The Difference Between a Client and a Server Mod

Required:

• Careful Reading

There are three types of mods, each of which behaves completely differently and, if used incorrectly, can cause many problems for both you and the server.

Neutral Mod

This is probably the type of mod you'll encounter most often; these are the mods that include a set of instructions for both the server and the client, as well as models and graphics. It's the easiest way to release a mod, but it's not the best, since the server doesn't need graphics, sounds, and so on.

How can you tell them apart?
It's simple! If you visit any of the official pages for these mods, they won't specify where the mod belongs. Take “Biomes ‘O’ Plenty,” for example—it needs to be installed on both the server and the client.

Client Mod

This type of mod is intended solely for the client; it has nothing to do with the server and usually involves only modifications to the client itself. Simply put, these mods are like resource packs - they don’t significantly alter the game, but they either make the gameplay more enjoyable or add new features. A very well-known example is the modded version of Optifine.

These modes are referred to as “Client only.”

If these modes are present on the server, the server will display an error in “loop itck”

Server mod

This type of mod includes features and various computational tools that the client does not need to be aware of. Recently, for example, plugins have begun to be reworked into mods. For a player to use this mod, it simply needs to be on the server. Since it does not contain any graphics or shared functions, there is no need to have it in the client.

These modes are referred to as “Server only.”

If these mods are present in the client, the client will most likely ignore them, but if they masquerade as a neutral mod, the client will fail to load and crash with an error.