Please Read.Soon to be Modder?

[SourC00lguy]

Hi i have posted two threads here

http://forum.feed-the-beast.com/index.php?threads/52151/

And here

http://forum.feed-the-beast.com/index.php?threads/52298/

About mod ideas that i have and will start when i learn java. I was hoping to get a lot of feedback so im trying to spread out the links so more people may look at them. I was also hoping mod developers or anyone who knows java would pitch in comments and what not

 

[squeek502]

For a first mod (especially when you are just learning how to program), I'm not sure having the best idea is important at all. What's more important is having a clear idea of what you want to create. This will help you know what you need to learn, and make it more likely that you'll get help when you ask.

For example, with The Outside mod idea, "how do I create a new dimension?" is both a useful thing for you to try to figure out and an answerable question for you ask for help with.

 

[SourC00lguy]

That is very true, I guess I need to learn more before I can even know what the right questions are. I guess my question I have been wondering is if Java and modding is something where the basics are key which is what I expect. If so, what key basic skills need the most strength for modding. So that when I learn those basics I will have better skills down the line.

 

[squeek502]

The key basic skill is programming. If you're not familiar with programming concepts, you need to get familiar, because the language is not as important as the concepts. What's a variable? What's a condition? What's a loop? What's a method/function? What's a class? What's an object? etc, etc, etc.

 

[SourC00lguy]

I have all the way up to objects more or less haha

 

[FyberOptic]

It's probably easier to tally up items collected by a player than it is to worry about things like dimensions, so I would focus on the former if I were you. It's a pretty simple yet solid concept, which should flesh out well when you design achievements/rewards around it. It even kind of goes with FTB's recent fascination with HQM, helping to give Minecraft more goal-oriented gameplay.

Having a programming goal is certainly a good way to learn. But if you're a total beginner to mod development, let alone programming in general, then you don't necessarily have to make a specific mod yet. I always recommend that beginners get plain'ol MCP and just mess around with Minecraft's code for a while. Make boats float on lava, turn sticks into weapons, make skeletons shoot cakes, make nuclear creepers, etc. Changing other peoples' code is always easier than writing your own. And you're probably going to have a lot of fun in the process. You can use Forge at any time, even still right away if you want, but playing with the game's guts is still highly recommended.

Now if you'll excuse me, I really want to make skeletons shoot cakes all of the sudden.

 

[SourC00lguy]

Haha that was very very useful, thank you very much for that. That's the kind of information that I need as well as motivation. And having an idea of a mod is very helpful motivation as well.

 

[jordsta95]

I know it's outdated, but vswe's tutorials may be really helpful... you know vswe... the guy behind Steve's Mods (Steve's Carts, Steve's Factory Manager, Steve's Workshop), and a few other mods too.
Or maybe Pahimar's new series which he is doing in 1.7... Pahimar? The guy behind Equivalent Exchange 3? You must know him

But to be honest, you only really need to know the basics (crafting, how to add an item/block, and how to texture it) and you have a potentially amazing mod. Look at all the mods out there which don't really add anything other than building blocks. I know your mod would be lost in the crowd, but there is nothing wrong with using a basic mod as a learning basis.

Also, if you don't know where to start, and would like something that is open source that you can work with, that has (what I think are) good features, then you can, by all means, work on an old mod I used to work on. It will need a lot of tinkering (in the sense of ID's no longer being needed, etc.) but IIRC there is a "test dimension" which is in there for when I wanted to learn about dimensions (IIRC it is the old nether portal recipe, but out of sandstone instead of obsidian) there's a few mobs in there, a few blocks and a few items. A lot of crafting recipes, a few furnace recipes, and a few custom "enchantments".
*If you do want to work on it, then you will probably need to do a fair amount of changes, as the source code is 1.5, I believe... dunno if there is a way to get the 1.6 code) but even if you don't want to update it, then I advise looking at the source code of it, along with any other open source mod (Buildcraft, EE3, etc.) as they may give you helpful hints at what to do

 

[SourC00lguy]

Well thank you for the advice :-D, I have indeed watch vswe and pahimar. Pahimar is more for people who already know code. And i didn't know if he actually had enough let's mods to teach much haha. And vswe is what I will go to for learning the modding stuff. I don't know where to go for learning hot to update stuff and learn the new stuff for when minecraft updates like how do the modders learn what to change and do? But I'm watching short videos by a YouTube the new Boston which are really good for Java and are short which I liked because with vswe they are really long and I never had the time. I may have to take you up on that offer about tinkering with an old mod when I get a chance, as someone has already suggested tinkering with the minecraft source code. I guess I really want to know where and how the modders learn what they do to become modders and take their Java knowledge and apply it. Is it just natural after you learn enough Java? Because I don't know enough to know yet haha.

 

[jordsta95]

I think for some of the smaller mods (building block mods I'm looking at you) it is just watching a few episodes of a YouTube tutorial (setting up environment, how to add a block/item and crafting recipes).
As for me, I learnt (with no prior knowledge of Java) from a Youtuber named WoopyGaming, he is pretty damn good. Dunno how far into his 1.7 series he is. But after I had "done" with the base aspects of my mod, I looked into getting hold of the source code of an abandoned mod (Ender Extended) added it to my mod, then just did a few tweaks with stuff such as crafting recipes (to integrate it more) and then started to learn things from that mod, and implement it into items I had.
But when it comes to updating, from 1.8 onwards life should be much easier. I say 1.8 and not 1.7 because LexManos said a lot of stuff will be changing with Forge, between 1.7 and 1.8, and I don't know what those changes are. But anyway, getting off topic, when it comes to updating usually when you open up eclipse (or whatever you use to edit your code) it will give you an error on any page with code that changed, and 9/10 times it will give you the new code when you r-click it or the code is deprecated and you can just remove it. The other 1/10 times you will either have to look up on the forge update list thingy to see what has changed, or if that doesn't help just scoot on over to the forge forums, and scream and cry at the people saying "My thing broke", and as long as you give them the line of code that no longer works, they can usually fix it

 

[SourC00lguy]

Well that is very useful thank you! I'm finally getting answers! And that's what I'm happy about is the the modding community is so active and supportive that they will help you fix your problems! It's great

 

[Strikingwolf]

Make a simple simple mod. Something like my CreepersFire mod. Also, have a learning mod instance where you just make stuff to learn how everything works. Good luck!

 

[jordsta95]

Oh, I have found the old 1.6.4 code So if you want that, then just holla
I may try updating it to 1.7, dunno yet... but the mod is still "open source" from the last release that is on the page I linked, but I don't mind giving away the source as of 1.6.4 either, as I BELIEVE everything in that version works... not sure about the new dimension though, I may have removed that because I was probably too lazy to fix it

EDIT: Just looked at it, and it seems I did :O I thought I was lazier than that *shrugs*

 

[Strikingwolf]

Oh, I have found the old 1.6.4 code So if you want that, then just holla
I may try updating it to 1.7, dunno yet... but the mod is still "open source" from the last release that is on the page I linked, but I don't mind giving away the source as of 1.6.4 either, as I BELIEVE everything in that version works... not sure about the new dimension though, I may have removed that because I was probably too lazy to fix it

EDIT: Just looked at it, and it seems I did :O I thought I was lazier than that *shrugs*

/me wants
/me is using /me to much
/me just caused / me-ception

 

[jordsta95]

Well the way I am accessing it (as I lost the source files due to a hard drive crash) is by downloading the 1.6.4 version of the mod
And then using this program to read the code as I typed it. Although I believe you can use Notepad++
Just download the mod, open the zip file, then copy the contents into a new folder, and open it using Notepad++ or Java Decompiler. And feel free to read through, copy/edit anything you want to
Just a little navigation help for you:
everythingandmore.class is the main class file for some reason when opening that, it may show the item registers wrongly e.g. "public static yc BakedWithLove;" yc should be item, and for blocks it says aqz, and ww for the tabs, which I can't remember what their ID should be :/ (god knows why, it just does)
Yeah, a lot of little things like that. But assuming you know your way around the basics, there shouldn't be any issues

 

[SourC00lguy]

Sweet, once I learn a bit I'll try and take a look.

 

[jordsta95]

Right, you all know by now that forge 1.8 is out now which means TC will be updating soon. Now since I don't know the ETA of it, I have come up with a small release plan. The closed alpha testing will be going ahead in a couple days, once that is complete I will iron out all the bugs and will make a single 1.7 public release of the mod. Even if TC 1.8 come out, however the 1.7 public release will not be kept up-to-date from there on and I will focus on pumping out a 1.8 version.

Forge 1.8. Since when?

 

[TheDrunkMafia]

Forge 1.8. Since when?

WHOOPS. You saw nothing, I posted that in the wrong thread.

 

[SourC00lguy]

Awkward haha wondered why that was here

 

[TheDrunkMafia]

Shhhh, you saw nothing here. ;D Any who, sorry for bombing the thread and leaving it astray. I'll leave now.