Updating Modpacks needs to be more 'edit friendly'.

[Croaganey]

I use Beyond Compare to help me through the process of updating packs I've customized. I'm sure there are other programs out there that work similarly. WinMerge, mentioned by @Jnelso99 above, sounds like one, I'm just not familiar with it. Once you see how the process works it becomes much more manageable. I can update a pack and check it now in less than half an hour usually. As a bonus, I've also found that I understand the mods a little better by looking that the new changes as they come into the config files.

1. Backup pack folders
2. Download new pack (Note: Due to my limited bandwidth I actually make a backup of the newly updated folders, too. I simply can't afford to download twice!)
3. Use Beyond Compare on the /mods and /config folders.
4. From the results window in BC pay special attention to differences. (I choose to copy my changes into the newly updated folder and my examples will follow that logic.)
   1. Mods folder: be sure the newest versions are in the right places and that nothing is duplicated. Copy in any mods I've added. BC will show when a file is in one folder not the other.
   2. Config folder: open any files with differences, jump to the next highlight difference line, choose if you can ignore or not.
      • Example 1: If the line is a block id you've changed, copy that line over.
      • Example 2: If the line is new config settings be sure it stays in.

Good luck!

 

[DriftinFool]

I understand it takes a little time to edit the modpack how you see fit after updates, but how much time would it take for you to put together every mod you use without Monster? How much time did they spend on the config's?, Testing? And everything else involved. Considering how much time the FTB team devotes to all the packs, complaining about spending time after updates swapping a few mods is ridiculous. The edit modpack tab makes it so easy to add or remove things. Just copy paste you custom configs to your desktop before you update. Only copy the ones you have altered so you don't miss any bug fixes in other ones. It takes me about 10 minutes to do this every update. The new launcher is supposed to make things simpler and is in the works, but until then, deal with it or make your own pack from scratch.

 

[Dodge34]

That is mainly why I don't keep my server and game updated to the latest, I wish I could do it quickly but since I do some tweaks to the configs and add some mods, I have to manually remember what I edited and edit them back when there's a new update, thanks god for MultiMC5, makes it a lot easier for editing the client side without loosing everything, but the hassle I have is with the server pack, each time I need to edit it manually, make sure to remember to copy my configs and mods folder to avoid problems and such. Quite a bit annoying TBH...

 

[Jnelso99]

I use Beyond Compare to help me through the process of updating packs I've customized. I'm sure there are other programs out there that work similarly. WinMerge, mentioned by @Jnelso99 above, sounds like one, I'm just not familiar with it. Once you see how the process works it becomes much more manageable. I can update a pack and check it now in less than half an hour usually. As a bonus, I've also found that I understand the mods a little better by looking that the new changes as they come into the config files.

1. Backup pack folders
2. Download new pack (Note: Due to my limited bandwidth I actually make a backup of the newly updated folders, too. I simply can't afford to download twice!)
3. Use Beyond Compare on the /mods and /config folders.
4. From the results window in BC pay special attention to differences. (I choose to copy my changes into the newly updated folder and my examples will follow that logic.)
   1. Mods folder: be sure the newest versions are in the right places and that nothing is duplicated. Copy in any mods I've added. BC will show when a file is in one folder not the other.
   2. Config folder: open any files with differences, jump to the next highlight difference line, choose if you can ignore or not.
      • Example 1: If the line is a block id you've changed, copy that line over.
      • Example 2: If the line is new config settings be sure it stays in.

Good luck!

That's pretty much my process. I use WinMerge because it's free. The only thing I haven't tried to figure out is, if you don't like a particular update, how to properly revert back to a previous version, and have the launcher recognize it as that previous version. Haven't needed to do that yet, so I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

[MigukNamja]

@Taiine

I can appreciate where you're coming from. I agree stuff *should* just work and be hassle-free.

However, modded Minecraft - especially 1.6 with the requirement for unique IDs - is difficult enough as it is. On top of that, the FTB team - which is volunteer, btw - puts a huge amount of work into the modpacks and the launcher and each update. It's difficult enough to support the FTB modpacks as-are. I doubt the FTB team has bandwidth to develop and support a complex and flexible update system that works as you desire.

As others have already chimed in with excellent advice, once you cross a certain point beyond the FTB packs as-is, it's up to you to figure out how to merge the mods you like with FTB mods and configs.

My response would totally different if you had to pay to use FTB and there was an implied or explicit contract in place, but there's not. FTB does an excellent job with what they do, but there are limits to their volunteer time and commitments and I believe most of the community would agree they are spending their time wisely supporting common modpacks that cover the vast middle ground of what most modded MC'ers want, and letting those like you (and myself !) figure out how to fold in and maintain other mods.

 

[Croaganey]

That's pretty much my process. I use WinMerge because it's free. The only thing I haven't tried to figure out is, if you don't like a particular update, how to properly revert back to a previous version, and have the launcher recognize it as that previous version. Haven't needed to do that yet, so I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I run my instances from MultiMC 5 and that allows me to easily revert if needed. I only use my FTB launcher for updates. That also leaves my FTB folders as clean backups of the pack before my customizations. I keep a copy of the latest universal configs on hand, too.

 

[kaovalin]

Yeah, and that still causes issues of it's own with ID conflicts. That and for me FTB launcher cant seem to grasp That 'this pack is updated' it asks to update -every single time-. If I hit no?" It does nothing, no starting the game, no nada. It asks me up update every time, and every time I have to sit and wait for the pack to DL -again-.

Really we shouldn't have to go through this kind of tasks to keep added mods or configs from deleteing, plus keeping mods we don't want GONE.

What are you talking about? Choose the pack version from the drop down instead of "recommended" and it wont update anything. It wont even ask you to update the pack.

Also I keep a differences folder that I can just drop in when I want to update. Just have to click disable on some mods before I do this and I'm good to go. Takes 10 minutes tops. If you check the changelogs you dont even have to worry about conflicts in IDs because it will say if they were changed.