Better Compatibility Checker in All the Mods 10: To the Sky

Same as in the All the Mods 10 8.1 guide

Better Compatibility Checker is a small utility mod that changes how the multiplayer server list decides whether a server is compatible with your game. The default Forge check is not always accurate, and it can mark a server as incompatible even when it isn't. That confuses players who just want to join.^[1]

Instead, the mod compares the modpack project ID and the modpack version ID that the modpack author sets in a config file. If they match, you see a tick. If they don't, you see an X.^[1]

Who it is for

This one is mainly for modpack authors and server owners. Players mostly benefit from it without doing anything: when you add a server, the server list shows a tick if you and the server are running the same version, and an X if the server or client version is incompatible.^[1]

Configuration

The author opens bcc-common.toml in the config folder, sets the modpack name and the modpack version, and saves. The version has to be updated every time the modpack is updated. Otherwise the check compares stale data.^[1]

In this pack

The pack ships Better Compatibility Checker 21.1.8, using the NeoForge build of the mod. It was already included by pack version 2.25 or earlier.^[2]

Unverified The sources don't show any items, recipes or quests for this mod, and they don't show where it fits in the pack's progression or on the ATM Star path. It also isn't confirmed which modpack name and version values this pack sets in its config.

Good news: Better Compatibility Checker gives you nothing to craft and nothing to set up as a player. It works quietly on the multiplayer screen, so there is no first item to make here.^[1]

What it does: it replaces the default server compatibility check with one that compares modpack versions. When you add a server, you see a tick if you and the server run the same version of the modpack, and an X if you do not.^[1]

If the versions differ, the tooltip tells you that you are not running the same version of the modpack as the server, and it lists the server version and your own (client) version so you can see which side is out of date.^[3]

What the pack sets for you

The mod reads its values from one config file, and the pack author has already filled it in. You only need to touch it if you are running your own server or building on top of the pack.^[1][4]

• general.modpackName is the display name of the modpack, and the pack has already set it.^[4]
• general.modpackVersion is the version the check compares, and it is set to 2.0.4 in this pack.^[4]
• general.useMetadata is false in this pack. The config comment says to enable it only if you know what you are doing, since it makes the mod use the metadata.json to determine the version.^[4]
• general.modpackProjectID is set to 1298402 in this pack (the mod default is 0). The config marks this option as deprecated and due for removal.^[4]

If the mod is on your client but not on the server, it checks whether the needed data is set. If it is not, it falls back to the default Forge check.^[1]

Unverified The sources here show no recipes for this mod's items and no quests that involve it, so there is no crafting order or quest chapter to point you to. Check the pack's quest book yourself if you want to be sure.

Better Compatibility Checker has no machines, multiblocks or automation to learn. Its one job is to change how the multiplayer server list decides whether you are on the right version of the modpack. Everything it does is driven by a few config values.^[1]

What it checks

The default Forge server compatibility check is not always accurate, and it can make a server show up as incompatible for players of a modpack. This mod replaces that check with a comparison of modpack versions. The modpack author sets the values in a config file, and the server list shows a tick if client and server match or an X if they do not.^[1]

The mod's own text shows both versions in the server tooltip, labelled Server and Client (You). If they differ, the tooltip tells you that you are not running the same version of the modpack as the server.^[3]

How this pack configures it

Everything lives in config/bcc-common.toml. These are the values the pack sets:^[4]

• general.modpackName is set to the pack's own display name. It is the name of the modpack.^[4]
• general.modpackVersion is set to "2.0.4". This is the version that gets compared between client and server.^[4]
• general.modpackProjectID is set to 1298402, a value the pack changed itself. The config comment says this option is deprecated and will be removed soon.^[4]
• general.useMetadata is false. When enabled, the mod uses the metadata.json to determine the modpack version. The config warns to enable it only if you know what you are doing.^[4]

Server and client setups

If the mod is installed on the client but not on the server, it first checks whether the data it needs is set. If it is not, it falls back to the default Forge implementation.^[1]

Better Compatibility Checker only has a handful of options, and they all live in one file, bcc-common.toml in the config folder. The mod compares the modpack identity and version stored there, so a server can show a tick or an X when you add it to your server list. The mod's project page says the pack author sets the name and version, and updates the version whenever the modpack is updated.^[1][4]

What this pack sets

• general.modpackProjectID is set to 1,298,402. The mod default is 0, so this is a value the pack changed. The file notes that this option is deprecated and will be removed soon.^[4]
• general.modpackName holds the name of the modpack, and the pack fills it in with its own name.^[4]
• general.modpackVersion is set to "2.0.4". This is the value compared between client and server, so it should match the version of the pack you are running.^[1][4]
• general.useMetadata is set to false, so the mod does not read the version from a metadata.json file.^[4]

All the Mods 10: To the Sky 2.0.4 ships Better Compatibility Checker 21.1.8, the NeoForge build. It has been in the pack since 1.9 or earlier.^[5]

The mod's changelog has no separate entry for 21.1.8. The newest entry is 21.1.7, so that is where the recent changes below start.^[6]

Recent changes (the 21.1 line)

• 21.1.7: fixed the modpack name and version not being logged after the metajson was loaded.^[6]
• 21.1.6: more logging. The modpack name and version are logged after setup and added to the crash report.^[6]
• 21.1.3: bumped the NeoForge version.^[6]
• 21.1.2: added an alias fix so the mod works in production.^[6]
• 21.1.1: dropped multiloader support.^[6]
• 21.1.0: updated to 1.21.1.^[6]

Older milestones

• 21.0.0: ported to 1.21, with a new versioning scheme. Forge support was dropped.^[6]
• 5.0.0: ported to 1.20.4.^[6]
• 4.0.5: ported for NeoForge.^[6]
• 4.0.0: moved over to MultiLoader, so the Fabric and Forge versions could be released at the same time.^[6]
• 3.0.0: ported to 1.20.^[6]

The mod's own changelog is the only source for this history. I don't have any pack changelog entries that mention this mod.^[6]