Version Compatibility

Version Compatibility & Lifecycle Policy

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🗺️ Minecraft Version Compatibility Matrix

Vanilla Outsider: Better Dogs follows the 1 Jar 1 Version architecture law. Dedicated binaries are compiled and tagged specifically per Minecraft release version:

Minecraft Version	Mod Release Tag	DasikLibrary Bounds	JDK	Support Status	Target Guide
MC 26.3	v5.0.19+26.3	>=1.8.8	JDK 25	🟢 Active (Snapshot)	[[MC 26.3 Guide
MC 26.2	v4.24.4+26.2	>=1.8.3	JDK 25	🟢 Primary Target	[[MC 26.2 Guide
MC 26.1.2	v4.24.4+26.1.2	>=1.8.2	JDK 25	🟡 Maintenance	[[MC 26.1 Guide
MC 1.21.11	Legacy 1.x Series	Legacy	Java 21	🔴 Deprecated	Legacy Archive Only

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📜 Version History & 26.x Migration

Origins (MC 1.21.11)

Better Dogs originally launched during the Minecraft 1.21.x era. Initial builds established the core concept: giving vanilla wolves unique personality traits (Aggressive, Pacifist, Normal) and physical scale variation without introducing non-vanilla items or entity types.

The 26.x Modernization Era

Following the transition to modern Minecraft 26.x:

1. Zero-Dependency Guard: ModVersionGuard was integrated via DasikLibrary to protect servers against classloader mismatch crashes.
2. Modern Identifier Syntax: All resource identifiers migrated from Identifier.of() to Identifier.fromNamespaceAndPath("vanilla-outsider-better-dogs", path).
3. Open-Ended Dependency Bounds: fabric.mod.json uses open-ended lower bounds (e.g. "minecraft": ">=26.2-") to prevent strict launcher version locks while enforcing exact compatibility thresholds.

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⏳ Version Support & Deprecation Lifecycle Policy

1. Primary Target (MC 26.2): Receives all new gameplay features, AI optimizations, performance updates, and instant bug fixes.
2. Snapshot Tracking (MC 26.3): Tracks upcoming Mojang snapshot API changes to ensure zero-day readiness upon major game updates.
3. Maintenance Builds (MC 26.1.2): Receives critical bug fixes and security patches backported from the primary release line.

🌍 Existing World Compatibility & Retrofitting

Vanilla Outsider: Better Dogs is 100% backwards-compatible and completely safe to add or remove mid-playthrough on existing Minecraft save files.

What Happens When Adding Mid-Game?

• Zero Data Loss: Existing wolves remain tamed to their respective owners. Their custom names, current health, collar dyes, and equipment are preserved.
• Automatic Attachment Initialization: As soon as pre-existing wolves load in the world, the Fabric Data Attachment API initializes default persistence records without entity resets or health loss.
• Default Trait Assignment: Existing wolves default to standard NORMAL personality behavior and base physical scales.
• Immediate Feature Unlock: Pre-existing wolves immediately gain full access to all mod features:
  • Guard Mode: Shift + Right-Click with a Bone to assign sentinel guard positions.
  • Favorite Treats: Feeding favorite treats fully heals and grants regeneration buffs.
  • Tactical Horn Commands: Respond to Goat Horn tactical orders (Call, Attack, Guard, Follow).
  • Adoption System: Shift + Right-Click with Paper to enable ownership transfer to other players.
  • Dismounting: Shift + Right-Click with Command Tools (Stick, Blaze Rod, Breeze Rod) to dismount from seats/boats/minecarts.
• Genetics & Breeding: Offspring bred from pre-existing wolves will fully utilize the new genetics, litter size calculations (1-4 pups), personality inheritance, and stat variance systems.

What Happens When Removing Mid-Game (Uninstallation)?

• 100% Safe Uninstallation: Removing the mod from a server or singleplayer world mid-game will never corrupt save files or cause "missing entity/item registry" startup crashes.
• Zero Custom Registry Bloat: Better Dogs introduces zero custom entity types, zero custom blocks, and zero custom items—relying entirely on vanilla Wolf entities and standard vanilla items (Bones, Paper, Goat Horns, Sticks, Blaze Rods, Breeze Rods).
• Vanilla Behavior Reversion: Wolves seamlessly revert to standard vanilla wolf AI while retaining their tamed owner UUIDs, custom names, current health, and collar colors.

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