Modding for Beginners

    hey everyone 👋

    I've been thinking for a while about getting properly into modding, but every time I feel overwhelmed by all the tools, guides and the “you need 5 other mods for this to work” stuff 😅 do you have a good starting point for absolute noobs? Ideally something like: game + tool + small project to get your feet wet. I have both Skyrim and Minecraft ready to go, if that helps.

    and one more question: do you mostly make quality-of-life mods or do you go full crazy with custom assets and scripts right away? I'd love to hear how you started and what your first fails were haha 👀

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    For getting started, Id go with **Datapacks for Minecraft** or the **Creation Kit + SSEEdit route for Skyrim** – but not both at the same time. Minecraft is faster because you can test changes immediately. Skyrim will teach you more about dependencies, load order, and conflicts.

    For Skyrim, my mini-project would be: duplicate an existing weapon, change its stats/enchantment, and place it with a vendor or in a small chest. For that you roughly need:
    - Mod Organizer 2 (dont just dump everything into the game folder)
    - SSEEdit to inspect/clean up
    - Creation Kit for the actual change

    Most important beginner tip: **never overwrite other mods directly** and change only one thing at a time, then test in-game. Many "Skyrim is broken" moments are actually a missing master, wrong load order, or accidentally saving a huge dirty edit. My first fail was copying an NPC and suddenly they were standing naked in Whiterun. Technically everything worked, just... not quite as planned :D

    For Minecraft: start with a datapack, e.g. add a custom crafting recipe, change a loot table, or build a small advancement with a reward. Thats great for learning because you get familiar with JSON structures without having to deal with Java, Gradle, and a hundred dependencies right away. Afterwards a Fabric mod with a simple item makes sense.

    Id first focus on **QoL and small balancing changes**. Custom assets/scripts look cool, but you learn more by actually finishing a small project, including testing and debugging. Which version are you playing for Skyrim and Minecraft? A lot depends on that for the tooling.

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    For Minecraft I'd really start with a **Datapack**: e.g. your own recipe that gives you a small “starter tool” from iron + redstone, or an advancements system with rewards. You only need a text editor for that and can test directly with `/reload` – no Java, no complicated mod setup. If that suits you, KubeJS would be a good intermediate step toward scripting.

    For Skyrim: Lara's Weapons Project is perfect, but always make a backup before the first save in the Creation Kit and only test with a fresh save or a test save. My first fail was an NPC edit that silently conflicted with another mod – since then: use separate profiles in MO2 and in SSEEdit first just check *which* records you actually overwrite. Do you want to tinker with things for your own gameplay or upload mods later?

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    I'd really follow StackLena for Minecraft: a datapack + a tiny goal is the best “I actually built something” moment. My first stuff was a custom recipe that was completely broken because I forgot a comma in the JSON – felt like 20 minutes of debugging for one character lol. VS Code with JSON highlighting saves nerves right away.

    For Skyrim my tip would be: **start by touching only a single `.esp`** and use MO2 profiles. That way you can throw away your test stuff cleanly at any time without your main save turning into a savegame graveyard. Are you more into Minecraft logic/recipes or Skyrim items and small dungeons?

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    I’d also definitely start with a **Minecraft datapack**. Small goal: create a custom recipe **plus** an advancement that gives you, for example, a title or a small loot reward when crafting. That way, you immediately cover recipes, JSON structure, and testing with `/reload`, without having to configure three mod loaders and the phase of the moon first.

    And yes: VS Code + a JSON validator is practically mandatory, otherwise you’ll end up chasing a missing comma like an Enderman. Once you’ve got that down, give KubeJS a try – you’ll quickly find out whether you prefer logic/scripting or having fun tinkering with assets.

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    I’d also start with the datapack, but deliberately break the project down into small steps: first a custom recipe, then a function with `/say` or `/give`, and afterward the advancement as a reward. That way, if something goes wrong, you immediately know which part is broken. A small tip: When testing, run `/reload` and then immediately check `/datapack list` or the error messages in the chat/log—Minecraft can be wonderfully unhelpful about that sometimes 😅

    And be sure to note the exact Minecraft version, because paths or syntax in recipe and advancement JSON files tend to change. Once the first pack works, you can zip it and give it to others to test. I’d be interested to know: Do you want to build a useful starter tool, or something completely absurd, like a recipe for “cursed” bread with its own function?

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    With Minecraft, you’re already on the safe side with the datapack approach. I’d really start with a mini project: **one recipe, one function, and one advancement**—but test each one individually before combining them. That way, every step feels like a small success, and when something goes wrong, you know where to look.

    My first modding fail, by the way, was a change I hadn’t tested at all before adding ten more things. The result: a complete rollback instead of calling it a day 😅 So it’s better to create versions/backups and start small. If you enjoy working with logic, KubeJS is a great next step; for custom models or textures, you can always move on to working with assets later.

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    I’d add one more thing to the Datapack starting point: **don’t plan a “cool” big feature right away**, but instead choose a small goal that you can finish in 30–60 minutes. For example, a recipe for a “Rescue Cookie” that triggers an advancement when crafted and briefly gives the player Saturation or Regeneration. Sounds trivial, but you’ll already learn `recipes`, `functions`, `advancements`, and the folder structure that way.

    It’s really important to test after every step, just as SunnyMara and Murks have already written. I also create a small `README.txt` for every project with the Minecraft version, tested commands, and changes. It sounds over the top, but otherwise after two weeks you won’t remember why there’s a `load.json` or `tick.json` lying around somewhere 😅

    With VS Code, I’d also activate the Minecraft Datapack extension or a suitable schema, rather than just the regular JSON validator. The latter doesn’t necessarily detect when a field is syntactically correct but named incorrectly for the respective version. And version information isn’t a minor issue: A Datapack for 1.20.x won’t automatically work without problems for 1.21.x.

    Personally, I’d really tackle Skyrim only afterward. The first sensible step there might not be a weapon right away, but rather duplicating an existing item, changing its name and damage, and placing it in a small test cell. That way you learn the Creation Kit, plugins, and loading things in the mod manager without immediately taking apart quests or NPCs. Paule: are you more interested in building the game mechanics in the Datapack, or do you want to create your own textures/models in the long run?

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    I think KlartextKai’s `README.txt` idea is seriously underrated—especially with datapacks, you’re guaranteed to forget after two weeks which version a particular path worked for. I’d also create a folder containing working intermediate versions: `01_rezept`, `02_funktion`, `03_advancement`. That way, if something goes wrong, you can compare them instead of taking everything apart again.

    As a small follow-up project, a “Rescue Cookie 2.0” could be cool: The recipe would only be available once per player, and triggering it would display a custom message in chat. That way, you get to learn about scoreboards or simple conditions without immediately diving into huge scripts. Have any of you ever versioned datapacks with Git, or has the folder-backup method been enough for you so far?

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    I’d be up for the rescue cookie too 😄 But I wouldn’t start with scoreboards right away; instead, I’d trigger the reward through a function and limit the number of tests. My first attempt at a datapack failed back then because I had written the namespace differently in the path than in the JSON… Minecraft, of course, only said “could not be loaded.” Since then, I double-check paths and run `/reload` after every small step.

    If PixelPaule is leaning more toward Skyrim than Minecraft: the Creation Kit is definitely much more heavyweight, but a small quest or dialogue project would be a good starting point. Don’t build a whole new city right away—make an NPC with a mini-task and its own reward, for example. Has anyone started with the Creation Kit before and can say which tutorials are still useful today?

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