Mod Garden - Garden Timeline

The Planning Phase

Timeframe: 7 days/1 week

As soon as a theme is announced, the planning phase is where modders will purely plan their submissions, whether this be rough concept art, game design docs. Anything like that goes. Users are also encouraged to form teams during this phase. Just as long as it’s not something for the final mod, you’re fine to make it.

You may also use this phase to see what others are making.

Registration is open during this phase and the development phase.

The Development Phase

Timeframe: 60 days/8 weeks

The development phase is where participants will create their mods. Do whatever it takes within the timeframe. You are allowed to submit multiple.

You may ask for an up to a 1 week extension if something goes wrong during this phase, you can’t ask for an extension after this phase.

If you can’t get your mod reviewed by Modrinth in time, we will make exceptions to the above rule.

Checkpoints

Checkpoints are a system put in place to allow us and yourselves to check your own progress and to see if you are able to finish.

Checkpoints will happen on the third week, and the sixth week. This will be time to check in on your own progress and see if you are able to finish your mod on time, to make sure that your mod will be complete by the end of the eigth week.

The Extension/Break Phase

Timeframe: 7 days/1 week

Take a break! This is also the time where those who asked for extensions will finish their mods.

This also gives us time to make sure that everybody’s mods are approved on Modrinth and to finish up any of our internals.

The Tweak Phase

Timeframe: 14 days/2 weeks

The tweak phase involves squashing out as many bugs as possible before the pack is live, but it’s not just a bugtesting marathon! It’s also a time where you can integrate into others’ mods.

You can also use this time to polish anything that already exists in your own mod but it is discouraged to do this. You should use the last week of dev time to do this.

A build server and test server will open up during this time, with the test server being used for testing mods, and the build server being opened up for time to spend claiming booth space.

Claiming

Claiming booth space takes place within the weeks of the tweak phase. This is where you will claim space for your booth to be built within the building phase.

Please read up on the Booth Claiming Guidelines for more information on this aspect of Mod Garden.

The Building Phase

Timeframe: ~31 days/4-5 weeks

The Building Phase is technically optional, but it is encouraged. Building phase is required for the paper plate awards, as participants need to have an environment to show off their mod(s) to the public.

Builds will take place in a predetermined world (referred to as a garden) that is designed around the theme. Participants will find an area within this world and build there.

You are allowed to invite friends purely to help, or ask organisers to help during this time.

The Showcase Phase

Timeframe: Depends

When all of the previous preparations are wrapped up, the garden is opened up publicly, for everybody to explore.

There is also voting, where you gain a special role in the Discord for winning an award, as well as a special plant on your profile’s garden on the Mod Garden website.

The award categories are:

• Thematic Award
  • For mods that fit the theme at play well.
• Futureproof Award
  • For mods that you could see yourself coming back to if you were to play the game or design a modpack.
• Vision Award
  • For mods that execute their design goals well, whatever they may be.
• Enjoyment Award
  • For mods that are just pure fun.
• Team’s Pick Award
  • For mods selected by the team. Mods that didn’t gain any other award will be prioritised for this category.

Every participant will gain a plant on their profile for participating.

Do not think that plants are a competitive thing, most users will never be close to a 100% collection. At the end of the day, they are just profile flavour.