State of Forge Server modding?

[sapphon]

Hi y'all,

 

The TechMage mod allows wizards (programming students) to learn Python by writing spells (programs) that affect Minecraft while they're playing!  Then they combat each other in duels with their spells =)

 

The mod started out on Forge 1.7.2-1147 as a client/server deal, with custom magic wands, key mappings, etc. on the client side.

 

For folks who have trouble installing mods, however (some programming students are quite young and with clueless parents),  I was hoping to write a server-side-only version with which players could connect using a vanilla client and the "magic" could be controlled via a Web browser interface. 

 

• Is Forge capable of this?  The most current posts I can find are years old.
  
• If not, are older versions of Forge capable of this?  Could I "downgrade" to get this functionality?
  
• If not, does my problem ring a bell with you as to what the appropriate technology would be?
  

 

Thanks for your time,

Connor

 

EDIT: Just to be super clear - my question is whether a vanilla client can be made to connect to a Forge-modded server.  The mod can already be controlled via web browser; I put that in for context =).

[Draco18s]

The client will need some level of modding, no matter what you do.  ANY kind of interface element or in-game effect, item, or block will need to be installed on the client.

 

If people are having trouble installing mods in the current state of affairs, they're idiots or the mod is not a properly constructed mod.  I.e. all you have to do to install a mod is:

1) download forge, run it

2) add mod to /mods folder

 

If (2) is not true, then the mod is improperly constructed.

[sapphon]

It's not my job to tell my users what their intelligence is or what they should be able to do.  It's also not relevant what their intelligence is.  This is a technical question I'm asking - I'll certainly take "no you can't do that" for an answer, but not "you shouldn't want that" -  a nontechnical answer.

[Draco18s]

This is a technical question I'm asking - I'll certainly take "no you can't do that" for an answer, but not "you shouldn't want that" -  a nontechnical answer.

 

The client will need some level of modding, no matter what you do.  ANY kind of interface element or in-game effect, item, or block will need to be installed on the client.

[david476]

Just read Draco's signature thingy . Should be possible (like the others not sure why but whatever). Any magic effects will have to use vanilla renderers, entities, etc... and you will have to do figure out the server python stuff, but yeah. Doable! You might want to look into:

 

Making server side only forge mods

Events

Decoding input python

Getting and saving strings to an external server

 

BTW, why not teach java? Get them on their way to modding!

 

P.S. You could instead try to figure out how to make an installer, double click and it can do it all for them!

 

[sapphon]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!  I did make an installer already david476; they like it =)  Onward and upward!

 

It's not very conclusive (Got three replies.  Draco: not possible David: possible Diesie: no answer), but it sounds like I need to be looking into Bukkit/Sponge/some other plugin API more exclusively focused on the server side.   

 

I'm going to submit server modding as a feature request; should I file it against MinecraftForge or Forge ModLoader?  It's unclear to me which one it is that chokes without a modded client.

[david476]

GO FORGE, BUKKIT IS TERRIBLE!!! (keeping the war goin, I don't really hate them, just personal preference)

 

Draco seemed to have been mostly talking about the rendering side of things, but any serverside only mod can only render with vanilla stuff so going to bukkit won't help.

[sapphon]

Diesie is right, and I wish he had said it before!  As a desperate measure this morning I upgraded the mod to Forge 1.8 and vanilla clients are no longer being rejected upon connection.  Anyone who has my problem: try 1.8!

[Jacky2611]

Wait! How? Is there already forge for 1.8? I only found fml, which is pretty useless for me. I always get lost creating awesome complicated stuff (everything expect guis...They are plotting to kill me. I am sure!) before i even add the first block.

[Jacky2611]

Best birthday present ever! thx for the link!