The Future of the Modification

I have been meaning to post something about my deadline I mentioned in my last journal.

The goal was 500 downloads in the first 30 days following the Beta 1.0 update release to my Minecraft modification, PokemonMD: Undaunted Heroes. The update was the most significant in its roughly 3 1/2 year history as it added Tamables (friendly creatures to fight with or for you) and a true boss mob.

The mod received exactly 95 downloads in the time frame, 5 of which was myself testing the links for the main update and a small Beta 1.0.1 patch to fix some significant bugs. This makes community interest roughly 1/3 the previous update in last October I believe it was. An inverse relationship between quality and community interest.

So I said I would discontinue PokemonMD if this happened. Some other things happened and that decision became a little complicated.

Agreement to Continue

A friend recently graduated from game development school but has no job prospects. I offered them a place to write code for me so they chould show an employer they have more experience beyond school. And in doing so, I'd promise to keep the mod going.

Well, I still have not gotten them to do anything so the gesture has not really had any meaning to it or at least not yet.

Two Major Decisions

I have decided two things. One is set in stone and is for sure. I will not change my mind. The other is likely to be carried out.

No 1.7.10+ Updates

The set in stone decision is PokemonMD: Undaunted Heroes will NEVER be updated beyond 1.7.10. It's too large, too complicated, and the changes to 1.8.9 from 1.7.10 are too severe. I humanly don't have the attention span or patience to make it happen.

There are still things I want to do. I have not fully explored or experienced some 1.7.10 mods by other people so I still want to still play 1.7.10, namely Twilight Forest (post-Ur-ghast), Galacticraft (Mars and beyond), Zelda Sword Skills, and the newest compatibility addition to my mod, Biomes'O'Plenty, which players can experience with Beta 1.1 whenever I get that out. As I play, I might as well keep making content at I do.

Beta 1.1 has two significant additions right now besides many compatibility content. One is the Prototurret, a stationary "tamable mob" that players can use to defend areas. The other is the Bow of Kindred, a bow with a unique ammo feature but most notably a special option to hit three targets at once like Kindred from League of Legends can.

Starting a 'New' Mod

The second decision I have made about modding is a new mod will be written using pieces from PokemonMD. Pretty much starting from scratch save the assets and basic behaviors (models will also be carried over).

Right now I have given the new mod the name "Kindred Legacy." "Kindred" meaning "a group of persons related to another; family, tribe, or clan" under one definition on Dictionary.com. The common theme of PokemonMD, if you don't know, is that all the mobs are Pokemon combined with some other element, usually an unrelated game or media like Okami, Final Fantasy, or Starcraft II.

You'll also notice its stripped of "Pokemon" from its name. I think having "Pokemon" in the name made people think they needed to be Pokemon players to play it. That is not at all the case. Pokemon is just the common theme. So, I am getting rid of that turn off.

It will start very small. I plan to release only 8 simple hostile mobs in the first update. There may be some items but there may not be any too. But the big deal is that I want the first update to hit 1.8.9, 1.9.4, AND 1.10.?? at once. I'll be working on them in that order. And to show you I really am doing that, I'll show you a screenshot from today's work:



If you actually play Minecraft, you'll appreciate the significance of this screenshot.

The eight mobs are already picked. This should put at least one in nearly any biomes and most emphasize vanilla item drops in case I pull the mod items in the end:

• Armored Shinx
• Clay Espurr
• Clay Purrloin
• Demon Vulpix
• Forcewind Eelektrik
• Infested Deerling
• Snow Sorceress Braixen
• Swordie Mienshao

If you are very familiar with my mod, you'll know that Swordie Mienshao is a very significant addition on this list. It is a mob that features an action animation for its attack; Something that practically doesn't exist in Minecraft outside of cheap flinging arms. Only a tiny number of modifications possess such a feature and even fewer in 1.8.9 and beyond.

As of this post, all mobs are inserted and working as far as I know of in 1.9.4. All that remains for them is to add the new "Looting Tables" to their mob drops (which is a convoluted mess). Then I'll try and move on to 1.10.whatever. With the mobs all in, then I'll attempt the few items I'm thinking off adding. If they work, great. If not, I'll leave them out for the initial release.

That there is about as much of an update as I think people ought to know. ^^

We'll see where these go and how long they will take.

See you later!

This is Spikybum Jolteon,
~signing out.