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[xWHOWANTSAKOOKIEx]

So I was wondering, what is the difference between ModLoader and Forge? I've heard that Forge is more flexible and has more methods and such, but I've never used it in my mods. I've always used ModLoader, which seems like the standard for most mods.

So, to those people who have used both, what is your opinion on this? Why would one be more preferable than the other? What type of mods would be better suited for Forge over ModLoader?

Thanks in advance.

[Kompjuter100]

I have used modloader at first, till i ran out of sprites then i started to use forge.

What Forge has better is It's Universal(Client and Server Merged), so it's easier to make multiplayer-supported mods and
Infinite sprite index.

Idk what else.. i'm kind of new to modding so i don't understand most of the stuff that's there..

[Syfaro]

I would recommend Forge because it's used by more mods than ModLoader now.

It also has a larger feature library than ModLoader.

[SparkClock]

I used to make mods in ModLoader, but then ModLoader ran out of Sprite Indexes. People told me that Forge had infinite Sprite indexes, so I gave it a try. I'm modding in Forge atm, and so far, I like it.

In my opinion, if you are going to make a BIG Mod (lots of textures and such) or a SMP one, you should use Forge. It has a lot of useful hooks, like setBlockHarvestLevel.

[xWHOWANTSAKOOKIEx]

Syfaro, on 04 September 2012 - 09:13 PM, said:

I would recommend Forge because it's used by more mods than ModLoader now.

It also has a larger feature library than ModLoader.

Hm... I thought that ModLoader was used more. Well, things change

Kompjuter100, on 04 September 2012 - 09:11 PM, said:

What Forge has better is It's Universal(Client and Server Merged), so it's easier to make multiplayer-supported mods and
Infinite sprite index.

I'll keep that in mind if I decide to port my mod to multiplayer

SparkClock, on 04 September 2012 - 09:14 PM, said:

In my opinion, if you are going to make a BIG Mod (lots of textures and such) or a SMP one, you should use Forge. It has a lot of useful hooks, like setBlockHarvestLevel.

Yeah, I agree with that. Buildcraft and Equivalent Exchange both use Forge.

[ghosrec35]

The majority of Mods still use ModLoader, simply because it's easier to use and there are more tutorials available around the web for it. I used ModLoader for the first 3 months of my modding, and switched to Forge originally for the Infinite sprite indexes. I now come to appreciate forge for what all it actually includes.

These include, but are not limited to, the availability of the EnumHelper.java to create new tool and armor materials without editing base classes or creating your own enums. This means that unlike editing the base class, all mods using forge will definitely be compatible with yours, and unlike when using your own enums, the tools and armor are still enchantable. Forge also includes the Ore Dictionary which lets you use Blocks and Items registered with the ore dictionary in your recipes, as well as allowing others to use your blocks or items in their recipes. Forge also allows for Advanced configuration files which are much easier for the end user to understand than MLProp configuration files. There are so many things available to you with forge, and now with the Addition of Forge ModLoader you are able to do everything that ModLoader could do, and more.

[GhostOfGhost]

ghosrec35, on 05 September 2012 - 12:17 AM, said:

The majority of Mods still use ModLoader, simply because it's easier to use and there are more tutorials available around the web for it.

Wrong only new modders use modloader or mods thats edit base classes like Better than wolves, forge its better becuase:
1 - infinite sprites
2 - 4096 blocks ids
3 - a bunch of hooks like .setDungeonLoot (this make your item or block spawn on dungeon chest)
4 - client and server merged smp now its easy to do
5 - less buggy (npcs on modloader 1.3.2 still dont working)
6 - more compatibilite with mods
7 - makes your mod easier to port to bukkit (from mcpc builds)
8 - make a new dimension withour other api or editing base classes
9 - scot tools api merged so the vanila pickaxes will mine your new block with the correctly harvest level (in modloader all the vanila pickaxes mines with the same speed on new blocks)
10 - and have more, more u can see forge in action, like the buildcraft, before forge exists, spacetoad cant add the engines because the modloader dosent have animated textures
11 - idk , im newbie
12 - sorry for the bad english
13 - forge haves a lot of tutorials google it
14 - but, yes modloader is moar easyer but its buggy.
------ google tradutor rules ----

[xWHOWANTSAKOOKIEx]

ghosrec35, on 05 September 2012 - 12:17 AM, said:

The majority of Mods still use ModLoader, simply because it's easier to use and there are more tutorials available around the web for it. I used ModLoader for the first 3 months of my modding, and switched to Forge originally for the Infinite sprite indexes. I now come to appreciate forge for what all it actually includes.

These include, but are not limited to, the availability of the EnumHelper.java to create new tool and armor materials without editing base classes or creating your own enums. This means that unlike editing the base class, all mods using forge will definitely be compatible with yours, and unlike when using your own enums, the tools and armor are still enchantable. Forge also includes the Ore Dictionary which lets you use Blocks and Items registered with the ore dictionary in your recipes, as well as allowing others to use your blocks or items in their recipes. Forge also allows for Advanced configuration files which are much easier for the end user to understand than MLProp configuration files. There are so many things available to you with forge, and now with the Addition of Forge ModLoader you are able to do everything that ModLoader could do, and more.

+1. Thank you for going into such detail

GhostOfGhost, on 05 September 2012 - 05:38 AM, said:

Wrong only new modders use modloader or mods thats edit base classes like Better than wolves

Whenever you give suggestions, please do not try to criticize others or make blind generalizations like "only new modders use modloader". I am not new to modding, and I have only used ModLoader up to this point.

[Jade Knightblazer]

Forge is the next step I am going if that helps xWho.

Just the step from Modloader to Forge is pretty big if you a custom to Modloader. The temple is different and client/common classes plus importing libraries takes a little getting used to.

Atm, for me client mods are easy to create with forge. But I am having problems with getting my SMP to work correctly using this "universal" feature. *My problem deals with not knowing what the server needs... I had/still  trying to load up client only stuff and spiting errors out like watermelon seeds () *

[xWHOWANTSAKOOKIEx]

Jade Knightblazer, on 05 September 2012 - 08:55 PM, said:

Forge is the next step I am going if that helps xWho.

Just the step from Modloader to Forge is pretty big if you a custom to Modloader. The temple is different and client/common classes plus importing libraries takes a little getting used to.

Atm, for me client mods are easy to create with forge. But I am having problems with getting my SMP to work correctly using this "universal" feature. *My problem deals with not knowing what the server needs... I had/still  trying to load up client only stuff and spiting errors out like watermelon seeds () *

Yeah, I heard Forge was more advanced. Thank you for your input

[ghosrec35]

GhostOfGhost, on 05 September 2012 - 05:38 AM, said:

Wrong only new modders use modloader or mods thats edit base classes like Better than wolves, forge its better becuase:
1 - infinite sprites
2 - 4096 blocks ids
3 - a bunch of hooks like .setDungeonLoot (this make your item or block spawn on dungeon chest)
4 - client and server merged smp now its easy to do
5 - less buggy (npcs on modloader 1.3.2 still dont working)
6 - more compatibilite with mods
7 - makes your mod easier to port to bukkit (from mcpc builds)
8 - make a new dimension withour other api or editing base classes
9 - scot tools api merged so the vanila pickaxes will mine your new block with the correctly harvest level (in modloader all the vanila pickaxes mines with the same speed on new blocks)
10 - and have more, more u can see forge in action, like the buildcraft, before forge exists, spacetoad cant add the engines because the modloader dosent have animated textures
11 - idk , im newbie
12 - sorry for the bad english
13 - forge haves a lot of tutorials google it
14 - but, yes modloader is moar easyer but its buggy.
------ google tradutor rules ----

I didn't say there weren't Forge tutorials, in fact I edited the Ore Dictionary tutorial on the MinecraftForge.net wiki in order for it to be up to date with 1.3.2. What I said was, there are far MORE tutorials available for ModLoader than there are for Forge. The majority of people who create simple mods would prefer to use ModLoader because all you have to do to register your mod is make a file that starts with mod_ and extend BaseMod and implement the needed abstract methods. With forge, you have to define instances of NetworkMod, Mod, an Actual @Instance of your mod file, Proxy's, both Client and Server, along with creating @PreInit, @Init, and/or @PostInit methods using the AnnotationInterfaces provided with ForgeModLoader which contain the corresponding arguments (such as FMLPreInitializationEvent, FMLInitializationEvent, and FMLPostInitializationEvent.

Obviously, the latter is more complicated and much harder to do, and therefore; is the less likely candidate to be used in instances of simple mods.

[NikolaiTheEpicGenius]

Yeah, forge will live forever (unless Mojang do something even more stupid than usual)

Modloader is dead, as it cannot do anything with entities, packets, GUI's or just about anything else

If you wan't to do anything more than add a block or recipe you need forge

[xWHOWANTSAKOOKIEx]

ghosrec35, on 06 September 2012 - 01:45 AM, said:

The majority of people who create simple mods would prefer to use ModLoader because all you have to do to register your mod is make a file that starts with mod_ and extend BaseMod and implement the needed abstract methods.

So true.

[lockNload147]

I'm starting to like Forge now. At first I didn't use it because it's an API. I don't like to use them unless it's needed and most of the time I find another way without them, so I just stuck with ModLoader. Now I see the benefit of using Forge; less problems, more features, helper classes, and better support. Also ModLoader hasn't fixed the Entity problem which I made a thread on about 3 weeks ago. Forge has for the most part. I would list more features but it seems everyone else here already did.  So yes I would use Forge.

[lorizz12]

Forge convinced me, I'll go to download it

[general3214]

Wow. This topic has helped me a lot. I'll switch over to Forge when I have the time. Thanks!

[Diamondexcalibur]

ModLoader Is So Easy To Use, But Forge Has More Useful Things Like Infinite Sprite And Index Texture

[xWHOWANTSAKOOKIEx]

general3214, on 22 September 2012 - 06:53 AM, said:

Wow. This topic has helped me a lot. I'll switch over to Forge when I have the time. Thanks!

You're welcome

[ghosrec35]

xWHOWANTSAKOOKIEx, on 25 September 2012 - 01:34 AM, said:

You're welcome

I would like to extend upon what I had said earlier. Delving more into what Forge is capable of, the possiblilities are endless. Forge itself is amazing, but the fanbase of Forge Modders extends the capabilities of Forge to an unbelievable level. Whether it be through the availability of an Electricity API that anyone can use for their Forge mods (Universal Electricity by Calclavia), to the extension of Nitro Model Thingy (Successor of Turbo Model Thingy) which allows for more available shapes and other model-based items (Originally by GaryCXJk, Continued by OvermindDL1). We have mods that include API's of their own, such as BuildCraft or IndustrialCraft, which allow you to create a mod of your own, while simultaneously extending the two Goliath's of the Minecraft Community. The Forge community is a completely dedicated community to improving Modding overall, and helping others gain experience in the field as well.

[SpitefulFox]

I switched to Forge recently and I'll admit it takes a little bit of getting used to, but the benefits of Forge definitely make it worth it.  For starters, not wasting sprite indices is definitely a plus if you're adding a lot of blocks and items and want your mod to be able to work with other mods.  Also, Forge includes many useful hooks for changing the game without having to edit base classes, so you can be more compatible with other mods.  And, finally, the Forge Ore Dictionary makes it a lot easier to get your mod to play nice with other mods that include similar items.

Edit: Oh, and the new Universal version of Forge makes it significantly easier to make your mod SMP compatible once you get the hang of the @Sided annotations.