No, because FTB is letting the next generation of players know what's OK and what isn't. I may end up seeing if the PT is up for making our own pack distribution system.
No. FTB does not now or ever determine what is "Ok" for people to play or use. We do not determine what mod authors do with their code. In fact I go out of my way to not tell mod authors what to do. I have had many prominent members of the community tell me as a major pack dev I should "force devs to do xyz". I don't do it. I won't do it.
What FTB does do is determine which mods we will use in our packs based on:
- Compatibility with other mods - when EU and Mj were the main supported energy systems, that's what was used. And no one started threads to bitch about how IC2 and BC were in every pack and that FTB was playing favorites.
- Stability - doesn't have to be bug free, but the less major world destroying bugs the better. THe less cross mod issues the better.
- Options - RF was in use by 75% of modded minecraft when we made our announcement of the shift in power options. 75% is a pretty strong bias on addon developer's parts. By using RF as our main power we have more addons and compatibility.
- Communication - And no I don't mean they do what I say. I mean they are openly active in the community on forums, public irc rooms, etc. We know what they are thinking and planning and can plan ahead without too many sudden surprises.
- Support - The more streamlined our foundation the easier it is to maintain and update packs. We have had countless issues in the multi-energy packs where one energy type updated and suddenly the cross compatibility broke causing horrid support headaches.
FTB will always promote compatibility in our main packs.
Since FTB started the number of mods available has multiplied greatly. And frankly @
Eyamaz and I are tired of making the same pack 4 ways each MC version. DW20, Monster, Mindcrack, Tech and Magic are almost the same pack in every MC version. With only a few mods different. If we use EU as our main energy source we have 6-10 mods that we can use to make packs, MJ = 5-10 , RF = almost every MC mod that uses energy and even some magic mods.
The modders have made their preference for RF clear. We are following their lead.
Would I prefer the few mods without RF support add it? Yes. Its good for compatibility.
Will I use them without it? Depends on the mod and the pack.
FTB or more specifically I and @
Eyamaz determine what mods will go into the official non-celebrity packs. Yes it is possible modders will feel that means I am "forcing" them to adopt RF. I am forcing nothing. They can choose not to use RF or anything else I say I want for packs. Just means a lower probability of me using their mod in a pack unless its truly unique.
As an example FZ and RoC are unique.
EIO , IC2, Mek, are not. There are now tons of "Double ore and process" tech mods. Each with 1 or 2 unique functions/components/processes. They can be boiled down to:
- Machine to double/triple/quadruple ores
- Energy Transport - cables, conduits, pipes
- Machine to cook stuff
- Powerful tools
- Energy Production to power the machines
- Some machine or tool that needs the ore boost
Sure some of the energy types function differently. That's a numbers game and while fascinating for some, some of us would prefer a different challenge than doing math.
FZ , RoC and TiCon all add new processes beyond "plop a block and some wires and do some math" but there is limited cross mod support for the first 2.
If mod devs really wanted to make me and @
Eyamaz happy they would split their mods into
- Machines
- Energy/Item/Fluid Transport and Storage
- Energy Production - with cross compatible transformers
- Resources
- Fun extras
Then we could mix and match for fun interesting results. I could mix and match parts of RoC, BC, TE, IC2, and RC and make truly unique gamepacks.
But that would be way too much work for the modders, and I would never ask them to do that, even if I think it would be awesome.
So why did we pick TE?
- Most modders were already compatible
- We knew it was being split
- It has one of the best world gen customization options
- The devs are active, friendly and responsive
- Its a good lightweight foundation to build unique packs on - (yes I know about the 1.6 FMP bug)
My dream combo for an interesting game would be RoC's power gen, BC's pipes, RC's rails and carts, TE's machines and transport/storage, TiCon's tools, Forestry's Bees + Trees, FZ's old router system ( I miss it) , MFR Farms (I don't like the Forestry multiblock). But I can't have that because some of those mods are not compatible, and some the mod author would murder me for removing large chunks of their mod.
I like mods that let the pack designer control the pack, as opposed to mods that want their mod to control the pack and dominate everything in it.
As a "processing and energy" mod, TE3 is the most compatible, lightest weight (ignoring 1 FMP bug in 1.6) and most malleable. It fits more pack styles than any other. In 1.2.5, 1.3.1 and 1.4.7 BC and Eu were the main energy types. So they were the foundation. The modded community started shifting away from EU in 1.5 and in 1.6 it shifted towards RF, packs shift with mods which in turn influences mods created , until mods start changing and the process begins again. Refusing to shift with the modders out of "tradition" or "math" is not something we are going to do. Anyone is free to create their own pack.
Creating a successful pack on my own is how I got invited to the FTB Modpack team. I did it the hard way, I asked permissions, I tested, I broke things and eventually my packs gained popularity. At this point its possible my next pack may get a popularity boost from my reputation, but anyone can start where I started. Don't yell at the people making packs. Make your own. Make it good. Build your fan base and PROVE your idea is popular. Everything I am working towards with FTB and Curse and mod devs is to make it easier for people to make packs that suit their unique view. But you have to actually do the work yourself. You can't just release a pack and expect it to take off instantly.
Ok that was longer than I planned.....