Minecraft modding

Minecraft mods are independent, user made additions to the 2012 original Mojang video game. Thousands of these mods exist, and users can download from the internet for free. Using additional software, several mods are usually able to be used consecutively to enhance the gameplay and create an entirely different experience from standard issue Minecraft. Mods are credited as one of the foremost reasons why Minecraft became as successful as it did, with the Minecraft modding community itself mentioned as one of the most active modding communities in the history of gaming. Minecraft mods are only available for the PC and mobile versions of the game: console versions cannot be modded.

Technical feasibility

Minecraft is a videogame particularly known for its adaptability for modifications. Over the course of the years, many independent programmers have made use of that in order to create additional content for the game, known amongst their users as 'mods'. Minecraft can be modded in two different ways: there is single-player modding and server modding. The first variant requires a player to modify his game files by inserting new files or installing a mod loader like Forge, the second one leaves the player's Minecraft installation untouched and only changes installation files on a server, to which the player can then log on. The latter one is reportedly much easier to set up. Single-player mods are sometimes grouped together in so called 'modpacks', which can then easily be downloaded and played by the end user, without requiring to have

History

Although the very first PC version of Minecraft was released in mid-May 2009, client-side modding of the game did not start in earnest until the game reached its alpha stage. The only mods that appeared in the beginning were server sided mods which would give server owners more control over their Minecraft environments. The first client-sided mods which began to appear along with the alpha version of Minecraft added relatively simple things, like other textures or amending the in-game compass. In 2010, these mods gradually began to have more content as Minecraft was preparing to move into its beta phase. Household names like IndustrialCraft, Railcraft and BuildCraft started their development cycles. As opposed to their predecessors, these mods had the potential to change the entire games instead of simply tweaking minor aspects. During this time, the mod Forge was released. Forge didn't add new gameplay features to Minecraft, but rather allowed players to be able to run several client side mods consecutively. Before becoming compatible with Forge, IndustrialCraft and BuildCraft wouldn't run together, because both mods were known to edit the same Minecraft base Java files. Forge ended the necessity to edit these files, allowing separate mods to run together without requiring them to touch the base source code. When Minecraft had its first full release in November 2011, a new burst of mods was released with developing mods for Minecraft now being more popular than ever. In February 2012, Mojang hired developers of the Bukkit addon to work on a modding API, allowing mod developers easier access to the Minecraft game files. In May 2015, Mojang announced on social media to be "still working" on this API, despite announcing it over three years ago. After Microsoft acquired Mojang in late 2014, the modding community worried for a while that Minecraft's new American owners would put an end to Mojang's practice of giving free reign to mod developers. Despite the uproar, Microsoft has not announced changes to Mojang's policies. In April 2015, Microsoft announced that it was adding a Minecraft Mod Developer Pack to Visual Studio, allowing users of their software an easier way to program Minecraft mods with it. Microsoft released the new Pack open source and free of charge, amidst a drive to push towards more open source software . In mid-2015, a new Windows 10 version of Minecraft was announced. Which, in contrast to the Java version – would be developed in C++ rather. Many players of the mods were reportedly worried that the original Java version would be phased out for the new Windows 10 version. This would severely hamper the production of mods, since C++ is not as "reverse engineerable" as Java is known to be. Precisely for this reason, Mojang is holding off on that, according to a developer. As of early 2016, Mojang is getting ready to release version 1.9 of Minecraft. The company has promised that this update would significantly simplify the creation and updating of mods. Previous updates were known to break available mods, forcing creators to spend considerable time updating them.

Controversies

Over the course of the years, there have been two major mod related controversies with Minecraft. One of these had to do with GregTech, which aims at making Minecraft harder. In 2013, its developer – Greg – saw some of its added recipes changed by another mod called Tinkers Construct. Because that annoyed the author of Gregtech, he deliberately inserted code into his mode which would crash the game client if it found another mod (like Tinkers Construct) added changes to the game. The authors of both mods later settled their dispute. Another controversy dealt with the mod Bukkit, which is an API which enables others to install server-side mods. Due to the project frequently switching hands, several developers past and presents had begun to argue about who presided over the rights to the project. . In the end, one of them pulled the rights to use his code in the game, effectively forcing Bukkit to fall in a state of disrepair.

List of noteworthy mods

The total number of Minecraft mods is hard to calculate, but repository website Curse features over 1,500 of them. This list – sorted in alphabetical order – will only mention the ones that have received extensive coverage from multiple sources.

Backpacks (link)

Adds dyable backpacks which you can use to carry items around in the game.

BuildCraft (link)

This mod adds machine, pumps, gear and other mechanical items to the game.

CustomNPCs (link)

Create customized NPCs, which can do a variety of tasks including fighting and playing music.

Flan's Mod (link)

A military-themed mod that adds things like warplanes, guns and handgranates.

Fossils & Archaeology (link)

With this mod, players can scavange DNA and bring dinosaurs back to life.

Galacticraft (link)

Galacticraft adds rockets and the ability to explore space and find precious items on other planet, such as the moon.

Hunger Overhaul (link)

The hunger mechanic – which is already present in the game – is expanded upon, and made harder to deal with.

IndustrialCraft (link)

Like BuildCraft, IndustrialCraft adds machines, but also nuclear reactors and metal tools.

Mo' Creatures (link)

Basic Minecraft adds a couple of farm animals, and Mo' Creatures adds many more.

Mystcraft (link)

While standard Minecraft only allows players to go to three dimensions, Mystcraft provides them with the tools to create as many as they like.

Natura (link)

Natura adds more trees and other natural structures to Minecraft.

NotEnoughItems (link)

NotEnoughItems is a visual tool that helps players keep track of all the items in the game, both by standard Minecraft and other mods.

Optifine (link)

Optifine allows for some graphical tweaking to make the game appear to run smoother.

Pixelmon (link)

Pixelmon adds both the monsters and the mechanics from the Pokémon games into Minecraft.

Railcraft (link)

Although standard issue Minecraft already adds trails and a cart, Railcraft expands this concept with trains and locomotives.

Rei's Minimap (link)

Maps are a standard feature of Minecraft, but Rei's Minimap adds one to the GUI which does not require the player to whip out an item.

Tinkers' Construct (link)

This mod allows players to make customized weapons and tools.

TooManyItems (link)

Like NotEnoughItems, TooManyItems makes an inventory of all items in the game and displays them to the player.

Twilight Forest (link)

A new dimension with new bosses to take on.

Official recognition

The official stance of Mojang with regards to the modding phenomenon is that they do not officially support modding, but in 2012 they claimed to be working on a modding API as well as a repository for Minecraft mods. Their help website does list video tutorials that teach the player how to install and play Minecraft mods.

Influence

Minecraft itself

Mods have influenced the main Minecraft game on two occasions. Mod developer Dr. Zhark added horses to the game through the Mo Creatures mod. Later on he helped Mojang adapt horses for use in standard issue Minecraft. Pistons were also originally a part of a mod too, but impressed Minecraft's creator so much that they added the feature to the main game. Minecraft's creators were also impressed with the work done on server side modding API Bukkit. The Swedish company ended up hiring the leading developers of the project.

Education

Minecraft mods are credited for being a gateway for children to pick up coding and programming, something which is also encouraged by the project ComputerCraftEdu, which adapted the 2011 mod ComputerCraft for educational purposes. Programming classes utilizing Minecraft were also started by the University of California, which aims to teach children aged 8-18 how to program applications. MinecraftEdu – the mother project of the aforementioned ComputerCraftEdu – takes on a wider scope and sells Minecraft mods to schools in order to teach a wider variety of subjects including language, history and art.. In The Parent's Guidebook to Minecraft, author Cori Dusmann denotes that homeschooling and Minecraft make for an interesting match, as creating simple mods can be an "illustration of scientific principles," to which homeschooling provers are receptive.

Critical reception

PC World's Nate Ralph calls installing mods for Minecraft "a somewhat convoluted process", but does admit it could serve the player who desires "a little more out of the experience" of playing the game. Max Eddy of PC Magazine also makes a point out of it the processing of setting up a game augmented with mods, claiming "it seems rather complicated" and that at first he was "too afraid to mod Minecraft at all", but learned to appreciate it when he realized that modding Minecraft is "pretty forgiving". Eddy does nevertheless mention that he feels Mojang's fast development pace regarding the main game has slowed down the progress of the most popular mods. Similarly, Benjamin Abbott of Metro agrees that adding mods to Minecraft is "a thorough pain in the backside", he also concedes that "the result is usually worth it." Matt Smith of MakeUseOf says he's disappointed with most of the Minecraft mods available, claiming they don't modify the game "in a way most people would care to enjoy," or have "bugs that grind the experience to a halt." At San Jose Mercury News, George Avalos claims that mods are definitely suited for "mainstream enthusiasts", but does warn that precaution must be taken in order to avoid downloading "dangerous and spammy software" when looking for Minecraft mods. Avalos also remarks that installing mods will probably require adult attention, even though Minecraft typically appeals to children.

External links

• Minecraft mods on the Minecraft Forum
• Minecraft mods at Curse
• Minecraft mods at Planet Minecraft