Nah, you didn't sound like an ass, I just seem to be in a minority of B12ers who has serious trouble understanding how all this works (or, that is, I have serious trouble figuring it out on my own - once it's explained to me step by step I usually do fine), and it's all a little bewildering. In the past, I've just never seen the point of automation, so I never learned how it works. Once you have machines to do everything for you, what's the point of the game? But now I can see how sometimes it's necessary, like when you're making higher-level stuff. I'm sure I'm quite capable of learning it, but as of now I'm pretty lost.
Regarding the server version, no, it hasn't been updated yet. It's still on 2.1.2. You can set the version in the modpack options, and then you can connect to the server after it "updates" to the earlier version. (I did the same thing.)
I just did some more mining, but I didn't find much of use this time and the server is laggier than usual (or it might be my connection, which has been extra-slow lately) so I've given up for the moment. I did take a look at the alchemical construct and such. I think I understand some of it. I put the catalyst in - it was pretty obvious where that should go. The ethereal bloom showed up, faded, and I clicked it, but then nothing seemed to happen other than the needed essentia showing up in the bottom. Maybe I needed to wait a while. I'll have to play with it more later. I saw the purple square thing (terminal? something like that) and opened it to see all the essentia we have. I'm not clear on how this essentia storage network thing was made or how the essentia travels from the storage to the alchemical construct. Also, I see the alchemical furnace and also an alchemical boiler - what's the difference? Once I've got that figured out, I'll start producing some more ethereal blooms to take to Beta, which is really getting overrun now. I suppose I shouldn't use up all the essentia though, since we need it to produce totems of dawn, right? Maybe I can try to figure out how to do that, actually. Is the altar connected to the network?
Has anyone started setting up Botania yet? That's one mod that I feel a bit more comfortable with, having experience with it from Regrowth. (And it being nature magic, it fits more with my idea of Minecraft and doesn't scare me off as easily as the tech mods.
) There are some really useful items you can make with it that I'd like to make soon, but of course we should decide on one place to set it all up, if it's not already done.
Also, has anyone explored the underwater lab by the swamp yet? I was thinking I'd like to clear the water out of the middle and make an entrance with a ladder, so we can go in and out and actually use that space even though there's no teleporter there. I know it's probably not necessary now, we have the altar at Delta and such, but it's just a cool place and I might sort of make it my home once it's cleared out and untainted. There are also some needed Botania flowers down there, if we haven't gotten them yet.