Okay, who here likes the mod support? Probably no one, because THERE IS NONE. Notch plans to add it, and I have a few ideas on how it will work. And no TL;DR ****.
Adding ModsThe Mod Folder
Much like the texture pack folder, you will place mods in .zip form here. The game will then know to use these files when the mod is active (see below). Also like texture packs, mods can have .txt's for their descriptions, and .png's for their picture.
Activating and Deactivating ModsWith a single click!
Once the mod is in the mods folder, the player can scroll through them, and click the mods they want. Mods that are active will have some indication (like a checkmark) as to when they are active. Activation simply determines whether the mod is used or not.
Behaviorand Existing .class Mods
Now for the gameplay portion. Modded .class files are loaded, and played as they would be as if they were in the .jar file. Now, at this, it seems you would be limited to only new .class files, and not being able to edit the old ones. Not to worry, as there will be a new file. For now, I call it change.class. The game will scan this file, and read it as it normally would. However, the file will tell the game to make alterations to existing files. This could be using the e.class in that mod instead of e.class in the .jar, adding a line to the original .class, or disregarding an original class file altogether. Textures will by handled by corresponding .png's, each unique to the item, so no need to constantly tinker with the terrain.png.
Multiple ModsNo More Incompatibility!
Here's the best part. Mods have very little opportunity to overlap and cause problems. I'll do this portion through example. Say you have IC.zip (Industrialcraft) and SDKG.zip (SDK Gun Mod). Let's say that they both use a block with id 200. Not to worry, as the game will treat both items as different entities. How? One block would have the id IC_200, and the other SDKG_200. The same goes for .class files, such that there is e.class, IC_e.class, and SDKG_e.class. The only problem I see is that a change to from both mods to the same original .class file might cause problems.
Removal of ModsIt won't crash your game!
Mods will stay in the mod folder until manually deleted in game or removal from the computer. You can also just deactivate it. But what happens to the SDK_200 item you picked up? The game will give it a placeholder sprite (like a ?) and keep in in your inventory. However, you can't use it for anything. This way, you won't crash your game. The same goes for blocks. Mobs that are not original will be despawned, and modified mobs will return to their natural state.
Mods and ServersCoD: Minecraft Warfare!
Your server will also get a mods folder, which will tell the server what to do. They work the same way, and may even correspond to SP mods, but must be added and deleted manually. Using SDK Gun mods from earlier, a server admin would use an SMP version of the mod. A .class file would tell the server it corresponds with the SP mod SDKG.zip. When a player joins, if they do not have the mod, they will be kicked. The needed mods will be listed, and they can get them if they wish. If a mod is not active in SP, but a server requires it, the server has a setting to activate it for that play only, so that a person won't be unnecessarily kicked.
MockupsWhoo! Photoshop!
None yet, but you could contribute some if you wished.
Thanks for reading, and tell me what you think!
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Adding Mods The Mod Folder
Much like the texture pack folder, you will place mods in .zip form here. The game will then know to use these files when the mod is active (see below). Also like texture packs, mods can have .txt's for their descriptions, and .png's for their picture.
Activating and Deactivating Mods With a single click!
Once the mod is in the mods folder, the player can scroll through them, and click the mods they want. Mods that are active will have some indication (like a checkmark) as to when they are active. Activation simply determines whether the mod is used or not.
Behavior and Existing .class Mods
Now for the gameplay portion. Modded .class files are loaded, and played as they would be as if they were in the .jar file. Now, at this, it seems you would be limited to only new .class files, and not being able to edit the old ones. Not to worry, as there will be a new file. For now, I call it change.class. The game will scan this file, and read it as it normally would. However, the file will tell the game to make alterations to existing files. This could be using the e.class in that mod instead of e.class in the .jar, adding a line to the original .class, or disregarding an original class file altogether. Textures will by handled by corresponding .png's, each unique to the item, so no need to constantly tinker with the terrain.png.
Multiple Mods No More Incompatibility!
Here's the best part. Mods have very little opportunity to overlap and cause problems. I'll do this portion through example. Say you have IC.zip (Industrialcraft) and SDKG.zip (SDK Gun Mod). Let's say that they both use a block with id 200. Not to worry, as the game will treat both items as different entities. How? One block would have the id IC_200, and the other SDKG_200. The same goes for .class files, such that there is e.class, IC_e.class, and SDKG_e.class. The only problem I see is that a change to from both mods to the same original .class file might cause problems.
Removal of Mods It won't crash your game!
Mods will stay in the mod folder until manually deleted in game or removal from the computer. You can also just deactivate it. But what happens to the SDK_200 item you picked up? The game will give it a placeholder sprite (like a ?) and keep in in your inventory. However, you can't use it for anything. This way, you won't crash your game. The same goes for blocks. Mobs that are not original will be despawned, and modified mobs will return to their natural state.
Mods and Servers CoD: Minecraft Warfare!
Your server will also get a mods folder, which will tell the server what to do. They work the same way, and may even correspond to SP mods, but must be added and deleted manually. Using SDK Gun mods from earlier, a server admin would use an SMP version of the mod. A .class file would tell the server it corresponds with the SP mod SDKG.zip. When a player joins, if they do not have the mod, they will be kicked. The needed mods will be listed, and they can get them if they wish. If a mod is not active in SP, but a server requires it, the server has a setting to activate it for that play only, so that a person won't be unnecessarily kicked.
Mockups Whoo! Photoshop!
None yet, but you could contribute some if you wished.
Thanks for reading, and tell me what you think!