Modding Questions

[Kotaro]

So, obligatory I'm new here and apologies if this is in the wrong spot.

I've played modded Minecraft for quite a while now and I am now looking to get into creating my own mod, but I'm looking for some input first and I figured here would be the best place to ask first.

I'm not really looking to ask how to code in java or anything like that, but I'm more interested in the theory of making a mod, and how to stay away from being just a carbon copy of whatever 2x ore machine you like the most. The best way for me to think is to simply bounce ideas off people until I work it out.

Right now, I kind of feel like that there's a lack of use in some materials like lapis or anything from the end or the nether. I want to give myself motivation to actually use those dimensions and to visit them a little more often than you do in 1.6.

That being said, what's the best way to plan it out? Do you work from the top tier down, or do you build from the bottom up?

Also, the theme is something I'm currently stuck on too. Either magical or technological would work with what I have so far (technomagical?).

Finally, are there any gaps or directions you don't like mods going in? (ie, too many multiblocks, magic blocks, or too complex?)

 

[Padfoote]

My advice is to start at the bottom of the "tech tree" and work your way up to the top when creating this. I find it to be easier than starting at the top and trying to figure out how to get to that point.

One thing that bugs me with mods is when they add crafting just to add crafting. I hate having to craft "x" to craft "y" to craft "z" to finally make the item / block, with each component having no purpose other than to craft another component.

 

[Bibble]

I would say that, if you have a specific theme or plan, then beginning with that in mind can be good, and is often how mods begin (Ars Magica, Thaumcraft, Forestry, etc), on the other hand, if you just notice a number of issues you think you can fix, that's valid too (ender chests, extra utilities, etc.).

WRT your other questions, multi blocks address issues of sides vs. inputs/outputs, at a cost of space. Complexity is a simple problem of mod size, and tricky to tackle (although there are innovative approaches).

The issues I see at the moment tend to be thematic component ones. For example lapis is, in vanilla, a decorative item only, but, as it's mined and rare, it's come to symbolise rarity and luck, meaning anything using blue dye for decoration gets screwed by the ore dictionary.

Similarly, ender pearls are irritating. Given their source, they're thematically linked with teleportation, but their sources make them incredibly difficult to find early, and laughably easy late.

The trick, really is to find something you want to do, and it can't really contribute there, only give other examples of success.

 

[Kotaro]

Yeah, I have ideas of where I want to go and have some basic ideas in mind when it comes to where I want to go with this. I tend to talk to people just as a sounding board to refine my ideas. One of the ones I'm toying with was using Netherrack/Soul Sand and break it down into something like soul power and then use that as a base for other items/blocks. That idea may be too similar to Blood Magic for my tastes though.

However, I do agree with the multistep crafting just for the sake of crafting, and it's something I didn't actually think of during my initial steps. I'm thinking that everything should either be one step away from being crafted (albeit processing may/will be involved) or that as much as possible has a secondary use.

One of the later tiers I'm planning on is making some sort of use for the insane amounts of cobble and dirt I end up with.

Now, for tiered progress - right now I'm thinking that there will be a few standalone machines, but I'm stuck between making progress tied to machines/processes/time or basing progression off of rare materials. I feel like some mods work together a little too well, like the ability to skip through most of the progression in Rotarycraft and go directly to the top tier stuff after some infrastructure. I don't particularly like that one mod that has machines for the sake of making machines to make more machines.

Which one would seem more fun or last longer? Always felt a little cheesy just to cherrypick the best from each mod all the time and just go with that.

 

[kittle]

One thing that bugs me with mods is when they add crafting just to add crafting. I hate having to craft "x" to craft "y" to craft "z" to finally make the item / block, with each component having no purpose other than to craft another component.

With regards to this point.

IMO, crafting 'X' to craft 'Y' is no big deal,if 'X' is USEFUL. Example is the iron chests mod. Your crafting a vanilla chest, in order to craft an iron chest. The vanilla chest is useful (in a limited way). Another example is the leadstone cells and conduit fromTE3: craft a leadstone item which is useful, then you can upgrade it to the hardened variety.

-or-

if crafting 'X' is used in a many different recipes aka gears in the various mods.

 

[Padfoote]

With regards to this point.

IMO, crafting 'X' to craft 'Y' is no big deal,if 'X' is USEFUL. Example is the iron chests mod. Your crafting a vanilla chest, in order to craft an iron chest. The vanilla chest is useful (in a limited way). Another example is the leadstone cells and conduit fromTE3: craft a leadstone item which is useful, then you can upgrade it to the hardened variety.

-or-

if crafting 'X' is used in a many different recipes aka gears in the various mods.

Exactly. Things like this make sense, and are reasonable.