Mojang has been hard at work developing a new launcher for Minecraft, one that promises to improve the overall experience of Minecraft in a number of ways. However, there seems to be some confusion on what the new launcher is, what state it is currently in, and what can be expected from it in the future. Today, we are going to take a look at what the new launcher currently features, what it will feature later on, and more!
What the New Launcher Offers
According to Jeb, The new launcher will support updated OpenGL and Java libraries, and will come with the ability to change versions with a drop-down menu. In addition, detailed game settings, such as game directory location, jvm options, memory, and more, will be customizable. This offers an obvious benefit in allowing players to choose which version they are playing with minimal fuss, and no extra installations, as well as tailoring their game to their personal and system specifications.
New Launcher Rumors: Fact or Fiction?
Unfortunately, there have been rumors circulating about what the new launcher will bring (or break), many of which are simply untrue. Today, I sat down with Mojang's very own Dinnerbone to talk about the new launcher, where it is, and where it is going. Some of the most heard rumors are addressed below, plus some exciting news for the future of the launcher!
"The new launcher has always-on DRM! Why is Mojang joining the AODRM bandwagon?!"
- Untrue. The launcher is still in a testing phase, and the "Play Offline" option simply hasn't been added to the menu yet. It is coming in future launcher updates, and will remain a core feature of the launcher. Not to worry, Offline isn't going away!
"The new launcher will kill modding!"
- Untrue; however, we have to examine how Minecraft works now, and how it is planned to work with the new launcher in the future, to understand why this is the case. The Technical Explanation
Right now, Minecraft is installed to the same location for every player (on their respective operating systems), and modding the game requires editing the core files in this location, such as the mincraft.jar, adding mod/config/etc files and folders, and so on. For most players, modding Minecraft, changing versions, or testing Snapshots requires editing these core files directly, which changes the game itself. One of the running problems with this approach has been the lament of modders since the earliest days of the game - every update breaks mods, because an update will completely overwrite old versions of Minecraft (modded or not) with the new version data.
The new version of Minecraft is expected to be compartmentalized. Instead of having "Minecraft" as an entire game to modified, there will be a "core" Minecraft - essentially, the game's engine and crucial data - which all things will be built upon. Jar files which determine how the game runs will have their own locations, called "Versions", which will be selected from the new launcher. This includes everything from actual vanilla versions of Minecraft to the most complex mods imaginable. For example, if you were to install a mod called "Baconcraft" - which involved adding modified files to the minecraft.jar file, custom folders, assets, and textures - you could place it in a Version folder called "Baconcraft", and select it from the launcher when you started the game.
Vanilla Versions already download their data on launch, but only the selected Version's data downloads. For example, if you launch the game with 1.6 selected, only 1.6 data downloads. It is hoped that the launcher will also use this feature to update modded versions of the game, adding functionality for modders to include a download source which would update their modded Version whenever a player launched it.
More details on planned features will be released in the coming days, but this glimpse into the future of the launcher definitely shows an exciting future for modded Minecraft!
The "TL;DR" Explanation
Right now, modifying Minecraft means changing the game itself - adding, removing, or modifying files, which will inevitably get overwritten with updates. The new, proposed system will let you pick any version to play that you wish - up to and including modded versions that you have installed - without accidentally breaking other versions, or worrying that a new update will overwrite and ruin your modded game. Pretty awesome!
"Wait...does that mean the MOD API is coming now?!"
- The new launcher - and the 1.6 update itself - do not include the mod API. However, the API will require many of the coming changes, and so this can be thought of as a preliminary step towards the API!
Good job Guys, the community has faith in ya!
MoK ^-^
That is because there is still a lot of engine stuff to get done before they can even think about pushing out the API.
The past few full patches have had a lot of behind the scenes engine work being done, even the rewrite for redstone was a big step forward towards the API. This patch is another large step, with updated OpenGL, Java libraries and the version selector being major engine updates that needed to be done. The Java libraries in particular are important because those need to be pushed out first before Mojang is able to push the Rendering update they have been talking about since Minecon2012 (and is the last remaining thing in their way from pushing it out, if I remember correctly).
So why is all this engine stuff important to do before they start on the API? Well, lets say they stop what they are doing right now, held off 1.6, and worked their asses to push the API out as a stand alone update, and then went back to working on 1.6. Since there is still a lot of engine work that is being done and 1.6 includes a lot of engine work, if they pushed the 1.6 after the API, the API would break, and all mods and what have you that use the API would break, making the API kine of useless in regards to keeping mods and such from breaking with each update.
See, the engine needs to be in as perfect shape as possible and they need to open up core parts of the game as much as possible so that the API can hook into those components.
That is why the API is taking so long, they are getting the game, and more importantly, the engine, ready for an API to take advantage of it. There is no point pushing out an API that 1) Cannot access the game to its full potential and 2) Is built upon an engine that still needs a lot of major updates that would then break the API.
So, for myself, I am happy when they don't talk about the API, but push out engine related updates. Sure it is not as shiny as a new feature, but I know that it is an important step in getting the API out and that is what matters the most.
I'm aware of reasons behind its delay, but I believe it is very possible for them to complete the engine updates during snapshots and release the API after the engine is complete - all in 1.6.
I hope so
I do too, but I have to wonder, isn’t this almost exactly like MultiMC (with the exception of the Forge button) thereby making it practically obsolete?
Just pay for the goddamn game, . Think of it like this: If nobody payed for it, it wouldn't exist. By not paying for it, you are being selfish and ignorant by forcing others to support it for you instead of being responsible.
Yea! It's not like there can be actual reason behind such acts.[sarcasm]
We get promiced an API literally nearly 2 years ago and all we get is empty promises of an APi that will likely be inadequate for the majority of complex mods. Why do we continue to do this while majong treat us like second class citizens.
You got "promised" an API by a guy who never worked on one and said as much you . Be happy they're working on getting one made now and suck it the hell up. Also your not MEANT to be using the new launcher if you need to edit the jar, it's for testing new crap, not for modding, so why the hell are you complaining? Can you just not be happy about anything?