Getting Started

This guide walks you through setting up DINOForge for development or mod authoring.

Prerequisites

• .NET 8 SDK or later
• Node.js 20+ (for docs only)
• Diplomacy is Not an Option (Steam)
• Git

Install BepInEx and DINOForge

DINOForge runs on a modified BepInEx 5 build with Unity ECS support. Standard BepInEx from GitHub will not work.

Option A: Automated Installer (Recommended for Users)

DINOForge includes a GUI installer that handles BepInEx and DINOForge setup automatically.

1. Download the latest DINOForge installer from Releases
2. Run DINOForge.Installer.exe
3. Select your DINO game installation directory
4. The installer will:
   • Download and extract the modified BepInEx 5
   • Install DINOForge Runtime and example packs
   • Verify the installation
5. Launch the game and verify mods load (F10 to open mod menu)

Option B: Manual Installation (For Developers)

If you prefer manual setup or the installer doesn't work for you:

1. Download BepInEx 5 with Unity ECS Support from Nexus Mods
2. Extract into your DINO game directory (where the .exe lives)
3. Verify the folder structure:

GameRoot/
  winhttp.dll              # Modified Doorstop pre-loader
  doorstop_config.ini
  BepInEx/
    plugins/               # Standard plugins (empty for DINO)
    ecs_plugins/           # WHERE DINO MODS GO
    config/                # Configuration files

WARNING

Standard BepInEx does not work with DINO. The game uses full Unity ECS (DOTS) with Burst compilation, which requires a modified Doorstop pre-loader fork.

4. Launch the game once to let BepInEx initialize, then close it.
5. Copy the built DINOForge.Runtime.dll to BepInEx/ecs_plugins/

Clone and Build

git clone https://github.com/KooshaPari/Dino.git
cd Dino

Build the solution:

dotnet build src/DINOForge.sln

Run tests to verify everything works:

dotnet test src/DINOForge.sln --verbosity normal

Project Structure

DINOForge/
  src/
    Runtime/           # BepInEx plugin — bootstrap, ECS detection, hooks
      Bridge/          #   ECS bridge: component mapping, stat modifiers
      HotReload/       #   Hot reload bridge
      UI/              #   Mod menu (F10), settings panel
    SDK/               # Public mod API — registries, schemas, pack loaders
      Assets/          #   Asset service, addressables catalog
      Dependencies/    #   Dependency resolver
      HotReload/       #   Pack file watcher
      Models/          #   Content data models
      Registry/        #   Generic registry with conflict detection
      Universe/        #   Universe Bible system
      Validation/      #   Schema validation (NJsonSchema)
    Bridge/
      Protocol/        #   JSON-RPC message types, IGameBridge
      Client/          #   Out-of-process game client
    Domains/
      Warfare/         #   Factions, doctrines, combat, waves
      Economy/         #   Rates, trade, balance
      Scenario/        #   Scripting, conditions
      UI/              #   HUD injection, menus
    Tools/
      Cli/             #   dinoforge CLI
      McpServer/       #   MCP server for Claude Code
      PackCompiler/    #   Pack compiler (validate, build)
      DumpTools/       #   Entity dump analysis (Spectre.Console)
      Installer/       #   BepInEx + DINOForge installer
    Tests/             # Unit tests (xUnit + FluentAssertions)
      Integration/     # Integration tests
  packs/               # Content packs (6 example packs)
  schemas/             # JSON/YAML schema definitions (17 schemas)
  docs/                # This documentation site

Load a Pack

Once built, the Runtime DLL goes into BepInEx/ecs_plugins/:

BepInEx/ecs_plugins/DINOForge.Runtime.dll

Content packs live in a packs/ directory relative to the game root. The runtime discovers and loads them at boot.

Next Steps

• Quick Start — Create your first pack in 5 minutes
• Creating Packs — Full pack authoring guide
• Architecture — Understand the layered design