1. Installation, Configure, Update - DragonSurvivalTeam/DragonSurvival GitHub Wiki

■ When you've definitely decided to go to the light side of the dragons, it's time to properly install the modification!

● Installation

■ Required: Geckolib Library, Forge or Neoforge.

■ Curseforge automatically installs the necessary mods, but it's better to double-check everything yourself. Check the versions carefully. These instructions are valid for the latest versions of the mod. Before installing, be sure to read the descriptions of the last few patches.

- 1.16.5

Install Forge 1.16.5 (36.2.33+). Just follow the installation instructions. It does not have to be a "stable version". Be sure to check this first.
Check Curseforge and download latest file DragonSurvival for 1.16.5. All updates are published by the developer only on this site and nowhere else.
Download forge version of GeckoLib (only 3.0.93) library for 1.16.5 to your computer. Your game will crash without this library. Newer versions of Gecko will not work. Don't download Quilt and Fabric version!!!
Move these two files (DragonSurvival and GeckoLib) to the "mods" folder, which is located in the game folder. This folder appears after Forge is installed.
Launch the game and enjoy! If you have problems, read the instructions below.

- 1.18.2

Install Forge 1.18.2 (40.1.80+). Just follow the installation instructions. It does not have to be a "stable version". Be sure to check the recommended version in parentheses.
Check Curseforge and download latest file DragonSurvival for 1.18.2. All updates are published by the developer only on this site and nowhere else.
Download forge version of GeckoLib (3.0.55+). library for 1.18.2 to your computer. Your game will crash without this library. Don't download Quilt and Fabric version!!!
Move these two files (DragonSurvival and GeckoLib) to the "mods" folder, which is located in the game folder. This folder appears after Forge is installed.
Launch the game and enjoy! If you have problems, read the instructions below.

- 1.19.2

Install Forge 1.19.2 (43.3.5+). Just follow the installation instructions. It does not have to be a "stable version". Be sure to check the recommended version in parentheses.
Check Curseforge and download latest file DragonSurvival for 1.19.2. All updates are published by the developer only on this site and nowhere else.
Download forge version of GeckoLib (3.1.40+). library for 1.19.2 to your computer. Your game will crash without this library. Don't download Quilt and Fabric version!!!
Move these two files (DragonSurvival and GeckoLib) to the "mods" folder, which is located in the game folder. This folder appears after Forge is installed.
Launch the game and enjoy! If you have problems, read the instructions below.

- 1.20.1

Install NeoForge 1.20.1 (43.3.5+). Just follow the installation instructions.
Check Curseforge and download latest file DragonSurvival for 1.20.1. All updates are published by the developer only on this site and nowhere else.
Download neoforge version of GeckoLib (1.20.1-4.4.4+). library for 1.20.1 to your computer. Your game will crash without this library. Don't download Quilt, Forge and Fabric version!!!
Move these two files (DragonSurvival and GeckoLib) to the "mods" folder, which is located in the game folder. This folder appears after NeoForge is installed.
Launch the game and enjoy! If you have problems, read the instructions below.

- 1.21+

■ This version is in alpha stage and contains bugs. There is also a chance that the main version will remain 1.19.2.

Install NeoForge 1.21 (30 version). Just follow the installation instructions.
Check Curseforge (only patreon for now) and download latest file DragonSurvival for 1.21. All updates are published by the developer only on this site and nowhere else.
Download neoforge version of GeckoLib (1.21-4.5.5+). library for 1.21 to your computer. Your game will crash without this library. Don't download Quilt, Forge and Fabric version!!!
Move these two files (DragonSurvival and GeckoLib) to the "mods" folder, which is located in the game folder. This folder appears after NeoForge is installed.
Launch the game and enjoy! If you have problems, read the instructions below.

- "Mod doesn't work!"

■ Go to these points only if you really have problems with running the mod! If Dragons Survival isn't working for you, it's 90% likely you've made a mistake here:

Check that you have installed the Forge or NeoForge version of Geckolib. Please stop downloading Fabric or Quilt version! The instruction above specifies which versions work with the latest version of the mod.
If you have a huge amount of mods, remove them and check on a clean version of the game. If everything is working, then look for what mod is causing a conflict. Below is a list of known incompatibilities with the DS.
Make sure that you delete old configuration files. You can read where they are in the section "Configuration". This point is very important, don't ignore it!
When upgrading from very old versions of the DS to new ones, remove saved_customizations.json. Also if you go between 1.18 and 1.16 you also need to delete this file in . It is located in dragon-survival folder near the folders config, saves, mods, etc.
If that doesn't work for you, read what the crash file says (crash-reports folder). There may be an answer to the question "why isn't anything working", just read it carefully and pay attention to the references.
Some users of unofficial launcher helps to completely reinstall the game.
Update AMD drivers if you are using video cards from that vendor.
If you play the modpack, be sure to allocate more RAM in the Curseforge profile settings. Do not use the default setting!
Changed your ds config and now the game does not work? Make sure you didn't forget a ";" or "," somewhere.
Install Java 17 (Open JDK) for 1.18+ servers.
Try disabling the windows firewall (if you can't connect).
Restart the computer?

■ Use Github form to report a problem that you have not been able to solve on your own. I will always do my best to help you solve your problem. If your game crashes and you think it's related to DS just send in this form crash-report/log files and tell us what you did at that moment. Any server/host/launcher necessarily have the folder named "logs" (latest.log) and "crash-reports" (like crash-2022-03-22_19.35.22-client.txt). Just open this folders, sort the files by date and send us all the latest files.

■ Remember. If there was no bug report posted on the github, this bug is no existing for the developer!

■ For small bug reports and questions you can use the Discord Server. Be sure to send logs and crash reports! This is really important and speeds up the work. Believe me, there is nothing more tedious than getting information out of a user to help them.

● Incompatibility

■ Make sure there are no conflicts with other mods. Not many mods have problems with the DS, but they do. This is not a complete list.

- Mods

Immersive Portals - dragon players become invisible in Nether.
Pokecube AOI - ticking world crash when entering The End. Fix.
Dannys Expansion - crash in altar.
Solpotato - dragon skin disappears.
Tetra - tools do not work with dragon claws.
Better Combat - crash on start or problems with camera (fix addon - https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/dragon-survival-compatibility)
Waterlogged Redstone - crash
Corail Tombstone - crash after death if there were items in the claws. The developer reported that this has been fixed in this patch.
So Many Enchantments - noticeable lags with claws on the server.
Ensorcellation - noticeable lags with claws on the server.
Origins + Sophisticated Storage - duplicating food when eating and backpacking issues and improving "auto-feeding" in Sophisticated Storage mod.
Music Player - crash https://github.com/DragonSurvivalTeam/DragonSurvival/issues/371#issue-1895349782
Figura - breaks the first-person dragon render.
TerraFirmaCraft - the mechanics of eating are completely off. Dragons cannot regenerate their hunger, etc.
alex's caves - camera height problem
ice and fire - Pose stack not empty crash
mana and artifice's - Pose stack not empty crash (sometimes)

- Optifine

■ On 1.16.5 can create difficulties and visual bugs, which are solved by correct settings:

Set "Performance"/" rendering areas " to "off" (cave dragon);
Set "shaders" / "shader options" /"fog options"/ "underwater fog density" to 150-200 (sea dragon);
Also turn off soft lighting if you have black shadows on nest.
Lava Vision doesn't work on some shaders.

■ Optifine on 1.18.2+ completely doesn't work and crashes!!! Use Oculus for shaders. Most developers try not to use this mod due to its closed source code and have created many alternatives.

● Configuration

■ Don't like the loss of growth after a species change, the cost of magic, want to hold objects in your mouth? Welcome to the configuration! You can customize almost anything in our mod. We've put a tremendous amount of effort into this so you can play the way you like. Be sure to turn off the server and the game before editing configs!!!

■ For a quick search use Ctrl + F in Notepad.

- 1.16.5

"dragonsurvival-server.toml" - all dragon type settings and 95% of mod settings. Located here: /[mapname]/serverconfig (for a server) or .minecraft/saves/[worldname]/serverconfig (for single play).
"dragonsurvival-common.toml" - setting up magical predators and dragon hunters. Only exists for version 1.16, in 1.18 combined with the server config.
"dragonsurvival-client.toml" - first and third person settings.
"saved_customizations.json" - is responsible for all your saved appearance presets that you created in the Dragon Editor. Located in the ".minecraft\dragon-survival", not in the configs.

■ Starting with patch 0.8 (Treasure Update), you now have the ability to edit configs in game. Just go to your dragon's inventory and click on the gears at the bottom right. But it is better to use the change of config directly in the file.

- 1.18.2-1.20.1

"dragonsurvival-server.toml" - all dragon type settings and 95% of mod settings. Located here: /[mapname]/serverconfig (for a server) or .minecraft/saves/[worldname]/serverconfig (for single play).
"dragonsurvival-client.toml" - first and third person settings.
"saved_customizations.json" - is responsible for all your saved appearance presets that you created in the Dragon Editor. Located in the ".minecraft\dragon-survival", not in the configs.

■ Be sure to turn off the server and the game before editing configs. Don't be afraid to experiment and customize these configurations to your liking! The main thing is to delete old configs after each update.

■ You can see the "defaultconfigs" folder in modpacks. It is used to apply the settings from "serverconfig" to all new worlds. To do this, move the config files from "serverconfig" to "defaultconfigs". The contents of the "default configs" folder do not overwrite the contents of the serverconfig folder. This is only for new worlds.

- 1.21

"dragonsurvival-server.toml" - all dragon type settings and 95% of mod settings.
"dragonsurvival-client.toml" - first and third person settings.
"saved_customizations.json" - is responsible for all your saved appearance presets that you created in the Dragon Editor. Located in the ".minecraft\dragon-survival", not in the configs.

● Update

■ A few important things about updating the mod:

Try to keep up with regular updates on Curseforge or on Discord. The CF Launcher sends notifications. All early versions appear in patreon discord first and if no bugs are seen, we add it to public access.
Don't forget to delete old configuration files after each DS update if it is written in the update description.
Make a backup of the save/server before upgrading. We try to check everything before we publish it, but there are still moments that we haven't had time to check.

■ Always read the patchnotes (descriptions of updates) carefully before installing.

● Moving appearance between saves

■ If you want to transfer a texture created in the Dragon altar to other servers or to another world, you need to do the following steps.

Close the game.
Replace file "saved_customizations.json" (delete the new one and move the old one).
Open the game and in the altar select the slot with the correct appearance, save the result.

■ Transferring from 1.16 to 1.18 will not work. Also the transfer from some old versions to new ones does not work either.

● Linux compatibility

■ Keep in mind, that GDLauncher only one way to run modded Minecraft on Linux-based system. It's possible to do all steps manually, but it will require additional investigation and take more time.

■ Install GDLauncher:

Download && install package: https://gdlauncher.com/en/download/
Open freshly installed launcher. If you don't have installed Java - launcher suggest to solve this issue automatically. Sign in into you Microsoft/Mojang account.
Go to the Java category of the settings. Increase memory usage at least 8192MB. You should also setup game resolution here. Set the numbers that's represent your screen.

■ Install modpack:

To add instance return to the main screen of the launcher and click +, select CurseForge and look for "Play as Dragon: Gothic Edition"
Enjoy

■ Known issues:

For SteamDeck you need to setup size of a window that represent your screen resolution, as playing from native mode (big screen) you will have reduced action field for you mouse exactly like you enter in launcher (but picture will not, and you will have unreachable elements).
For SteamDeck there is issues with game crashing when you launch it from Desktop mode. Just use native mode. You may need to tweak quality settings to low as well.

■ Thanks for the guide, DrKsantor!

● How do I use Curseforge?

■ Curseforge is the main official site for most of the mods you know. Almost all authors publish their mods here. The main language of the platform is English. Curseforge has its own launcher and it is very convenient for me personally for several reasons:

Most of the necessary libraries for mods is downloaded automatically.
Easy switching between any version of the game and modpacks.
Launcher automatically notifies you of updates to mods.
Protection against accidental downloading of inappropriate versions of mods.
Quick and quality tech support in discord. Honestly, in 2 years I haven't had a single situation where they didn't help me with some very specific issue. ~~I hope nothing will change after I write this!~~
Convenient tools for modpack developers and easy search/installation of mods for users.

■ Of the minuses we can highlight the only lack of support for quick creation of the server and the fact that you can only play a licensed copy of the game (but download mods and modpack you can). You can install the Curseforge Launcher here, and if you have problems with the installation, I suggest you look here.

■ So, instructions on how to download Dragon Survival when you have installed the launcher:

When you open the launcher you will not have a modpack like I have in the screenshot. You will need to create a custom profile. The button at the top right.

You will get a window where you can choose a profile name (any), Minecraft version and Forge version.

This profile will appear in your list. Open it. There will be an "add content" button on the right. Click on it.

In the search enter the id (420799) or name (Dragon Survival) of our mod.

Go back to "My Modpacks", select your custom profile and click "Play". Curseforge Launcher will redirect you to the official Minecraft Launcher where you will need to log in (1 time). After that you are free to play! Important: The fact that Curseforge installs the libraries itself does not free you from having to check the installation instructions, because the CF installs the latest version of the library. Dragon Survival does not always work with the latest version.

● Installing the modpack

■ In this case, I will write about Play As Dragon and Play as Dragon: Gothic Edition, but these tips are relevant to any modpack:

Installing the modpack in Curseforge works just like installing the mods in the text above. There are no special secrets here.
It is very important to know how to open the folder where all your "modpack" files are stored. This is where you can find the "mods" folder and all other useful things. This is also where the logs and crash-reports appear, which I love to ask users when someone breaks for whatever reason.

If you transfer modpack to another launcher VERY IMPORTANT to transfer all folders from modpack, not just the folder "mods". For those who think that modpack is only mods, there is a separate cauldron in hell. It is extremely important that the folders config, defaultconfigs, fancymenu, kubejs, saves, resourcepacks, resources, options.txt, shaderpacks and others were also moved.
Do not move the files with replacements. Delete old folders and add new ones. Otherwise you can get a lot of nasty bonuses.
If you update the modpack, you need to turn off in the profile settings "allow to edit content" and then it will be possible to change the version. I advise you to check "create a new profile" when upgrading.
READ THE CHANGELOGS! Be careful with updating the modpack if you are updating for an old world.

You can enable mod list editing with this button, but if you don't know what you're doing, don't update the mods yourself. Otherwise it is guaranteed to break the modpack.

● Optimizing

■ First of all, make sure that your game is optimized by itself. Allocate more RAM to your Minecraft, install optimization mods. BUT BE CAREFUL! Unskillful use of optimisation mods will only make things worse! If you don't feel like a confident user, it's better to trust ready-made modpacks.

■ Alas, because of the huge amount of extra checks every tick, smooth animations and a large number of boxes on the model - playing as a dragon reduces the amount of fps. In single player game this is not as noticeable as on a server with a large number of players. There are several ways to increase your fps to the detriment of some features:

If you use shaders, be sure to disable player shadows within the shader file itself (in-game settings don't have this!).

If you see this in Spark, don't jump to conclusions! Dragon Survival has nothing to do with these server lags and the main problem is hidden in the world generation. Use pregeneration and other mods to solve this problem.

If you are playing the modpack MUST allocate more memory in the Curseforge App.

Turn on the "old textures" checkbox in the altar. You won't be able to customize your dragon or use skins, but it gives you a noticeable FPS boost.

Disable the display of all skins for you and the players around you.

■ Changes to client configs:

enableTailPhysics = false
renderHeldItem = false
renderDragonClaws = false
renderOtherPlayerRotation = false