To request permission for a pack, it is recommended to ask on my forum page or by messaging me on Discord or the Minecraft Forums. Other methods of reaching me exist, but are less often checked or not appropriate for that kind of inquiry. See Contact for more information.
Modpack Permissions
Private (personal-use) packs may be created and used without getting any sort of permissions. Redistribution is forbidden.
SemiPrivate (private server) packs may be created and used; permissions are not explicitly required but notification is strongly recommended and preferred.
Public (launcher/website) packs must receive full permission from me. Until those permissions are given in writing from me, they are equivalent to being denied.
Note: Even if your pack is "intended" for a single server or community, if it is accessible by the general public, and not solely through you, it is effectively public and will be treated as such under these rules.
If I find an unauthorized public pack, I will respond. If I deem its existence the result of simple ignorance of the rules, I will give the creator the chance of getting permissions or taking down the pack or removing my content from it. Otherwise, or if they fail to take that chance, I contact the managers of the distribution platform. Most launchers react to such violations harshly.
With regards to packs made via the Twitch/CurseForge platform, and which auto-link to my files on the site:
Due to license and practicality concerns for content hosted on that platform, explicitly requesting permission is not required for packs created via the CurseForge/Twitch launcher. However, the other parts of the license and the usage rules for the mods still apply. In other words, while you can create the packs without first getting explicit permission from me, if I find packs or other content flagrantly violating the rules, I reserve the right to contact CurseForge and request they take action against that content.
That said, I would still appreciate if you did come to me at some point during the pack creation process, as it allows for the pack to be properly categorized in my public pack list, and for me to be aware of what kind of environments my mods are used in.
Modpack Rules
These rules are in place because public and semiprivate packs need to follow six basic rules to include my mods. They are simple:
Users of the pack may not have permission to reupload and redistribute the pack.
Under no circumstances may you or the users of the pack extract my mods from the pack and rehost them.
The pack must comply with the rules regarding third-party modification discussed below.
The pack may not generate income, either directly from purchases or donations, or indirectly with ad revenue or merchandise, except that which is necessary for maintenance (eg server fees). This includes disabling/banning machines so that users must donate to have access to them or offering packages which include my items. These actions are also explicitly forbidden by the Mojang EULA.
You may not try to claim credit for any of my mods under any circumstance. This includes but is not limited to stating ownership, claiming to have contributed content (beyond merely suggesting an idea), and claiming that you are on part of a modding team with me.
You must use the official release versions of the mods from my official download locations, like Curse or this site. You may not use versions from "copycat" sites like 9minecraft.net, or extract versions from other packs. You may also not use "patched" versions of the mods, either of your own creation or from third-party sources. Deliberate use of unauthorized releases is grounds for permanent denial of pack permission.
Regarding third-party modifications:
Due to techtree dependency and "learning curve" concerns, RotaryCraft, ReactorCraft, ElectriCraft and ChromatiCraft have some special rules regarding changing them. This includes the use of MineTweaker and other similar tools! Config options native to the mod are of course free to be modified. For an explanation of these rules, see below. My other mods have a bit more flexibility.
For everything except the mods named above, semi-private packs must obey the following:
Total feature removal must be a last resort; where possible, other solutions such as more costly recipes must be considered
Any and all feature removals must be immediately obvious to all potential players on the server before they take steps to join
If adding the mod to an existing server, it must be made clear before the addition of the mod which features will be modified and/or removed
The removal of the feature must be accepted by a majority of the players on the server
If the feature is a prerequisite or crafting ingredient of something else, some alternative way to obtain those items must be provided
Players must not be given preferential treatment; admins or donators get no more access to banned features than ordinary players do
If a large section of the playerbase strongly disapproves of the disabling of an item, the one(s) responsible for disabling it must make a valid justification for their reasoning to their players. If they fail to do so to their players' satisfaction, the ban must be lifted
Modified copies of the mod are ineligible for tech support until the issue can be reproduced in an unmodified copy
Modifications must be done by using commonly-accepted tools such as WorldGuard. Under no circumstances may you modify any mod's source code, including with ASM or bytecode edits
Abuse of the above powers to earn income or torment the server players will result in a total loss of modification permissions
Public packs must obey the following:
The pack must not use external mods to significantly change the way my mods work, such that a guide for the default setup would be misleading or useless for the pack (or vice versa), or that the mods' techtrees, if applicable, are radically altered, or that features are missing. This includes the use of MineTweaker and other similar tools to remove recipes or items!
Config options native to the mod are of course free to be modified.
Special rules for RotaryCraft, its addons, and ChromatiCraft:
Because these mods are both very sensitive to modification and modifications can easily cause severe damage, certain restrictions are placed on modifying the way the mods work.
At some point before the pack is released, I need to be notified of each and every change made to my mods. I do not need a detailed explanation or the reasons, but I need to know what pack changed what in order to keep a record.
The pack author must have a fairly clear understanding of the effects their changes will have; for example, pack authors may not make changes without even having tried unmodified versions of a mod, or without understanding the system they are modifying.
A few specific kinds of changes require explicit permission from me to change; almost all of these are "sounds like a good idea but really a bad idea" kind of changes that I need to verify you are aware of the ramifications of making. A few examples will be given below. If you are uncertain whether the change you have in mind needs permission, ask me. Outright removal of a feature/item/machine/etc also requires explicit permission.
All modifications must be in good faith. Any modifications done in bad faith are totally disallowed. Bad faith modifications include but are not limited to:
Modifications intended generate headaches for me, such as by spawning bug reports
Modifications designed to enable monetization of my content
Modifications designed to "justify" taking partial or complete credit for the mods
Modifications designed to tarnish my or my mods' reputation, such as by worsening its stability or deliberately unbalancing it
The mod's fundamental identity must remain intact. For example, RotaryCraft must not be converted to an RF mod, ChromatiCraft may not be turned into a ThaumCraft addon, and ReactorCraft may not be made to function like BigReactors. This is because packs are most people's first experience with my mods and I want the first impression to be both accurate and positive, something not true if the mod is heavily altered.
I will maintain a publicly viewable list all packs that make changes and what changes they make. This serves primarily as a record of who does what, but also provides a defence against people who want to blame me for the changes, as well as filtering out the occasional "I want to make changes that noone knows about" (that I cannot see a legitimate reason for existing).
Also for providing defence and reducing bug report count, a special config file exists that allows for a pack author to specify any changes they make, so that any pack-level changes can be automatically documented in the handbook. All of the pack's changes to my mods must be documented here.
The pack developer must make it reasonably clear in their pack description (or its equivalent) that they have made modifications to my mods and have gotten permission to do so, linking to the list mentioned above. This is to avoid both confusion and the risk of erroneously being reported to me.
If a modification starts spawning rumors, bug reports, harassment, or similar and the pack author makes no attempt to take responsibility or dispel the effects, the modification must be revised so as to try to keep its original purpose but stop causing problems. If this is not possible, or the pack author is unwilling to make that effort, the modification must be reverted.
All modifications must be done though accepted tools, such as MineTweaker. Things like ASM or bytecode editing are not permitted, not least because they severely harm stability or carry a strong connotation of subversion.
Anyone blaming me for the effects of their own changes will be held fully responsible as well as being treated as either dishonest or incompetent, whichever seems more likely.
Any changes that fall outside the scope of the mod, such as limiting access to raw materials or changing vanilla behaviors, is not covered by the rules and is as such unrestricted.
Sample "sounds like a good idea but actually a bad idea" modifications that need explicit permission:
OreDicting my Sintered Tungsten ingots with those from another mod, especially one directly obtainable from ore; this is a change that sounds like it "promotes intercompatibility and mod harmony", but in actuality allows players to skip to near the end of the RC techtree, something very likely unforeseen to the pack author
OreDicting my Bedrock Alloy ingots with ExU bedrockium; similar reason to above, and even more severely unbalancing
OreDicting my Silumin with Aluminum from mods like TiC - same reason as above
OreDicting Cd-In-Ag ingots from ReactorCraft with something else from another mod
Adding new ways of obtaining the above ingots; same reason as above
Unification of my jet fuel with BC fuel, or adding a new way to produce it; same reason as above
Removing the power converter (like magnetostatic) gating systems, either by adding easier recipes for the upgrades, making the T5s craftable directly
Removing any of the key progression machines, such as the Bedrock Breaker, Extractor, Grinder, or Friction Heater
"Ungating" a machine by removing certain materials from its crafting recipe (like tungsten or bedrock).
Pack devs can, at their own discretion, request being put on a special whitelist so that even those limited permissions are not required. The criteria are as follows:
They need to demonstrate an understanding of RotaryCraft (or the mod(s) they are changing) - such that they are likely to foresee the effects of their changes, making my confirmation unnecessary. This of course requires that they have spent some time playing a recent version of the mod, unmodified, in a survival environment. Monster 1.1.1 does not count.
They must demonstrate that they are reasonable, not trying to shirk responsibilities of a pack dev or shift blame; they must also remain civil with me in case of a dispute.
I reserve the right to accept or deny this request based on the user's history, and to add or remove names as I see justified - for example, pack devs who act unreasonably, such as by blaming me for their own mistakes, may see their names removed, or pack devs who request it while having never played RC are not going to be put on it.
Violating other rules, such as bad-faith modifications, or trying to sell content, is grounds for immediate removal from the whitelist.
I reserve the right to revoke permission to any mod pack that violates these rules. Any such pack must remove my mods immediately.
These permissions are not transferrable; if your pack changes ownership, the new owners must acquire fresh permissions.
You must agree to each of these rules individually as a proof you have both read and understood them. Just saying "I agree" is not sufficient, as that can be - and often is - said without even looking at the rules.
