KubeJS is the mod for modpack authors - it lets you customize basically everything about mods and even lets you add completely custom content, to a startling degree.

However, the documentation is in absolutely dire state and the only real way to learn how to use the more powerful tools available is ask for help in a discord channel.

I have used this mod more than I can even put into words and cannot recommend it highly enough for pack creators. However, the reason I cannot give 5 stars is due to limited documentation on how to learn it.

I am a highly active member of KubeJS support (within the top ten) and can say that support is generally very good, but due to it being volunteer run and with a slightly lacking wiki I have seen this be off putting to new users.

This mod has served as the main factor in the ability for modpacks to add custom functionality such as its use in packs such as Create Above & Beyond and the ATM series.

If you are making a modpack, include this mod, then come say hi at the discord and we can help you learn it!

There’s one thing wrong with it and it’s the lack of documentation for 1.21, but ProbeJS (an addon) and the people on the Discord server help alot. I use it for like all of the things I make. Great mod!

Secrets You Need to Know

There are a few "secrets" to being successful when it comes to developing with KubeJS. I will share those now:

1. Install VSCode, with ProbeJS, KubeJS Extensions so you can debug and have typing completion (inline documentation).
2. If you need further reference, go to the DISCORD channel first, not the wiki.
3. The WIki is still in development, and needs our help in making it a full wiki! That said, It does still count for quick references or outlines of areas of the mod.
4. The DISCORD holds tons of example scripts, and is the best way to ask questions about something you are trying to do in KubeJS and even has a customer service bot.

My Personal View

It's gonna be what you want if you need to create stuff that is straightforward (custom recipes, blocks, this-does-that kind of stuff).

What it isn't is a replacement for modding in java, which will always be the go-to for mods that are very (very) large and complex.

It is a great "get your feet wet" experience and will help you understand modding from a javascript perspective while learning the modded ecosystem (the tip of it, anyway) before you dive into java, forge, fabric, and/or whatever. (Some really advanced JavaScript programmers might be able to pull off more complex things).

So if you are looking to start out into the unknowns of the modding ecosystem, this can be a great companion to help you start.

Some tips to help you learn faster

• Learn inside a modpack that isnt super huge, so you don't have to wait forever for restarts, I recommend prismlauncher's template mod, and installing it from there
• ProbeJS is a great help - you will be far more well equipped with that and VSCode, which you can use on any operating system.
• Definitely read the getting started sections of the KubeJS wiki, especially installation of components, those are pretty important. It will also outline where scripts go and how they are loaded and in what order.
• Definitely visit the discord channel as soon as you can, it will help you with many things. You can search for support questions and lots of times there are already answers for common questions.
• Definitely thank the developers for this great mod :)

Really good but the documentation is very limited.

It's KubeJS, Need I say more? Makes modpack development so much easier and more versatile. 5 Star Minecraft mod.

A very solid pack development tool for newer versions of the game.

The title is not even an exaggeration, without this mod existing I probably wouldn’t get into pack dev, and by proxy into mod dev.

Sure I could use something like CraftTweaker, they are pretty comparable in terms of more basic stuff like changing recipes, add tags, creating custom items/block, etc. But as you get closer to the more complex things, Kube is an absolute winner in my book.

Whereas with CraftTweaker you need to install numerous addons to do things harder than changing recipes (even adding custom items requires ContentTweaker), KJS is a battery-included utility with all the things you could imagine needing, going even as far as reflecting java classes. And sure, KubeJS isn’t completely standalone, there are addons that expand it capabilities even further, but, except for maybe those that add mod-specific recipes, you do not need them to create a fully-fledged modpack with custom recipes, items, mechanics and more.

One other notable mention when it comes to Kube alternatives is GroovyScript, which is pretty new and much more capable as compared to KJS, but it’s flaw is simple, it’s not available for modern version that I prefer to dev on ;)

It's the new gold standard for modpack development. Changing recipes, adding new items, fluids, blocks, etc., and even creating custom events!

My only issue is that there is very little documentation to do anything more complex than changing recipes manually, but their Discord is very helpful. However, that's still dependent on people getting to you. While the volunteers there are very responsive, it still feels frustrating when you have to ask them for so many small things that should have been documented in the first place.

Still, it's way better than CraftTweaker for events because you don't have to worry about dealing with the arcane nature of ZenScript and the lack of IDE support for it. This is JavaScript, it's easy to log everything out and use an IDE to know what's going on with the code.

It's a great mod:

• lets you add ANYTHING you want without making a mod
• great discord support

• Wiki is acceptable for 1.18 but lacking for other versions. The are many 3rd party tools that pick up the slack, but they are not obvious to find or how/why to use.

• my favorite part of modded minecraft