Add a version check mechanic to startup, it is done in a seperate thread and has a config option to compleetly disable it. This allows us to notify users of new recomended builds. Hopefully stemming the flow of outdated help request. Also adds a warning to the main screen if you are running a 'Beta' Forge. Which means a Forge for a new version of Minecraft that we have not promoted a recomended build for yet.

patches/minecraft/net/minecraft/client/gui/GuiMainMenu.java.patch

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+--- ../src-base/minecraft/net/minecraft/client/gui/GuiMainMenu.java
++++ ../src-work/minecraft/net/minecraft/client/gui/GuiMainMenu.java
+@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
+ import net.minecraft.world.demo.DemoWorldServer;
+ import net.minecraft.world.storage.ISaveFormat;
+ import net.minecraft.world.storage.WorldInfo;
++import net.minecraftforge.client.ForgeHooksClient;
+ import org.apache.commons.io.Charsets;
+ import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
+ import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
+@@ -630,6 +631,7 @@
+                 this.drawString(this.field_146289_q, brd, 2, this.field_146295_m - ( 10 + i * (this.field_146289_q.FONT_HEIGHT + 1)), 16777215);
+             }
+         }
++        ForgeHooksClient.renderMainMenu(this, field_146289_q, field_146294_l, field_146295_m);
+         String s1 = "Copyright Mojang AB. Do not distribute!";
+         this.drawString(this.field_146289_q, s1, this.field_146294_l - this.field_146289_q.getStringWidth(s1) - 2, this.field_146295_m - 10, -1);
+ 

src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/client/ForgeHooksClient.java

@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 package net.minecraftforge.client;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.net.URLConnection;
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Random;
 import java.util.TreeSet;
 
@@ -8,6 +14,8 @@ import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
 
 import net.minecraftforge.client.event.MouseEvent;
 import net.minecraft.client.entity.EntityPlayerSP;
+import net.minecraft.client.gui.FontRenderer;
+import net.minecraft.client.gui.GuiMainMenu;
 import net.minecraftforge.client.event.FOVUpdateEvent;
 
 import org.lwjgl.LWJGLException;
@@ -16,9 +24,16 @@ import org.lwjgl.opengl.GL11;
 import org.lwjgl.opengl.GL12;
 import org.lwjgl.opengl.PixelFormat;
 
+import com.google.common.io.ByteStreams;
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
+import com.google.gson.JsonParseException;
+
 import cpw.mods.fml.client.FMLClientHandler;
 import cpw.mods.fml.client.registry.RenderingRegistry;
+import cpw.mods.fml.common.FMLCommonHandler;
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.FMLLog;
+import cpw.mods.fml.common.versioning.ArtifactVersion;
+import cpw.mods.fml.common.versioning.DefaultArtifactVersion;
 import net.minecraft.client.Minecraft;
 import net.minecraft.block.Block;
 import net.minecraft.block.BlockLiquid;
@@ -31,6 +46,7 @@ import net.minecraft.item.Item;
 import net.minecraft.item.ItemBlock;
 import net.minecraft.item.ItemStack;
 import net.minecraft.util.ChatComponentTranslation;
+import net.minecraft.util.EnumChatFormatting;
 import net.minecraft.util.MathHelper;
 import net.minecraft.util.MovingObjectPosition;
 import net.minecraft.util.ResourceLocation;
@@ -50,11 +66,14 @@ import net.minecraftforge.client.event.DrawBlockHighlightEvent;
 import net.minecraftforge.client.event.RenderWorldLastEvent;
 import net.minecraftforge.client.event.TextureStitchEvent;
 import net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeModContainer;
+import net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeVersion;
+import net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeVersion.Status;
 import net.minecraftforge.common.MinecraftForge;
 import net.minecraftforge.fluids.FluidRegistry;
 import net.minecraftforge.fluids.RenderBlockFluid;
 import static net.minecraftforge.client.IItemRenderer.ItemRenderType.*;
 import static net.minecraftforge.client.IItemRenderer.ItemRendererHelper.*;
+import static net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeVersion.Status.*;
 
 public class ForgeHooksClient
 {
@@ -404,4 +423,34 @@ public class ForgeHooksClient
         //FluidRegistry.renderIdFluid = RenderingRegistry.getNextAvailableRenderId();
         //RenderingRegistry.registerBlockHandler(RenderBlockFluid.instance);
     }
+
+    public static void renderMainMenu(GuiMainMenu gui, FontRenderer font, int width, int height)
+    {
+        Status status = ForgeVersion.getStatus();
+        if (status == BETA || status == BETA_OUTDATED)
+        {
+            // render a warning at the top of the screen,
+            String line = EnumChatFormatting.RED + "WARNING:" + EnumChatFormatting.RESET + " Forge Beta,";
+            gui.drawString(font, line, (width - font.getStringWidth(line)) / 2, 4 + (0 * (font.FONT_HEIGHT + 1)), -1);
+            line = "Major issues may arise, verify before reporting.";
+            gui.drawString(font, line, (width - font.getStringWidth(line)) / 2, 4 + (1 * (font.FONT_HEIGHT + 1)), -1);
+        }
+
+        String line = null;
+        switch(status)
+        {
+            //case FAILED:        line = " Version check failed"; break;
+            //case UP_TO_DATE:    line = "Forge up to date"}; break;
+            //case AHEAD:         line = "Using non-recommended Forge build, issues may arise."}; break;
+            case OUTDATED:
+            case BETA_OUTDATED: line = "New Forge version avalible: " + ForgeVersion.getTarget(); break;
+            default: break;
+        }
+
+        if (line != null)
+        {
+            // if we have a line, render it in the bottom right, above Mojang's copyright line
+            gui.drawString(font, line, width - font.getStringWidth(line) - 2, height - (2 * (font.FONT_HEIGHT + 1)), -1);
+        }
+    }
 }

src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/client/GuiIngameForge.java

@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public class GuiIngameForge extends GuiIngame
     private ScaledResolution res = null;
     private FontRenderer fontrenderer = null;
     private RenderGameOverlayEvent eventParent;
-    private static final String MC_VERSION = "1.7.2";
+    private static final String MC_VERSION = MinecraftForge.MC_VERSION;
 
     public GuiIngameForge(Minecraft mc)
     {

src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/common/ForgeHooks.java

@@ -60,18 +60,6 @@ import static net.minecraft.init.Blocks.*;
 
 public class ForgeHooks
 {
-    static class GrassEntry extends WeightedRandom.Item
-    {
-        public final Block block;
-        public final int metadata;
-        public GrassEntry(Block block, int meta, int weight)
-        {
-            super(weight);
-            this.block = block;
-            this.metadata = meta;
-        }
-    }
-
     static class SeedEntry extends WeightedRandom.Item
     {
         public final ItemStack seed;

src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/common/ForgeModContainer.java

@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ public class ForgeModContainer extends DummyModContainer implements WorldAccessC
     public static double zombieSummonBaseChance = 0.1;
     public static int[] blendRanges = { 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 };
     public static float zombieBabyChance = 0.05f;
-    public static boolean shouldSortRecipies = false;
+    public static boolean shouldSortRecipies = true;
+    public static boolean disableVersionCheck = false;
 
     public ForgeModContainer()
     {
@@ -159,6 +160,10 @@ public class ForgeModContainer extends DummyModContainer implements WorldAccessC
         prop.comment = "Set to true to enable the post initlization sorting of crafting recipes using Froge's sorter. May cause desyncing on conflicting recipies. ToDo: Set to true by default in 1.7";
         shouldSortRecipies = prop.getBoolean(shouldSortRecipies);
 
+        prop = config.get(CATEGORY_GENERAL, "disableVersionCheck", disableVersionCheck);
+        prop.comment = "Set to true to disable Forge's version check mechanics, Forge queries a small json file on our server for version information. For more details see the ForgeVersion class in our github.";
+        disableVersionCheck = prop.getBoolean(disableVersionCheck);
+
         if (config.hasChanged())
         {
             config.save();

src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/common/ForgeVersion.java

@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@
  */
 
 package net.minecraftforge.common;
+import static net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeVersion.Status.*;
+
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import com.google.common.io.ByteStreams;
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
+
+import cpw.mods.fml.common.versioning.ArtifactVersion;
+import cpw.mods.fml.common.versioning.DefaultArtifactVersion;
 
 public class ForgeVersion
 {
@@ -16,6 +27,9 @@ public class ForgeVersion
     //This number is incremented every time Jenkins builds Forge, and never reset. Should always be 0 in the repo code.
     public static final int buildVersion    = 0;
 
+    private static Status status = PENDING;
+    private static String target = null;
+
     public static int getMajorVersion()
     {
         return majorVersion;
@@ -36,9 +50,99 @@ public class ForgeVersion
         return buildVersion;
     }
 
+    public static Status getStatus()
+    {
+        return status;
+    }
+
+    public static String getTarget()
+    {
+        return target;
+    }
+
     public static String getVersion()
     {
         return String.format("%d.%d.%d.%d", majorVersion, minorVersion, revisionVersion, buildVersion);
     }
+
+    public static enum Status
+    {
+        PENDING,
+        FAILED,
+        UP_TO_DATE,
+        OUTDATED,
+        AHEAD,
+        BETA,
+        BETA_OUTDATED
+    }
+
+    public static void startVersionCheck()
+    {
+        new Thread("Forge Version Check")
+        {
+            @Override
+            public void run()
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    URL url = new URL("http://files.minecraftforge.net/maven/net/minecraftforge/forge/promotions_slim.json");
+                    InputStream con = url.openStream();
+                    String data = new String(ByteStreams.toByteArray(con));
+                    con.close();
+
+                    Map<String, Object> json = new Gson().fromJson(data, Map.class);
+                    String homepage = (String)json.get("homepage");
+                    Map<String, String> promos = (Map<String, String>)json.get("promos");
+
+                    String rec = promos.get(MinecraftForge.MC_VERSION + "-recommended");
+                    String lat = promos.get(MinecraftForge.MC_VERSION + "-latest");
+                    ArtifactVersion current = new DefaultArtifactVersion(getVersion());
+
+                    if (rec != null)
+                    {
+                        ArtifactVersion recommended = new DefaultArtifactVersion(rec);
+                        int diff = recommended.compareTo(current);
+
+                        if (diff == 0)
+                            status = UP_TO_DATE;
+                        else if (diff < 0)
+                        {
+                            status = AHEAD;
+                            if (lat != null)
+                            {
+                                if (current.compareTo(new DefaultArtifactVersion(lat)) < 0)
+                                {
+                                    status = OUTDATED;
+                                    target = lat;
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            status = OUTDATED;
+                            target = rec;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else if (lat != null)
+                    {
+                        if (current.compareTo(new DefaultArtifactVersion(lat)) < 0)
+                        {
+                            status = BETA_OUTDATED;
+                            target = lat;
+                        }
+                        else
+                            status = BETA;
+                    }
+                    else
+                        status = BETA;
+                }
+                catch (Exception e)
+                {
+                    e.printStackTrace();
+                    status = FAILED;
+                }
+            }
+        }.start();
+    }
 }
 

src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/common/MinecraftForge.java

@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import net.minecraft.crash.CrashReport;
 import net.minecraft.entity.monster.EntityEnderman;
 import net.minecraft.item.Item;
 import net.minecraft.item.ItemStack;
-import net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeHooks.GrassEntry;
 import net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeHooks.SeedEntry;
 import net.minecraftforge.event.entity.EntityEvent;
 import net.minecraftforge.oredict.OreDictionary;
@@ -35,6 +34,7 @@ public class MinecraftForge
     public static final EventBus EVENT_BUS = new EventBus();
     public static final EventBus TERRAIN_GEN_BUS = new EventBus();
     public static final EventBus ORE_GEN_BUS = new EventBus();
+    public static final String MC_VERSION = "1.7.2";
 
     private static final ForgeInternalHandler INTERNAL_HANDLER = new ForgeInternalHandler();
 
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ public class MinecraftForge
        EVENT_BUS.register(INTERNAL_HANDLER);
        OreDictionary.getOreName(0);
 
+       if (!ForgeModContainer.disableVersionCheck)
+       {
+           ForgeVersion.startVersionCheck();
+       }
+
        //Force these classes to be defined, Should prevent derp error hiding.
        new CrashReport("ThisIsFake", new Exception("Not real"));
    }