Warfare Domain
The Warfare domain plugin is the first and reference domain plugin for DINOForge. It extends the platform with combat-oriented modding: factions, doctrines, unit taxonomies, weapon systems, wave composition, and themed content packs.
Concept
DINO is a medieval siege defense RTS where you defend against massive hordes (25,000+ enemies). The Warfare domain reimagines these battles with themed factions — modern military, Star Wars Clone Wars, and more.
The key insight: every battle is the same mechanical structure (line infantry, anti-armor, artillery, defenses, waves), just skinned differently. DINOForge makes that skin-swap declarative.
Three Faction Archetypes
All factions map to one of three mechanical families:
| Archetype | Traits | Factions |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Strong line infantry, reliable DPS, better defenses, higher unit cost | Republic, West |
| Industrial Swarm | Larger numbers, cheaper core, expendable, strong siege | CIS, Classic West Enemy |
| Asymmetric | Light units, mobility, ambush, raid pressure | Guerrilla West Enemy |
Theme Packs
| Pack | Factions | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Republic vs CIS | Galactic Republic, CIS | Star Wars Clone Wars |
| West vs Enemies | West, Classic West Enemy, Guerrilla West Enemy | Modern Warfare |
Implementation Order
- West vs Classic West Enemy — Easiest, proves the framework works
- Republic vs CIS — Harder art/audio, proves theme-skin abstraction
- West vs Guerrilla Enemy — Asymmetry, hardest balance challenge
Content Production Strategy
Level 1 — Zero-New-Model Build (MVP)
Only: renamed units, new icons, recolors, projectile/VFX swaps, stat changes, wave logic, SFX swaps, text/UI replacement. Gets a playable framework fast.
Level 2 — Selective Model Swaps
Add: hero units, key vehicles, signature defenses, faction command buildings. Only highest-visibility pieces.
Level 3 — Full Asset Conversion
Only after the framework is proven fun. This is the difference between a released mod and a dead dream repo.
Module Split
| Module | Responsibility |
|---|---|
DinoWarfare.Core | Schemas, faction definitions, balance tables, shared enums |
DinoWarfare.ECS | Entity queries, ECS patching, component mutation, spawn overrides |
DinoWarfare.Assets | Icon registry, localization, audio routing, VFX registry |
DinoWarfare.Campaign | Wave composition, faction matchup rules, mission overrides |
DinoWarfare.Theme.StarWars | Republic/CIS content pack |
DinoWarfare.Theme.Modern | West/Classic Enemy/Guerrilla content pack |
DinoWarfare.Debug | Overlay, inspector, hot reload, test-spawn menus |
Next Steps
- Factions — Detailed faction guide
- Unit Roles — The 13 required role slots
- Schema Reference — Faction and unit schemas