Ecliptic Seasons

Ecliptic Seasons

Ecliptic Seasons introduces a climate system rooted in the 24 solar terms. It dynamically manages weather patterns, crop growth cycles, and ecosystem operations, altering the landscape throughout the year.

Ecliptic Seasons

A seasonal environment mod inspired by the 24 Solar Terms.

Spring rain drifts across distant fields. Long summer days are filled with the hum of insects and warm breezes. Autumn forests slowly turn to gold and red. Snow quietly gathers through the longest nights of winter.

Ecliptic Seasons is a standalone seasonal environment mod for Minecraft. Drawing inspiration from the traditional 24 Solar Terms, it divides the yearly cycle into four seasons and twenty-four distinct solar periods, each bringing unique atmosphere and environmental shifts.

As time advances, weather, temperature, daylight length, vegetation, crops, animal behavior, ambient sounds, particles, models, and block appearances evolve organically.

Make Minecraft feel like a world where time truly passes.

Supported Game Versions

Status Definitions

• In Development: Actively receiving new features, gameplay adjustments, bug fixes, and compatibility updates.
• Continued Support: Receives only bug fixes, compatibility patches, and localization improvements.

Showcase

(Showcase images go here)

Seasons You Can Feel

The world follows a complete cycle of four seasons and twenty-four solar terms. Seasonal transitions occur gradually, ensuring a smooth and immersive shift in the environment.

• Full cycle of twenty-four solar terms
• Dynamic seasonal progression
• Seasonal daylight length adjustments
• Longer summer days and extended winter nights
• Smooth, natural seasonal transitions

As the year progresses, the world naturally transforms around you.

Weather, Temperature, and Snow

Weather is no longer constrained by vanilla Minecraft’s predictable cycles.

Different seasons exhibit distinct weather tendencies. Some periods may bring frequent rain, repeated snowfall, longer dry spells, or colder conditions.

Snow interaction is depth-dependent on temperature and environment. It gradually appears, accumulates, and melts away as the climate fluctuates.

Features include:

• Seasonal weather probability models
• Continuous rain and snowfall cycles
• Temperature-dependent snow accumulation and melting
• A dedicated snow scenery system
• Optional vanilla snow layer support

Farming, Humidity, and Greenhouses

Seasons impact far more than the sky.

Crop growth depends on various factors: season, humidity, biome climate, and local conditions. Some crops thrive during specific solar terms but struggle during others.

Players can utilize greenhouses to maintain crop growth during harsh seasons.

Humidity-based systems make farming distinct across various climates. Cultivating crops in a desert offers a vastly different experience compared to a forest or plains.

Seasonal Tools and Blocks

Ecliptic Seasons includes practical tools and atmospheric blocks:

• Calendars to track the current solar term
• Humidity-related tools and blocks
• Growth inspection tools
• Snow-clearing equipment
• Wind chimes and seasonal decorative items

These features empower players to observe, manage, and interact with seasonal changes directly.

Seasonal Atmosphere

Ecliptic Seasons extends beyond mere mechanics.

The seasonal timeline drives:

• Seasonal ambient sounds
• Ambient particles
• Falling leaves
• Firefly spawns
• Foliage color variations
• Seasonal block appearances
• Seasonal models
• Resource-pack-driven music

Resource pack creators can utilize this system to build seasonal music packs, custom ambiance, visual effects, and model changes, further enhancing the gameplay.

Data-Driven and Configurable

The mod is engineered for flexibility.

Players, server owners, modpack creators, and resource pack authors can tailor the experience to fit their vision.

• Extensive configuration options
• Datapack support
• Resource pack support
• Seasonal customization
• Server synchronization
• Modpack-friendly architecture

Nearly every major feature is configurable.

Platforms and Ecosystem

Ecliptic Seasons is primarily developed for NeoForge / Forge.

A native Fabric implementation is also available:

• NeoForge / Forge — Ecliptic Seasons
• Fabric — Ecliptic Seasons : Fabricated

Companion projects include:

• Serene Seasons API Stub Bridge: Provides a compatibility layer for mods dependent on the Serene Seasons API.
• Ecliptic Seasons: MultiMod Patch: Modular compatibility patches and integrations for supported mods.
• Ecliptic Seasons: Bundles: A collection of seasonal datapacks, resource packs, integrations, and optional content.

Documentation

Wiki: https://ecliptic-seasons.readthedocs.io/en/latest/en/

GitHub: https://github.com/joe-vettek/Ecliptic-Seasons

FAQ

Can I use this mod in my modpack? Yes. You may include Ecliptic Seasons in your modpack and customize it as needed. Please check the changelogs before updating, as some releases may contain breaking changes, and ensure proper credit is provided.

Is there a Fabric version? Yes, it is available via the community channels: https://modrinth.com/mod/ecliptic-seasons-fabricated

Will this mod be backported? Older Minecraft versions often lack the systems that Ecliptic Seasons depends on, so backports are generally not planned.

Credits

The primary artwork for Ecliptic Seasons was created by YunFei, with the majority of the remaining visual work completed by Aerolite_Dust.

Special thanks to the TeaCon community for testing, profiling, reviewing, and improving the mod.

Performance profiling is powered by JProfiler.

Special thanks to everyone who contributed feedback, testing, inspiration, sponsorship, and support throughout the project's development.