v1.5.0 (The Logic & Performance Overhaul)

This massive update completely rebuilds the core mechanics of the mod, introduces new progression systems, and heavily optimizes server performance for large modpacks.

⚡ Performance & Engine Optimizations

• Clumps-Style XP Optimization: Mobs no longer drop dozens of lag-inducing experience orbs. Drops are now merged into a single, high-value orb. Existing orbs in a 2-block radius will also merge dynamically every 5 ticks to save server TPS.
• \(O(1)\) Math Refactor: Completely eliminated while loops for attribute calculations. Leveling up to 50,000+ levels will no longer cause Watchdog tick timeouts or server freezes.
• Critical NBT Save Crash Fixed: Resolved the infamous Unregistered holder: xp_shield crash during world auto-saves by rewriting the registry logic to native Registry.registerForHolder.
• Integer Overflow Fix: Experience pooling now uses long types, fixing bugs where taking damage at high levels could heal the player or duplicate XP.

🛡️ XP-Shield Potion Overhaul

The legacy passive shield system has been completely removed and replaced with a balanced brewing system:

• Shield Core: New crafting ingredient required for brewing (crafted with an Ender Chest, not a bundle).

• Brewing Hierarchy:

• Level I (25% Absorption): Awkward Potion + Shield Core (3:00 base, 8:00 with Redstone).

• Level II (50% Absorption): Level I + Glowstone Dust (1:30).

• Level III (75% Absorption): Level II + Nether Star (1:00).

• Note: Absorption burns experience points (1:1 ratio). Taking fatal damage without enough XP will bypass the shield.

⚙️ Gameplay & Presets

• Origins-Style Preset Screen: First-time joiners will now be greeted with a forced, unclosable GUI to select their gameplay preset.
• Strict Preset Locking: Presets can only be selected once per player (tied to NBT). Attempting to bypass this via the /lifexp preset command or the YACL config screen is now strictly blocked.
• New Modifiers: Added purist (classic hardcore with no streak bonuses) and core_no_streaks presets.
• Kill Streak Fix: The Kill Streak XP multiplier now correctly applies to the merged mob drop before it spawns.

🎨 Visuals & UI

• HUD Progress Bubbles: Replaced the clunky text overlay with 10 graphical experience orbs positioned above the hunger bar (1 orb = 10% of the cap).
• Dynamic XP Number Tint: Vanilla XP levels now change color based on progress: Green (< 50%) → Aquamarine (≥ 50%) → Gold (100% cap).
• Fog Culling Fix: Fixed an issue where the dynamic shader fog would cull chunks at early levels. Minimum distance clamped to 16 blocks.
• Blur Fix: Removed the aggressive vanilla blur shader from the custom preset selection screen for better readability.

🧩 Integrations & Advancements

• Full JEI / EMI Support: Added detailed info tabs for custom items (life_bottle, dynamic_xp_bottle, shield_core) and mapped the entire XP-Shield brewing tree for easy viewing.
• Advancements Cleanup: Removed legacy milestones that caused 11,000+ level spikes when triggered.
• New Challenges: Added dynamic achievements: Life or Death (Survive ≤1 HP with Shield III), Expensive Taste, Miner's Vein, and Master Angler.
• YACL Config Cleanup: Stripped deprecated passive shield fields and added toggles for disableFog, showHudBubbles, and lockPresetAfterSelection.