What Is the Not So Tuff Datapack and Why Your Create World Needs It
If you have ever stared at a sprawling Create mod factory and wished for a more elegant way to produce tuff, you are not alone. The vanilla Minecraft recipe for tuff is conspicuously absent, leaving builders and engineers to quarry entire chunks just to get their hands on this gray, volcanic-looking block. Enter Not So Tuff, a clever datapack that bridges the gap between Create’s mechanical ingenuity and the need for a renewable tuff supply. It works entirely server-side, so you do not need to touch client files, and it slots into your existing world like a missing gear in a precision machine.
Why Tuff Deserves a Better Recipe
Mojang introduced tuff in the Caves & Cliffs update as a decorative stone that generates in blobs underground. It is perfect for industrial builds, texturing pathways, and blending with deepslate palettes. The problem? You cannot craft it. While other stones like granite, diorite, and andesite have simple crafting recipes using quartz and cobblestone, tuff has no such option. This forces players to either strip-mine massive areas or rely on limited world generation. For builders who need stacks upon stacks of the block, the vanilla approach quickly becomes tedious.
How Not So Tuff Transforms Scoria into Tuff
The core idea behind Not So Tuff is beautifully straightforward: it lets you convert scoria into tuff using Create’s bulk blasting mechanic. Scoria, that dark, bubbly byproduct of chocolate and soul sand mixing in a heated basin, often piles up in storage drawers with no real purpose. With this datapack, you simply place scoria in front of an encased fan blowing through a heat source, and the bulk blasting process transforms it into tuff. The recipe mimics real-world volcanic processes—scoria is a type of vesicular basalt, and tuff is formed from volcanic ash, so the conversion feels logical within Minecraft’s own crafting logic.
This single addition turns an underused material into a valuable building resource. It also ties neatly into Create’s progression, encouraging players to set up automated scoria production lines. You can pipe scoria from a mixer onto a conveyor belt, pass it through a bulk blasting array, and collect tuff on the other side. The entire system runs without any player intervention, making it a perfect fit for large-scale factory servers.
Server-Side Simplicity and Mod Compatibility
One of the biggest advantages of Not So Tuff is that it works completely server-side. You drop the datapack into your world’s datapacks folder, reload, and the recipe becomes available to everyone—no client mods required. This makes it ideal for multiplayer servers where you want to add quality-of-life features without forcing players to install anything extra. It also plays nicely with other datapacks and mods that tweak stone generation or add new materials, since it only introduces a single bulk blasting recipe.
For those who enjoy modded Minecraft but dislike managing complex client configurations, there is a growing ecosystem of launchers that streamline the process. For instance, the foxygame.net launcher offers a modern, flexible way to browse and install mods directly from its built-in menu, making it easy to add datapacks like Not So Tuff to your instance without hunting through file directories. That convenience means you spend less time tweaking and more time building automated tuff factories.
Planned Features and Future Recipes
The current version of Not So Tuff focuses on the scoria-to-tuff conversion, but the creator has stated that more recipes are on the horizon. While no specific details have been locked in, the community is buzzing with speculation. Some players hope for a way to turn andesite or diorite into tuff using mechanical mixers, while others dream of a renewable tuff source involving cobblestone generators and sequenced assembly. Whatever the future holds, the datapack is designed to expand without breaking existing setups, so early adopters can safely build their factories now and enjoy new options later.
Possible Additions the Community Wants
- Andesite mixing recipe – Combine andesite with gravel or flint in a mixer to produce tuff.
- Cobblestone crushing – Use crushing wheels to break cobblestone into tuff fragments that can be compacted.
- Renewable tuff loop – A full cycle where tuff can be turned back into scoria under certain conditions, closing the resource loop.
- Decorative variants – Recipes for tuff bricks, polished tuff, and tuff slabs using stonecutters or mechanical crafters.
Why You Should Add Not So Tuff to Your World
Minecraft mods and datapacks shine when they solve a specific pain point without bloating your game. Not So Tuff does exactly that. It respects vanilla balance, leverages an existing mod’s mechanics, and requires zero client-side setup. Whether you are a solo builder tired of mining for hours or a server admin looking to enrich the player experience, this datapack delivers immediate value. The scoria-to-tuff recipe alone can transform how you approach industrial-scale building, and the promise of future updates makes it a long-term addition to your world.
Pairing Not So Tuff with a well-organized modded launcher can further enhance your experience. The ability to manage datapacks, mods, and resource packs from one clean interface reduces the friction of keeping everything updated. When you can install a datapack in seconds and jump straight into designing conveyor belt systems, the game feels more like a creative sandbox and less like a file management exercise.
Getting Started with Not So Tuff
Installation is as simple as downloading the datapack from its official source and placing it in the datapacks folder of your world save. If you are running a server, the same folder structure applies. After a quick /reload, the bulk blasting recipe becomes active. To test it, set up an encased fan powered by a water wheel or windmill, place a heat source like fire or a campfire in front of it, and drop scoria items onto a depot or belt. The fan will process the scoria into tuff in seconds. From there, you can scale the design using chutes, funnels, and mechanical arms to handle input and output automatically.
Final Thoughts
Not So Tuff may be a small datapack, but it fills a gap that many Create players have felt for years. By turning scoria into tuff through bulk blasting, it adds a logical, automatable recipe that respects both Minecraft’s geology and Create’s engineering philosophy. The server-side nature ensures broad compatibility, and the roadmap hints at even more creative recipes down the line. If you have ever looked at a chest full of scoria and wondered what to do with it, this datapack gives you the answer. Install it, fire up your encased fans, and watch your tuff supply grow without ever touching a pickaxe.