What makes a mod new?

[Mist13]

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of mods, but a majority of them are just re-skinnings of another. There are mods devoted to energy systems,better storage, new mobs, and new toys(stronger tools, guns, etc); is there really another category of mod though? The advent of HQM(which is an improved system from ftb insanity) has been making me wonder what we as players/modders can actually change in Minecraft. HQM is special in that it can set goals; using it doesn't add any new major concepts, just a new mode of play through item distribution and increasing player agency (which is why it works so well with skyblock, which is meant to reduce player agency).

Basically I'm here asking about a pretty vague question: what constitutes "new" in a Minecraft mod, are there a finite amount of such ideas, and, heaven forbid this be true, is there a limit to what games can accomplish as a medium there is such a thing as finite gameplay? Does that mean that Art (capital A) has finite meaning? It only really ramps up larger and larger from there (food for thought yo, please expand/prove me wrong/ call me an idiot(with proof))

 

[GreenZombie]

I was expecting this rambling to end with a url to body building supplements. It makes about as much sense

 

[Mist13]

Sorry, I word-vomit, it's a complex thought, I'll try to better organize this
OK, the way I see it is there are maybe four or five types of mods, most mods being a combination of the types:
1. Energy systems(IC2, Thermal expansion, even Thaumcraft to an extent) These are based around building up a form of energy currency to power machines that manipulate elements of vanilla minecraft
2 Storage (ME systems, better barrels, Buildcraft) These are the pipes, the chests, the way items/tools are stored once obtained and manipulated. They're mostly used with automation
3. Mobs/permutations: I guess this could be restated to include any form of vanilla element that changes the element's features (Roguelike dungeons, special mobs)
4. New toys: The bulk of mods it seems. Picks that work faster, better swords made from some fantasy ore the mod introduces, etc. If you haven't encountered these, I'm fairly sure you've never been introduced to planetminecraft
5. Limiting factors (added after some retrospect): New systems that the player hadn't had to consider before; mods that make the game harder (Crash landing's hydration mod(not sure of name), Food overhaul, the various altitude mods, TerraFirma craft and it's overkill of a system)

Fairly all great mods contain each of these types, with RedPower doing it best imo (a strong permutation of the redstone system, plenty of new toys, a minor energy system attached to more new toys). After thinking more, I'm wondering if computer and other programmable systems would constitute another mod type, but computer's are really just used for automation. Though they do offer an increase in player agency via programmable games, emailing/messages, etc

Like I've said, I'm having a trouble thinking about this through to it's reasonable end,

The last bit about the vague concepts are just questions about said reasonable end: Can Minecraft run out of new mods/ mod ideas, does that mean games can run out of new ideas, does that mean that art can run out of ideas, etc etc etc[DOUBLEPOST=1411369216][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh wow there are a lot of weight-loss/body building things on this forum wow

 

[b0bst3r]

What makes a mod new, 2 things:

1) When you haven't played that mod before
2) When it brings something new and innovative to the chair (like AE did) and now this, I so want to try that lag-in-a-block

 

[RJS]

I think to a certain extent it's the style of the mod that really works in its favour. Mods with interesting crafting mechanisms are always going to feel fresher than a mod which just adds a load of components that you combine in a crafting table. Thaumcraft's infusion crafting and alchemy, Botania's Runic Altar, Ars Magica 2's spell crafting system - all of them help the mod to feel different IMO.

 

[buggirlexpres]

New:

1. Different
2. Fun

It doesn't matter how you do it. If you can make it entertaining, feel free to shake up the modding world as we know it. That's what I tried to do with Running Red. I took the standards established by most Skyblocks, and changed them completely. Sieving a grind? Why not use automagic oreberry bushes instead? Dirt created with some water? Heh. How about blood?

I changed things to make them more fun and different, and managed to tell a story while doing so. Sure, I may be talking about a pack, but look at mods like ThaumCraft or Ars Magicia. Those changed what we thought of Magic Mods completely, by creating what is considered by some to be an amazing and fun process. In their own ways, Ars Magica and ThaumCraft even tell stories. Look at mods like the Aether. It changed what we thought of as a new dimension, and it provided a different and fun experience for all who used it.

You don't even have to turn things on their head. Look at things like Crash Landing. Iksandar created what is akin to a skyblock, but also expanded on the ideas, all without changing anything dear to the community.

Everything can be different and fun. Everything can be new. RF was different, and much more fun. BuildCraft was too. In fact, isn't that what mods are all about? Being different? Providing a more fun experience?