Why Minecraft Has So Many Mod Loaders (Forge, Fabric, Quilt, NeoForge Explained)

Summary

This video explores the evolution of Minecraft mod loaders, starting with the dominance of Forge in 2011. As the community grew, so did the need for alternatives, leading to the rise of Fabric in 2018, followed by Quilt and Neo Forge due to internal conflicts within their respective teams. The video delves into the reasons behind the fragmentation of the modding community, the challenges faced by mod developers in choosing platforms, and the growing complexity with four major mod loaders today. It concludes by raising the question of which mod loader will dominate in the future.

Takeaways

• 😀 Minecraft's modding community once used a single mod loader, Forge, but now there are multiple mod loaders available, including Forge, Fabric, Quilt, and Neo Forge.
• 😀 The shift to multiple mod loaders has caused a split in the modding community, as developers must now decide which platform(s) to support.
• 😀 Forge, once universally loved, started facing issues with being bloated and lacking major new features, which led to the creation of Fabric in 2018.
• 😀 Fabric was designed as a lightweight mod loader, catering mostly to optimization mods due to its efficiency, but struggled with complex mods in its early stages.
• 😀 The difference between Forge and Fabric is that Forge is a massive, feature-rich mod loader, while Fabric is a smaller, more optimized option for lightweight mods.
• 😀 The rise of Fabric led to the creation of Quilt, a fork of Fabric, in response to internal disagreements and management issues within the Fabric project.
• 😀 Quilt, unlike Fabric, is managed by a more decentralized system, attempting to prevent the concentration of power seen in Fabric's leadership.
• 😀 Neo Forge emerged as a fork of Forge, created due to internal issues within the Forge leadership, particularly with Forge's owner, Lex.
• 😀 Neo Forge initially supported all Forge mods but is now diverging further from Forge, with many Forge mods no longer working on Neo Forge.
• 😀 Despite the emergence of Quilt and Neo Forge, Forge and Fabric still hold the largest user bases, and the decision for mod developers on which mod loader to choose is challenging.
• 😀 The rise of mod loader bridging projects like Citra Connector and Kild MC shows the desire within the community to merge the various platforms and make them more compatible.

Q & A

Why did Minecraft modding shift from using only Forge to include other mod loaders like Fabric and Quilt?

The shift happened because Forge became bloated over time, making it harder to run on many PCs. It also stopped adding significant new features, which led to the creation of Fabric as a more lightweight, efficient mod loader.

What were the two main issues with Forge that led to the rise of Fabric?

The two main issues with Forge were its increasing size and bloat, which made it hard to run on some PCs, and its lack of major new features, which caused frustration among mod developers who wanted more drastic changes.

What is the primary goal of Fabric as a mod loader?

Fabric's primary goal was to be a lightweight mod loader, making it more efficient and optimized for performance, particularly for mods focused on improving game performance.

How does Fabric's performance compare to Forge in terms of mod compatibility?

While Fabric is more lightweight and optimized for performance, it lacks some of the features of Forge, making it less suitable for more complex or 'heavy' mods. Many heavy mods like Pixelmon still remain exclusive to Forge.

What is the relationship between Fabric and Quilt?

Quilt is a fork of Fabric, created by a part of Fabric's leadership team after internal disagreements. While Quilt aims to improve on Fabric's mod loader, it is still very similar to Fabric in terms of performance and compatibility.

Why was Quilt created, and what sets it apart from Fabric?

Quilt was created due to internal management disagreements within Fabric, including issues related to handling community disputes. What sets Quilt apart is its emphasis on a more decentralized, group-based governance system to avoid the problems that led to Fabric’s split.

What drama led to the creation of Quilt?

The drama that led to Quilt's creation revolved around a controversial unban of a transphobic user on the Fabric Discord, which led to a significant backlash. Fabric's leadership decided not to re-ban the user, causing a rift within the community and among the leadership.

What is Neo Forge, and how does it relate to Forge?

Neo Forge is a fork of Forge, created by a part of the Forge team after internal disagreements, similar to the creation of Quilt. Neo Forge was designed as an alternative to Forge, with the intention of avoiding the issues caused by the leadership of Forge, particularly its owner, Lex.

Why did the Neo Forge team decide to split off from Forge?

The Neo Forge team split from Forge due to the toxic behavior of Forge's leader, Lex, and frustration over his management style. The team believed that Forge was heading toward disintegration under his leadership and decided to fork the project to start fresh.

How does Neo Forge differ from Forge in terms of mod compatibility?

Initially, Neo Forge was compatible with all Forge mods, but over time, the two projects have diverged. Currently, most Forge mods do not run on Neo Forge anymore, meaning the two loaders are growing apart in terms of compatibility.

What challenges do mod developers face when choosing a mod loader in the current landscape of multiple loaders?

Mod developers face the challenge of choosing between multiple mod loaders, like Forge, Fabric, Quilt, and Neo Forge. Each loader has different strengths, with Forge being the most popular but heavy, Fabric being lightweight and optimized, and Quilt and Neo Forge offering alternatives with their own specific features. Developers may struggle to decide which platform to prioritize, especially if they only have the resources to support one or two.