011 BuildCraft's own website summed the mod up as "Extending Minecraft with pipes, auto-crafting, quarry, engines, and much more!" buildcraft-history/tagline
site headerExtending Minecraft with pipes, auto-crafting, quarry, engines, and much more!Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — found the header line in the pinned 10 October 2011 captureCited by: BuildCraft
By asie's account, the first release had five pipes and no building or crafting; 1.5_01.3 added quarries and automatic crafting tables, which then ran on fast-clocked redstone; 1.6.5.1 added vacuum pipes (later obsidian pipes), land marks and the filler. He also dates mining wells to 1.5_01.1, which the first release's code contradicts. buildcraft-history/early-versions
opening sectionBack then, it actually didn’t have building or crafting - much like the first releases of Minecraft. Instead, it had five pipe typesBuildCraft History and Design · opening sectionBuildCraft 1.5_01.1 brought Mining Wells and a port to beta 1.5_01, and 1.5_01.3 added Quarries and Automatic Crafting Tables (now Auto Workbenches). Back then, they still were powered by fast-clocked redstoneBuildCraft History and Design · opening sectionBuildCraft 1.6.5.1 added Vacuum Pipes (now Obsidian Transport Pipes), the Land Marks and the FillerChecked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read the section in the pinned captureDisputed: asie names the five first pipes as wooden, cobblestone, iron, gold and diamond; the 1.4.1 source registers a "Stone Pipe" and no cobblestone one. He dates mining wells to 1.5_01.1, but the 1.4.1 source already registers an "Iron Mining Well" (both in buildcraft/first-pipes). A scout found the BlockQuarry class first in tag 1.5_01.4 (17 May 2011), not 1.5_01.3; that tag isn't pinned here.
Cited by: BuildCraft, Production chain
By asie's account, BuildCraft 2.0.0, at the end of July 2011, was the first version to depend on Minecraft Forge and added the power system, Minecraft Joules; 2.0.1 brought oil and wrenches, 2.1.0 liquid pipes and pumps, and 2.2.0 conductive pipes, fuel and the refinery. buildcraft-history/power-and-oil
on 2.0.0version 2.0.0 came out at the very end of July 2011. It was the first version to depend on Minecraft Forge. The major revolution here was the addition of a power system - Minecraft Joules.BuildCraft History and Design · on 2.0.0In 2.0.1, we got oil and wrenches, and 2.1.0 gave us fluid pipes and pumps.BuildCraft History and Design · on 2.0.0BuildCraft 2.2.0 added power pipes, fuel and the refinery.Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read the paragraph in the pinned captureCited by: BuildCraft, Fluid network, Power network
asie writes that Eloraam, FlowerChild and SpaceToad created Minecraft Forge, an API on top of Risugami's ModLoader for patches several mods needed, and that SpaceToad made its first commits on 12 July 2011. buildcraft-history/forge
on 1.7.2.1 and ForgeEloraam, FlowerChild and SpaceToad had created an API that was supposed to sit on top of Risugami’s ModLoader and bring inter-mod compatibility for patches required by multiple mods.BuildCraft History and Design · on 1.7.2.1 and Forgethe initial commits were put in place by SpaceToad on July 12, 2011Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read the paragraph in the pinned captureCited by: BuildCraft
SpaceToad released BuildCraft 2.2.1 "with SMP capabilities" (multiplayer servers) on 8 October 2011. asie dates earlier multiplayer support, through ModLoaderMP, to 1.7.2.1. buildcraft-history/smp
post of 8 October 2011BuildCraft 2.2.1 has finally been released with SMP capabilities.BuildCraft History and Design · on 1.7.2.1 and Forge1.7.2.1 was the first version to add support for SMP via ModLoaderMP.Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — found the post's date and opening line, and asie's sentence, in the pinned capturesOn 1 November 2011 SpaceToad announced 2.2.5 as the first 2.x version flagged stable, ended the 1.x line, and opened BuildCraft's distribution rights "under certain restrictions": the sources had been available but not open source by the OSI definition. He added that no mod pack had yet been allowed to include BuildCraft except Arrgh's. buildcraft-history/open-source
"Going Wide Open", 1 November 2011This version will be the first of the 2.x branch flagged as stable – and 1.x is now officially discontinued.Going Wide Open · "Going Wide Open", 1 November 2011though the sources are available, BuildCraft was not completely Open-Source according to the OSI definition.Going Wide Open · "Going Wide Open", 1 November 2011the BuildCraft distributions rights which were closed are now opened, under certain restrictions.Going Wide Open · "Going Wide Open", 1 November 2011there is no mod pack that is allowed to contain BuildCraft (except Arrgh’s one who asked permission very early on)Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read the post in the pinned captureCited by: BuildCraft
SpaceToad's 3.0.0 preview of 8 November 2011 explains the gates: asked for detector pipes, he found them "boring" and built "a flexible generalized detection platform" with a multiplexed signal system instead. He released the alpha on 13 November 2011, with four signals carried on pipes, and advised staying with 2.2.x for regular play. buildcraft-history/gates-alpha
"A preview of BuildCraft 3.0.0", 8 November 2011But detector pipes are boring. So what I did instead is a flexible generalized detection platform, able to detect all kind of events (including items passing through pipes of course, but also chests state, tanks, machines) supported by a comprehensive multiplexed signal system.BuildCraft 3.0.0 Alpha released · "BuildCraft 3.0.0 Alpha released", 13 November 2011I’m happy to release an alpha version of the work I made on the gates.BuildCraft 3.0.0 Alpha released · changelog, "#2 implement signal on pipes"There is now 4 signals that can be carried on pipes, and converted back and forth to redstone.BuildCraft 3.0.0 Alpha released · "BuildCraft 3.0.0 Alpha released", 13 November 2011I strongly advise to stay with BuildCraft 2.2.x for any regular game.Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read both posts in the pinned capturesCited by: BuildCraft
SpaceToad previewed 3.1.0 on 28 December 2011. By asie's account it was billed as "completing the initial mission of BuildCraft" and brought blueprints and blueprint libraries. buildcraft-history/blueprints
"BuildCraft 3.1.0 Preview", 28 December 2011Here comes a preview of the next feature set, to be released in a few weeks with a version tagged 3.1.0:BuildCraft History and Design · on 3.1.0SpaceToad released BuildCraft 3.1.0, “completing the initial mission of BuildCraft!” - specifically, he introduced blueprints and Blueprint Libraries.Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read the preview post (a video and one line) and asie's paragraph in the pinned capturesThe preview's features are in its video, not its text; the 3.1.2 tag of 17 January 2012 (buildcraft-3-1-2) holds the blueprint code.
Cited by: BuildCraft
On 2 March 2012 SpaceToad handed BuildCraft to Krapht and SirSengir, makers of the Logistic Pipes and Forestry mods, saying he could no longer give the 15 or more hours a week he had put in over the project's first nine months. He wrote that the project had been designed from the start to be community-driven, which was a main reason it had been open source. buildcraft-history/handover
"Handing over BuildCraft development", 2 March 2012I’m no more able to commit to the 15+ hours of work per week on BuildCraft that I have been putting together over the first 9 months of the project.Handing over BuildCraft development · "Handing over BuildCraft development", 2 March 2012From the very beginning, this project has been designed to be community driven. This was one of the main reason why it has been Open-Source to start withHanding over BuildCraft development · "Handing over BuildCraft development", 2 March 2012Krapht and SirSengir have volunteer to take over and co-lead the project. You probably know them from the amazing work they’ve done on the Logistic Pipes and Forestry mods.BuildCraft - Blueprints, Pipes, Quarries, Autocrafting, Logic Gates and more! · opening post, SirSengir, 22 April 2012It was created by Spacetoad and is currently maintained by Krapht and SirSengirChecked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read the post in the pinned capture and the new thread's opening postCited by: BuildCraft
SpaceToad's Patreon page of December 2014 says he had made Minecraft mods since April 2011 and, after a long time off, came back in 2014 to lead BuildCraft's development again. buildcraft-history/return-2014
profile textMy name is SpaceToad, and I've been a Minecraft mod developer since April 2011. After a long time off, I came back in 2014, working again in the community. I'm currently leading the development of the mod I initially created: BuildCraft.Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — found the profile text in the pinned captureCited by: BuildCraft
SpaceToad's Minecraft Forum thread for BuildCraft ran to 991 pages by January 2012. buildcraft-history/forum-thread
Value: 991 pages
Dev blogBuildCraft (original Minecraft Forum thread) ·thread header991 PagesChecked by claude, 2026-10-26 — found the page count in the pinned 19 January 2012 captureThe capture doesn't say how many posts a page held, so no post count is given. The 2012 thread's capture shows 286 replies on 15 pages, which suggests 20 posts a page on the same forum, but that is not stated for this thread.
Cited by: BuildCraft
BuildCraft's CurseForge page showed 43,997,544 downloads in July 2026, counting only that page's files. buildcraft-history/downloads
Value: 43997544 downloads
WebBuildcraft - Minecraft Mods - CurseForge ·Details, Downloads43,997,544Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — found the figure in the pinned 14 July 2026 captureCited by: BuildCraft
Team CoFH says Thermal Expansion began as a BuildCraft addon: it needed BuildCraft, or addons such as Forestry, to power its machines with Minecraft Joules, and became independent only in its third iteration. buildcraft-history/thermal-expansion
HistoryTE was a BuildCraft addon: it required BuildCraft itself or addons like Forestry in order to power the machines with Minecraft Joules, BuildCraft’s old power system. It wasn’t until the third iteration that the mod became fully independent.Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — found the paragraph in the pinned captureCited by: BuildCraft, Fluid network, Power network
asie names Krapht’s Logistics Pipes among the most notable BuildCraft addons, adding a routing system that supplies and provides items. buildcraft-history/logistics-pipes
on the 2.2 branchKrapht’s Logistics Pipes came out - one of the most notable BuildCraft addons, adding a routing system for supplying and providing items intelligently.Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read the paragraph in the pinned captureCited by: BuildCraft
In 2015 asie, then a BuildCraft developer, credited the mod with "the first pipes, quarries and builders", and named gates and the filler among its features, quite a few of which he said other mods hadn't replicated. buildcraft-history/asie-legacy
design viewsBuildCraft who brought the first pipes, quarries and builders; BuildCraft gave us programmable Robots, which, unlike turtles, were somewhat accessible to the common man, Gates, the Filler and many other features, of which quite a few were not replicated in other mods to the present day.Checked by claude, 2026-10-26 — read the paragraph in the pinned captureA maintainer's claim of firsts, not checked against other 2011 mods; the page says "earliest known" only where a source shows it.
Cited by: BuildCraft