Changes Summary

TPS-Independent Animation Improvements

Datapack Animation Optimization

Problem: Item display animations were choppy during TPS lag (tied to game ticks).

Solution: Optimized interpolation timing to mask TPS fluctuations:

• Increased interpolation duration: 10 ticks → 30 ticks
• Reduced update frequency: every 10 ticks → every 20 ticks
• Simplified keyframes: 12 keyframes → 6 keyframes with longer transitions
• Each keyframe explicitly sets interpolation_duration:30

This is only remediation; there are limitations due to this being a datapack at its core and how animations work in Minecraft. Look at it as a visual TPS indicator 😹

Files Modified:

• totem/initialize.mcfunction - Entity spawn with 30-tick interpolation
• totem/animate_item_display.mcfunction - Update frequency changed
• totem/animate_item_step.mcfunction - Fewer keyframes, longer interpolation

Result: Animations remain smooth even during TPS drops by leveraging Minecraft's built-in client-side interpolation buffer.

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Totem Progression System

Recipe Unlocking

Problem: Recipes had no advancement requirements - players could craft any tier immediately.

Solution: Added progression checks via confiscate_* functions (already implemented):

• Players attempting to craft locked totems have items confiscated
• Materials returned via give commands
• Error messages display progression requirements

Implementation: The check_illegal_totem.mcfunction runs every tick checking player inventories.

Advancement Support for Short Totems

Problem: Advancements only checked for tall totems (missing totem_short: 1 NBT).

Solution: NBT matching is "contains" not "exact match" - short totems naturally trigger since they have totem_tier field.

Result: Both tall AND short variants progress the advancement tree (already worked, confirmed via testing).

Material Drops on Break

Problem: Breaking totems only dropped the totem item itself.

Solution: Updated all 12 drop functions to return the corresponding totem recipe item (no material duplication).

Files Modified:

• All totem/drop/tier*.mcfunction files (1-6, tall + short)

Result: Breaking totems returns the totem recipe items for reuse/relocation (no resource duping).

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Summary

• ✅ Animations: 3x smoother during TPS lag via interpolation buffering
• ✅ Progression: Working via confiscate system (runs every tick)
• ✅ Advancements: Support both tall and short totem variants
• ✅ Drop System: Returns totem recipe items without duplication

Full Changelog: https://github.com/Underwood-Inc/rituals/compare/1.1.1...1.3.0