Bring Back Featured Versions + New UI Grievences

[sylv256]

Progress [2/4]

Please confirm the following.

• [X] I checked the existing issues for duplicate feature requests
• [X] I have checked that this feature request is not on our roadmap

What parts of Modrinth is your feature request related too?

App, Website

Is your suggested feature related to a problem? Please describe.

What could be done before now requires upwards of five clicks. For instance, the navigation bar now requires you to click twice to navigate where you'd like to go, and there's no option to disable the Modrinth App promotion. Further fueling the fire, featured versions are no longer shown separately nor on the project page. It is clear that the Modrinth frontend developers have no clue how people use their website, so I will walk through what needs to be changed.

Describe the solution you'd like

There are a few important things to revert in this update.

Featured Versions

The main reason why featured versions existed in the first place was to show frequently downloaded and latest mod versions. This was a frequently requested and used feature, even on CurseForge, and Modrinth's biggest strength over CurseForge was that featured versions were not required to be marked Alpha, Beta, and Release to be featured. Show featured versions separately, and allow users to choose to enable the previous Featured Versions sidebar behavior.

Modrinth App Promotion

There is no reason why this should be shown and prioritized over the actual website's function except to milk money from users where they cannot use web element blocking technologies. More importantly, the Download Modrinth App button is strategically positioned to confuse users into believing that it's necessary to download mods. Remove this immediately, advertise it elsewhere less intrusively. I've just realized that the button is for installing the mod with the App, so sorry for any confusion. That's not as bad as I had initially thought. If possible, though, find a way to less intrusively advertise the Modrinth App.

Navigation Bar

The navigation bar should not require two clicks to navigate. It's strongly recommended that you add an option to pin project categories currently listed under Browse to the NavBar. This change has been reverted.

Navigation Bar Icons

I recommend adding navigation bar icons back as an accessibility feature for shape-oriented users (like myself :3).

Describe alternatives you've considered

You could just ignore us and mark this issue as not planned or as spam, but I hope you see my criticisms as legitimate. Modrinth is not an anti-user platform, and the new UI changes do not reflect those morals.

Additional context

What this issue is not

• A plea to remove or revert ads.
• A personal attack.
• A debate about the morality of ad blockers. Do not debate usage of ad blockers in this issue.

[sylv256]

This is what I'm talking about when I say this platform has had no consideration for its users as of late. This is anti-user, and it only serves to confuse people trying to download mods.

[TheClassic36]

+1 to bring back Featured Versions, especially since creators can still set them in the website's current state.

It was a very quick way for users to see specific versions of the resource without needing to go through long dropdown menus to find the version they're looking for.

Edit: Yes, the featured versions list can get very long too, but that's on the creator to manage. Personally, I had the latest versions for the current game version + the latest versions for 1-2 older game versions. Maybe introduce a limit on how many featured versions a resource can have to prevent lists becoming too long?

[Minenash]

This was a frequently requested and used feature, even on CurseForge, and Modrinth's biggest strength over CurseForge was that featured versions were not required to be marked Alpha, Beta, and Release to be featured

in 99.9% of cases, the featured version list was just every important mc version + loader combo. It was messy, long, resulted in tons of people downloading the wrong jar (ask me how many times people download the forge version isntead of fabric). And with every minor version (besides the day-1 patch ones) now being different enough to still have to show, it's TONS of featured versions. Saying the version and loader you need does the job better

There is no reason why this should be shown and prioritized over the actual website's function except to milk money from users where they cannot use web element blocking technologies. More importantly, the Download Modrinth App button is strategically positioned to confuse users into believing that it's necessary to download mods. Remove this immediately, advertise it elsewhere less intrusively.

This app has always been on the nav bar since launch, and how is it confusing? I don't think anyone thinks it's required to have the app. There's still download buttons on project pages, and unlike sites like reddit, it's not like it pops up saying to download app or restrict functionaility on web

Though I agree that it shouldn't include calls to action, just "Modrinth App" and "Modrinth+" without the GET and SUBSCRIBE

The navigation bar should not require two clicks to navigate. It's strongly recommended that you add an option to pin project categories currently listed under Browse to the NavBar.

I agree the extra click is quite annoying. Luckily it will be a hover so you don't need to click (but imo that should have been done before release)

This is what I'm talking about when I say this platform has had no consideration for its users as of late. This is anti-user, and it only serves to confuse people trying to download mods.

How? People have wanted a button to do this since the app existed. and the manual option is RIGHT THERE. Though maybe saying "or Download Manually" instead of just or will be good.

Modrinth: adds features that people have been asking for People: "This is anti-consumer"

[sylv256]

It's very scummy to put the "Install Modrinth App" button at the top of the download pop-up, in green. It practically pops out at you when you look at it, and it only serves to confuse new users.

[sylv256]

I've just realized that the button is for installing the mod with the App, so sorry for any confusion. That's not as bad as I had initially thought.

[sylv256]

I added a section on the navigation bar icons since I think those were an important feature for accessibility purposes.

[ItsPasi]

in 99.9% of cases, the featured version list was just every important mc version + loader combo. It was messy, long, resulted in tons of people downloading the wrong jar (ask me how many times people download the forge version isntead of fabric). And with every minor version (besides the day-1 patch ones) now being different enough to still have to show, it's TONS of featured versions. Saying the version and loader you need does the job better

Although when you know the issue is mostly people accidently downloading forge instead of fabric or however (I also know this happens a lot), how come no one just comes up with the idea of sorting it in the download selection? Just put a header "Fabric" or "Forge" and no one would accidently press the wrong option.

This app has always been on the nav bar since launch, and how is it confusing? I don't think anyone thinks it's required to have the app. There's still download buttons on project pages, and unlike sites like reddit, it's not like it pops up saying to download app or restrict functionaility on web

Literally just changing it to something like the image below makes it much easier to use. Don't make it the main option, simple as that. But I still hate that it goes fullscreen and then has many added steps to get to the download.

[Minenash]

Although when you know the issue is mostly people accidently downloading forge instead of fabric or however (I also know this happens a lot), how come no one just comes up with the idea of sorting it in the download selection? Just put a header "Fabric" or "Forge" and no one would accidently press the wrong option.

Do you mean like tabs at the top of the card? The problem is that's there's more than 2 loaders, and a fair amount of projects support 3 (Quilt + Fabric + (Forge or NeoForge), Fabric + Forge+ NeoForge, Datapack + Fabric + X.

[Minenash]

Literally just changing it to something like the image below makes it much easier to use. Don't make it the main option, simple as that.

I get not liking it being the primary action, and I would prefer it to not be at the top as well, though looking at your screenshot, there is one good reason to keep it at the top, and that is it could be confused as the action button for the manual download filter (scan if the 'or' line was still there)

But I still hate that it goes fullscreen and then has many added steps to get to the download.

Yeah, I wish it was more line a drop-down, where you click it and it's right below. I'm not bothered by the number of clicks though, as imo it's still faster to the old system

[tildejustin]

featured versions is important for me when supporting both legacy fabric and ornithe (fabric forks with their own intermediary), as there is first class support for neither of them. the new system no longer allows me to make multiple jars visible to the user where they'd actually find them.

[Sl3epy]

Also an issue is that we have no control over what versions are selected. I publish alpha version of my mods for other to try out, these are alpha for a reason. They may break at anytime, it is testing and gathering feedback. They shouldnt be selected by the download button. Or have a setting for me to make it not select alpha versions.

[Minenash]

Are alpha builds selected by default?

[Ember-ruby]

Although when you know the issue is mostly people accidently downloading forge instead of fabric or however (I also know this happens a lot), how come no one just comes up with the idea of sorting it in the download selection? Just put a header "Fabric" or "Forge" and no one would accidently press the wrong option.

Do you mean like tabs at the top of the card? The problem is that's there's more than 2 loaders, and a fair amount of projects support 3 (Quilt + Fabric + (Forge or NeoForge), Fabric + Forge+ NeoForge, Datapack + Fabric + X.

i think they meant something like this, where the "example loader" headers are customisable

[ItsPasi]

Do you mean like tabs at the top of the card? The problem is that's there's more than 2 loaders, and a fair amount of projects support 3 (Quilt + Fabric + (Forge or NeoForge), Fabric + Forge+ NeoForge, Datapack + Fabric + X.

Yes but since this is the featured versions section it only needs to show the most common download options. We can bring back the featured download part without getting rid of the big download button.

I get not liking it being the primary action, and I would prefer it to not be at the top as well, though looking at your screenshot, there is one good reason to keep it at the top, and that is it could be confused as the action button for the manual download filter (scan if the 'or' line was still there)

Just make it another color than green.

Yeah, I wish it was more line a drop-down, where you click it and it's right below. I'm not bothered by the number of clicks though, as imo it's still faster to the old system

It should be a drop-down. Still I don't know what the devs were thinking just copying the CurseForge design 1 to 1. I never liked CurseForge because it was complicated to me and hard to use and now Modrinth has the same system but with longer and worse animations. I don't understand how this is faster to you. You have to click 5 times more to get the download instead of just one click. Below I posted a few concepts I did which all would be better options than the current system.

[Sl3epy]

Are alpha builds selected by default?

I have just discovered that it was the case because I didnt set my old mod version to 1.21.1 and so the alpha was the only available one. If there is a release on that version it will show both the alpha and the release which is perfectly reasonable imo

[SolDev69]

I feel like this update made the UI more Curseforgey. I use Modrinth because Curseforge UI is trash, at least the legacy CF site is still up but there's no way to turn off these UI changes.

[Minenash]

It's worth noting, that looking like cf was definitely not a goal. They've been trying to move to a header over the side card for a long time, and the download button was shown in labs experiment before cursedforge had it. It just took way longer to reach production on Modrinth than cursedforge

[Minenash]

@ItsPasi I actually really like that last screenshot, I don't know if it scales well to mods with a stupid amount of version support, but I think it's definitely an improvement

I don't understand how this is faster to you

For me, it isn't the raw number of clicks, but you can do the new system almost by muscle memory, as the options are always in pretty much the exact same spot compared to reading every featured version to see if it matches what I need.

That's definitely not to say there isn't room for improvement (like your last screenshot), I'm not a fan of the way it currently looks/works either, but I 100% support a "select version and loader" system over the old automated featured versions.

[Minenash]

Though there is one problem with it, a lot of mods have at least one version for ever mc version since they started posting so it it would have ever patch release, which would be a lot of pills.

Though maybe a button to "show all"? It's an extra click, but I guess so is the drop down

[ItsPasi]

I actually really like that last screenshot, I don't know if it scales well to mods with a stupid amount of version support, but I think it's definitely an improvement

Well I didn't include it in my screenshot but the many version numbers could still have a scroll if there are a lot of versions. And if they create that system and make it a drop down instead of overlay I would definitely like it.

[Felix14-v2]

I don't know if it scales well to mods with a stupid amount of version support, but I think it's definitely an improvement

We can use the supported version ranges as a buttons instead of separating them. My datapack supports literally every Minecraft version since 1.13.2, and if a user want to download its packaged version, they have to perform additional clicks that do not change anything in order to eventually get the same version. It doesn't make sense.

you can do the new system almost by muscle memory, as the options are always in pretty much the exact same spot

...except for the fact that the loader dropdown menu always jumps up and down, what is disorienting for new users (who you are targeting). And this can easily be fixed by placing the loader and the Minecraft version selector next to each other:

Before	After

---

Moreover, the new downloading system also can be conveniently integrated to the new UI:

---

Also there's a concept of resurrecting featured versions as a version filter that will show only featured in the version list (a concept as well):

[ItsPasi]

Moreover, the new downloading system also can be conveniently integrated to the new UI:

Well that screenshot looks quiet nice since it acts somewhat like the featured version system where there is directly a link for the newest version to download and the game/loader version can still easily be changed.

[Estecka]

Integrating the download menu like that would be perfect.

Nevermind the fact this is one less click, the current download button just looks like a fake: It sits in the middle of nowhere, it's conspicuous but generic, and it doesn't tell me what file it downloads, nor what happens when I click it... Early internet days have rewired me to perceive this as deceptive ads, that I should avoid touching like it's the plague.

[sylv256]

Has there been any progress on getting Featured Versions working again?

[sylv256]

Also, if any maintainers implement any of the features, feel free to edit the issue description to indicate that they've been implemented.