Mod Pack Update

[NJM1564]

Wow - so I killed a zombie; looted a loot bag - opened the loot bag, and there was a portal gun in it. Seriously? (using 0.6)



That should be fixed in 1.6+. Mojang is releasing a API specifically for mods. I thought one of the dev's said that that means, a 1.6 mod will work in 2.9 (for instance) - but don't quote me on that. They did for certain tho, say that it'll be really easy to update and tweak mods.

Whoa there, don't go spreading information you haven't confirmed. The rumors are bad enough as it is.
1.6 is Quoted as being a major step towards the Plugin API but it's not going to be ready any time soon. Definitely not for 1.6.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/1c7drz/either_im_crazy_or_this_means_soundpacks/c9e0g6a
In regards to the new launcher.
"Very much required for the future of the game, and an incredibly big step towards the mod API."

Keep an eye on these two wiki pages for a quick an easy guide to what's going on and what's upcoming.
http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Version_history/Development_versions
http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Upcoming_features

 

[Tyrellan]

Whoa there, don't go spreading information you haven't confirmed. The rumors are bad enough as it is.

That's fair enough; I can't find the mod panel that talks about the API (I didn't get to finish watching it anyway - fell asleep). But the API and the laucher are completely separate entities. The API are simply tools the mod developers will use to help create their mods (and something I would hope the developers are using to create uniformity between game engine and mods).

http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1577770-breaking-news-modding-api-updates/ - that was back in November. So I wouldn't say "definitely not for 1.6" - since they're most likely using it to create 1.6. That's why they're doing a new launcher...

Don't confuse game updates for API updates....

EDIT: http://www.gamespot.com/minecraft/videos/the-future-of-mod-api-minecon-2012-6400552/ - it's about 40 minutes in. And granted, he says "in a perfect world" - but he does say yes, old mods will work with new updates. But that doesn't guarantee that'll work as we make changes.

 

[Yarma92]

Does anybody have a list of the new mods added to the 0.7 pack?

 

[Wyld]

Does anybody have a list of the new mods added to the 0.7 pack?

There are two mods I need to work on, to get working .. and another mod I want to integrate but need to test further.

Once I'm through that, which should be very soon, I think it's time I post up a whole new thread with a new list of mods and some info on integrating other key mods folks may want (ie: biomes).

One of my daughters is over for dinner tonight, so no more Minecraft for me till the morrow. But seriously, as soon as this pack is stable and as free as issues we can find, the next beta will be up for all.

 

[Yarma92]

There are two mods I need to work on, to get working .. and another mod I want to integrate but need to test further.

Once I'm through that, which should be very soon, I think it's time I post up a whole new thread with a new list of mods and some info on integrating other key mods folks may want (ie: biomes).

One of my daughters is over for dinner tonight, so no more Minecraft for me till the morrow. But seriously, as soon as this pack is stable and as free as issues we can find, the next beta will be up for all.

Alright Wyld. Enjoy your evening

 

[Skullywag]

I believe its them testing the mods and working with the authors to ensure all mods work well together. Not to mention all the site admin, contacting mod authors for permissions etc, not to mention they try to release the packs as complete as they can but sometimes one or two mods hold them back and they are often the big key mods. Theres alot more work than simply pakacging adds together and fixing configs. The testing they do together highlights bugs between certain mods that are not config based or things that cause other mods to become unbalanced.

TL DR:They dont just put the pack together they test the mods and help with developement.

I hope this clears up some of your questions.

I thought the testing, balancing and stuff like that of the mods was forgecrafts role (which is not officially affiliated with FTB in anyway is it?). I know Slowpoke and jaded plus others use forgecraft but didnt think it was pack related as those servers arent using a "pack" per-say. If they are helping to balance mods and test for bugs yet are updating and adding new mods to forgecraft all the time then its a never ending cycle and explains the delay. I for one do not watch Jaded or Slow stream as I find it annoying theyve been using some of these mods for months but the FTB community has to wait, dont get me wrong it doesnt impact me at all I have a community that doesnt depend on FTB, as stated I have private server packs and have had for years and manage this all by my lonesome. I got fed up of waiting for pack maintainers a loooong time ago.

On the permission front surely by now they have permission for most if not all mods in the pack. Looking at the 1.5.2 alpha pack most if not all those mods have been in past packs or do they get perms for every pack? (if so I find that utterly ridiculous).

Also I fully understand bugs will creep into mods and some are because they dont like other mods and whatnot but as stated we've been using a pack with A LOT more mods than the FTB ultimate in it and have experienced no (killer) bugs so far and the damn things fun as hell and ive had no complaints, I understand wanting to put out a solid product but not when it takes months to do so and even when they do you will still get bugs, exploits and balance problems (there always will be).

Anyways now im starting to sound like im ranting but if its just me not understanding the situation with FTB then ill keep quiet from now on, its just nothing ive read anywhere really explains why it takes this long to get a pack out.

 

[Yarma92]

Nope forgecraft is there to interface mods with minecraft. Also the pack you assembled is a private pack not for public release. Thats what these guys are doing. Something for public release, therefore they try to make sure its polished to a high standards. And bugs can be anything from came breaking to small anoyances that prevent certain things under certain situations.

 

[Tyrellan]

its just nothing ive read anywhere really explains why it takes this long to get a pack out.

It's quite simple: they have to make sure all the id's don't conflict - and one mod works with any other mod. That's a huge under taking.

Not only that, but some mods are still in testing, even tho 1.5.2 came out months ago.

It's a process - and it's not like you're paying them. Everything FTB does is a courtesy.

 

[Wyld]

+9001 Yarma92

Forgecraft does an amazing job, seriously. Their focus is also different to ours. Their "job" is about their own mods and those they run, interaction with pre-release code, they are the first line. So much is discussed, assessed, and solved even before it hits our clients. Our job, is similar and totally different.

We have millions of players using our packs. We can't just say "sure it works for us" and release. We need to be looking at windows and mac and linux clients, 32bit and 64bit clients, low end and high end machines, finding a middle ground that brings in as many people as possible. We don't focus on what works for us, but what works for everyone, where ever that's possible. Myself, I test on three different machines .. high end, middle spec and a laptop .. and then I push my tests to a few virtual machines to see how it works there. If I'm not happy, I'll reboot into Linux and test there to be sure. And that's just a portion of the process.

And that's *if* the combination of mods work. We're currently looking at a pack which Forgecraft simply doesn't test .. there's much more out there than what Forgecraft uses.

It's been said many times, but I do feel I should point this out as well. It's actually an important factor. We don't get paid for this. I may, personally, spend more than 14 hours a day working through a pack. I *know* Slow has spent literally days without sleep to help bring everything together. It's simply not as simple as saying "this works for me and a few people". Damn, I wish it was that easy. The simple fact that we don't release each day MIGHT demonstrate this simple fact.

We do our best, it may take some time, but for hell .. know that time spent between releases is there for a reason. Or twelve.

 

[Shadowise]

ID conflicts tend to be fairly easy to resolve. It's mod interaction and getting the configs right that takes up a lot of the time.

Does one mod make a machine from another mod totally overpowered? Do some mods generate the same type or ores but with different IDs? There's a lot of stuff needed to get so many large mods to work together properly.

 

[minator]

I was angry at the FTB team because of the lack of communication, not the delay between releases (even though I am as impatient as everybody )
Now that the communication is flowing I feel happy

Only one thing is troubling me : the fact that people think that because something is free then it is a courtesy, or people working for free can do whatever they want and nobody can complain. I mean this is just a game so the impact is not important, but just think of volunteer firefighters. They are saving lives and are not getting paid ! I would like to see people faces when they burn to death because firefighters did not show up, why should they ? its free, they are not getting paid !

 

[Shadowise]

I was angry at the FTB team because of the lack of communication, not the delay between releases (even though I am as impatient as everybody )
Now that the communication is flowing I feel happy

Only one thing is troubling me : the fact that people think that because something is free then it is a courtesy, or people working for free can do whatever they want and nobody can complain. I mean this is just a game so the impact is not important, but just think of volunteer firefighters. They are saving lives and are not getting paid ! I would like to see people faces when they burn to death because firefighters did not show up, why should they ? its free, they are not getting paid !

Well... that's quite an example you have there... but to continue it, would you expect volunteer fire fighters to operate as quickly as professional fire fighters who do the job every day?

Volunteers are doing the job because they care. They might not work as quickly as someone who's getting paid to do the job, but they're doing it all the same, because it's something they're passionate about.

That's not to say we as a community don't want things to go faster, or that we don't want clearer communication, but you know... gift horse:mouth.

 

[Heckuvamocha]

Only one thing is troubling me : the fact that people think that because something is free then it is a courtesy, or people working for free can do whatever they want and nobody can complain. I mean this is just a game so the impact is not important, but just think of volunteer firefighters. They are saving lives and are not getting paid ! I would like to see people faces when they burn to death because firefighters did not show up, why should they ? its free, they are not getting paid !

Umm.. if they're giving their time and effort free of charge, than a COURTESY is EXACTLY what it is. You're not a customer (where the money you pay for goods/services entitles you to have certain expectations), you are being given a gift by a complete stranger who owes you NOTHING. The only appropriate response is gratitude. How you can possibly be "angry at the FTB team" is beyond me.

If you (or anyone) isn't happy with FTB or the team, then why not just go put together your own pack? I would assume the reason FTB is so popular is most people either don't have the technical knowledge to put together their own pack or are too lazy to spend the time doing it. Either way, you have no right to complain.

*end rant*

Anyways, many thanks to Slow and Wyld and everyone who helps make FTB happen!

 

[YasukiHumai]

Anyways, many thanks to Slow and Wyld and everyone who helps make FTB happen!

This, we need more of this.

 

[minator]

Umm.. if they're giving their time and effort free of charge, than a COURTESY is EXACTLY what it is. You're not a customer (where the money you pay for goods/services entitles you to have certain expectations), you are being given a gift by a complete stranger who owes you NOTHING. The only appropriate response is gratitude. How you can possibly be "angry at the FTB team" is beyond me.

If you (or anyone) isn't happy with FTB or the team, then why not just go put together your own pack? I would assume the reason FTB is so popular is most people either don't have the technical knowledge to put together their own pack or are too lazy to spend the time doing it. Either way, you have no right to complain.

*end rant*

Anyways, many thanks to Slow and Wyld and everyone who helps make FTB happen!

you did not read carefully what I have written, just read again

but yes, thanks to the FTB team for this mod pack !

 

[Heckuvamocha]

you did not read carefully what I have written, just read again

but yes, thanks to the FTB team for this mod pack !

I did read it, thank you. Let me sum up my interpretation of your post:
First paragraph = "Although I don't pay them any money, I expect the FTB team to regularly communicate with me so I can keep tabs on their progress. I'm satisfied now that Wyld is meeting his obligation."
Second paragraph = Weak analogy comparing the FTB team to volunteer fire fighters letting people burn to death in a fire.

Maybe I misinterpreted your post or read too far into it (in which case I doubt I'm the only one), but it seemed to defend people who complain about the delays and/or lack of communication because of some supposed obligation the FTB team has to the Minecraft community. My only point is that they don't have any obligations to any of us and I get irritated when I see people complaining about delays instead of thanking them for all of their effort. However, if I read your post wrong and my earlier rant was misdirected, I apologize.

 

[minator]

yeah, what I meant to say is that it is not the salary which creates the obligation but the commitment (like volunteer firefighters)

but anyway, let's not pollute this thread with philosophical discussions (sorry if my initial post was not clear), as I said I am very happy that the FTB team now communicates frequently and that we are not left waiting in the dark

 

[BoneDisturbed]

It's always the same, someone mentions something that vaguely sound like they aren't happy with what the FTB team does, then someone almost fanatical has to come defend it. Come on, just ignore the posts that sounds like that, almost more annoying to read the responses. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Shadowise]

It's always the same, someone mentions something that vaguely sound like they aren't happy with what the FTB team does, then someone almost fanatical has to come defend it. Come on, just ignore the posts that sounds like that, almost more annoying to read the responses. Just my 2 cents.

Never hurts to help people understand the reason for something

 

[Skullywag]

LOL, think im just gonna be quiet from now on and go back to my own little world. Didnt mean to cause offence and wasnt meant to start a riot, I was after information and Wyld provided it with his post. Thanks Wyld. The FTB team does do a good job.