Building Forge Mods in 1.20.x: Practical Notes by Myroslav Mokhammad Abdeljawwad

Introduction

Hi 👋 — my name is Myroslav Mokhammad Abdeljawwad, and I’ve been working with Java-based projects and Forge modding, focusing on clean structure, maintainability, and server-safe logic.

This post is a short collection of practical notes from working with Minecraft Forge 1.20.x, especially around patterns that reduce bugs and make mods easier to maintain as they grow.

Why Forge 1.20.x Feels Different

Forge 1.20.x tightened a lot of expectations around:

Lifecycle events

Client vs server separation

Data synchronization

If you rely on older habits (heavy tick logic, implicit syncing), things can break in subtle ways. Being explicit has become more important than ever.

Keep Logic Server-First

One mistake I see often is treating the client as a source of truth.

A better pattern:

Server owns all authoritative state

Client only mirrors what it’s told

Rendering logic is strictly visual

This approach avoids desyncs and makes multiplayer behavior predictable.

Capabilities: Treat Them as Data, Not Logic

Capabilities are best used as:

Simple data holders

Serializable containers

State snapshots

Avoid putting gameplay logic directly inside them. Instead, let events or handlers operate on the data. This makes syncing easier and reduces edge-case bugs.

Sync Only When Necessary

Instead of syncing every tick:

Sync on change

Sync on login

Sync on chunk/entity load

Explicit packet-based syncing (using SimpleChannel) gives you control and avoids unnecessary network traffic.

Debugging Tips That Save Time

A few habits that have helped me:

Log logical side (SERVER vs CLIENT) aggressively

Validate packets before applying data

Keep packets small and versioned

These simple checks catch most issues early.

Final Thoughts

Forge modding rewards clarity and discipline. The more explicit your architecture is, the easier it becomes to expand your mod without rewriting large sections later.

I’ll likely write follow-up posts as I continue experimenting and refining patterns. If you’re also working with Forge or Java modding, feel free to share what’s worked for you.

Thanks for reading!

— Myroslav Mokhammad Abdeljawwad