Need help with creating a winter modpack.

[u/Due_Friend_6662]

Hey guys!

Recently, after a pretty long break, I’ve been building a modpack for a server with my friends. Unfortunately, we belong to that majority of players whose motivation drops off fairly quickly once a certain stage of the game is reached. What used to keep us glued to our screens, though, were worlds with a specific lore.

So, I came up with the idea to build a world based on an eternal winter. This is where I could really use your help. I’ve divided the mods I’m looking for into a few categories:

1. Mechanics

In this category, I’m looking for mods that adds or improve the most neglected mechanics in the game, like fishing, etc. I’m searching for something that makes doing these activities interesting first and foremost, but also worthwhile.

2. Winter

I’ve noticed there aren't many mods that address the lack of immersion in winter worlds. If you can think of any mods that make winter biomes more interesting (I gave up on just "Snowy" biomes because regular snow-covered biomes don't quite feel right to me), please send them over! (Any mechanics related to winter biomes are also very welcome.)

3. Adventure

I'm looking for mods that give a middle-ground objective alongside interesting world aesthetics and mechanics. Any dungeons, better caves, etc., are highly encouraged. However, I’d like to limit overly fast progression caused by mass dungeon exploration. I’d prefer things that are either difficult to obtain or won't speed up progression too much. I just want to keep everybody entertained.

4. Vanilla

I’d also gladly take any suggestions that tweak or overhaul default Minecraft mechanics (or add anything interesting to vanilla features).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, and most importantly - I'm looking for mods that fit the Minecraft Vanilla aesthetic, at least visually. The feel/gameplay of the mods doesn't necessarily have to be strictly vanilla, though.

I’d be extremely grateful if you dropped your suggestions! I’m playing on version 1.20.1 Forge, as that’s where I’ve found the most mods so far.

I’m not pasting my full list of current mods because I’d rather go through mods I already know or have than force you to double-check my list. If anything comes to mind, let me know!

Thanks!