Overview#
FTB Guides (specifically FTB Guides 2 for version 1.12.2) is a standalone utility mod developed by the Feed The Beast team. Originally a component of the FTB Utilities mod, it was separated into its own project to provide a lightweight and flexible framework for in-game documentation.
The mod is primarily used by modpack creators to guide players through complex progression systems, explain mod mechanics, or provide server-specific rules without requiring the player to leave the game. It features a clean, book-like interface that supports modern text formatting, images, and interactive links.
Accessing Guides#
In Minecraft, FTB Guides does not typically require a physical item to open. Instead, it integrates directly into the player's inventory screen.
- Inventory Button: A small icon (usually resembling a book or a question mark) is added to the top-left or top-right corner of the player's inventory GUI. Clicking this button opens the main Guide selection screen.
- Keybinds: By default, the mod does not have a dedicated keybind, but one can often be configured in the standard Minecraft Controls menu if the modpack author has enabled it.
- Modpack Integration: Many modpacks also link to specific guide pages through questing mods like FTB Quests or BetterQuesting.
Markdown Features#
FTB Guides 2 uses a Markdown-based system (transitioned from the older JSON format) to render text. This allows for easy creation of rich content using standard syntax.
Supported Formatting
| Feature | Syntax | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | **text** or __text__ |
text |
| Italic | *text* or _text_ |
text |
~~text~~ |
||
| Horizontal Rule | ***, ---, or ___ |
A dividing line across the page |
| Clickable Link | [Display Text](URL or Path) |
A blue, clickable link |
| Images |  |
Displays an image in the guide |
| Comments | // comment |
Hidden text for editors |
Advanced Elements
While the 1.12.2 version was a work-in-progress for some features, it generally supports:
- Multi-line Text: Standard paragraph spacing.
- Nesting: Categories can be nested within each other to create a hierarchical table of contents.
- Item Rendering: Special syntax allows for rendering Minecraft item icons directly on the page (often used for recipes or item descriptions).
Guide Creation & File Structure#
Guides are stored as .txt or .md files within the Minecraft instance folders. The mod looks in specific locations depending on the type of guide being provided.
Directory Locations
| Guide Type | Folder Path |
|---|---|
| Modpack Guide | config/ftbguides/modpack_guide/ |
| Mod-Specific Guides | config/ftbguides/mod_guides/ |
| Server Guides | local/ftbguides/server/ |
Creating a Page
To create a new guide page, a folder must be created within one of the directories above. Inside that folder, an index.txt (or .md) file contains the content. The folder name serves as the internal ID for the page, while the title displayed in-game can be set within the file metadata or a title.txt file.
Commands#
FTB Guides provides several administrative commands to manage and test guides without restarting the game.
/ftbguides reload: Reloads all guide files from the disk. This is essential for modpack creators to see changes made to markdown files immediately./ftbguides open <guide_id>: Forces the guide GUI to open to a specific page ID. This is useful for testing specific paths or linking from other mods./ftbguides refresh_server_info: Updates the server-side information cached by the mod.
Configuration#
The main configuration file is located at config/ftbguides.cfg. This file controls the behavior of the mod's UI and integration.
Key Config Options
- flash_button: (Boolean) If set to true, the Guides button in the inventory will flash if there is a new or unread guide available.
- hide_inventory_button: (Boolean) If true, the button will be removed from the inventory GUI. This is used if the modpack author wants players to access guides only through items or specific quests.
- modpack_guide_url: (String) Allows the mod to pull a guide from a remote URL (like a GitHub repository) instead of local files, ensuring players always have the latest documentation.
Mechanics & Technical Details#
FTB Guides operates on a client-server model. While the GUI is entirely client-side, the server can provide "Server Guides" located in the local/ folder. These guides are sent to the client upon joining, allowing server owners to provide unique rules or info pages that are not part of the base modpack.
- FTB Library: This mod is a hard requirement for FTB Guides 1.12.2. It provides the underlying GUI framework and networking code required for the guide system to function.
