I once made a modpack for my friends. It wasn't very big, but even then it had a certain hardcore feel, a linear progression, and a painful feel...
People told me the build was difficult and confusing, and that regular enemies were one-shotting me, which was unfair... And what is balance?

nether

I listened to my friends and made a determined decision:

I added a bunch of mods and made everything even more difficult and hardcore. And everyone loved it.
I had to completely rebalance everything that could be rebalanced. I had to make minor, and sometimes major, changes to bosses and mobs, loot tables, weapons, armors, find a worthy justification for saving players' items... And much, much more. But it was worth it.

mountain seed: -729898825579964749

Bosses with 200 HP? Enemies that die in one hit? You can take on a dragon alone? Loot that stays with you until the end of the game? Hmm... No! That's too simple. Here pain is elevated to the absolute and brought to its apogee.
You might not see the classic hardcore mods you were expecting here, after all, the modpack's core concept is to preserve, expand, and complicate the core vanilla mechanics without completely replacing them. But if the game suddenly seems too easy for you, just remember that you're playing the "light" version, and there's still more to come...

Despite all the changes, a lot of attention was devoted to player progression. In this regard, the modpack is quite balanced, and I'd even say fair.
I think it's worth noting at this point that this modpack uses the good old "blocking" linear progression. You won't be able to delve into some wilds and get an overkill weapon that you'll use for the entire game. And, to some extent, you're limited in your path.
However, you do have some flexibility. You can choose an approximate location to which you will run for your dropped loot. But seriously, everything here is earned through sweat and blood, you have to prove that you are worthy. The best gear drops from the strongest enemies. Want it? Head to the final boss now, wearing only pants and armed with a stick.* The restrictions are subjective; you can climb somewhere beyond your level, and you'll be immediately made aware of it. However, it's also clear that the reward is worth it. And yes, it won't fundamentally change the game by taking away your content. After all, we have weapon upgrades tied to the main progression... But I've already said too much.

But I am absolutely sure that you will quickly make friends with the creatures:

run

In my opinion, there's nothing better than discovering something new. Nothing compares to that feeling.

I could give you a branching achievement tree or a multi-volume guide explaining how to play this modpack properly.
While that approach certainly has its charm, it seems completely inappropriate here.
The whole world is before you! Many worlds! Enjoy the process... and don't forget to look around! Maybe this dungeon, this mob, or this hidden crafting will bring something new?
However, I should write some kind of scenario and give the players a goal...
Well, I did it! Go into the twilight forest and defeat the final boss in the most insane, creative, and unexpected way! But you'll figure it out for yourself. It's more interesting that way.

And yes, the progression was built around the legendary Twilight Forest mainly because it's convenient. Don't let that scare you. This isn't the forest you remember. You're not safe here at all.

Trophies dropped by bosses aren't just decorations or useless inventory items. They can be used endlessly for crafting. Let's add a little drama. Just imagine them as representing knowledge or traits of the entity from which they were obtained. After all, they are the fulcrums of progression. And the whole text is a funny way to justify this mechanic.

New craft type

I think I've said everything I wanted to...

Oh yeah, remember I mentioned the modpack I made for friends at the beginning? Well, here it is. Welcome!

🛠️ Technical Information:

⚙️Recommended PC Requirements:

Free RAM: 8+ GB
Processor: Anything with DDR4 support and 4 cores
Graphics (16+ chunks): Intel UHD 770

⚠️ WARNINGS:

If you want to use shaders at maximum settings at 8K+, some 5090 may feel a bit slow.

P.S. Beware of dragons and teammates with Black Hole. And now might be a good time to casually drop a line like, "Everything here wants to kill you."
P.P.S. At this stage, the build contains about 70% of the planned content. I have a good techno-magic concept based on it, but we'll put that on hold for now.
*A real-life example, thanks to which I added linear progression. Please don't do that.

LLA - [ Light Light Adventure ] For 15 Minutes