Anyone know of a pack that keeps that vanilla feel?

[Drbretto]

My friends have goaded me into playing vanilla again. This is a fun little diversion and all, but eventually, and not far from now, I'm kinda going to want to do *more*.

But, playing vanilla again reminds me of what you miss when playing modpacks:

-No gravestones, so death is very meaningful, and the fear of danger is real
-You have to actually get up and go get all of your resources, you dont' just have borderline creative mode after 10 hours.
-Creepers are, once again, scary assholes of doom

So, I'm wondering if there are any decent vanilla-like packs out there that take the vanilla game as it is and just adds more stuff to do that totally fits that kind of feel. Yeah, I know I can just disable gravestones and let creepers blow up even in loaded chunks, but that's not quite the fix I'm looking for. I also don't want there to be anything like a block that's called an auto-farmer that auto farms. I just want more ways to build my own type of auto-farms with in-game mechanics. That kind of idea, am I making sense?

Is there anything really out there like that or is it pretty much vanilla minecraft and modded minecraft and that's about it?

 

[Cpt_gloval]

There are a few Vanilla+ packs on the Twitch Launcher by various names that do what you are looking for. Most only add map mods and a handful of aesthetic only mods like chisel and bibliocraft so you still have to do everything vanilla but have a lot more options for making things look cool.

Just do a mudpack search for Vanilla and most of them will come up, pick one that seems to be well liked and go for it. Since they are all quite small, due to the low mod count, they download and startup very fast. you can troll through a few looking for the mix of addins you like within a few hours.

 

[glepet1962]

I get that vanilla 'itch' now and again also. My wife and I have a modified Revelation server that we play together on and we're both flying around in jetpacks and Longfall boots, etc. so there is no fear of dying and the nether has only minor nuisances to deal with. But, there are times I will get on my single player vanilla world and get back to the basics. Yes, dying from creepers, falling and lava are just around the corner. And there is no map to show me that there is a creeper up ahead while i'm mining. It is a different game from modded and I find that refreshing, at times.

I've also downloaded some of the vanilla + packs available. Each is a bit different and well done. I usually end up adding a few mods to tailor it to my tastes like Recurrent Complex and Mo' Villages. The Vanilla + mods are also good if you want to showcase one particular mod. Like, I did a Vanilla + and threw in Immersive Engineering as the only 'Tech' mod available.

 

[Drbretto]

That's not a bad idea there. Take (or even make) a vanilla+ pack, then add my special blend of herbs and spices...

But I'm just afraid I'd never stop adding stuff, lol. I think it may have to be vanilla vanilla or modded pretty much... I'll most likely just let this one run its course until I can convince everyone to get real again

 

[lenscas]

I'd suggest that before you look at mods you write down some rules that mods need to follow to even have a chance to be included.
Think about the amount and kind of machine blocks a mod has, world gen features power systems, etc,etc. One example could be that you want to limit the amount of machines to a total of 4. (say, something to double ores, a faster furnace and two other utility blocks.)
Then when you start looking for mods you make sure they follow the rules you set or can be changed to follow said rules (for example by disabling certain machines).
If a mod doesn't follow your rules and either it or the other mods can't be changed so you don't end up breaking your rules, it won't get included. DO NOT under any circumstance allow your rules to be broken. If you do it once it will be a lot easier to break them again.

 

[KingTriaxx]

Might I suggest Automaton? It's technically a hardcore pack, but it's based around starting with Immersive Engineering and moving on to AE2 then Mekanism. IE's recipes are almost entirely untouched, except for one or two that are a bit easier. And then you use the IE stuff to make AE and AE to make Mekanism. For example one of the AE blocks needs HOP Graphite Ingots to make, and the Metallurgic Infuser requires an AE power cell.

You'll need to update IE if you want to use the drill because the version in the pack is broken, but other than that, I've been having a ton of fun. I'm living in a ravine so I keep running into creepers that have spawned in a spot I didn't light up.

There's also delightfully no jetpacks, including the Mekanism one being disabled. The only flight is via Viescraft Airships.

 

[Cptqrk]

If you go the "make your own pack" route, I would suggest some decorative mods like decocraft and chisel'n'bits

But if you want something more, but not get to crazy with power creep, just add tinker's construct. Basic ore doubleing, good tools/weapons etc.
I've always felt that tinker's was trying to keep the vanilla feel, while giving some nice perks.

 

[Golrith]

You could try my Shattered pack for 1.7.10, early game it's very vanilla, and you gradually ease into the various mods. Lots of recipes are highly changed with a lot of gating, and you really have to get out there and explore and mine to build stuff.
Non vanilla side, it's a Skyland, Ore gen and early game processing is completely different, and has Spice of Life, Thirst, etc to deal with, but they are configured to be not a nuisance. You can easily go a full MC day or so before needing a drink.

Lost count the number of times I've been killed to creepers early game trying to get established and setting up a safe zone.

 

[Cpt_gloval]

I've always had a very love hate relationship with Creepers. I prefer to leave them in game and leave griefing enabled. Adds more impetus on mobproofing your area/builds. Yes it can be VERY rage inducing to have that new redstone whats-a-whos-it trashed by a sneak attack just as you hit the activation switch and it comes alive but it teaches you to be more aware of your surroundings and to better protect yourself while buried in the guts of something you are building up.

My usually Vanilla+ is deco mods, a map mod of some kind and an elevator mod, so make getting down to spawner traps and slime spawners more easily or up/up/up to a sky spawner. I know you can use the nether for that kind of thing but dollars to donuts I get Ghasts just out from the portal 9/10 times I go into the nether while not is full out modded. Never fails.

 

[Drbretto]

I, too, have a love hate relationship with the creepers. And a little bit with the gravestones.

But, I have to be honest, I'm just not interested in playing vanilla. We tried, but all I do the whole time is list off the things I'd be doing if it was modded. So, I think I'm going to abandon this general idea and look for a nice modpack that fits my whole team's needs (a team that have evolved some).

My biggest "problem" is that I have friends that want to play with me, and they all are looking for completely different things. I want the do the hardest hard mode with all the tech and/or magic. One of them can't handle anything complicated, and the another one only wants to explore. It seems like your common variety kitchen sink packs are all we'll ever be able to do. It's kind of frustrating.

Not sure still how to proceed, but I feel like I need to pick our new virtual home by the end of the day tomorrow.

 

[GamerwithnoGame]

I, too, have a love hate relationship with the creepers. And a little bit with the gravestones.

But, I have to be honest, I'm just not interested in playing vanilla. We tried, but all I do the whole time is list off the things I'd be doing if it was modded. So, I think I'm going to abandon this general idea and look for a nice modpack that fits my whole team's needs (a team that have evolved some).

My biggest "problem" is that I have friends that want to play with me, and they all are looking for completely different things. I want the do the hardest hard mode with all the tech and/or magic. One of them can't handle anything complicated, and the another one only wants to explore. It seems like your common variety kitchen sink packs are all we'll ever be able to do. It's kind of frustrating.

Not sure still how to proceed, but I feel like I need to pick our new virtual home by the end of the day tomorrow.

Well... I mean, exploration is a big part of A Polychromatic World, with needing to discover pylons, structures and stuff; plus there's the Twilight Forest in there. It has a Expert-style mod integration and lots of magic mods that are well integrated with addons as well as the recipe changes. The one who can't handle complicated might have an issue though

 

[Drbretto]

I'm actually very much considering polychromatic, actually! I was about to pop into the chat and ask some stuff about it.

Is there a HQM book thing? I think I've finally convinced the one that doesn't like complicated stuff to do infinity evolved hard mode, based on there being a guide book. If there's a guide for poly, I think I can sell that one to everyone.

 

[Drbretto]

Ok, we are officially narrowed down to:

A Polychromatic World
Infinity Evolved Expert Mode
Age of Engineering
My Own Custom Vanilla Plus Pack yet to be put together

I am currently pushing for Polychromatic. I've never done the magic mods before so this will be pretty unique for me.

I've always wanted to do Infinity Expert mode for like ever. And that will still force me into magic mods as well. I'm mostly interested in Thaumcraft anyway, and I believe that's in both.

Age of Engineering is my safety school. It probably shouldn't even be on the list.

If I make my own vanilla pack, I might just finally make an inventory sorting system out of railcraft like I've ALWAYS WANTED TO DO BUT NEVER DO!!! Also, it'll be easier to get some better texture packs and maybe even run with shaders...

Ugh, decisions!

 

[KingTriaxx]

I'm still rooting for Automaton, because while it's got a hardcore quest book, it's guided such that each quest follows from the previous one. But even so once you understand where you've been, figuring out where you're going is much easier.

 

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I, too, have a love hate relationship with the creepers. And a little bit with the gravestones.

But, I have to be honest, I'm just not interested in playing vanilla. We tried, but all I do the whole time is list off the things I'd be doing if it was modded. So, I think I'm going to abandon this general idea and look for a nice modpack that fits my whole team's needs (a team that have evolved some).

My biggest "problem" is that I have friends that want to play with me, and they all are looking for completely different things. I want the do the hardest hard mode with all the tech and/or magic. One of them can't handle anything complicated, and the another one only wants to explore. It seems like your common variety kitchen sink packs are all we'll ever be able to do. It's kind of frustrating.

Not sure still how to proceed, but I feel like I need to pick our new virtual home by the end of the day tomorrow.

It actually sounds like you might get a kick out of ShneekeyCraft.

Consider it a 'lite' pack, with a little bit of everything, but not a kitchen sink pack. I'm still working on the 1.12 update (trying to hold off until Thaumcraft releases for 1.12), but it's going to have most of what you want. You can try the 1.10 pack version from the ATLauncher

Between the Ruins mod and various Astral Sorcery and other buildings, your explorer will have plenty of things to find as he climbs every mountain and fords every stream.

Your fellow who doesn't want very complicated things will be pleased to hear that Refined Storage is included. I've also included Cooking With Blockheads that he could probably get a lot of use out of. The CoFH suite can be an excellent way of introducing him to modded minecraft tech without dumping him in the Immersive Engineering end of the pool.

1.10 version of ShneekeyCraft has Blood Magic for your craving of complex magic systems, Immersive Engineering as the foundational tech mod (although it does have EnderIO and Thermal Expansion... you can remove EnderIO if you like). The 1.12 version will have both Astral Sorcery and Embers and (hopefully, if it releases) Thaumcraft.

 

[Drbretto]

That actually sounds very interesting. And I actually was hoping to hear your opinion on this because of some of the stuff you've mentioned in the past. I'm going to have to look into it. I would definitely disable ender IO. I enjoy it, but it does tend to take over. AA, too.

But this is either slightly too late or a little too early. By some miracle, I've convinced everyone to give infinity expert mode a shot, and I've gotta at least give it one go after I sold it.

But Doc, didn't you start this thread to find a pack that feels like vanilla? Kinda went the other way with that one there, didn't ya? Listen, don't judge me, lol. Sometimes I'm not really sure what I want until it hits, lol. I actually think it has a chance of hitting the note I was looking for. But more importantly, i have unfinished business with infinity.

Infinity was already at the end of it's prime when I discovered Minecraft. It was the first thing I ever tried. I was so crazy overwhelmed with it. Completely lost, but winging it anyway. Never really did anything the way it was intended. Now, I'm a grizzled vet. I'm gonna pop into hard mode and crush it.

Meanwhile, the skittish friend that doesn't like complexity, she'll build the castle walls, I'll wire em. Adventure guy with go gather random stuff, I'll build an inventory management system. I think it'll work. Then I'll play shneekey's pack when it all blows up.in my face.

 

[GamerwithnoGame]

That actually sounds very interesting. And I actually was hoping to hear your opinion on this because of some of the stuff you've mentioned in the past. I'm going to have to look into it. I would definitely disable ender IO. I enjoy it, but it does tend to take over. AA, too.

But this is either slightly too late or a little too early. By some miracle, I've convinced everyone to give infinity expert mode a shot, and I've gotta at least give it one go after I sold it.

But Doc, didn't you start this thread to find a pack that feels like vanilla? Kinda went the other way with that one there, didn't ya? Listen, don't judge me, lol. Sometimes I'm not really sure what I want until it hits, lol. I actually think it has a chance of hitting the note I was looking for. But more importantly, i have unfinished business with infinity.

Infinity was already at the end of it's prime when I discovered Minecraft. It was the first thing I ever tried. I was so crazy overwhelmed with it. Completely lost, but winging it anyway. Never really did anything the way it was intended. Now, I'm a grizzled vet. I'm gonna pop into hard mode and crush it.

Meanwhile, the skittish friend that doesn't like complexity, she'll build the castle walls, I'll wire em. Adventure guy with go gather random stuff, I'll build an inventory management system. I think it'll work. Then I'll play shneekey's pack when it all blows up.in my face.

Nice one! I’ve heard very good things about Infinity Evolved: Expert Mode, although I’ve only seen a playthrough of the Skyblock verison.

 

[KingTriaxx]

I would like to note that Infinity does have Railcraft, so your sorting system can still be a thing that exists...

 

[Drbretto]

I would like to note that Infinity does have Railcraft, so your sorting system can still be a thing that exists...

Yes! I'm totally not going to ignore it this time! Maybe!

 

[lenscas]

I would like to note that Infinity does have Railcraft, so your sorting system can still be a thing that exists...

you can also make sorting systems using hoppers and some redstone.