Now on the FTB Launcher. (v1.0.1 Now Out)
PACK CODE: "SoSimple" (without the quotes)
Description (will most likely be changed, will take suggestions):
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
How many times have you walked past something in modded Minecraft, and thought, “Oh, interesting - but I’ll never use it”? For me, that happens all the time in big packs. One mod will just be so good at what it does that all the others are not even necessary. I aim to change that. I aim to make a lightweight pack, playable by even those on bad computers, where every item you look at will have an opportunity to be used. With a mere 24 mods, I can create a pack with the same scope as one with 240 mods. And yet, to many, the gameplay of that pack will be entirely new, because mechanics hidden right under their nose were unnecessary.
How does one solve power creep? I have chosen an answer, and that answer is, abandon the mods that creep too far. If Big Reactors generates too much power and is hard to balance, remove it. If Applied Energistics 2 solves sorting with “ME Drive”, and autocrafting becomes “interface, import bus, pattern, walk away”, then try something nontrivial. If Draconic Evolution reduces almost all combat to “Wyvern Armor and Staff of Power”, then kick it to the curb, because adventure cannot be had with an “I win” button.
Sometimes, more is not better.
So let’s go back to the basics. Let’s find new and interesting ways to do things. Let’s make combat be more than “just another creeper”. Extend the endgame, not by raising number caps, but by changing the necessary accomplishments.
Let’s show that, in complexity, there can be simplicity.
Let’s show that simplicity is fun.
This pack contains Fastcraft, by Player, enabled by default. Fastcraft enhances Minecraft with increased performance. Bug reports being made directly to Mod Authors should state Fastcraft is enabled.
Simplicity is:
- Minimalist
With only 24 mods, anyone can run it. In fact, it is so minimalist, that there is no copper or tin. Now that's minimalist.
- Nonstandard
There is no Thermal Expansion. There is no Tinkers' Construct. There is no Applied Energistics. All the main mods, common to most every pack, are simply not present. And yet there are mechanics to do all of what these mods used to do. This is a pack to challenge yourself to find different ways of doing things.
- Largely scoped
As above, it is my intent that, in Simplicity, you can replicate anything possible in a larger, kitchen sink pack.
- Ready for adventure
With Infernal Mobs, Special Mobs, Twilight Forest, and Roguelike Dungeons, you are guaranteed to find situations that can challenge even an endgame player.
Mod List:
Changelog:
My policy on adding mods:
Mods that I will definitely NOT be adding:
Changes being considered (taking suggestions):
Of course, this post will be edited as necessary. Have fun!
PACK CODE: "SoSimple" (without the quotes)
Description (will most likely be changed, will take suggestions):
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
How many times have you walked past something in modded Minecraft, and thought, “Oh, interesting - but I’ll never use it”? For me, that happens all the time in big packs. One mod will just be so good at what it does that all the others are not even necessary. I aim to change that. I aim to make a lightweight pack, playable by even those on bad computers, where every item you look at will have an opportunity to be used. With a mere 24 mods, I can create a pack with the same scope as one with 240 mods. And yet, to many, the gameplay of that pack will be entirely new, because mechanics hidden right under their nose were unnecessary.
How does one solve power creep? I have chosen an answer, and that answer is, abandon the mods that creep too far. If Big Reactors generates too much power and is hard to balance, remove it. If Applied Energistics 2 solves sorting with “ME Drive”, and autocrafting becomes “interface, import bus, pattern, walk away”, then try something nontrivial. If Draconic Evolution reduces almost all combat to “Wyvern Armor and Staff of Power”, then kick it to the curb, because adventure cannot be had with an “I win” button.
Sometimes, more is not better.
So let’s go back to the basics. Let’s find new and interesting ways to do things. Let’s make combat be more than “just another creeper”. Extend the endgame, not by raising number caps, but by changing the necessary accomplishments.
Let’s show that, in complexity, there can be simplicity.
Let’s show that simplicity is fun.
This pack contains Fastcraft, by Player, enabled by default. Fastcraft enhances Minecraft with increased performance. Bug reports being made directly to Mod Authors should state Fastcraft is enabled.
Simplicity is:
- Minimalist
With only 24 mods, anyone can run it. In fact, it is so minimalist, that there is no copper or tin. Now that's minimalist.
- Nonstandard
There is no Thermal Expansion. There is no Tinkers' Construct. There is no Applied Energistics. All the main mods, common to most every pack, are simply not present. And yet there are mechanics to do all of what these mods used to do. This is a pack to challenge yourself to find different ways of doing things.
- Largely scoped
As above, it is my intent that, in Simplicity, you can replicate anything possible in a larger, kitchen sink pack.
- Ready for adventure
With Infernal Mobs, Special Mobs, Twilight Forest, and Roguelike Dungeons, you are guaranteed to find situations that can challenge even an endgame player.
Mod List:
This pack contains the following mods by default:
- Alternate Terrain Generation by TTFTCUTS
- AppleCore by squeek502
- Automagy by Tuhljin - Granted
- Baubles by Azanor
- Blood Magic by WayofTime
- Botania by Vazkii
- Carpenter's Blocks by Mineshopper
- Chisel 2 by warlordjones, tterrag1098, TheCricket26, Drullkus
- CodeChickenCore by Chickenbones
- CodeChickenLib by Chickenbones
- Cosmetic Armor by dmillerw
- EnderIO by CrazyPants
- Extra Utilities by RWTema
- FastCraft by Player
- Forbidden Magic by SpitefulFox
- Guide-API by TehNut, Tombenpotter
- HarvestCraft by MatrexsVigil, Rhodox
- Hunger Overhaul by iguana_man
- Infernal Mobs by AtomicStryker
- INpure Core by denoflionsx
- Inventory Tweaks by Kobata
- MineTweaker by StanH
- ModTweaker by jaredlll08, joshie, SpitefulFox
- Natural Absorption by FatherToast
- Not Enough Items by Chickenbones
- Roguelike Dungeons by Greymerk
- Special Mobs by FatherToast
- Storage Drawers by jaquadro
- Thaumcraft by Azanor
- Thaumcraft NEI Plugin by DjGiannuzz
- Thaumcraft Node Tracker by Dyonovan
- Twilight Forest by Benimatic
- Unique Artifacts by Draco18s - Granted
- Waila by ProfMobius
- Witchery by Emoniph - Granted
Changelog:
v1.0.1:
- Added Hunger Overhaul. Copied the config file from the third-party pack Wanderlust Reloaded, so food isn't nerfed too badly.
- Added ATG. Warning, the default world type on the server is still vanilla; change world type to "ATG" in server.properties to use the mod on a server. (I don't think I can change this myself; let me know if I'm lying without knowing it.)
- Added Automagy. The redstone improvement isn't the best, but everything else adds functionality.
- Added Guide-API, which lets you craft an in-game guide book for Blood Magic.
- Added a script file to give Thaumcraft aspects to Blood Magic items (credit to DelviousCrafts).
- Added Thaumcraft Node Tracker. It's a nice quality-of-life mod, after all.
- Added Storage Drawers. I decided on that one as my storage option.
My policy on adding mods:
Quality of Life mods (e.g. Waila, NEI): I have no beef with these. If you bring one to my attention that I have not added, I will almost certainly be glad to add it. Pretty sure I've missed a bunch, too.
Map mods (e.g. Journeymap): These I dislike a little more. I will probably end up deciding to include one map mod, disabled by default, but I have not decided on a map mod yet, mostly because I'm not sure which one would be good for the pack.
Content mods: Well, this pack is supposed to be minimalist, isn't it? That said, if you bring a mod appropriate for the pack to my attention, I will be very happy - that's how Natural Absorption and Unique Artifacts made it in.
I will do my best to reply to all mod request posts with why or why not a mod will not be added.
HOWEVER
I have a list of mods, below, that I will definitely not be adding. I will constantly be expanding that list as I get reminded of mods that I decided to deliberately leave out. If you ask me to add a mod from that list to this pack, I will reply with this emoji only:
Not that I think I'll have to. But if CompSci has taught me anything, it's that people can be very stupid at times. Idiots of the internet, consider yourselves warned.
I suppose you can add them yourself, but I consider them against the spirit of the pack.
Map mods (e.g. Journeymap): These I dislike a little more. I will probably end up deciding to include one map mod, disabled by default, but I have not decided on a map mod yet, mostly because I'm not sure which one would be good for the pack.
Content mods: Well, this pack is supposed to be minimalist, isn't it? That said, if you bring a mod appropriate for the pack to my attention, I will be very happy - that's how Natural Absorption and Unique Artifacts made it in.
I will do my best to reply to all mod request posts with why or why not a mod will not be added.
HOWEVER
I have a list of mods, below, that I will definitely not be adding. I will constantly be expanding that list as I get reminded of mods that I decided to deliberately leave out. If you ask me to add a mod from that list to this pack, I will reply with this emoji only:
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not that I think I'll have to. But if CompSci has taught me anything, it's that people can be very stupid at times. Idiots of the internet, consider yourselves warned.
I suppose you can add them yourself, but I consider them against the spirit of the pack.
Mods that I will definitely NOT be adding:
Thermal Expansion: This mod is quite redundant. Most of its' functionality is covered by EnderIO, and I considered Ender IO to be the less used mod. The only features that are not covered are the Cyclic Assembler and Autonomous Activator. There are other ways, though. Besides, I liked the idea of a pack without copper or tin, what can I say.
Applied Energistics 2: This mod is the be all and end all of sorting and autocrafting, that is true, but it makes it too trivial. Everything becomes stored in one block, the drive, and the vast majority of autocrafting becomes "interface, import bus, pattern, forget". More importantly, Botania Corporea, Blood Magic's Orchestra of the Phantom Hands, and even Ender IO are rendered obsolete in larger systems, so it will not go in. You have other options, trust me.
Tinkers' Construct: This mod's tools are too versatile. Who would need Botania's terrasteel axe, which chops down entire trees, when lumber axes made from netherrack are available? The only time I find myself using Botania's manasteel pick when TiCon is present is to break the obsidian barrier and make alumite. No ranged weapon compares to a crossbow that draws in a quarter of a second and one-shots normal mobs. And so on.
Draconic Evolution: See "Staff of Power + Wyvern Armor" above. No adventure can be had with an "I win" button.
MineFactoryReloaded: This mod is redundant. Anything doable with this mod is doable with another mod. Spawners, grinders, treefarm, breeder, laser - the list goes on.
Big Reactors: This mod generates a lot of power and is hard to balance. It obsoletes most other methods of power gen. Not going in.
Agricraft: If it's possible to make food grow too fast, this mod achieves it. Vanilla + Pam's Harvestcraft should really be enough.
Biomes o'Plenty: Ehh... who really needs like 30 different types of wood, anyway? Am thinking of using ATG, though.
Forestry: No bees. There are other methods of resource generation
Hardcore End Expansion: I'm sad to leave out the harder Ender Dragon, but I never use the other items from the mod. The potions and enchantments are overshadowed by other mods that I won't take out, and I only found myself hunting the charms in one pack because the Angel Wing was Minetweakered to require them.
Ars Magica: I'm leaving this out in favor of the Blood Magic endgame spell system. Seriously, it's cool, try it out.
Applied Energistics 2: This mod is the be all and end all of sorting and autocrafting, that is true, but it makes it too trivial. Everything becomes stored in one block, the drive, and the vast majority of autocrafting becomes "interface, import bus, pattern, forget". More importantly, Botania Corporea, Blood Magic's Orchestra of the Phantom Hands, and even Ender IO are rendered obsolete in larger systems, so it will not go in. You have other options, trust me.
Tinkers' Construct: This mod's tools are too versatile. Who would need Botania's terrasteel axe, which chops down entire trees, when lumber axes made from netherrack are available? The only time I find myself using Botania's manasteel pick when TiCon is present is to break the obsidian barrier and make alumite. No ranged weapon compares to a crossbow that draws in a quarter of a second and one-shots normal mobs. And so on.
Draconic Evolution: See "Staff of Power + Wyvern Armor" above. No adventure can be had with an "I win" button.
MineFactoryReloaded: This mod is redundant. Anything doable with this mod is doable with another mod. Spawners, grinders, treefarm, breeder, laser - the list goes on.
Big Reactors: This mod generates a lot of power and is hard to balance. It obsoletes most other methods of power gen. Not going in.
Agricraft: If it's possible to make food grow too fast, this mod achieves it. Vanilla + Pam's Harvestcraft should really be enough.
Biomes o'Plenty: Ehh... who really needs like 30 different types of wood, anyway? Am thinking of using ATG, though.
Forestry: No bees. There are other methods of resource generation
Hardcore End Expansion: I'm sad to leave out the harder Ender Dragon, but I never use the other items from the mod. The potions and enchantments are overshadowed by other mods that I won't take out, and I only found myself hunting the charms in one pack because the Angel Wing was Minetweakered to require them.
Ars Magica: I'm leaving this out in favor of the Blood Magic endgame spell system. Seriously, it's cool, try it out.
Changes being considered (taking suggestions):
- Changing the description. I'm not that good of a poet. :/
- Moar MineTweaker tweaks. I want to use Twilight Forest items in other crafting recipes. Not sure which ones, though; will probably add bit by bit.
- Adding a chunk loader of some description. Looking at my options.
- Adding Thaumic Horizons. I'm 95% sure I want to add this.
- Adding a Blood Magic addon if it adds original stuff. Fun fact: Botania doesn't have any addons. You go, Vazkii <3
- Adding Buildcraft/Logistics Pipes. I didn't actually intend for this pack to be a magic pack in the first place; I think it would probably be a good idea to add mods to the tech half of the pack. Buildcraft is getting a nice amount of content in the future, and I can always nerf Logistics Pipes if I need to, which makes it attractive. Besides which, that mod doesn't need copper or tin
- Adding Antique Atlas. Yeah, I definitely like this mod. It lets you keep track of where you are on a large scale while not letting you do things like find nodes at night or somesuch.
- Configs/tweaks for the tech mods. Not quite sure what I want to do yet. I don't want to tie tech progression to magic progression too closely, so forcing use of Botania's Mana Fluxfield is probably out (besides which, Extra Utilities has a bajillion generators I'd also have to tweak).
- Moar MineTweaker tweaks. I want to use Twilight Forest items in other crafting recipes. Not sure which ones, though; will probably add bit by bit.
- Adding a chunk loader of some description. Looking at my options.
- Adding Thaumic Horizons. I'm 95% sure I want to add this.
- Adding a Blood Magic addon if it adds original stuff. Fun fact: Botania doesn't have any addons. You go, Vazkii <3
- Adding Buildcraft/Logistics Pipes. I didn't actually intend for this pack to be a magic pack in the first place; I think it would probably be a good idea to add mods to the tech half of the pack. Buildcraft is getting a nice amount of content in the future, and I can always nerf Logistics Pipes if I need to, which makes it attractive. Besides which, that mod doesn't need copper or tin
- Adding Antique Atlas. Yeah, I definitely like this mod. It lets you keep track of where you are on a large scale while not letting you do things like find nodes at night or somesuch.
- Configs/tweaks for the tech mods. Not quite sure what I want to do yet. I don't want to tie tech progression to magic progression too closely, so forcing use of Botania's Mana Fluxfield is probably out (besides which, Extra Utilities has a bajillion generators I'd also have to tweak).
Of course, this post will be edited as necessary. Have fun!
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