# Exploring Feed the Beast launcher compatibility for the Hardcore Alchemy modpack

asanetargoss, 2022-05-20

## Motivation

Since its first release, the Hardcore Alchemy modpack has been MultiMC-based. This has come with many benefits, such as first-class Linux support, full control over dependencies and launcher arguments, and a lightweight and no-bs launching experience for the user.

However, some players feel that the MultiMC launcher is difficult or inconvenient to use. For example, MultiMC requires you to manually install Java, and MultiMC may not automatically detect your Java installation location once it is installed. MultiMC also is a very featureful launcher, and this may be overwhelming to some users. Also, the process of installing the modpack requires the user to leave the launcher, go download the modpack instance from some other website, and then install the modpack from the downloads folder. Hardcore Alchemy's manual update process doesn't help things either, although that's a fixable problem without switching launchers.

For these reasons, I am interested in making Hardcore Alchemy available on the Feed The Beast launcher as a third-party modpack. The Feed The Beast launcher solves all of the above usability problems, while still supporting Linux, and its user interface is especially simple and easy to use. I also feel that the FTB team is reputable.

There's just one problem: Curseforge, the service which the FTB launcher relies upon for distributing third-party modpacks, currently does not support Linux. However, Curseforge has recently released a Linux version of their launcher. It does not support modded Minecraft yet, but nevertheless suggests strongly that modded Minecraft support on Curseforge for Linux is coming soon. As such, I am beginning the process of uploading the mods needed for the modpack to Curseforge.

## Phase 1: Third-party mod dependencies

As part of the attempt to get the modpack ready for upload, I have been reaching out to certain mod authors to understand their wishes.

Luckily enough, only two mods currently in the modpack were removed from Curseforge: the 1.10 versions of Voidcraft and Keyboard Wizard. Mods are removed from Curseforge on rare occasions, usually because the mod author is no longer willing to maintain the mod. Nevertheless, this requires further clarification from the mod authors.

The response from the Voidcraft developer, Tamaized, has, suffice to say, not been positive. They are opposed to Voidcraft being uploaded to Curseforge in any form, because they are ashamed of the quality of their older work, and want people to forget Voidcraft ever existed. It is worth nothing that the 1.10.2 version of the Voidcraft source code is MIT-licensed, and an official 1.12 version of Voidcraft is available on Curseforge which seems to be similiar to the 1.10 version. That being said, I don't feel comfortable using a 1.10 version of Voidcraft on Curseforge without the author's blessing or at the very least apathy, due to the financial implications of being on Curseforge. As such, I have removed Voidcraft from the latest MultiMC-based version of the modpack, so that it is consistent with the potential future Curseforge version.

By contrast, interactions with the Keyboard Wizard developer, mrnerdy42, have been positive and they have set some terms for Curseforge upload. I had initially forked Keyboard Wizard to fix a crash.

I have also forked various other open source mods for various reasons, and the changes to those mods will need to be available on Curseforge in some way. I've reached out to modders to understand their wishes with regard to Curseforge. Given the current state of these mods, I am reasonably confident that the modpack will remain mostly intact at this point, and that compromises will be technical in nature. In certain cases, I may help integrate some changes upstream or make code changes.

Among the modders I reached out to were the developers of Iberia and Animus. The changes to the mods are already available on Curseforge. Rock Hymas is no longer modding and preferred that I make a separate Curseforge page, so I've set up a page for Iberia: Hardcore Alchemy Edition. TeamDman has kindly uploaded my 1.10 build of Animus to the team's page containing my crash fix.

Also, in case it wasn't obvious, none of the modders mentioned in this article, except for me, are interested in maintaining the 1.10 version of these mods (and with good reason!), so please don't bug the other modders about it!

On a related note, the new Metamorph maintainer, Chryfi, has expressed interest in the changes from my fork being integrated upstream. This would be mostly for maintenance/collaboration reasons, and won't affect the modpack directly. Hardcore Alchemy will continue to use Changeling as its morphing backend, due to Changeling being more survival-focused and just generally an important part of the modpack.

Curseforge's approval process, and the current lack of a Linux version, may present further issues for the modpack down the road, so I can't guarantee the modpack will be available on the FTB Launcher. However, the likelihood is now higher.