Meet ByteBuddies – Your Mechanical Companions

Conquer the future effortlessly! The ByteBuddies mod was created for the Future ModJam 2025 competition and brings loyal electronic helpers into the game that will significantly simplify your Minecraft life.

Each robot can perform certain functions—from farming to guarding your base. The upgrade system allows for extensive customization of their stats and appearance to perfectly match your needs.

Role Assignments

To configure a buddy for specific tasks, simply give it the corresponding item.

• Farmer: This role is obtained using Wheat. The buddy will automatically harvest crops and plant new ones within the station's range. Equip it with a hoe, and it will additionally till any suitable land.
• Miner: The role is assigned through Cobblestone. Giving the buddy a pickaxe will help it mine resources near the home station. With a Bulletin attached in the base's menu, a precise mining area can be set.
• Hauler: For the mechanical helper to start transporting items, give it a Chest. Adding a Bulletin will allow for configuring an item transfer route between containers.
• Fighter: The ideal protector emerges from Shield mode. Combined with a sword, it will follow and guard you; right-clicking it with this weapon allows choosing combat behavior strategies.

Central Docking Station Hub

Docking Station is the heart of the entire robot system. It serves both as a dispatcher and has its own storage. To function normally, it must be connected to a power source.

Linking a new buddy is straightforward: take a Wrench, right-click to activate linking mode on the base, then click on the robot to be connected. This allows you to expand your team of helpers.

All connected mechanisms synchronize with each other to avoid task duplication. Farmers and Miners require a stable connection for effective operation.

Expanding Capabilities with Floppy Disks

Floppy Disks are advanced upgrade modules that enhance the performance of your ByteBuddies. They come in eight color variants (Black, Blue, Cyan, Green, Pink, Purple, Red, Yellow). Each color has three tiers: Copper, Iron, and Gold—higher tiers provide stronger effects.

Installing a specific disk grants the buddy unique capabilities:

• Black: Reduces tool wear and increases the bot's durability.
• Blue: Expands the perception and action radius around its Docking Station.
• Cyan: Allows successful actions to create a temporary holographic duplicate for parallel work.
• Green: Reduces battery drain and resource consumption where applicable.
• Pink: Emits a supportive aura that helps nearby objects and tasks.
• Purple: Increases output yield from resource-gathering actions.
• Red: Provides an emergency work speed boost at a higher energy cost.
• Yellow: Chance to receive a random byproduct for each task according to its context.

Long-term Power from Batteries

Batteries are the primary power source for the buddies themselves and their Docking Stations. They vary by class (Simple, Advanced, Biocell, Reinforced, Super-Charged) and offer different amounts of storable energy based on level. They can be charged using a Generator or a Solar Panel—room for experimentation.

Diverse Augments Upgrades

Augments are another layer of customization for your robots. These upgrades change operational parameters, physical capabilities, and external characteristics by adding new inventory, increased durability, or special features.

Reinforced Plating

Heavy plates dye the chassis and provide solid protection, sometimes slowing movement.

• Iron Plating: +6 Armor, −5% Speed
• Steel Plating: +12 Armor, −15% Speed
• Netherite Plating: +20 Armor, −25% Speed
• Charged Steel Plating: +16 Armor, +5% Speed

Storage Units

Storage cells add additional inventory slots when needed.

• Basic Storage Cell: +9 slots
• Advanced Storage Cell: +18 slots
• Enderlink Storage Cell: Syncs with Docking Station for nearly unlimited remote storage access

Mobility and Utility Modules

These individual equipment parts expand classical functionality with rather unusual effects:

• Propeller Unit: Allows flying at low altitude, though it requires increased energy consumption.
• Aqua Motor: Provides the ability to swim and remain in water for underwater functionality.
• Solar Array: Promotes gradual recharging during daylight hours.
• Gyroscopic Stabilizer: Reduces knockback and improves projectile accuracy when using ranged weapons.
• Arc Welder: Automatically repairs and restores the robot's integrity when idle.
• Geothermal Regulator: Slowly restores energy near high-temperature sources—for example, furnaces, lava, or campfires.
• Dynamo Coil: Converts movement and physical work into a quick battery charge and provides a short speed boost.
• Magnetic Crescent: Magnetically attracts loot within 5 blocks.