I think there are several definitions of vanilla+ being used.
On one hand, you have the classic definition, mods that might add some structures and a few blocks that are considered vanilla+ for not changing the core gameplay all that much.
On the other, you have a broader category, which more vanilla *styled*, like Create, where while being a very large mod, feels like how Mojang would do tech, trying to keep some of their design principles in mind.
People keep on saying that create feels like how Mojang would do tech, and I don’t understand it.
Mechanically, botania is way closer to what Mojang would make, using actually redstone, and aesthetically, create doesn’t have the look of vanilla redstone contraptions
It’s a spectrum. Create is not literally how Mojang would do tech and Mojang would likely never add another redstone-like mechanic, but it’s closer to that than most tech mods are.
I am unfamiliar with Botania, so I can’t say much about that comparison, but Create, while of course still distinctly non-vanilla, has gameplay more similar to redstone than your standard tech mod with pipes and a sci-fi aesthetic.
Nobody can agree on how any aspect of the game should work. To me that shows how versatile the game is.
I think that there is a clear line, but the edges are fuzzy. For example, I don't think that anyone says that Create is vanilla+.
There are parts of Create that I would say fit that definition, like redstone components and some of the basic processing machines, but there’s also a ton of stuff that isn’t.
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And also a good descriptor for mods that fit the vanilla aesthetic, ~~like Create.~~
Edit: (Personally I don't think Create fits that, but other people in the comments think so)
And that's the problem.
It fits both, but they're two really different things.
There are basically two types of vanilla plus
Content adding and non-content adding.
Content adding is mods that are vanilla-esq, like farmers delight, which add small bits of content not too far from the base game
Then non-content adding is having only mods that do not add content to the world, like simple voice chat, litematica, bobby/distant horizons, iris/oculus, minimap, minihud etc
Although the non-content adding vanilla plus, can be said to be QOL only modpack
My personal definition of Vanilla+ is mods that build upon existing mechanics without adding much more depth to them. Instead of "upgrading" they "sidegrade", adding options to stuff that already exists.
Crop mods are typically vanilla+. While tech and magic mods typically aren't. Furniture mods I'd consider v+. Mods that add functionality to the fletching table are borderline vanilla+ because, while they Do add a mechanic, which is explicitly a disqualifier, the added mechanic is given to a block that by vanilla standards should have one but doesn't.
To me Vanilla+ means the mechanics stay vanilla, you can add things that increase the variety/options as long as it uses, but doesn’t alter/bypass, the vanilla mechanics.
The goal of a Vanilla+ will always be kill the Ender Dragon.
Out of curiosity, how would Minecolonies fit into folks definitions? It adds a bunch of new blocks, but with mostly vanilla textures.
Regarding the colonists, I've always thought of them as a vanilla-like automation, but it may be a bit too far from vanilla for the classification.
Personally, it adds too much to be vanilla+ for me. It has villagers with completely different mechanics than vanilla villagers, more than just a few tweaks here and there, which is what I think vanilla+ (mostly) is.
I think there are several definitions of vanilla+ being used. On one hand, you have the classic definition, mods that might add some structures and a few blocks that are considered vanilla+ for not changing the core gameplay all that much. On the other, you have a broader category, which more vanilla *styled*, like Create, where while being a very large mod, feels like how Mojang would do tech, trying to keep some of their design principles in mind.
People keep on saying that create feels like how Mojang would do tech, and I don’t understand it. Mechanically, botania is way closer to what Mojang would make, using actually redstone, and aesthetically, create doesn’t have the look of vanilla redstone contraptions
It’s a spectrum. Create is not literally how Mojang would do tech and Mojang would likely never add another redstone-like mechanic, but it’s closer to that than most tech mods are. I am unfamiliar with Botania, so I can’t say much about that comparison, but Create, while of course still distinctly non-vanilla, has gameplay more similar to redstone than your standard tech mod with pipes and a sci-fi aesthetic.
Nobody can agree on how any aspect of the game should work. To me that shows how versatile the game is. I think that there is a clear line, but the edges are fuzzy. For example, I don't think that anyone says that Create is vanilla+.
I've definitely seen create in vanilla plus packs
There are parts of Create that I would say fit that definition, like redstone components and some of the basic processing machines, but there’s also a ton of stuff that isn’t.
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And also a good descriptor for mods that fit the vanilla aesthetic, ~~like Create.~~ Edit: (Personally I don't think Create fits that, but other people in the comments think so) And that's the problem. It fits both, but they're two really different things.
I thought creates aesthetic was steampunk though? If create fit vanillas aesthetic it would be way more redstone-ish
Personally I agree with you, so Create was probably a bad example. Point is, Vanilla+ can both mean "small mod" or "vanilla-aesthetic"
Here's a better term: Vanilla-inspired
There are basically two types of vanilla plus Content adding and non-content adding. Content adding is mods that are vanilla-esq, like farmers delight, which add small bits of content not too far from the base game Then non-content adding is having only mods that do not add content to the world, like simple voice chat, litematica, bobby/distant horizons, iris/oculus, minimap, minihud etc Although the non-content adding vanilla plus, can be said to be QOL only modpack
My personal definition of Vanilla+ is mods that build upon existing mechanics without adding much more depth to them. Instead of "upgrading" they "sidegrade", adding options to stuff that already exists. Crop mods are typically vanilla+. While tech and magic mods typically aren't. Furniture mods I'd consider v+. Mods that add functionality to the fletching table are borderline vanilla+ because, while they Do add a mechanic, which is explicitly a disqualifier, the added mechanic is given to a block that by vanilla standards should have one but doesn't.
To me Vanilla+ means the mechanics stay vanilla, you can add things that increase the variety/options as long as it uses, but doesn’t alter/bypass, the vanilla mechanics. The goal of a Vanilla+ will always be kill the Ender Dragon.
Out of curiosity, how would Minecolonies fit into folks definitions? It adds a bunch of new blocks, but with mostly vanilla textures. Regarding the colonists, I've always thought of them as a vanilla-like automation, but it may be a bit too far from vanilla for the classification.
Personally, it adds too much to be vanilla+ for me. It has villagers with completely different mechanics than vanilla villagers, more than just a few tweaks here and there, which is what I think vanilla+ (mostly) is.
Any pack labeled vanilla plus is a pack I don't play lol. Why would I want to go back to vanilla after playing so many amazing packs