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Show HN: The Book of Minecraft Modding

150 points by tcode2k16 6y ago

cassianoleal 6y ago
Could the title please be changed to include the word "Minecraft" like on the actual website it links to?
- Jetroid 6y ago
  Seconded. I felt baited when I clicked the link; I am in no way interested in Minecraft.
moritonal 6y ago
Great resource, awesome to see things that help get kids into development via things they love. Why the ".ml" domain though? If you're not from Mali it's a bit confusing because I thought it was to do with machine-learning? ".tech", ".land", ".in/minecraft" make a lot more sense? https://domains.google.com/m/registrar/search?searchTerm=thebookofmodding&hl=en&tab=1&sort=0 https://domains.google.com/m/registrar/search?searchTerm=the...
- mmm_grayons 6y ago
  .ml is free from a company called freenom, along with .tk, .cf, and a few others.
  - wizzwizz4 6y ago
    Aah, don't go with Freenom if you value your URLs. They're allowed to up the prices drastically upon renewal.
tlarkworthy 6y ago
Oh wow, what a fantastic resource. I too have been trying to lower the barrier of entry, I have a working one click installer to GCP via a Github button. It syncs via Terraform so it can be updated by the users very easily: https://github.com/boardingparty/minecraft_gcp https://github.com/boardingparty/minecraft_gcp The installation turns itself off within 24 hours so you can never rack up a big bill. My running costs are less than $2 per month.
- gen220 6y ago
  Hey this is awesome! It reminds me how I built something like this too, along with a little dashboard web server that allows my friends to start the server, read the status and connection address, and display how much it costs to run per hour. My “turns itself off” mechanism was based on skimming the network port for SYNs and FINs, and storing a counter. Good times :) Minecraft is a great gateway drug to software.
  - tlarkworthy 6y ago
    Great idea on the network metrics as dead mans switch (I think I would just use established connections, but the idea is the same).
sokoloff 6y ago
> The creation of this book is mainly motivated by the lack of centralized and up-to-date information with regard to minecraft modding with forge. By documenting my modding journey, I hope to make the lives of other beginner modders just a little bit easier. Cool. My kids are 9 & 11 and are pretty obsessed with Minecraft and just learning to code a little bit. Like the author, I was frustrated by how hard it is to figure out the various "hello world" complexity level mod starting points from which to begin.
marmot777 6y ago
My son will be stoked about this!
phit_ 6y ago
see also https://wiki.mcjty.eu/modding/index.php?title=Main_Page https://wiki.mcjty.eu/modding/index.php?title=Main_Page https://mcforge.readthedocs.io/en/1.15.x/gettingstarted/ https://mcforge.readthedocs.io/en/1.15.x/gettingstarted/
bredren 6y ago
I worked on a community portal for a large p2p Minecraft community just as Fortnite was coming along. That community went away, and it felt like fortnite took a lot of the wind out of the sails of Minecraft. Can anyone comment on the relative strength of Minecraft modding vs 3-4 years ago?
neves 6y ago
Great. My Fourteen years old son, just went back to Minecraft Leaving Fortnite Land. Is is doing elaborate constructions. I was planning to use it to teach him programming. After reading a lot about Minecraft Edu and installed it, I discovered it is just for schools. You can't buy it. Make Code looks like a better option: https://minecraft.makecode.com/ https://minecraft.makecode.com/ These presentations from Microsoft Build conference look great but I still hadn't time to watch: Make Code with Blocks https://mybuild.microsoft.com/sessions/3d1f48b8-54de-4af4-a4db-b25943d73cf9?source=sessions https://mybuild.microsoft.com/sessions/3d1f48b8-54de-4af4-a4... Make Code with Python https://mybuild.microsoft.com/sessions/256b9486-d200-4ed6-9964-07cfd6f29dda?source=sessions https://mybuild.microsoft.com/sessions/256b9486-d200-4ed6-99... The greatest problem with these resources is that they use the XBox Microsoft version, instead of the Java. Maybe this Mod book will be the best thing.
- Assossa 6y ago
  If you want a good stepping stone between visual programming and Java, check out mods like ComputerCraft [1] or OpenComputers [2]. They add simple computers into the game that can be programmed with Lua. There is also a version of ComputerCraft that has basic visual programming and a simplified Lua interface [3]. [1] https://www.computercraft.info https://www.computercraft.info [2] https://ocdoc.cil.li https://ocdoc.cil.li [3] http://computercraftedu.com http://computercraftedu.com
  - neves 6y ago
    Great tip. ComputerCraftEdu looks really cool. I'll try it. The greatest incentive it to let them use it in the server I've already created for them. They will love it!
- novaleaf 6y ago
  I figured there must be some tool for creating Minecraft Mods that was better than notepad. and it seems like I found one: https://mcreator.net/ https://mcreator.net/ with that you can create mods/adons for java or bedrock editions.
SCLeo 6y ago
Although the book claims to be up-to-date, the way it registers items/blocks is already outdated. Please use DeferredRegister as oppose to RegistryEvent. DeferredRegister: https://github.com/MinecraftForge/MinecraftForge/blob/1.16.x/src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/registries/DeferredRegister.java https://github.com/MinecraftForge/MinecraftForge/blob/1.16.x... Also, I find Cadiboo's Example Mod super helpful: https://github.com/Cadiboo/Example-Mod https://github.com/Cadiboo/Example-Mod
meeech 6y ago
Cool idea. some feedback - you might want to touch on bedrock vs java edition. I know I initially found that one area with little guidance/explanation (wanting to do mods for the switch edition for my kid - afaict, turns out you can't :/ )
- LyndsySimon 6y ago
  You can, it’s just very poorly documented. You have to run a modded server. NukkitX looks the most promising to me long-term, but I’ve not been able to make it work reasonably well yet. ElementZero is far more opaque in terms of finding/creating mods, but it includes enough out of the box to make it worth using IMO.

150 points by tcode2k16 6y ago

cassianoleal 6y ago

Could the title please be changed to include the word "Minecraft" like on the actual website it links to?

Jetroid 6y ago
Seconded. I felt baited when I clicked the link; I am in no way interested in Minecraft.

moritonal 6y ago

Great resource, awesome to see things that help get kids into development via things they love. Why the ".ml" domain though? If you're not from Mali it's a bit confusing because I thought it was to do with machine-learning? ".tech", ".land", ".in/minecraft" make a lot more sense? https://domains.google.com/m/registrar/search?searchTerm=thebookofmodding&hl=en&tab=1&sort=0 https://domains.google.com/m/registrar/search?searchTerm=the...

mmm_grayons 6y ago
.ml is free from a company called freenom, along with .tk, .cf, and a few others.
- wizzwizz4 6y ago
  Aah, don't go with Freenom if you value your URLs. They're allowed to up the prices drastically upon renewal.

tlarkworthy 6y ago

Oh wow, what a fantastic resource. I too have been trying to lower the barrier of entry, I have a working one click installer to GCP via a Github button. It syncs via Terraform so it can be updated by the users very easily: https://github.com/boardingparty/minecraft_gcp https://github.com/boardingparty/minecraft_gcp The installation turns itself off within 24 hours so you can never rack up a big bill. My running costs are less than $2 per month.

gen220 6y ago
Hey this is awesome! It reminds me how I built something like this too, along with a little dashboard web server that allows my friends to start the server, read the status and connection address, and display how much it costs to run per hour. My “turns itself off” mechanism was based on skimming the network port for SYNs and FINs, and storing a counter. Good times :) Minecraft is a great gateway drug to software.
- tlarkworthy 6y ago
  Great idea on the network metrics as dead mans switch (I think I would just use established connections, but the idea is the same).

sokoloff 6y ago

> The creation of this book is mainly motivated by the lack of centralized and up-to-date information with regard to minecraft modding with forge. By documenting my modding journey, I hope to make the lives of other beginner modders just a little bit easier. Cool. My kids are 9 & 11 and are pretty obsessed with Minecraft and just learning to code a little bit. Like the author, I was frustrated by how hard it is to figure out the various "hello world" complexity level mod starting points from which to begin.

marmot777 6y ago

My son will be stoked about this!

phit_ 6y ago

see also https://wiki.mcjty.eu/modding/index.php?title=Main_Page https://wiki.mcjty.eu/modding/index.php?title=Main_Page https://mcforge.readthedocs.io/en/1.15.x/gettingstarted/ https://mcforge.readthedocs.io/en/1.15.x/gettingstarted/

bredren 6y ago

I worked on a community portal for a large p2p Minecraft community just as Fortnite was coming along. That community went away, and it felt like fortnite took a lot of the wind out of the sails of Minecraft. Can anyone comment on the relative strength of Minecraft modding vs 3-4 years ago?

neves 6y ago

Great. My Fourteen years old son, just went back to Minecraft Leaving Fortnite Land. Is is doing elaborate constructions. I was planning to use it to teach him programming. After reading a lot about Minecraft Edu and installed it, I discovered it is just for schools. You can't buy it. Make Code looks like a better option: https://minecraft.makecode.com/ https://minecraft.makecode.com/ These presentations from Microsoft Build conference look great but I still hadn't time to watch: Make Code with Blocks https://mybuild.microsoft.com/sessions/3d1f48b8-54de-4af4-a4db-b25943d73cf9?source=sessions https://mybuild.microsoft.com/sessions/3d1f48b8-54de-4af4-a4... Make Code with Python https://mybuild.microsoft.com/sessions/256b9486-d200-4ed6-9964-07cfd6f29dda?source=sessions https://mybuild.microsoft.com/sessions/256b9486-d200-4ed6-99... The greatest problem with these resources is that they use the XBox Microsoft version, instead of the Java. Maybe this Mod book will be the best thing.

Assossa 6y ago
If you want a good stepping stone between visual programming and Java, check out mods like ComputerCraft [1] or OpenComputers [2]. They add simple computers into the game that can be programmed with Lua. There is also a version of ComputerCraft that has basic visual programming and a simplified Lua interface [3]. [1] https://www.computercraft.info https://www.computercraft.info [2] https://ocdoc.cil.li https://ocdoc.cil.li [3] http://computercraftedu.com http://computercraftedu.com
- neves 6y ago
  Great tip. ComputerCraftEdu looks really cool. I'll try it. The greatest incentive it to let them use it in the server I've already created for them. They will love it!
novaleaf 6y ago
I figured there must be some tool for creating Minecraft Mods that was better than notepad. and it seems like I found one: https://mcreator.net/ https://mcreator.net/ with that you can create mods/adons for java or bedrock editions.

SCLeo 6y ago

Although the book claims to be up-to-date, the way it registers items/blocks is already outdated. Please use DeferredRegister as oppose to RegistryEvent. DeferredRegister: https://github.com/MinecraftForge/MinecraftForge/blob/1.16.x/src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/registries/DeferredRegister.java https://github.com/MinecraftForge/MinecraftForge/blob/1.16.x... Also, I find Cadiboo's Example Mod super helpful: https://github.com/Cadiboo/Example-Mod https://github.com/Cadiboo/Example-Mod

meeech 6y ago

Cool idea. some feedback - you might want to touch on bedrock vs java edition. I know I initially found that one area with little guidance/explanation (wanting to do mods for the switch edition for my kid - afaict, turns out you can't :/ )

LyndsySimon 6y ago
You can, it’s just very poorly documented. You have to run a modded server. NukkitX looks the most promising to me long-term, but I’ve not been able to make it work reasonably well yet. ElementZero is far more opaque in terms of finding/creating mods, but it includes enough out of the box to make it worth using IMO.