Lost Frontiers

Minecraft Bedrock add-on focused on procedural exploration layered on top of the vanilla Overworld.

1. Project context

Lost Frontiers is a technical demo and study project for Bedrock add-on development.

• Purpose: portfolio, learning, and experimentation.
• It is not a commercial product.
• It has no monetization goal.
• Scope: demonstrate data-driven world generation plus Script API integration.

2. Author

• Caio Pessini
• Technical focus in this project: configurable systems design, procedural content, JSON pipeline automation, debugging, and pack validation.

3. Technical background (what is behind the project)

This add-on combines three main layers:

1. Data-driven world generation (JSON)

• features: define how something can be placed (for example structure_template_feature, weighted_random_feature, snap_to_surface_feature).
• feature_rules: define where and when placement is attempted (biome filters, generation pass, chunk distribution).
• structures (.mcstructure): templates for ruins, roads, and underground POIs.

2. Script API (@minecraft/server)

• Discovery system based on proximity to marker blocks (lodestone).
• Scoreboard progression updates.
• Player feedback through title/actionbar/chat/sound.
• Configurable milestone system.

3. Configuration pipeline

• A single worldgen configuration file.
• A script that applies config values into features and feature_rules.
• A validation script that checks references and config synchronization.

4. Project structure

Root

• LostFrontiers_BP/ main Behavior Pack
• LostFrontiers_RP/ supporting Resource Pack
• README.md documentation

Behavior Pack (LostFrontiers_BP)

• manifest.json

  • Pack metadata, data and script modules, dependencies.

• features/

  • Base and composed generation features.
  • Includes rarity using noop, weighted selectors, and structure placement.

• feature_rules/

  • Placement rules by biome/pass/distribution.

• structures/lostfrontiers/*.mcstructure

  • Structures used in-world (ruins, roads, underground POIs).

• functions/*.mcfunction

  • Debug and testing utility commands.

• scripts/config.js

  • Runtime configuration for discovery/UI/score systems.

• scripts/main.js

  • Script event orchestration.

• scripts/lib/*.js

  • Support modules (scoreboard, notifications, discovery, text).

• config/worldgen_config.json

  • Central procedural generation configuration.

• dev/apply_worldgen_config.py

  • Applies worldgen_config.json into data-driven JSON files.

• dev/verify_pack.py

  • Validates references and config synchronization.

Resource Pack (LostFrontiers_RP)

• manifest.json
• texts/en_US.lang

5. Minimum requirements

• Minecraft Bedrock Edition compatible with the pack min_engine_version (1.21.0 in current manifest).
• Script API support (@minecraft/server).
• World with both Behavior Pack and Resource Pack enabled.
• Cheats/permissions enabled for debug commands.
• Python 3.x for local configuration pipeline scripts.

6. How to load in-game

Option A: development workflow

1. Clone this repository.
2. Copy LostFrontiers_BP to the development behavior packs folder.
3. Copy LostFrontiers_RP to the development resource packs folder.
4. Create a test world and enable both packs.
5. Join the world and run: /function lf_debug_smoke

On Windows, development pack paths are usually:

• %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\games\com.mojang\development_behavior_packs
• %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\games\com.mojang\development_resource_packs

Option B: quick usage without generation tuning

If you only want to test quickly, use debug commands and /structure load without changing the Python pipeline config.

7. Project configuration

There are two configuration fronts: runtime script config and data-driven worldgen config.

7.1 Runtime config (scripts/config.js)

Controls discovery behavior, messages, score handling, and audio.

Examples:

• Scan frequency:

scanIntervalTicks: 40 // lower = more responsive, higher = lower runtime cost

• Marker block:

markerBlockId: "minecraft:lodestone"

• Discovery notification mode:

notifications: {
  discovery: {
    mode: "titleraw", // chat | actionbar | title | titleraw
    actionbarAlso: true,
    chatAlso: false
  }
}

• Milestones:

milestones: [
  { score: 1, message: "First trace found." },
  { score: 5, message: "Cartographer rank." }
]

7.2 Data-driven worldgen config (config/worldgen_config.json)

Controls density, rarity, biome targeting, and weighted selection.

Available profiles:

• sparse
• balanced
• dense
• cinematic

Examples:

• Activate profile:

"active_profile": "cinematic"

• Make trail placement rarer:

"lf:trail_rare_feature": { "place_weight": 1, "noop_weight": 12 }

• Favor straight road segments:

"lf:road_segment_selector_feature": [
  ["lf:road_straight_structure_feature", 12],
  ["lf:road_curve_structure_feature", 4],
  ["lf:road_crossing_structure_feature", 1]
]

After editing:

1. Apply config: python LostFrontiers_BP/dev/apply_worldgen_config.py
2. Validate: python LostFrontiers_BP/dev/verify_pack.py

Quick profile switch:

• python LostFrontiers_BP/dev/apply_worldgen_config.py --profile cinematic
• python LostFrontiers_BP/dev/apply_worldgen_config.py --profile balanced

8. What to observe in-game

While exploring new chunks, players should see:

• Rare micro-ruins in target biomes (plains/taiga/savanna).
• Degraded road segments across the Overworld (excluding ocean/river).
• Occasional underground POIs.
• Discovery markers (lodestone) that become chiseled_stone_bricks when discovered.
• Discovery score increasing on the scoreboard.
• Configurable visual/audio feedback from scripts/config.js.

8.1 Short examples of project content

Structure examples (structures/lostfrontiers):

• lostfrontiers:broken_altar
• lostfrontiers:border_marker
• lostfrontiers:abandoned_well
• lostfrontiers:stone_arch
• lostfrontiers:extinguished_camp
• lostfrontiers:forgotten_chamber (underground)
• lostfrontiers:collapsed_tunnel (underground)

Feature examples (features/*.json):

• lf:micro_shrine_rare_feature (rare feature with noop)
• lf:micro_camp_cluster_feature (weighted selector for camp structures)
• lf:trail_rare_feature (rare trigger for roads/trails)
• lf:road_segment_snap_feature (surface snapping)
• lf:underground_poi_selector_feature (underground POI selector)

8.2 Generation gallery (biomes/chunks/surface/underground)

The images below demonstrate generation and composition in-world.

9. Command plan for testing

Smoke/UI

• /function lf_debug_clean_ui
• /function lf_debug_smoke
• /function lf_debug_help

Structures

• /function lf_debug_place_surface
• /function lf_debug_place_underground
• /structure load lostfrontiers:broken_altar ~ ~ ~

Features

• /function lf_debug_place_features (rare features can legitimately place nothing)
• /function lf_debug_place_features_forced (deterministic)

Discovery/progression

• /function lf_debug_reset_progress
• Approach a discovery marker
• /scoreboard players list @s

Natural generation in new chunks

• /tp @s 120000 120 120000
• Explore 300-600 blocks

10. Source of templates, blocks, and content

• .mcstructure files in this project were assembled with vanilla blocks and the standard Bedrock Structure Block/command workflow.
• There is no dependency on external custom 3D assets or proprietary texture packs.
• Feature/rule modeling and pipeline design were based on official documentation and sample repositories listed below.

11. Conclusion

Lost Frontiers demonstrates a portfolio-ready Bedrock add-on architecture: clear separation between data-driven generation and script logic, centralized configuration, automated validation, and practical in-game debugging workflow.
The project keeps a vanilla-friendly visual language and provides a strong baseline for future expansion (more structures, richer progression, and broader biome coverage).

12. Technical and bibliographic references

Official Minecraft Creator documentation

• Minecraft Creator portal:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/
• World Generation:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/documents/world-generation?view=minecraft-bedrock-stable
• Custom Biome Tutorial:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/documents/biomes/custombiometutorial?view=minecraft-bedrock-stable
• Features Reference:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/reference/content/featuresreference/examples/features/feature_document?view=minecraft-bedrock-stable
• Feature Rules Reference:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/reference/content/featurerulesreference/examples/featurerulescomponents/feature_rules_document?view=minecraft-bedrock-stable
• Jigsaw Structures Intro:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/documents/structures/introductiontojigsawstructures?view=minecraft-bedrock-stable
• Jigsaw Tutorial:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/documents/structures/jigsawtutorial?view=minecraft-bedrock-stable
• Commands (general reference):
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/commands/commands?view=minecraft-bedrock-stable
• /place:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/commands/commands/place?view=minecraft-bedrock-stable
• /structure:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/minecraft/creator/commands/commands/structure?view=minecraft-bedrock-stable

Bedrock technical community

• Bedrock Wiki - World Generation Intro:
  • https://wiki.bedrock.dev/world-generation/world-generation-intro
• Bedrock Wiki - Scripting Intro:
  • https://wiki.bedrock.dev/scripting/scripting-intro

Sample repositories

• Mojang bedrock-samples:
  • https://github.com/Mojang/bedrock-samples
• Microsoft minecraft-samples:
  • https://github.com/microsoft/minecraft-samples
• Microsoft minecraft-scripting-samples:
  • https://github.com/microsoft/minecraft-scripting-samples