Describe the solution you'd like
I really like this mod and I would like the mod setting, as in 1.16.5, to return to higher versions, for example, 1.20+.

Why is this feature needed
It would help people set up the mod easier and there would be no confusion.

I understand that configuring the mod in 1.16.5 felt much simpler than newer versions. The decision to change to datapacks was necessary for a few different reasons.

1. The number of xp earning events increased from 11 to 39. This would have meant 56 additional files in the config/pmmo folder. (regular xp configs, plus NBT configs)
2. the number one issue users had with the old configuration system was the json syntax. since a single event was tied to one file, if a user made a mistake in the file (which would get very large with large modpacks), the entire file would be rejected. This led to a lot of user frustration. In the datapack system a syntax error results in only that one object being rejected, which leaves the other configurations unaffected.
3. There were also cases where the old system would not have worked. For example, damage related events use Minecraft's new data-driven damage type feature, which exponentially increases the possibilities. Plus, items, entities, and projectiles are all sources of damage and would either need their own files or would add overhead to filter through the registries for each type.
4. pmmo used to hardcode a lot of features. For example, endurance was hardcoded to damage, combat to dealing damage, agility to sprinting/jumping, etc. Newer pmmo gives choice to the player, and subsequently adds complexity to the configurations.

Now, understanding that datapacks are not necessarily second nature to users, pmmo does have two options to make configuration easier.

1. for 1.18+ there is an in-game command which will create a datapack for the user with a file for each item, block, entity, dimension, biome, enchantment, and mob effect from every mod they have in their game. pmmo genData create is the command to generate that pack and there are commands you can call before that to better instruct pmmo how to build those files, which you can read about on the wiki here
2. for 1.20+ I also recently added a scripting option. This is similar to a CraftTweaker style of configuration. If you wanted something closer to the old configs, this might be a close replacement. you can read more about that on the wiki here