ReforgedLauncher

Hosting ModPacks

Modpacks are hosted on github repositories.

Versioning

The launcher uses github's 'releases' api in order to determine versions of a given modpack. There must be at least one release (drafts included) on the repository in order to be able to install it.

Release tags should conform to the semantic versioning scheme MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH (example: 2.1.3).

The launcher will interpret MINOR and PATCH increments as updates that can be safely applied to an existing instance without breaking the end-user's saves etc. (so should generally only include iterative, additive, & bug-fix changes to mods/resources).

A MAJOR increment to a modpack will result in the launcher creating an installation separately to the end-user's current game files. This would generally be used for changes to the modpack that could break world-saves/data generated on earlier versions of the modpack.

Structure

The basic filetree structure should be as follows:

/loader/..
/meta/..
/pack/..
/dependencies.json

loader

Contains the modloader installer jar if required.
Currently only forge is supported.

pack

Contains the files & folders that are copied to the instance's game directory during installation.

dependencies.json

Specifies other github repository modpacks that should be installed as part of the current modpack.

Optional & Dependant Mods

Folders under the /packs/ directory that are prefixed with an underscore ('_') are interpreted as 'optional' - ie something that the end-user can choose not to install if they don't want it.

The underscored directory itself is not included in the filepath copied to the instance game dir:

repository:
/pack/mods/_My Optional Mod/MyOptionalMod.jar

instance:
../mods/MyOptionalMod.jar

Any files or sub-folders within an optional directory become dependent on that option being enabled, and can themselves be optional:

# OptionalLibraryMod can be enabled/disbaled by the user
# OptionalDependantMod can only be enabled by the user if OptionalLibraryMod is enabled
# DependantModResourcepack is only installed when OptionalDependantMod is enabled

repository:
/pack/_Optional Library Mod/mods/OptionalLibraryMod.jar
/pack/_Optional Library Mod/_Optional_Dependant_Mod/mods/OptionalDependantMod.jar
/pack/_Optional Library Mod/_Optional_Dependant_Mod/resourcepacks/DependantModResourcepack.zip

instance:
../mods/OptionalLibraryMod.jar
../mods/OptionalDependantMod.jar
../resourcepacks/DependantModResourcepack.zip

dags-/ReforgedLauncher