We will be using an industry-grade development tool IntelliJ for coding that will allow us to create mods for Minecraft. Using this tool coupled with a Minecraft Development plugin, setup should be relatively straightforward. The steps include downloading and installing IntelliJ, then installing the Minecraft Development Intellij plugin.
For the design part of the camp(designing items, weapons, blocks), we will use Pixilart.
Next we will be using a language called Kotlin to create our mods with.
"But don't Minecraft mods use Java?" Yes! However, Kotlin allows us to use simpler syntax(most of the time, there are exceptions) that will make development easier. As an added bonus, Kotlin could segue into Android app development in the future if your child becomes interested. Typically the first two days of the camp are for getting familiar with Kotlin.
Every child will get sample starter code so they can collaborate easier and keep up with the lesson without having to worry about too much setup. Using the Forge tool to create mods, we will be able to add items, blocks, and weapons to Minecraft which will also allow the kids to use each other's mods. We will start with the easiest one first, which is an item. This will segue into making weapons, so it is important to do this first as kids love the weapons part when we get to it.
Next, we will add blocks to the game. Every block has 6 faces and every kid must decide what block they want to make and how they want it to look, and we will go over the process to add the block to their game. Providing there is time, we will add our own ores to the game and make their smelted components(think an Iron Block being smelted to an Iron Ore!).
The kids will be able to create their own foods and decide how much health it will give them. They will have to come up with(and create!) the ingredients for their recipe and include it as part of their mod.
This tends to be the kids favorite part of the course. We have seen kids make weapons that summon lightning on the strikee, a weapon that removed gravity for a mob, a healing staff, and weapons that immediately kill certain mobs or set them on fire!
This is something the mentors try to do provided there is time, but we try to gather everyone's mods into a folder and redistribute them to all the kids as a commemoration of their collective achievements and allowing them to enjoy each others mods at home. It is a nice sendoff for them and a digital memory of their achievements at the NERDIES Minecraft Modding camp.