Allowed Mods & Clients
Chapter 3 — Which client modifications are allowed on Federal SMP, which are bannable, and the reasoning behind each line.
Players ask staff about mods constantly — "is Optifine okay?", "can I use a minimap?" — and staff need to give the same answer every time. The line Federal SMP draws is simple: a mod is allowed if it does not give information or capability a vanilla player could not have. Everything below follows from that rule.
Allowed
These give visual, performance, or convenience improvements without unfair advantage:
| Category | Examples | Why it's fine |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Sodium, Lithium, OptiFine, Iris | Better FPS — no gameplay change |
| Shaders / visuals | Iris + shader packs, resource packs | Cosmetic only |
| Minimaps | Xaero's, JourneyMap | Allowed without cave mode, player radar, or entity radar |
| Waypoints / coordinates | Xaero's waypoints, F3 overlays | Coordinates are vanilla information |
| Inventory & UI | Inventory sorters, REI/JEI recipe viewers, toggle sprint, zoom | Convenience — nothing a vanilla player can't do by hand |
| Recording / replay | ReplayMod, OBS overlays | Passive capture, no gameplay effect |
| Schematics (view only) | Litematica in render/ghost-block mode | Building aid — placement is still manual |
Bannable
These provide information or automation a vanilla player cannot have. Using any of them falls under Rule 1 (no cheating) and the punishment scale in Server Rules & Punishment Scale:
| Category | Examples | Why it's banned |
|---|---|---|
| Hacked clients | Wurst, Meteor, Impact, LiquidBounce | Bundles of combat/movement/world cheats |
| X-ray | X-ray mods, x-ray resource packs | Reveals ores/chests through blocks — unfair information |
| Radars | Cave mode, player/entity radar on minimaps | Reveals players and caves you could not legitimately see |
| Freecam | Freecam mods | Lets you scout terrain, bases, and chests out-of-body |
| Automation | Baritone, auto-clickers, macros, auto-fish/auto-farm scripts | Plays the game for you — AFK progression and unfair combat |
| Printer / auto-build | Litematica printer mode, Schematica printer | Automated placement — building is meant to be manual |
| Combat mods | Killaura, aim assist, reach/velocity mods, auto-totem | Direct combat advantage |
| Movement | Fly, speed, scaffold, jesus, phase | Anti-cheat flags these, but any use is bannable regardless |
THE GRAY AREA RULE
If a player asks about a mod not listed here, do not guess. The test: does it give information or capability a vanilla player could not have? If yes — not allowed. If you're unsure, say "let me check" and ask in staff chat. A wrong "yes it's fine" from staff becomes the player's defense later.
WHY WE DRAW THE LINE AT INFORMATION
Most disallowed mods aren't about clicking faster — they're about knowing things you shouldn't. X-ray, radar, and freecam ruin the parts of survival that depend on hiddenness: ore hunting, base secrecy, and PvP positioning. That is why even "passive" mods like radar are treated as cheating.
Quick Review — Q&A
Q: A player asks if Xaero's Minimap is allowed. What is the full answer?
A: Yes — but with cave mode and player/entity radar disabled. The map itself is fine; the radar features reveal unfair information.
Q: Is Litematica allowed?
A: In view/ghost-block mode, yes. Printer mode is bannable — automated block placement.
Q: What single test decides whether an unlisted mod is allowed?
A: Does it give information or capability a vanilla player could not have? If yes, it is not allowed.
Q: A player admits using Baritone "only for mining." How is that handled?
A: Baritone is automation — bannable regardless of what it is used for. Confession is direct evidence; apply the punishment scale.
Q: Why is freecam banned when it doesn't change combat at all?
A: It provides unfair information — scouting bases, chests, and terrain from an out-of-body camera that vanilla players cannot have.