I have a couple ideas on how to implement custom mod packs.
The first Idea:
Just have a mod pack with the basics that are "required" for just about every pack (Minecraft, Forge, ChickenCore, NEI, InventoryTweaks, etc...). Just include the framework so people can go into the "Edit Mods" area of the launcher and add whatever mods they want. It would also be nice if there was a way for the launcher to update without resetting the entire mod pack directory, so we wouldn't have to go back in and add all of our mods after every update (like another box in the update popup window to choose to "Keep Additional Mods"....kind of like the "Keep Configs" that exists now).
It would also be nice if FTB could work with the folks that run Forge, and post a spreadsheet with available Block/Item IDs that are free. Something that could maybe be downloaded, so that users & server admins could keep track of any Block/Item IDs that they need to change in order to resolve any conflicts. This way admins could edit all the needed configs, then just distribute their config file to any members of their servers.
Second Idea:
This would be an idea that (if possible) builds on the first idea. It would automatically have the basics from the first idea, but there would be a list of ALL of the Mods that FTB has permissions to use & redistribute with check-boxes for users to select. Once a user goes through the list and chooses all of the mods they would like to include in their pack, they would hit the launch button to have their personalized pack download just like any other pack would.
I seriously doubt this is possible, but ideally, this would be how custom packs would work. That way, everyone that chooses that combination of mods would end up with the same config setup as everyone else.
From here you can do any tweaking wanted or required by your server: add any mods that FTB does not have permissions to redistribute and edit any configs that you or your server want to edit...things like ExtraBiomesXL biomes used, or Thermal Expansion ore generation.
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In any case, there is no feasible way to create custom packs where users and admins don't have to distribute some kind of List of Mods used, or config files, unless you go the route of Technic...but that allows ANY mod to be "redistributed" through the use of the linked .zip files.
I do think there should be some sort of "Start with this" mod pack that can be used as a basic starting point for creating a custom pack without having to do what I'm doing now, which is:
- download a mod pack that is using a version of Minecraft that I want to run
- click "Edit mods" button to remove any mods from the pack that I don't want to use
- go into Config file to delete configs of any removed mods
- click "Edit mods" button to add mods that I want used in my pack that weren't included in the pack I chose to start with
- launch game & work through and Block/Item ID conflicts
- edit configs of added mods to my personal preferences
- profit
However, whenever that particular mod pack I used is updated, I need to go and repeat steps 2 &4 again. This would be fine in the case of a Minecraft Update, but it's pretty time consuming when it happens every time something (sometimes something that I'm not even using) in the mod pack is updated with a fairly simple bug fix.
The first Idea:
Just have a mod pack with the basics that are "required" for just about every pack (Minecraft, Forge, ChickenCore, NEI, InventoryTweaks, etc...). Just include the framework so people can go into the "Edit Mods" area of the launcher and add whatever mods they want. It would also be nice if there was a way for the launcher to update without resetting the entire mod pack directory, so we wouldn't have to go back in and add all of our mods after every update (like another box in the update popup window to choose to "Keep Additional Mods"....kind of like the "Keep Configs" that exists now).
It would also be nice if FTB could work with the folks that run Forge, and post a spreadsheet with available Block/Item IDs that are free. Something that could maybe be downloaded, so that users & server admins could keep track of any Block/Item IDs that they need to change in order to resolve any conflicts. This way admins could edit all the needed configs, then just distribute their config file to any members of their servers.
Second Idea:
This would be an idea that (if possible) builds on the first idea. It would automatically have the basics from the first idea, but there would be a list of ALL of the Mods that FTB has permissions to use & redistribute with check-boxes for users to select. Once a user goes through the list and chooses all of the mods they would like to include in their pack, they would hit the launch button to have their personalized pack download just like any other pack would.
I seriously doubt this is possible, but ideally, this would be how custom packs would work. That way, everyone that chooses that combination of mods would end up with the same config setup as everyone else.
From here you can do any tweaking wanted or required by your server: add any mods that FTB does not have permissions to redistribute and edit any configs that you or your server want to edit...things like ExtraBiomesXL biomes used, or Thermal Expansion ore generation.
_________________________________
In any case, there is no feasible way to create custom packs where users and admins don't have to distribute some kind of List of Mods used, or config files, unless you go the route of Technic...but that allows ANY mod to be "redistributed" through the use of the linked .zip files.
I do think there should be some sort of "Start with this" mod pack that can be used as a basic starting point for creating a custom pack without having to do what I'm doing now, which is:
- download a mod pack that is using a version of Minecraft that I want to run
- click "Edit mods" button to remove any mods from the pack that I don't want to use
- go into Config file to delete configs of any removed mods
- click "Edit mods" button to add mods that I want used in my pack that weren't included in the pack I chose to start with
- launch game & work through and Block/Item ID conflicts
- edit configs of added mods to my personal preferences
- profit
However, whenever that particular mod pack I used is updated, I need to go and repeat steps 2 &4 again. This would be fine in the case of a Minecraft Update, but it's pretty time consuming when it happens every time something (sometimes something that I'm not even using) in the mod pack is updated with a fairly simple bug fix.
