[tialaramex]

There are now (historically it was more complicated) two types of Minecraft. The Java type runs on a wide variety of general purpose systems including your Windows PC. On every other platform where Minecraft is still updated it's "Bedrock Edition" which is not Java.

If you buy Minecraft from Microsoft on their Windows store thing I believe you can buy "both" together in some sense, which is a good deal, but obviously programs from the Windows store do not run on an iPad.

Although Microsoft has dipped their toes in the water and sometimes did some PR about it, you can't today mod Bedrock Edition and if you could it would always be a far more limited experience because of how Bedrock Edition works.

For Java Microsoft is doing the most essential work to make modifying it possible, as well as maintaining it, but a huge community actually takes that and runs with it. If you tried to just use what Microsoft makes available then anyone except a Java expert would probably be stuck with toy changes that barely scratch the surface of the game.

For example as a modded player it's hard for me to think about, but there's no electrical power analogue in Minecraft. The modders (not Microsoft, after all their game doesn't have electricity!) added a framework for a single unifying type of electrical power so one mod's steam turbines can power a different mod's plate pressing machine without either of them needing to spend a year designing an electrical energy system they don't really care about.

[shadowofneptune]

It's always fascinating what happens when a well organized community starts to develop around easily-modded games. Kerbal Space Program for instance, has people building frameworks, APIs, and resources to make the job of making mods easier.

Part of why it works in KSP's case is that any mod or plugin published to the official forums needs to be distributed with a license.

[davidw]

Thanks! What's the story with Roblox?