This is a collection of mods for 1.17.1+ to make your game feel brand new while keeping most of the core functions of the game. They expand upon the already set vanilla features and make them better. I am also going to add a data pack in the future that makes some QOL changes, such as unpacking ice and nether wart, universal dyeing etc.

Necessary Mods:

Cloth API

Cloth Config

GeckoLib

Kotlin

Transliteration Lib

YUNG's API

3D Skin Layers - Adds another layer to skins (Client-Side)

Appleskin - Allows you to see how many hunger bars are being filled (Client-Side)

Automatic Path - Creates automatic paths the more frequently you walk in a certain direction

Better 3rd Person - Adds many features in 3rd Person mode (Client-Side)

Better End - Adds new biomes, mobs and structures to the End dimension

Better Mineshafts - Overhauls mineshafts and expands them

Better Nether - Expands on the Nether update and adds even more nether content

Better Strongholds - Overhauls and redesigns the Strongholds

Boats and Beeps - Allows you to upgrade and expand your boats

Carrier - Allows you to pick up and move entities or blocks without having to break them

Charm - Adds many little changes to enhance the vanilla experience

Charm of Undying - Adds Trinket support for Totems of Undying

Charmonium - Adds many sounds to enhance the game (Client-Side)

Cherished Worlds - Allows you to favorite your worlds and prevents you from accidentally deleting them (Client-Side)

Chipped - Adds 2000+ variations of blocks

Clear Despawn - Items on the floor start to flash when they're about to despawn (Client-Side)

Clumps - Clumps XP together to reduce lag

Colytra - Allows you to combine your chestplate and elytra together

Couplings - Allows you to open entrances such as doors, trapdoors and fence gates when connected together

Crawl - Allows you to crawl anywhere

Doggo - Adds features that give tamed wolves more personality

Dual Riders - Allows 2 people to ride a horse

Dynamic Lights - Adds dynamic lights and changes how lighting works (Client-Side)

Emerald Tools - Adds various new tools and armors

Enchantment Descriptions - Adds descriptions to enchanted books (Client-Side)

Expanded Axe Enchanting - Allows you to put looting, fire aspect and knockback on an axe

Extra Alchemy - Adds more potions to the game

Falling Leaves - Self Explanatory (Client-Side)

Fruitful - Overhauls apple farming and adds more apple based food

Gilded Armor - Allows you to apply gold to Netherite so piglins do not attack you

Grass Bypass - Allows you to attack mobs without breaking grass (Client-Side)

Grim's Transportables - Adds carriages and more rails

Grizzly Bear - Adds Grizzly Bears

Harvest Scythes - Adds in Scythes that assist in farming

Herd's Panic - Friendly mobs go into a panic when one of their own gets attacked

Ignis Fatuus - Allows you to make your own custom carved pumpkins

Illuminations - Adds in fireflies and general ambiance to your world (Client-Side)

Immersive Portals - Removes the loading screen for loading into a new dimension and allows you to see through portals

Impaled - Adds new tridents

Incantationem - Adds more enchantments and curses

Interactic - Changes how you interact with dropped items

Lapis Reserve - Allows lapis lazuli to stay in the enchantment table

Mod Menu - Adds a menu to see every mod installed (Client-Side)

More Banner Features - Self Explanatory

More Villagers - Adds new villager occupations, trades and workstations

Motschen's Puddles - Adds puddles that spawn during rain

No Expensive - Removes the Too Expensive message when enchanting

No Fog - Removes all fog from your world (Client-Side)

Not Enough Animations - Adds 1st person animations into 3rd person (Client-Side)

NPC Variety - Adds more diversity to villagers' appearances

Overhauled Overworld - Expands every biome to make your world more realistic

Paintings++ - Adds more paintings to your world

Particle Rain - Replaces rain with thicker particles (Client-Side)

Pling - Adds a sound when Minecraft finishes loading (Client-Side)

Presence Footsteps - Every block you step on has a unique sound (Client-Side)

Realistic Fire Spread - Mobs on fire can spread fire to other blocks

Repurposed Structures - Adds more variation to vanilla structures

Roughly Enough Items - Allows you to browse through crafting recipes (Client-Side)

Ruined Equipment - Broken tools now become ruined and allow you to repair them without losing enchantments

Sit - Allows you to sit on slabs and stairs

Skinned Lanterns - Adds skins to lanterns

Straw Dummy - Adds in a straw dummy that allows you to see the amount of damage you do

This Rocks! - Adds various rocks, pinecones and more to give your world a more natural feel

ToroHealth - Adds a damage and health indicator for other entities (Client-Side)

Trinkets - Allows you to wear certain trinkets

Minimap + World Map - Self-Explanatory (Client-Side)

Waystones - Allows you to teleport from one place to another

XP Storage - Allows you to store XP in different methods

Zoom - Allows you to zoom in and see from afar (Client-Side)

Vam's Expanded +