Better Compatibility Checker in All the Mods 11

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.

Better Compatibility Checker is a small behind-the-scenes mod, so there is nothing to build first. It changes the multiplayer server list check so it compares modpack versions instead of relying on the default Forge compatibility check, which the mod's page says is not always accurate.^[1]

What you will see in game

When you add a server, the mod compares the modpack project ID and the modpack version ID that the pack author set in its config file. You get a tick if they match and an X if they 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. It then shows the server's version and your own (client) version, so you can see which side needs updating.^[3]

What the pack sets for you

The pack ships with the mod's config already filled in, in config/bcc-common.json. You do not need to touch it to play.^[4]

• modpackName.value holds the name of the modpack, and it is set to this pack's name.^[4]
• modpackVersion.value holds the version of the modpack, and it is set to the version of this pack release.^[4]
• useMetadata.value is false. When it is on, the mod uses the metadata.json to determine the modpack version. The config comment says to only enable it if you know what you are doing, so leave it off.^[4]

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

Better Compatibility Checker has no machines, multiblocks, power or item handling. It does one job: it replaces the default server compatibility check with a comparison of modpack versions. The default Forge checker is not always accurate, and it can show a server as not compatible to players who add it.^[1]

How the check works

The modpack author sets a modpack project ID and a modpack version ID in a config file. The mod compares the values it has with the ones on the other side. It shows a tick if they match and an X if they do not.^[1]

The mod's own screen text shows both versions. When they match, the tooltip lists the server version and your client version. When they differ, it tells you that you are not running the same version of the modpack as the server, and again lists both versions.^[3]

What this pack sets

The pack's config file is config/bcc-common.json. The project page mentions a toml file name, but in this pack the file is the JSON one. It sets modpackName.value to "All the Mods 11" and modpackVersion.value to "0.8.0-beta".^[1][4]

• modpackName.value: the name of the modpack, "All the Mods 11" here.^[4]
• modpackVersion.value: the version of the modpack, "0.8.0-beta" here.^[4]
• useMetadata.value: set to false in this pack. When enabled, the mod uses the metadata.json to determine the modpack version. The config comment says to only enable it if you know what you are doing.^[4]

If the server does not have the mod

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

Better Compatibility Checker has very few options. It compares the modpack name and version set in its config against the server's, then shows a tick or an X in the server list. In this pack, all of it lives in config/bcc-common.json.^[1][4]

The options in the file

• modpackName.value is the name of the modpack. The pack sets it to its own name.^[4]
• modpackVersion.value is the version of the modpack. The pack sets it to 0.8.0-beta, the same version as this guide.^[4]
• useMetadata.value makes the mod read the modpack version from metadata.json instead. The pack leaves it set to false. The config's own comment says to only enable it if you know what you are doing.^[4]

Why the version value matters

The mod compares the name and version in this config between client and server. If they match you get a tick, and if they don't you get an X. That means a server and a client on different pack versions will show as incompatible.^[1]

If the mod is on the client but not on the server, it checks whether the data it needs is set. If it isn't, it falls back to the default Forge compatibility check.^[1]