Mantle, Ceramics, and Metalborn 1.21 Updates
Mantle, Ceramics, and Metalborn have all been ported to 1.21 NeoForge. This post talks about some of the most notable changes to each of the mods as part of these updates. These mods represent a pretty major step in finishing the remaining SlimeKnights mod ports. These releases are all marked as alpha for two reasons: the APIs are not yet stable, and there may be bugs that need ironing out.
Some of the 1.21 changes were backported as part of bug fix releases for each of the three mods, which is noted in the visual changelog below.
Where is Tinkers’ Construct?
Since it will inevitably be asked, wanted to be clear that a Tinkers’ Construct port is in the works, these releases represent major steps towards that. The past year I was focused largely on finishing roadmap features which targeted 1.20 as that is the version Tinkers’ supports currently, with the Throwback Update, the Slimesuit Update and the Just Enough Update all adding major features from our backlog. Now that most of that content is finished, 1.21 is the main priority. We will be targeting NeoForge for that release.
Since Tinkers is a pretty big mod, I made the decision to start the port with smaller mods that allow testing many of the systems in isolation. Notably, Ceramics has fluid storage and fluid transfer mechanics similar to some of the smeltery modules. Metalborn touches a lot of the same systems used in the tools side of tinkers, including dynamic items similar to tool parts, custom recipes with its metal forge, in game guidebooks, and the custom datapack serialization.
Mantle
Most of the Mantle changes are internal, so will mostly just affect our team or addon authors. If you are interested regardless, the full changelog has info. Beyond internal changes there are a few user facing changes.
Mantle Fluids
Mantle now registers 6 different fluids meant to be shared by Tinkers and Inspirations: potion, powder snow, honey, mushroom stew, beetroot soup, and rabbit stew. These fluids were directly moved over from Tinkers’ Construct including their textures and behaviors, so should work pretty similarly once the Tinkers’ port is finished.
These fluids will only be registered if one of our mods requests it during mod loading. Ceramics now does so partly to test the fluids and partly because storing all of these things in Ceramic’s fluid cisterns is just useful.
Fluid Transfer JEI
Mantle has a fluid transfer JSON system allowing items which are do not implement Forge/NeoForge fluid capabilites to be filled and drained into our fluid tanks. This system is used both by Tinkers for the tanks and drains, along with in Ceramics for the fluid cisterns.
Thanks to some reworks in how these are registered, we can now include this information in a JEI tab, which helps answer the common question we get of how to get the potion fluid in Tinkers. Like the fluids, this JEI tab will only be enabled if one of our mods requests to be turned on; Ceramics does so and Tinkers’ will do so once the port is finished.
Mantle Attributes
Several attributes used by both several of our mods were moved to Mantle, which can be leveraged in datapack features of any mod supporting attributes. This includes knockback multiplier, looting boost, and experience multiplier, plus the new fortune boost and equipment drop chance boost. Metalborn uses many of these for metalmind effects, while Tinkers uses them for armor modifiers.
Texture Maps
One of the pushes I’ve made in Tinkers is trying to allow as much of the content to be configured in datapacks and resource packs as possible. They allow adding new materials, modifiers, and even new modifier slot types. However, one flaw was until now, it was only possible to add icons for the new modifier slot type using Java or a very intrusive model override. Texture maps are a new system that solves that problem.
Many of our models will now reference an ID of a texture map under assets/<domain>/mantle/textures for additional textures to use in the model. Like tags, if multiple mods provide this file the contents will be merged. This feature will automatically be available to Tinkers’ when Mantle updates without requiring a Tinkers’ update, allowing you to add new modifier slot icons by creating assets/tconstruct/mantle/textures/creative_slot.json.
Ceramics
Fullbright Bricks
The lava part of lava bricks are now rendered at a minimum light level of 14, making them appear to glow when its dark. Dragon bricks similarly are rendered at a minimum light level of 8 now.
Kiln Recipe Book
Thanks to some newer Forge/NeoForge features, we were able to add recipe book support, reusing a lot of the furnace recipe book code. We will continue to support using JEI for viewing recipes in game, which will especially be important in our larger mods like Tinkers’ Construct, though we know some players and packs prefer the recipe book so will try to support it when reasonable.
Bucket Textures
Cermaics bucket models have been reworked, and should overall have a cleaner look. As part of this rework, both models use the new Texture Maps to support texture overrides which are used instead of the default generated fluid contents. We use this both for water to make it more vibrant (as the transparency on that texture made it dull), and for powder snow to match the vanilla bucket (since the generated texture is pretty flat).
Metalborn
Feruchemy UI Rework
The Feruchemy UI for controlling your metalminds got adjusted to make it easier to interact with the metalmind buttons. Buttons are now closer together, and are notably larger making them easier to click.
Emerald Luck
While storing luck in the original Mistborn series uses chromium, we find that is a pretty uncommon metal in modded. Previously, when chromium was absent Metalborn would substitute netherite for storing luck. This update replaces that with emerald. This fits partly because chromium is what gives emerald its green color, and partly because you obtain luck in Metalborn by stealing the power from illagers (who love emeralds!).
Since this is notably more affordable, emerald ferrings are now an option. Additionally, luck will continue to be chromium if you have a mod that adds that metal for the Mistborn purists.
Netherite Storing Growth
Part of the reason for switching luck to emerald was to free up netherite with a more unique effect. The new effect on netherite is storing growth, which is loosely inspired by atium feruchemy in Mistborn along with how koloss grow when they get older. Storing will cause you to shrink, letting you explore new areas but making you notably weaker, while tapping will make you stronger but also considerably larger.
The video below illustrates some of the effects of growing, along with showing off the new Feruchemy UI.
Improved JEI Display
The JEI support of Metalborn’s Tinkers’ compatability has received a similar improvement to the one Tinkers’ casting recipes received in the Just Enough Update. Casting and melting recipes for rings, spikes, and bracers now show a single recipe that animates the options instead of one recipe per option, which should make JEI easier to navigate.
This feature will be on 1.21 once Tinkers ports, but since it is not yet ported the compatability is partially disabled for now.
Download
1.20
Mantle
Mantle 1.11.128 for 1.20 can be downloaded at the following:
Ceramics
Cermaics update 1.8.1 for 1.20 can be downloaded at the following:
Metalborn
Metalborn update 1.0.4 for 1.20 can be downloaded at the following:
1.21
Mantle
Mantle 1.12.35 for 1.21 can be downloaded at the following:
Ceramics
Ceramics update 1.9.0 for 1.21 can be downloaded at the following:
Metalborn
Metalborn update 1.1.0 for 1.21 can be downloaded at the following: