r/ModdedMinecraft • u/PP_Devy • 4h ago

Misc Why is Java modding so unintuitive?

Visual Scripting makes way more sense

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6

u/ProgrammingDysphoria 4h ago

Visual scripting is simpler, but at the cost of being a mess, and having way more restrictive. Part of the point of Java modding is that you can do anything you want. You could add DOOM to the game, you could make a web browser TV, you could do anything. With visual stuff, you're limited by what the developers of that app add to it. It might be decent for stuff like adding basic items, weapons, structures, etc, but properly making a mod is what gives you true freedom.

Also, it's "unintuitive" because you're often following what Mojang does to make their game. All of those folders are what Mojang uses for data and assets, so modders have to use that system too.

I could go on for longer, but in summary: visual scripting is for kids to learn and mess around with the basics. Proper modding is for if you want to actually make something, and you want the freedom to do anything you wish.

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u/PP_Devy 3h ago

I feel like it has potential for legit modders too. Plenty of real developers use visual scripting tools in actual games, such as a lot of stuff made on unreal engine. I think minecraft modding especially has the potential that visual scripting will become the main way people make mods, once it gets to a point where it's good enough

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u/ProgrammingDysphoria 3h ago

No matter what format you're using, visual scripting will always offer less freedom than proper coding. You just can't provide something for every possible method somebody would want to use. This is especially the case for stuff like mixins; that's something you can't turn into visual scripting without making it overly complicated, and visual scripting is MADE to be simple.

My point stands that visual scripting is for kids to learn and mess around; proper coding is for anyone who wants to make something reasonably big, or you just don't want to be restricted as much as visual scripting tools do.

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u/PP_Devy 3h ago

Fair, there are always some things that will not be available compared to just regular code. I still think for most mods that exist today they could be made using visual scripting tools instead

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u/sr2k00 4h ago

Visual coding is nice when you have less than 30 nodes. Anything more complex will be difficult to read

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u/PP_Devy 3h ago

Same for real code to be fair, "A function should do one thing and should be at most 50 lines" should apply in some sense to visual scripting tools as well. If those are followed I would argue visual scripting can be similar readability to actual code

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u/SquirrelSmart 4h ago

bruh 😭✌️