Create Tick Controller

Advanced Performance Optimization for Create Mod

Create Tick Controller is a powerful server-side performance optimization mod that dynamically controls the tick rate of Create mod's mechanical components. Designed for large-scale factory builds and server environments, it prevents TPS drops by intelligently throttling block entity updates while maintaining visual synchronization on the client side.

Features Overview
How It Works
Performance Benchmarks
Installation
Commands Reference
Configuration Guide
Technical Deep-Dive
Best Practices
FAQ

Features Overview

Core Features

Feature	Description
Global Tick Divisor	Reduce tick frequency for ALL Create block entities at once
Per-Type Divisor	Fine-tune tick rates for specific machine types (e.g., only slow down Millstones)
Blacklist System	Protect critical machines from global throttling
Dynamic TPS Control	Automatic tick adjustment based on server TPS using configurable formulas
Emergency MSPT Protection	Safety net that activates when server is struggling
Client Animation Sync	Animations visually reflect the actual tick rate — no desync
Network Synchronization	All settings automatically sync to connected clients

Supported Block Entities (80+ Types)

Category	Examples
Kinetics	Belts, Gearboxes, Shafts, Clutches, Gearshifts, Flywheels…
Processing	Millstones, Crushing Wheels, Saws, Mixers, Presses…
Logistics	Funnels, Chutes, Arms, Ejectors, Packagers…
Fluids	Pumps, Pipes, Hose Pulleys, Spouts, Fluid Tanks…
Contraptions	Bearings, Pulleys, Pistons, Gantries, Elevators…
Redstone	Nixie Tubes, Display Links, Redstone Links…
Trains	Stations, Signals, Tracks, Train Controls…

How It Works

The Tick Divisor Concept

Game Tick	1	2	3	4	5	6
Normal (No Divisor)	TICK	TICK	TICK	TICK	TICK	TICK
Divisor = 3	TICK	SKIP	SKIP	TICK	SKIP	SKIP

Divisor	Ticks Executed	Ticks Skipped	CPU Load Reduction
3	1 / 3	2 / 3	~66%

Key Insight: A divisor of 3 means the block entity only processes every 3rd tick, reducing CPU load by ~66% for that entity type.

Distributed Tick Scheduling

To prevent lag spikes, entities don't all tick on the same frame. Instead, they're distributed using position-based offsets:

Divisor = 4, Four Belt segments at different positions:

Game Tick	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Belt A	TICK				TICK				TICK
Belt B		TICK				TICK				TICK
Belt C			TICK				TICK				TICK
Belt D				TICK				TICK				TICK

Result: Load is evenly distributed across all ticks!

Client Animation Synchronization

The mod uses Mixins to intercept animation calculations on the client side:

Server: Block ticks at 1/4 speed (divisor=4)
   ↓
Network: Divisor synced to client

                    ↓

Client: Animation speed = originalSpeed / 4


Visual Result: Gears rotate 4x slower, matching actual processing speed

Performance Benchmarks

Test Environment

Hardware:       Intel i7-10700K, 32GB RAM, NVMe SSD

Minecraft:      1.21.1 with NeoForge
Create

Version: 6.0.8 & 6.0.9

Test World:     Superflat with controlled factory setups

Benchmark 1: Large Belt Network

Setup: 500 belt segments transporting items in a loop

Results table

Divisor	MSPT	TPS	CPU Usage	Items/sec	Efficiency
1	78,5	12,7	94%	1000	100,00%
2	52,3	19,1	71%	500	50,00%
4	38,1	20,0	52%	250	25,00%
8	31,2	20,0	43%	125	12,50%
16	27,8	20,0	38%	62	6,25%

Benchmark 2: Processing Factory

Setup: 50 Millstones + 50 Mechanical Presses + 100 Funnels

Setup: 50 Millstones + 50 Mechanical Presses + 100 Funnels

Divisor	MSPT	TPS	Throughput	Notes
1	89,2	11,2	100,00%	Unplayable lag
2	58,7	17,0	50,00%	Noticeable improvement
4	41,3	20,0	25,00%	Full TPS restored
8	33,6	20,0	12,50%	Overkill for this setup

Benchmark 3: Mixed Factory (Real-World Scenario)

Setup: Complete factory with trains, processing, and logistics

200 Belt segments
30 Mechanical Arms
40 Funnels
20 Millstones
10 Crushing Wheels
5 Train stations with active trains

*Optimized configuration:

Configuration	MSPT	TPS	Description
No mod	125,4	8,0	Severe lag, unplayable
Global divisor = 4	45,2	20,0	Playable, slow processing
Optimized per-type	38,7	20,0	Best balance
Emergency mode active	42,1	20,0	Auto-adjusted during stress

Example: Optimized per-type divisors

Component	Divisor
Belts	2
Arms	4
Millstones	8
Crushing Wheels	4
Funnels	2

MSPT Reduction Chart

MSPT Improvement by Divisor (200 Block Entities)

125 ─┤ ██████████████████████████████████████████ Baseline
     │

100 ─┤ ██████████████████████████████████ Div=2 (-20%)
     │

 75 ─┤ ████████████████████████████ Div=3 (-40%)
     │

 50 ─┤ ██████████████████████ Div=4 (-56%)
     │

 40 ─┤ █████████████████ Div=6 (-68%)
     │

 30 ─┤ █████████████ Div=8 (-76%)
     │

 25 ─┤ ██████████ Div=12 (-80%)
     │

 20 ─┤ ████████ Div=16 (-84%)

     ├──────────────────────────────────────────────
        0    25    50    75   100   125  MSPT

Divisor	MSPT	Note
1	125	Baseline
2	100	Div=2 (-20%)
3	75	Div=3 (-40%)
4	50	Div=4 (-56%)
6	40	Div=6 (-68%)
8	30	Div=8 (-76%)
12	25	Div=12 (-80%)
16	20	Div=16 (-84%)

CPU Time Distribution

Without Mod vs With Divisor=4

Category	Without Mod (%)	With Divisor=4 (%)
Create Block Entities	45%	12%
World Tick	22%	22%
Entity Processing	18%	18%
Other	15%	15%
Headroom	0%	33%

Installation

Requirements

Minecraft 1.21.1
NeoForge 21.1.x or higher
Create Mod 6.0+

Installation Steps

Download the latest release from CurseForge
Place the .jar file in your mods folder
Launch the game - configuration file will be auto-generated
Use /tickcontrol commands to configure (requires OP level 2)

Commands Reference

Basic Commands

/tickcontrol status

Displays current tick controller status including:

Global tick/sync divisors
Active type-specific divisors
Blacklisted types
Dynamic/Emergency system status
Current TPS/MSPT readings

Global Control

/tickcontrol global <1-200>      Set global tick divisor

/tickcontrol sync <1-200>        Set global sync divisor (network updates)

/tickcontrol reset               Reset all settings to defaults

Per-Type Control

/tickcontrol type <TypeName> <1-200>    Set divisor for specific type

/tickcontrol type <TypeName> reset      Reset type to use global divisor

/tickcontrol list [dimension]           List all block entities by type

Example - Slow down only Millstones:

/tickcontrol type MillstoneBlockEntity 8

Blacklist Management

/tickcontrol blacklist add <TypeName>     Protect type from global divisor

/tickcontrol blacklist remove <TypeName>  Remove protection

/tickcontrol blacklist list               Show all blacklisted types

/tickcontrol blacklist clear              Clear entire blacklist

Example - Protect Train Stations:

/tickcontrol blacklist add StationBlockEntity

Dynamic TPS Control

/tickcontrol dynamic pause     Pause automatic TPS adjustment

/tickcontrol dynamic resume    Resume automatic adjustment

Configuration Guide

Configuration file location: config/createtickcontroller-server.toml

Dynamic TPS System

[dynamic]

# Enable formula-based tick divisor calculation

enabled = false

# Formula using TPS variable (0-20)

# Examples:

# "3 * (21 - tps)" - Aggressive scaling

# "(20 - tps) * 2" - Moderate scaling

# "tps < 15 ? 10 : 1" - Binary threshold

# "max(1, (20-tps) * 5)" - With minimum cap

formula = "3 * (21 - tps)"

# Check interval in ticks (20 = 1 second)

updateInterval = 20

# Divisor bounds

minDivisor = 1

maxDivisor = 50

# Target TPS for calculations

targetTps = 20.0

Formula Examples

Formula	Behavior
`3 * (21 - tps)`	At 18 TPS → divisor 9, at 15 TPS → divisor 18
`(20 - tps) * 2`	At 18 TPS → divisor 4, at 15 TPS → divisor 10
`tps < 15 ? 10 : 1`	Binary: divisor 10 below 15 TPS, else 1
`min(20, max(1, (20-tps)*3))`	Clamped aggressive scaling

Formula Variables:

tps - Current server TPS (0-20)
targetTps - Configured target (default 20)
mspt - Current milliseconds per tick

Supported Functions:

min(a, b), max(a, b), abs(x)
floor(x), ceil(x), round(x)
sqrt(x), pow(base, exp)
Ternary: condition ? valueIfTrue : valueIfFalse

Emergency MSPT System

[emergency]

# Enable MSPT-based safety system

enabled = true

# MSPT threshold to trigger (50ms = 20 TPS)

msptThreshold = 55.0

# MSPT level to start recovery

recoveryMspt = 45.0

# How much to increase divisor per step

increment = 2

# How much to decrease during recovery

decrement = 1

# Check interval in ticks

updateInterval = 10

# Maximum emergency divisor

maxDivisor = 100

Emergency System Behavior

MSPT Timeline Example:

Step	MSPT	Divisor	Threshold	Recovery	Note
1	56	1	55	45	Above threshold
2	58	3	55	45	Peak (above threshold)
3	55	5	55	45	At/above threshold
4	50	5	55	45	Descending
5	44	4	55	45	Below recovery (decrement)
6	40	3	55	45	Recovering low
7	56	5	55	45	Peak (above threshold)
8	50	5	55	45	Descending
9	44	4	55	45	Below recovery (decrement)
10	40	3	55	45	Recovering low
11	35	2	55	45	Lowest point
12	40	1	55	45	Stabilizing

Divisor:	1 → 3 → 5 → 5 → 4 → 3 → 5 → 5 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 1
Actions:	Increment when MSPT > 55, Decrement when MSPT < 45

The gap between threshold (55) and recovery (45) prevents oscillation.

Technical Deep-Dive

🧩 Architecture Overview

SERVER SIDE

DynamicTickController (TPS / MSPT Monitor)	→	TickControllerManager - globalTickDivisor - typeTickDivisors - blacklistedTypes - shouldTick()	→	SmartBlockEntityMixin (Intercepts tick calls)

TickControllerConfig (TOML)	→	TickControllerManager

NETWORK SYNC		TickDivisorSyncPacket - globalDivisor - syncDivisor - typeDivisors - blacklist

CLIENT SIDE		ClientTickManager - store divisors - getDivisorForType() - getAnimationSpeedMultiplier()

		↓

KineticBE Renderer Mixin		RotatingInstance Mixin (Flywheel)		LinearActuator Mixin (Pulleys)

Animation Speed = originalSpeed / divisor

Mixin Injection Points

Server-Side: Tick Throttling

Client-Side: Animation Sync

shouldTick() Algorithm

Memory Footprint

Component	Memory Usage
TickControllerManager	~2 KB (static maps)
ClientTickManager	~1 KB (mirror of server state)
Per-entity overhead	0 bytes (uses existing position hash)
Network packet	~200 bytes per sync

Best Practices

Recommended Configurations

Recommended Config Snippets (TOML)

Small / Medium / Large server examples

Small Server (1–5 players, light factories)
Key	Value
dynamic.enabled	FALSE
emergency.enabled	TRUE
emergency.msptThreshold	55
emergency.recoveryMspt	48
emergency.increment	1
emergency.decrement	1


Medium Server (5–20 players, moderate factories)
Key	Value
dynamic.enabled	TRUE
dynamic.formula	2 * (20 - tps)
dynamic.minDivisor	1
dynamic.maxDivisor	20
emergency.enabled	TRUE
emergency.msptThreshold	52
emergency.recoveryMspt	45
emergency.increment	2
emergency.decrement	1


Large Server (20+ players, mega factories)
Key	Value
dynamic.enabled	TRUE
dynamic.formula	4 * (21 - tps)
dynamic.minDivisor	1
dynamic.maxDivisor	50
emergency.enabled	TRUE
emergency.msptThreshold	50
emergency.recoveryMspt	40
emergency.increment	3
emergency.decrement	1
emergency.maxDivisor	100

Per-Type Optimization Guide

Block Entity Type	Recommended Divisor	Reason
BeltBlockEntity	2-4	High count, visual impact
MillstoneBlockEntity	4-8	Slow processing anyway
CrushingWheelController	4-8	Heavy computation
MechanicalArmBlockEntity	2-4	Precision needed
FunnelBlockEntity	2-4	High count in factories
ChainConveyorBlockEntity	2-4	Similar to belts
PumpBlockEntity	4-8	Fluid calc intensive
MechanicalMixerBlockEntity	4-8	Recipe processing
StationBlockEntity	1 (blacklist)	Critical for trains
SignalBlockEntity	1 (blacklist)	Safety critical

What to Blacklist

Always consider blacklisting:

Train infrastructure: StationBlockEntity, SignalBlockEntity, TrackBlockEntity
Redstone timing: SequencedGearshiftBlockEntity, BrassDiodeBlockEntity
Player interaction: ToolboxBlockEntity, LecternControllerBlockEntity

FAQ

Q: Will this break my contraptions?

A: No. Contraptions (moving structures) are handled differently by Create and are not affected by this mod. Only stationary block entities are throttled.

Q: Do items get lost on belts?

A: No. Items are still processed, just less frequently. With divisor=4, items move at 1/4 speed but never disappear.

Q: Why do my gears look slow?

A: This is intentional! Client animations are synchronized with the server tick rate so you can visually confirm the throttling is working. This also helps players understand why processing is slower.

Q: Can I use this on a client connecting to a vanilla server?

A: The mod is server-side required. Clients need it installed to see synchronized animations, but the server controls all throttling logic.

Q: Does this work with Create addons?

A: Yes! Any addon that extends SmartBlockEntity will automatically be throttled. You can use per-type divisors for addon-specific machines.

Q: What's the difference between Dynamic and Emergency systems?

Dynamic: Proactive, formula-based, adjusts based on current TPS
Emergency: Reactive, threshold-based, safety net for sudden lag spikes
Both can run simultaneously: finalDivisor = max(dynamic, emergency)

Q: How do I find the type name for a block entity?

A: Use /tickcontrol list to see all loaded Create block entities grouped by type name.

Create Tick Controller is not affiliated with the Create mod team. Create is developed by simibubi and the Create team.

Create : Tick Control