Jeb, Dinnerbone, Grum, and EvilSeph have been discussing the upcoming Mod API in detail! This is only a small look at the massive amount of information provided about the Mod API, so let's dive right in!
API Questions:
Will mods have the ability to modify text?
Mods can have config files that, when initialized, will be able to dynamically print text in a variety of ways.
Will mods like Optifine (which modify the engine directly) be supported?
The API will eliminate the need to write to the engine directly, allowing modifications that affect the game (as any mod will), without altering the game code itself. Among other things, this will greatly simplify mod installation.
Can vanilla block behavior be modified?
Yes.
Will there be official community resources (tutorials, forums, etc) for modders?
Yes.
How will mods be distributed by modders, and downloaded by players?
Players will be able to download mods from the game client itself.
Will the API be able to add new mobs to the game through mods?
Yes. Additionally, it will be possible to modify animated blocks (water, lava) as well as custom animated blocks.
Will the API be like Bukkit (an outside resource)?
No, the API will be integrated into the vanilla game, hopefully bypassing the need for exernal APIs.
Will client-only mods be supported by the API?
Not at this time, but as the biggest client-only modifications are already covered (texture packs, splash screen text etc), it didn't seem necessary.
Will the API remove the issue of mods being rendered inoperable when the game updates?
It is a target we want to hit for certain, but it won't really have that capability at launch, we don't believe.
Will mods need to be re-written from the ground up with the API's release?
While mods will need to be changed to accommodate the API, total overhauls shouldn't be necessary. Even if a mod requires an overhaul for the API, it would only be a one-time occurrance.
Will there be any sort of content filter?
By and large, the community will police its own mods as it does now, but we are working to put a system in place to prevent malicious mods from being distributed.
What can be modified in the game using the API?
Everything.
Can the physics be modded?
Yes.
Will the API be on the XBOX or Pocket Edition?
Not by us, but you can ask the developers of each game, respectively.
Minecraft Questions:
Will mods like Optifine be added to vanilla?
Something even better. Overall, the game engine is being simplified, taking most of the load off of the client, and having the server doing the heavy work, greatly improving SMP.
Smoothstone stairs are not planned.
No new mobs are planned.
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Check back for more updates soon, there is a LOT going on today!
If they can't afford a plugin then they won't be able to play with it. Just like anything else in life.
So you think that people should be forced to pay for a minecraft mod just because its "just like anything else in life"? User made paid DLC sounds like literally the worst idea ever. I can not even begin to list all the contingencies, problems, and general doo doo flingin' that would arise should people be forced to pay for mods. I think that letting people that want to really show the modder their appreciation that donate money probably end up giving them more than a paid deal would anyways.
Again you are comparing apples to oranges. Give me an example in the gaming industry. ... These are all products aimed to help the developing strains of producing software products. These are not game modifications. This is not derivative work.
Why do I have to give you an example in the gaming industry? Why does that matter? What makes a Minecraft plugin (written to the official API) a derivative work, but a plugin to JIRA is not?
If you personally want to pay money to a mod author, then go ahead and donate to them, do not force the rest of us to do so, stop trying to change how every other modding community has handled for the past twenty years, something that at its heart is a HOBBY into something that is not productive for the player base.
No one is forcing you to do anything. Whether a plugin author wishes to provide their work for free or to charge for it is their decision.
The only reason you (and Megafunk) have for arguing against commercial plugins is that you don't want (or can't afford) to pay for them. As I do not expect you to consider any rational argument on this matter, I see no reason to continue the conversion. I believe my point has been sufficiently made.
Why do I have to give you an example in the gaming industry? Why does that matter? What makes a Minecraft plugin (written to the official API) a derivative work, but a plugin to JIRA is not?
No one is forcing you to do anything. Whether a plugin author wishes to provide their work for free or to charge for it is their decision.
The only reason you (and Megafunk) have for arguing against commercial plugins is that you don't want (or can't afford) to pay for them. As I do not expect you to consider any rational argument on this matter, I see no reason to continue the conversion. I believe my point has been sufficiently made.
Because I don't go around comparing how different industries run their respective businesses, that is why I am asking for an example within the gaming industry, because I know you cannot come up with an example to support your point.
I really do not care if you are running from this conversation, you've given weak ass counterpoints and your thought process lies in the realms of dreams, none of your points are rooted in reality, you do not comprehend how much of a hassle it would be to do paid mods not just for Mojang, but for the community.
But nice cop out trying to get the last word seeming like the better man who won the conversation, please don't reply to me since, as you've said, you have made your point more than sufficient.
Yaaaaay! Now all we need is an actual cool terrain generator. No, I don't want Pre-Beta 1.8 gen back, I want something BETTER. Pre-1.8 was pretty darn good. Massive mountains and cliffs, huge plains of flat land, big floating islands and cool beaches!
I want this and also the option to generate a Pre Beta 1.8 world and a Pre Alpha 1.2.6 world (Alpha would make old grass too)
Because I don't go around comparing how different industries run their respective businesses, that is why I am asking for an example within the gaming industry, because I know you cannot come up with an example to support your point.
I really do not care if you are running from this conversation, you've given weak ass counterpoints and your thought process lies in the realms of dreams, none of your points are rooted in reality, you do not comprehend how much of a hassle it would be to do paid mods not just for Mojang, but for the community.
But nice cop out trying to get the last word seeming like the better man who won the conversation, please don't reply to me since, as you've said, you have made your point more than sufficient.
Well I think you're an idiot. Eclipse is a programming development tool and Minecraft is a sandbox Java game. But both are still programs. Both also have (will have in the case of Minecraft) an official API for writing plugins for themselves. Eclipse plugins can be offered free or for charge. You can also write plugins for web browsers and charge money for them. I don't see how there is any difference.
I don't actively write Minecraft plugins anymore, but I have in the past mostly for personal uses. If it were allowable to charge for mods, I probably wouldn't charge for one unless it had enough work put into it, say like the Aether mod. As a player, I wouldn't mind paying for a mod if was decent enough. Most minecraft mod developers probably wont charge money for their mods, but their should still be the option available.
PS. Consider Valve. It's in the gaming industry, and it has a api platform. You can use it to make mods or games, and I'm pretty sure it's up to you if you charge money or not. https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Steamworks
Because I don't go around comparing how different industries run their respective businesses, that is why I am asking for an example within the gaming industry, because I know you cannot come up with an example to support your point.
I really do not care if you are running from this conversation, you've given weak ass counterpoints and your thought process lies in the realms of dreams, none of your points are rooted in reality, you do not comprehend how much of a hassle it would be to do paid mods not just for Mojang, but for the community.
But nice cop out trying to get the last word seeming like the better man who won the conversation, please don't reply to me since, as you've said, you have made your point more than sufficient.
The guy is right, you are wrong and on top of that, you're splitting hair to try to win an argument that you lost.
This is so amazing, and I'm incredibly excited... but I feel sad, because they previously said there would be less big vanilla updates, and they would rely on mods.
I guess it'll be a good trade-off, but I'll be sad to not be constantly looking forward to more vanilla updates, as most mods usually don't brilliantly capture the feeling of the game... :/
I'm fairly certain it's free to make mods, and I think MCP will stick around for a bit since the API isn't supporting client mods just yet...
If memory serves they specifically said in the panel that mods like the minimap would be possible in the game. The specific question was something like
"Will you ever add functionality like Rei's Minimap directly into the game"
"No, but you could get a mod for that".
Oddly there seems to be confusion even in the initial post that summarizes the panel (I might be the one that is confused, though, in fact that's probably more likely, but I haven't been able to interpret the panel as saying client side mods would be impossible)... If you can stand people asking really stupid questions*, it's a good idea to give it a go if you are interested in details. I don't remember anything specific that said there would be no way to have Client-side modifications. Obviously they would be necessary since mods will be adding blocks and textures and whatnot, so they are going to have client-side assets.
On a side note, the panel was actually HILARIOUS... when people ask a dumb question you can see Dinnerbone looking off into space with a neutral smile, going to his happy place and mentally stabbing the people who constantly asked questions like "are you adding new mobs" or "Are you adding smoothstone slabs"
*Seriously... who goes to the convention to a game, get's a chance to ask the developers a question, and then asks "How long has this game been around"? An idiot, that's who.
How about giving a non ambiguous statement about bukkit server side plugin compability?
What do you mean? They said that they didn't know if bukkit would still be around after the API launched. They stated that the API does all of bukkit's functionality plus a ton more. They stated that if bukkit continues development after the API is launched it would have to be based on top of the API to function. Yeah bukkit plugins would work with the new API, but just like every other mod, you'd have to do the conversion.
WTH do you mean with cheater, in SMP the only thing it does is provide a minimap and waypont, no mob detection or anything, so how is that considered cheating?
Because it defeats the purpose of the regular (item) map.
Iunno.
Overall, the game engine is being simplified, taking most of the load off of the client, and having the server doing the heavy work, greatly improving SMP
I'm positively ("taking most of the load off of the client") and negatively ("having the server doing the heavy work") surprised. Minecraft servers are already VERY requiring hardware. It's good to optimize a client, but what about server?
Why do they keep ignoring the people who've already created a modding API for them, and will probably be better still in the end. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, it's a great little thing called Forge.
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Posted Nov 26, 2012So you think that people should be forced to pay for a minecraft mod just because its "just like anything else in life"? User made paid DLC sounds like literally the worst idea ever. I can not even begin to list all the contingencies, problems, and general doo doo flingin' that would arise should people be forced to pay for mods. I think that letting people that want to really show the modder their appreciation that donate money probably end up giving them more than a paid deal would anyways.
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Posted Nov 26, 2012Why do I have to give you an example in the gaming industry? Why does that matter? What makes a Minecraft plugin (written to the official API) a derivative work, but a plugin to JIRA is not?
No one is forcing you to do anything. Whether a plugin author wishes to provide their work for free or to charge for it is their decision.
The only reason you (and Megafunk) have for arguing against commercial plugins is that you don't want (or can't afford) to pay for them. As I do not expect you to consider any rational argument on this matter, I see no reason to continue the conversion. I believe my point has been sufficiently made.
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Posted Nov 26, 2012Because I don't go around comparing how different industries run their respective businesses, that is why I am asking for an example within the gaming industry, because I know you cannot come up with an example to support your point.
I really do not care if you are running from this conversation, you've given weak ass counterpoints and your thought process lies in the realms of dreams, none of your points are rooted in reality, you do not comprehend how much of a hassle it would be to do paid mods not just for Mojang, but for the community.
But nice cop out trying to get the last word seeming like the better man who won the conversation, please don't reply to me since, as you've said, you have made your point more than sufficient.
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Posted Nov 26, 2012I want this and also the option to generate a Pre Beta 1.8 world and a Pre Alpha 1.2.6 world (Alpha would make old grass too)
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Posted Nov 26, 2012Well I think you're an idiot. Eclipse is a programming development tool and Minecraft is a sandbox Java game. But both are still programs. Both also have (will have in the case of Minecraft) an official API for writing plugins for themselves. Eclipse plugins can be offered free or for charge. You can also write plugins for web browsers and charge money for them. I don't see how there is any difference.
I don't actively write Minecraft plugins anymore, but I have in the past mostly for personal uses. If it were allowable to charge for mods, I probably wouldn't charge for one unless it had enough work put into it, say like the Aether mod. As a player, I wouldn't mind paying for a mod if was decent enough. Most minecraft mod developers probably wont charge money for their mods, but their should still be the option available.
PS. Consider Valve. It's in the gaming industry, and it has a api platform. You can use it to make mods or games, and I'm pretty sure it's up to you if you charge money or not. https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Steamworks
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Posted Nov 26, 2012The guy is right, you are wrong and on top of that, you're splitting hair to try to win an argument that you lost.
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Posted Nov 26, 2012I guess it'll be a good trade-off, but I'll be sad to not be constantly looking forward to more vanilla updates, as most mods usually don't brilliantly capture the feeling of the game... :/
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Posted Nov 26, 2012If memory serves they specifically said in the panel that mods like the minimap would be possible in the game. The specific question was something like
"Will you ever add functionality like Rei's Minimap directly into the game"
"No, but you could get a mod for that".
Oddly there seems to be confusion even in the initial post that summarizes the panel (I might be the one that is confused, though, in fact that's probably more likely, but I haven't been able to interpret the panel as saying client side mods would be impossible)... If you can stand people asking really stupid questions*, it's a good idea to give it a go if you are interested in details. I don't remember anything specific that said there would be no way to have Client-side modifications. Obviously they would be necessary since mods will be adding blocks and textures and whatnot, so they are going to have client-side assets.
On a side note, the panel was actually HILARIOUS... when people ask a dumb question you can see Dinnerbone looking off into space with a neutral smile, going to his happy place and mentally stabbing the people who constantly asked questions like "are you adding new mobs" or "Are you adding smoothstone slabs"
*Seriously... who goes to the convention to a game, get's a chance to ask the developers a question, and then asks "How long has this game been around"? An idiot, that's who.
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Posted Nov 26, 2012What do you mean? They said that they didn't know if bukkit would still be around after the API launched. They stated that the API does all of bukkit's functionality plus a ton more. They stated that if bukkit continues development after the API is launched it would have to be based on top of the API to function. Yeah bukkit plugins would work with the new API, but just like every other mod, you'd have to do the conversion.
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Posted Nov 26, 2012Because it defeats the purpose of the regular (item) map.
Iunno.
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Posted Nov 26, 2012I'm positively ("taking most of the load off of the client") and negatively ("having the server doing the heavy work") surprised. Minecraft servers are already VERY requiring hardware. It's good to optimize a client, but what about server?
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Posted Nov 26, 2012I want to know if a mod needs to be updated with every game update like they do today?
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Posted Nov 26, 2012I don't think so, but I'm not sure.
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Posted Nov 26, 2012