Contents

How Mods Work
Where To Go From Here
Pre-production Considerations

How Mods Work

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Kenshi loads mod files sequentially, allowing mods to overwrite FCS data present in vanilla and add new content.

It’s possible to override many files that aren’t directly accessible through the FCS by using the same folder structure inside your mods. For example, you can replace:

• The planet mesh and textures for the planet and moon that hang in the sky
• The skybox
• The rendering code that dictates how Kenshi processes materials (e.g. Remastered)
• The list of tips that appear in loading screens
• Loading screen images
• The in-game map
• The GUI layout and theme
• Particle effects and their material code

To replace one of these files, use the same folder structure and file names as in you find in Kenshi/data.

For example, to replace the in-game map, create your new map as a .DDS file, name it “GUI_Map”, and place it inside <your_mod_folder>/gui/gfx.

Not everything is moddable without external tools (i.e. ReKenshi) – audio soundbanks, overlay maps, texture weightmaps for terrain, and the heightmap itself cannot be altered without one of these methods:

• Using ReKenshi to inject new data paths
• Manually replacing files in Kenshi/data by hand
• Adding new data paths to resources.cfg in the Kenshi folder

If you’re looking to mod these “untouchable” files, it’s advisable to use ReKenshi to do so as it provides the best user experience: Install ReKenshi and the mod takes care of the rest. Manual replacement of files or editing of resources.cfg requires your subscribers to do the same.

Mod load order is important.

If two mods edit the same file – e.g. a character’s name – the mod that is lower in the mod get priority. As your subscribers won’t know the details of what’s happening inside your mod, it’s important to give them guidance on where it should go in their load order.

And, no, don’t simply write “put it at the bottom” unless there’s a good reason for it.

So Where Does My Mod Go in the Load Order?

Load order can be tricky because every mod does something different.

If your mod is adding entirely new content – such as a new faction in a new town – then the load order won’t matter as nothing else will override it.

Inversely, if your mod is a total overhaul, then it should go at the bottom of the load order. In general, total overhauls and conversions won’t be cross-compatible without compatibility patches. In which case, a compatibility patch comes after both.

If, like many mods, yours changes something in vanilla, then you’ll need to figure out where on earth it goes. However, remember that much of the content you might make probably “counts” as new content. That’s because of the StringID (“SID”) of your files; add a new bar squad to World’s End and it’ll have a unique SID and won’t conflict with other mods unless those mods rework or override the town.

Check out this guide for more information on load orders.

Where To Go From Here

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Where you go next depends on what you know and what you want to know. For ease of use, I’ve collated the most common “types” below. If you’re absolutely new to the FCS, start with the complete beginners section.

Complete Beginners

Read this first, and this if you haven’t already read it. Then come back here.

If you want to get stuck in right away, go and visit this modder’s crash course. By the end of it, you’ll have created several towns, a new faction, unique characters, new weapons, animations, dialogue, and an open-ended, dynamic quest.

Small-Scale Mods

Adding some new items, armour, weapons, game starts, simple balance changes, a bit of dialogue, or a few unique characters.

Medium-Scale Mods

Adding more complex mods that require deeper understanding of Kenshi’s systems.

Total Overhaul/Conversion Mods

Brew some coffee, read this primer, and then fucken go through each chapter section by section. Good luck.

General Guides

Go here and then browse this once you’ve read previous chapters you need.

Pre-production Considerations

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There are several things you might want to consider before embarking on your next big project. It all depends on what you need, and what you want to achieve:

• How are you going to market your mod? New mods hit Nexus and Steam daily and you’ll want to reach the largest audience you can without relying on algorithms.
• Does your mod need optimisation? For larger mods and mods that add large quantities of new meshes and materials, simply piling a bunch of crap onto the game increases loading times and detracts from the user experience.
• Does your mod require assets from other mods? If so, you’re going to either need to use mod dependency or acquire permission. Even if it’s just “a dumb texture” or “some dialogue”, modders own their work.
• If you’re working on a total conversion or overhaul, you have a lot to think about. Read the primer first.