Better with Harder Steel Recipe: Sensible Stone Button Crafting
Running a modpack with Better With Mods and the HarderSteelRecipe option enabled turns even basic item progression into a serious challenge. The intent behind that config is a slow, thoughtful survival curve. However, sometimes the line between hardcore and outright frustration gets crossed. This add-on exists to fix the most glaring offender without touching the rest of your carefully tuned pack.
The Core Problem with the Vanilla Add-On Recipe
In standard Minecraft, a stone button is one of the first redstone components you craft. With HarderSteelRecipe active in Better With Mods, that simple block suddenly demands a trip to the End. You need End Stone, then End Slag, then a chain of intermediate items just to build a stonecutter. Only after that multi-step detour can you finally produce a button. This progression feels artificially padded and clashes with the general pacing of the mod. While other harder recipes in Better With Mods can be justified by survival logic, the button recipe is simply unreasonable.
What This Fix Mod Changes
Better with Harder Steel Recipe: Sensible Stone Button Crafting introduces an elegant, grounded alternative. You no longer need to visit other dimensions. The new path uses clay and a furnace, which fits naturally into early-game play:
- Shape a clay blank for the button.
- Form it into an unfired stone button.
- Smelt the blank in a furnace to get the finished item.
No magic, no End trips, just honest work at the furnace. This keeps the spirit of slow progression intact while removing the absurd requirement to rush to the End. The mod deliberately leaves all other Better With Mods recipes untouched, as they are considered balanced and justified.
Technical Notes and Compatibility
A notable detail is that the mod is written in the so-called McJty style. For players familiar with McJty's work, this means clean, well-structured code and stable operation without conflicts. The project is based on Forge and integrates seamlessly into modpacks of any complexity. If you are assembling a custom pack and want to avoid manual installation, you can download Better with Harder Steel Recipe: Sensible Stone Button Crafting directly through the foxygame.net launcher. That launcher lets you fetch mods from its menu without hunting for files across forums.
Currently, the mod does exactly one job: fixing the stone button recipe. The developer sees no reason to rewrite other recipes because they feel adequate. However, they are open to community suggestions. The mod supports the Forge loader and is compatible with recent Minecraft versions that Better With Mods targets, making it a safe addition to any stable build.
Future Development and Community Input
The author has stated that if players propose sensible alternatives for other questionable recipes, they are willing to implement them. A prime example is the piston. In the original Better With Mods, crafting a piston requires a Soul Urn, which again pushes progression far ahead. A suggested alternative would be an iron rod made from three vertical ingots, with slime on the sides, replacing the central ingot in the classic piston recipe. This idea is not yet implemented, but the discussion shows the mod has room to grow. The developer emphasizes that Better With Mods is primarily a slow-progression mod, not a tech leap with windmills. Any proposals must preserve that philosophy without falling into grind for the sake of grind.
Final Verdict: Who Should Use This Add-On
Better with Harder Steel Recipe: Sensible Stone Button Crafting is a targeted patch for players who enjoy hardcore packs with Better With Mods but refuse to accept needlessly convoluted recipes. It does not break balance, add cheats, or simplify the game overall. It simply restores the stone button to its rightful place in early survival, removing the need to assault the End for an item that should be available from day one. If you are building a modpack and want to retain the spirit of Better With Mods without alienating players over absurd requirements for basic blocks, include this mod in your collection. The author permits use in any modpack, so you can legally make the game a bit friendlier without sacrificing the hardcore feel. For those wondering how to install, simply drop the jar into the mods folder or use a launcher that supports direct downloads. Whether you are setting up a personal world or a server pack, this fix ensures a smoother start while keeping the challenge where it belongs.