Solar Crisis: Save The Dimming Stars

THIS IS NOT A STAND-ALONE MOD! YOU MUST USE THE BASIC OR EXTENDED EDITION TO PLAY! YES YOU CAN CREATE YOUR OWN MODPACK BUT IT MUST HAVE EVERYTHING IN THE BASIC EDITION FIRST

Basic Modpack Link:

https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/modpacks/solar-crisis-save-the-dimming-stars-basic-edition

Extended Modpack Link:

COMING SOON 

Solar Crisis: The Dimming Stars

Solar Crisis is an addon mod for Ad Astra that turns Minecraft into a space survival adventure inspired by Project Hail Mary. The Sun is slowly dying, Earth is freezing, and the entire solar system is in danger. Your mission is to discover what's killing the stars, travel across space, and find a way to save humanity before it's too late.

Because Solar Crisis adds so many new features and mechanics, it requires several other mods to work properly. To make installation easier, there are two different modpacks to choose from.

The first is the Basic Modpack, which includes Ad Astra and all the required mods needed for Solar Crisis to function. This is the recommended starting point and contains everything necessary to experience the campaign as intended. 

The second is the Expanded Modpack, which includes everything from the basic version along with additional mods that make the game more enjoyable and immersive. These include quality of life and decorational features that give you more freedom when building, exploring, and surviving. None of these extras are required to experience the main campaign.

You can also create your own custom modpack with whatever additional mods you prefer. Just make sure you're using the Basic Modpack as your foundation and keeping all the required dependencies installed. From there, you're free to customize your experience however you like.

The mission

The Sun is dying, and Earth is slowly freezing. Crops begin to fail, temperatures drop, and daylight gets weaker as time goes on. Villagers and animals struggle to survive, and the entire solar system is in danger.

But there's still hope. One distant star seems completely unaffected, and figuring out why might be the key to saving everything.

Solar Crisis takes you through 44 quests as you investigate what's happening to the Sun and search for a way to stop it.

You'll travel through space, collect Astrophage on Venus, and eventually work toward building a Tier 11 rocket capable of reaching Refuge b. Once you arrive, you'll need to explore deep underground to find living Taumoeba, a microorganism that could be the answer to the crisis.

You'll need a Netherite pickaxe and a sterile cryocanister to safely collect a specimen. After bringing it home, you'll revive it, grow more cultures, and discover how it feeds on Astrophage.

Once you've prepared three adapted vials, you'll combine them into a single cure and launch it from an Earth space station to save the Sun.

There's also an optional mission to save Proxima if you want to continue exploring after saving Earth.

A world that's slowly dying

The longer you take, the worse things become.

Sunlight gradually fades, and you can even see the Petrova line around infected stars using a spyglass. Temperatures fall across the solar system, solar panels become less effective, and Earth's weather starts changing.

Crops can freeze, animals struggle to survive, and villagers need help keeping warm and finding food.

Different animals react to the changing climate in their own ways. Polar bears are naturally better suited to freezing temperatures, while animals that normally live in warmer environments will have a much harder time surviving.

The campaign includes climate and survival behavior for all vanilla & Alex's Mobs animal and villager types. You'll need to build shelters, provide food, and protect your animals if you want them to survive.

Saving the Sun doesn't instantly fix everything, either.

After deploying the cure, sunlight gradually returns over two active hours. Earth's climate takes around 30 active hours to recover, and the other planets have their own recovery periods.

Even after you've saved the world, you'll still have to deal with the damage left behind. Animals may still be freezing, crops may need time to recover, and the world won't immediately return to normal.

Your time is running out

When you start a new campaign, you'll have 72 hours of active gameplay to save Earth. If you prefer a slower experience with more time to explore and build, you can choose relaxed mode, which gives you 108 hours.

The crisis starts slowly, so you won't immediately notice everything falling apart. But as time passes, the effects become more severe.

At first, you might only notice slightly colder temperatures or changes in the weather. Eventually, survival becomes much more difficult as the Sun continues losing its energy.

The timer only advances while you're playing. Leaving the world pauses the countdown automatically, and your progress is saved when you return.

Traveling to another planet won't stop it, though. The crisis continues even when you're far away from Earth.

If you fail to save Earth before time runs out, your campaign ends and you're permanently placed into spectator mode, even if you were playing in Survival.

Every decision matters, and the longer you wait, the harder survival becomes.

Getting started

Before beginning, make sure you have Ad Astra and all the required mods installed. The easiest way to do this is by downloading the Basic Modpack or Expanded Modpack.

If you're creating your own modpack, you can add other mods to personalize your experience, but you must keep the required mods from the basic version for Solar Crisis to work correctly.

Once you're in the game, read The Dimming Stars quest chapter to learn about the campaign.

You can use /crisis guide to see what you should be working toward, and when you're ready, enter /crisis start to begin.

You can also use /crisisstatus to check how much time Earth has left.

If you're using JEI, you can use it to find crafting recipes for the equipment and materials you'll need throughout your journey.

Solar Crisis is designed for Minecraft 1.20.1 on Forge.

The current Demo JAR contains the campaign files, but KubeJS and the matching required mods are still needed. The complete build hasn't been fully tested in a real Minecraft launch yet, so this is still an early playtest version.

Single player is the main focus for now. Multiplayer compatibility and external shaders will need additional testing. Multiplayer compatibility will be done through the essentials mod and will be tested soon.

Frequently asked questions

Can I play in an existing world?

Yes. As long as you have the required mods installed, you can use an existing world. Just make a backup before starting. Your buildings and progress will remain, and the campaign's biological deposits can appear in previously explored areas.

Do I need to launch three separate cures?

No. You'll prepare three adapted vials and combine them into one cure payload. You only need to deploy that payload to save the Sun. Saving Proxima is an optional additional mission.

Why are my animals still freezing after I save the Sun?

The Sun's light returns much faster than Earth's temperatures recover. Animals may continue suffering from cold and hunger during the recovery, so you'll still need to care for them.

Will animals from other mods react to the climate?

Not necessarily. Solar Crisis currently focuses on supported vanilla animals and villagers. Some modded animals may not have their own climate behavior yet. Though ALL Alex's Mobs are supported.

Do I need to install both modpacks?

No. You only need one. The Basic Modpack includes everything required for Solar Crisis to run, while the Expanded Modpack includes those same requirements along with optional additions that make the experience more enjoyable.

Can I add my own mods?

Absolutely. You're welcome to add your favorite mods and create your own version of the experience. Just make sure you keep the required mods from the Basic Modpack installed. Removing essential dependencies could prevent Solar Crisis from working properly.

Can I play without Ad Astra?

No. Solar Crisis is designed as an addon for Ad Astra and relies on it for space exploration and other important features. Ad Astra is required for the campaign to work as intended.

What's the difference between the Basic and Expanded Modpacks?

The Basic Modpack focuses on the main Solar Crisis experience and includes only the mods necessary for the campaign to function.

The Expanded Modpack builds on that foundation by adding more decorative blocks, backpacks, JEI, and other optional features. It's meant for players who want more building options, convenience, and things to do while exploring and trying to save the solar system.

Both versions let you experience the same main story.

About the project

Solar Crisis is inspired by Project Hail Mary and brings its central survival mystery into Minecraft, giving you an entire solar system to explore and a dying world to save.

Rather than simply adding a few new planets or items, Solar Crisis aims to make the entire world feel like it's reacting to an unfolding disaster. From struggling villages and dying crops to dangerous space expeditions and scientific discoveries, everything is connected to your mission to save the Sun.

Whether you want to focus entirely on the story, build a settlement capable of surviving the freezing temperatures, or explore the solar system with your own collection of mods, the choice is yours.

Solar Crisis is an unofficial fan project featuring original campaign code and artwork. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the creators of Project Hail Mary.