Quick Start

Create a minimal balance pack in under 5 minutes.

1. Create the Pack Directory

mkdir -p packs/my-balance-mod

2. Write the Manifest

Create packs/my-balance-mod/pack.yaml:

id: my-balance-mod
name: My Balance Mod
version: 0.1.0
framework_version: ">=0.1.0 <1.0.0"
author: Your Name
type: balance
description: Doubles archer damage and increases wall HP
depends_on: []
conflicts_with: []
loads:
  units:
    - archer_buffed
  buildings: []

3. Define a Unit Override

Create packs/my-balance-mod/units/archer_buffed.yaml:

id: archer_buffed
display_name: Elite Archer
unit_class: CoreLineInfantry
faction_id: vanilla
tier: 1
stats:
  hp: 100
  damage: 25       # doubled from vanilla ~12
  range: 8
  speed: 3.5
  cost:
    resource_1: 40
    resource_2: 10
    population: 1
  accuracy: 0.8
  fire_rate: 1.2
weapon: BallisticLight
defense_tags:
  - Unarmored
  - Biological
behavior_tags:
  - HoldLine
  - AdvanceFire
vanilla_mapping: archer

4. Validate the Pack

dotnet run --project src/Tools/PackCompiler -- validate packs/my-balance-mod

The validator checks:

• Manifest schema conformance
• Required fields present
• ID format (^[a-z][a-z0-9-]*$ for packs, ^[a-z][a-z0-9_]*$ for units)
• Version format (semver)
• Dependency resolution
• Asset reference integrity

5. Build the Pack

dotnet run --project src/Tools/PackCompiler -- build packs/my-balance-mod

This produces a packaged artifact ready for installation.

What Happened?

You just:

1. Defined a pack manifest with explicit metadata
2. Created a unit definition following the unit schema
3. Validated it against DINOForge's schema system
4. Built a distributable pack artifact

No C# code. No Harmony patches. No reverse engineering. Just YAML.

Next Steps

• Creating Packs — Full guide to pack authoring
• Schema Reference — All content type schemas
• Warfare Overview — Build faction-themed packs