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Common Questions

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WTBking edited this page Dec 20, 2025 · 1 revision

Common Questions

Can I incorporate Photon into my own modpack?

Absolutely! Photon is primarily designed to be used as a foundation for modpack developers to use. No attribution is necessary for Photon as a whole, however many of the individual mods used in Photon require some form of credit. If you use Photon to create your own modpack, I'd love to know!

How does Photon compare to other optimization modpacks?

Comparing different optimization modpacks to one another is largely subjective, and the user should perform individual research and testing to come to their own conclusion. Regardless, here's a few comparisons between Photon and other popular options:

Photon / Simply Optimized (SO)

  • Both Photon and SO support Fabric, while the former also has compatibility with Forge, NeoForge, and Quilt. Photon actively supports most major versions since 1.7.10; SO is available for 1.16.5 and above with active support for only the newest MC version.
  • Photon and SO have very similar sets of mods with slight differences depending on the given version. The only significant factor is SO's inclusion of No Chat Reports, which has functionality—notably disabling player chat reporting on the client-side—that is out of the scope of Photon.
  • SO tends to lean towards more experimental/bleeding-edge releases and configurations of mods, which may result in a slight performance lead over Photon. Generally, Photon prefers to avoid these types of mod versions and configs in order to maintain stability and compatibility.
  • Photon and SO release updates on an as-needed basis without a strict schedule. This means that both will generally be up-to-date for their respective versions at all times.
Overall, Photon and Simply Optimized are very similar in their application and methods. Determining which is a better option is mostly dependent on your preference towards the lack/inclusion of No Chat Reports and stable/bleeding-edge performance improvements as well as your choice of modloader/MC version.

Photon and Adrenaline

  • Both Photon and Adrenaline support Fabric (Adrenaline ended Quilt support past MC 1.20.4), while the former also has compatibility with Forge, NeoForge, and Quilt. Photon actively supports most major versions since 1.7.10; Adrenaline is available for 1.16.5 and above with long-term support for 1.20.1 and 1.21.1.
  • Photon and Adrenaline have very similar sets of mods with a couple key differences. Particularly, Adrenaline includes some server-side optimization mods and YOSBR—a mod that maintains game settings across updates—both of which are outside of the scope of Photon.
  • Photon and Adrenaline have a strong emphasis on stability, meaning they are both great options to scale off of in large-production modpacks.
  • Photon tends to update more frequently than Adrenaline, which usually has releases for major changes. Both, however, update consistently overall.
Overall, Photon and Adrenaline are very similar in their application and methods. Determining which is a better option is mostly dependent on your preference towards the inclusion of server-side performance mods and YOSBR as well as your choice of modloader/MC version.

Photon and Fabulously Optimized (FO)

  • Both Photon and FO support Fabric, while the former also has compatibility with Forge, NeoForge, and Quilt. Photon actively supports most major versions since 1.7.10; FO is available for 1.16.5 with active support for only the newest MC version.
  • Photon and FO have drasticly different sets of mods with major differences. Particularly, FO includes many QoL mods, which is out of the scope of Photon.
  • Photon and FO have a strong emphasis on stability, but FO's purpose of being a complete package makes it preferable for a vanilla+ experience rather than a framework for further development.
  • Photon and FO release updates on an as-needed basis without a strict schedule. This means that both will generally be up-to-date for their respective versions at all times.
Overall, Photon and Fabulously Optimized have quite different applications. While Photon is designed as a foundation for more personalized development, FO is primarily focused on delivering an out-of-the-box experience with minimal individual changes. Determining which is a better option entirely depends on your objective: either a framework to build off of, or a polished vanilla+ package.

Is Photon stable/safe to use?

Most of the time, yes! Photon is diligently designed to ensure smooth operation in any environment. Due to the nature of modding in general, however, it's important one maintains good modding practice by taking regular backups of worlds.

Can I use Photon for a server environment?

Currently, this is out of the scope of Photon. Despite not being the primary intention, placing Photon into a dedicated server environment will certainly improve performance beyond vanilla. Server-based settings are not regularly tested, so proceed with due diligence.

What modloader and/or Minecraft version should I use?

The modloader and MC version you should use is entirely dependent on your objective. However, here are some general recommendations:

  • Fabric + Latest MC Version: Often the best performance and great for vanilla+ modpacks
  • Fabric + 1.21.1: Excellent modern version with exceptional performance and large selection of mods
  • Fabric + 1.20.1: Relatively modern version with exceptional performance and very large selection of mods
  • Forge + 1.20.1: Relatively modern version with exceptional performance and the largest selection of mods
  • Forge + 1.16.5: Relatively older version with decent performance and a moderate selection of mods (useful for some unmaintained mods)
  • Forge + 1.12.2: Older version with great performance and a moderate selection of mods (useful for very large RLCraft style modpacks using CurseForge mods)
  • NeoForge + 1.21.1: Excellent modern version with great performance and a very large selection of mods

If you have any other issues / questions, feel free to create an issue request here: https://github.com/RealWTBking/photon/issues/new/choose

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