Now that version 1.4.1 is out, riding a hippocamp lets you see underwater. This works even in the dark, because the way I currently have it implemented, going underwater while riding a hippocamp triggers the Night Vision potion effect.
Special thanks go out to Adrian, who suggested I add the Night Vision potion effect to a hippocamp's rider. It's a nice, easy solution to a problem that others had discovered while using the hipppcamp's otherwise awesome ability to let you explore underwater!
Even though giving the rider Night Vision is a nice way to solve a tricky problem, it still feels a little hacky to me. The potion effect doesn't turn off right away, and it flashes the screen annoyingly when it does start to wear off (at least I think it's annoying). Writing code to turn it off immediately when you come out of water is kind of complex, and may result in turning off legitimate uses of Night Vision potions, so I haven't done it yet.
The main problem is that the Minecraft code is written in such a way as there's no easy, central place to change the code so that it provides the Night Vision effect, without also changing core Minecraft classes. For now, I'm avoiding changing core classes, just because it increases the likelihood that The Ultimate Unicorn Mod will break something when used with other mods. Things break often enough with other mods that don't play nice, so I want to make sure to play nice! :)
I'll keep thinking about it, and if I come up with a better way to let players see underwater, I'll jump at it. For now, though, this is a pretty good solution.
If you have any ideas, feel free to let me know in the comments!
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Minecraft 1.8.9, Power Settings, and new Config Options
Recently, I released a new version of the Ultimate Unicorn Mod that included code to make it work with Minecraft 1.8.9. This code was the biggest part of this release, but there were a number of new features as well.
Power Settings
Power settings for individual horses was a big deal for me, as you may have seen in my last post. It should give you the fine-grained control over your horse's powers that you want, so you're not destroying things or hurting your friends (except when you want to!) This is especially useful if you are using custom unicorns or the unique horses. Here's are some screenshots:
New Config Options
I took some pains to try to make the mod not conflict with other mods. This effort included adding some new configuration options to change DataWatcher object IDs. You should only have to worry about these if you are trying to get this mod to work with another mod and it's just not working. Changing them can mess up how the mod behaves, though, so use at your own risk (and you can always reset them to default values to get the mod working again).
Power Settings
Power settings for individual horses was a big deal for me, as you may have seen in my last post. It should give you the fine-grained control over your horse's powers that you want, so you're not destroying things or hurting your friends (except when you want to!) This is especially useful if you are using custom unicorns or the unique horses. Here's are some screenshots:
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| The Power Settings Button in the upper left opens opens the Power Settings Screen |
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| The Power Settings Screen, where you can turn magical horse powers on and off. |
New Config Options
I took some pains to try to make the mod not conflict with other mods. This effort included adding some new configuration options to change DataWatcher object IDs. You should only have to worry about these if you are trying to get this mod to work with another mod and it's just not working. Changing them can mess up how the mod behaves, though, so use at your own risk (and you can always reset them to default values to get the mod working again).
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
More Control Over Horse Powers
We are approaching 60 total custom horses in the Ultimate Unicorn Mod, which is pretty awesome. However, as I add new horses, and as I create new powers for horses (like Rainbow Smash's new Rainbow Beam power), I'm beginning to think that I need to add more options for controlling how your horse's powers work.
Naughty Destriers and Config Options
In the Minecraft Forum for the Ultimate Unicorn mod, I've also seen people asking for ways to keep destriers from breaking stuff. To help with that issue, I added some new configuration options to allow you to make destriers (and other horses) nicer to the environment when they are not being ridden. It occurs to me now that I should probably do the same with nightmares!
I don't think configuration options are enough, though. I think when you're riding your horse, you should have a fine-grained control over how her powers work, and that goes beyond just throwing on some Horseshoes of Gentling.
Flame Auras
In particular, I find myself getting a little concerned whenever I see someone make a custom horse with the "Flame Aura" power. It's an awesome power, but I often wonder if the person ordering knows what he is getting into, because the flame aura can burn up the player if he is not careful! Sure, you're protected when you are riding your horse, but if you jump off, that aura is going to burn you, too! (So put Horseshoes of Gentling on your horse before jumping off to turn that Flame Aura power off!)
The Solution - A Better Inventory Screen
The best idea I've come up with to improve the current situation is to modify the Magical Horse Inventory Screen. I'm looking into adding checkboxes to the inventory screen so you can turn on and off the various powers your horse has. Dangerous powers like Flame Aura will be turned off by default, and will deactivate if you jump off your horse.
This will take me a little time to put into the mod, but it's high on my priority list.
No one has complained about the Flame Aura yet, but I want to make sure that I'm giving people the best possible experience with my mod. For those of you playing, I appreciate your support, and I hope you are enjoying the mod!
Please post a comment if you have anything to say about this issue!
Naughty Destriers and Config Options
In the Minecraft Forum for the Ultimate Unicorn mod, I've also seen people asking for ways to keep destriers from breaking stuff. To help with that issue, I added some new configuration options to allow you to make destriers (and other horses) nicer to the environment when they are not being ridden. It occurs to me now that I should probably do the same with nightmares!
I don't think configuration options are enough, though. I think when you're riding your horse, you should have a fine-grained control over how her powers work, and that goes beyond just throwing on some Horseshoes of Gentling.
Flame Auras
In particular, I find myself getting a little concerned whenever I see someone make a custom horse with the "Flame Aura" power. It's an awesome power, but I often wonder if the person ordering knows what he is getting into, because the flame aura can burn up the player if he is not careful! Sure, you're protected when you are riding your horse, but if you jump off, that aura is going to burn you, too! (So put Horseshoes of Gentling on your horse before jumping off to turn that Flame Aura power off!)
The Solution - A Better Inventory Screen
The best idea I've come up with to improve the current situation is to modify the Magical Horse Inventory Screen. I'm looking into adding checkboxes to the inventory screen so you can turn on and off the various powers your horse has. Dangerous powers like Flame Aura will be turned off by default, and will deactivate if you jump off your horse.
This will take me a little time to put into the mod, but it's high on my priority list.
No one has complained about the Flame Aura yet, but I want to make sure that I'm giving people the best possible experience with my mod. For those of you playing, I appreciate your support, and I hope you are enjoying the mod!
Please post a comment if you have anything to say about this issue!
Saturday, November 28, 2015
New Minecraft Server Advice
First off, thank you all for your responses to my Minecraft server poll!
Due to the positive responses, I'm looking into what I need to do to run a Minecraft server. I really want to provide a place for people to play with the Ultimate Unicorn Mod's multiplayer features, such as jousting, air battles, and some new things I'm working on.
I'm looking into a lot of different options, including server hosts, different server types (such as prison servers, etc), and Forge mods to include alongside the Ultimate Unicorn Mod.
I've found a few interesting things, but I thought I'd start a conversation with the community to get an idea what you guys want.
So, what's your advice? What kind of server do you want? In your experience, which Forge Mods are particularly good or useful, especially on a multiplayer server?
If you've run a server, what server host do you like best?
I'll be in the comments, so please let me know what you think!
Due to the positive responses, I'm looking into what I need to do to run a Minecraft server. I really want to provide a place for people to play with the Ultimate Unicorn Mod's multiplayer features, such as jousting, air battles, and some new things I'm working on.
I'm looking into a lot of different options, including server hosts, different server types (such as prison servers, etc), and Forge mods to include alongside the Ultimate Unicorn Mod.
I've found a few interesting things, but I thought I'd start a conversation with the community to get an idea what you guys want.
So, what's your advice? What kind of server do you want? In your experience, which Forge Mods are particularly good or useful, especially on a multiplayer server?
If you've run a server, what server host do you like best?
I'll be in the comments, so please let me know what you think!
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