DINOForge

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Windows Deployment Guide ​

This guide covers installation and configuration of DINOForge on Windows 10/11.

System Requirements ​

Before proceeding, ensure your system meets these requirements:

  • OS: Windows 10 (build 19041+) or Windows 11
  • .NET Runtime: .NET 11 (preview) — see .NET Downloads
  • BepInEx: Version 5.4.23.5 or later (standard GitHub release)
  • Visual C++ Redistributables: 2015-2022 (required by BepInEx and Unity)
  • Game: Diplomacy is Not an Option (Steam, fully updated)
  • Disk Space: 2 GB (runtime + plugins + packs)
  • RAM: 8 GB minimum (12 GB recommended for testing)

Checking .NET Installation ​

Open PowerShell and verify .NET is installed:

powershell
dotnet --info

Look for .NET 11.0.100-preview or later in the output. If not present, download from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/11.0.

Installation Steps ​

Step 1: Verify Game Installation ​

Locate your DINO installation directory. By default:

G:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Diplomacy is Not an Option\

Check that these exist:

  • Diplomacy is Not an Option.exe (the game executable)
  • BepInEx\ folder
  • BepInEx\plugins\ folder

If BepInEx is missing, download and extract BepInEx 5.4.23.5 to the game directory.

Step 2: Install DINOForge Runtime ​

Using PowerShell (run as Administrator):

powershell
# Set variables
$GamePath = "G:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Diplomacy is Not an Option"
$InstallerUrl = "https://github.com/KooshaPari/Dino/releases/download/v0.14.0/DINOForge-Installer-windows.zip"
$TempDir = "$env:TEMP\DINOForge-Install"

# Create temp directory
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $TempDir -Force | Out-Null

# Download installer
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $InstallerUrl -OutFile "$TempDir\installer.zip"

# Extract and run
Expand-Archive -Path "$TempDir\installer.zip" -DestinationPath $TempDir
& "$TempDir\DINOForge-Install.exe" -GamePath $GamePath

# Cleanup
Remove-Item -Path $TempDir -Recurse -Force

Or use the interactive installer:

  1. Download the latest installer from Releases
  2. Run DINOForge-Installer.exe
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts
  4. Select your game installation directory
  5. Click "Install"

Step 3: Configure Game Path (Optional) ​

If the installer didn't auto-detect your game path, manually configure it:

powershell
# Edit the DINOForge config file
$ConfigPath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\DINOForge\config.json"

# Update with your game path
$config = @{
    game_install_path = "G:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Diplomacy is Not an Option"
    mods_directory = "mods"
    enable_debug_mode = $false
    mcp_server_port = 8765
}

$config | ConvertTo-Json | Set-Content -Path $ConfigPath

Step 4: Deploy Example Packs (Optional) ​

To deploy example content packs:

powershell
cd "C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Dino"

# Deploy example packs
dotnet run --project src/Tools/PackCompiler -- build packs/example-balance
dotnet run --project src/Tools/PackCompiler -- build packs/warfare-modern

# Copy to game directory
Copy-Item -Path "packs/example-balance/dist/*" -Destination "$GamePath/BepInEx/dinoforge_packs/" -Recurse
Copy-Item -Path "packs/warfare-modern/dist/*" -Destination "$GamePath/BepInEx/dinoforge_packs/" -Recurse

Verification Checklist ​

After installation, verify everything is working:

1. Check DINOForge Plugin Is Loaded ​

Open PowerShell:

powershell
$LogPath = "G:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Diplomacy is Not an Option\BepInEx\LogOutput.log"
Get-Content -Path $LogPath -Tail 50 | Select-String "DINOForge"

You should see lines like:

[Info   : BepInEx] Loading [DINOForge.Runtime v0.14.0]
[Info   : BepInEx] Loaded plugin DINOForge.Runtime

2. Verify .NET Runtime ​

powershell
dotnet --version
# Should output: 11.0.100-preview.2.26159.112 (or newer)

3. Check BepInEx Plugins Directory ​

powershell
Get-ChildItem "G:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Diplomacy is Not an Option\BepInEx\plugins\" -Filter "*.dll"

Should list:

  • DINOForge.Runtime.dll
  • Other BepInEx plugins

4. Test MCP Server ​

The MCP server should be running on port 8765:

powershell
# Launch the game first, then test connectivity
$TestRequest = @{
    jsonrpc = "2.0"
    id = 1
    method = "game_status"
    params = @{}
}

$Response = Invoke-WebRequest `
    -Uri "http://127.0.0.1:8765/rpc" `
    -Method POST `
    -Body ($TestRequest | ConvertTo-Json) `
    -ContentType "application/json" `
    -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

if ($Response.StatusCode -eq 200) {
    Write-Host "MCP Server is responding!" -ForegroundColor Green
    $Response.Content | ConvertFrom-Json
} else {
    Write-Host "MCP Server not responding. Check game logs." -ForegroundColor Red
}

Configuration Options ​

DINOForge settings are stored in: %LOCALAPPDATA%\DINOForge\config.json

Common Configuration ​

json
{
  "game_install_path": "G:\\SteamLibrary\\steamapps\\common\\Diplomacy is Not an Option",
  "mods_directory": "BepInEx/dinoforge_packs",
  "enable_debug_mode": false,
  "enable_telemetry": true,
  "mcp_server_port": 8765,
  "mcp_server_host": "127.0.0.1",
  "hot_reload_enabled": true,
  "log_level": "Info",
  "ui_overlay_enabled": true,
  "overlay_key_toggle": "F10"
}

Troubleshooting ​

Error: ".NET 11 Runtime Not Found" ​

Symptom: Game crashes with "System.Runtime.InteropServices error"

Solution:

  1. Download .NET 11 preview
  2. Run the installer
  3. Restart your computer
  4. Verify: dotnet --version in PowerShell

Error: "DLL Not Found" or "Module Load Failed" ​

Symptom: BepInEx log shows DINOForge.Runtime.dll could not be loaded

Solution:

  1. Check Visual C++ Redistributables: Download 2015-2022
  2. Verify BepInEx is at version 5.4.23.5+
  3. Ensure DLL is in: BepInEx/plugins/DINOForge.Runtime.dll
  4. Check Windows Defender isn't quarantining the DLL:
    powershell
    # Whitelist DINOForge directory
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "G:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Diplomacy is Not an Option\BepInEx"

Error: "MCP Server Connection Refused" ​

Symptom: 127.0.0.1:8765 refused connection

Solution:

  1. Verify the game is running
  2. Check Windows Firewall isn't blocking port 8765:
    powershell
    # Allow port through firewall
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "DINOForge MCP" `
    -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 8765 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow
  3. Check for port conflicts: netstat -ano | Select-String 8765
  4. Restart the game and wait 5 seconds for MCP to initialize

Error: "Pack Failed to Load" ​

Symptom: Game log shows Failed to load pack 'my-pack'

Solution:

  1. Validate pack manifest: dotnet run --project src/Tools/PackCompiler -- validate packs/my-pack
  2. Check for dependency conflicts
  3. Verify pack is in correct directory: BepInEx/dinoforge_packs/
  4. Check pack.yaml syntax (YAML format errors)

Game Crashes on Startup ​

Symptom: "Fatal error" dialog immediately after launch

Solution:

  1. Disable all DINOForge packs temporarily:
    powershell
    Remove-Item "G:\...\BepInEx\dinoforge_packs\*" -Recurse
  2. Launch game to verify it starts
  3. Re-add packs one at a time to identify problematic pack
  4. Check pack dependencies and compatibility

Windows-Specific Notes ​

  • User Account Control (UAC): The installer requires administrator privileges. If you see UAC prompts, click "Yes" to allow installation.
  • Windows Defender: Sometimes flags game modifications. You may need to add exceptions for the game directory.
  • Antivirus: Some antivirus software blocks file modifications in Program Files. Disable scans temporarily during deployment, or use alternate Steam library paths.
  • Multiple Game Instances: To run two game instances simultaneously (for testing), set GameInstallPath to different directories. See Game Launch Protocol.

Next Steps ​

Released under the MIT License.

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