Advanced Modding: Fabric vs Forge

This guide dives into the technical differences between mod loaders and how to optimize them.

Fabric: The Speed Demon

Fabric is lightweight. It is the preferred choice for technical players who want to keep vanilla mechanics but boost FPS and TPS.

Essential Fabric Mods

If you run a Fabric server, you MUST install these optimization mods:

• Lithium: Optimizes game physics and chunk loading (Server-side).
• Sodium: Massive FPS boost (Client-side).
• Phosphor / Starlight: Rewrites the lighting engine for speed.

Forge: The Content King

Forge (and NeoForge) is heavy but necessary for massive modpacks like RLCraft or Vault Hunters.

Optimizing Forge

Forge servers are prone to lag. Mitigate this by:

1. Pre-generating chunks: Use the Chunky mod for Forge.
2. Arguments: Use Aikar's Flags (they work for Forge too!).
3. Spark: Install the Spark profiler mod to identify which mod is causing lag.

Can I play Forge mods on Fabric?

No. They are completely different ecosystems. A mod written for Forge cannot load on Fabric, and vice-versa. Some developers release versions for both, but you must download the correct file.

However, the Sinytra Connector mod is an experimental project attempting to run Forge mods on Fabric, but it is not yet stable for production servers.