Mods

**Mods** are player-installed, custom-made add-ons that can be integrated into the main 'vanilla' Ravenfield game.

## Usage

Mods are generally usable in Instant Action and are not applicable in conquest. There are also a few exceptions:

* Some custom maps cannot support Spec Ops.
* Haunted does not support custom weapons.
* While custom weapons generally don't suffer in terms of player usage, bots may not be able to use them properly.
* Modded vehicles/turrets generated at natural spawn points are usable by bots, but this does not apply if vehicle enters the field in any other way.
	+ This problem can be partially remedied with the Squad Leader Kit if the vehicle can hold at least 2 occupants, as while following the player they will be able to recognize these vehicles/turrets and use them properly.
	+ Like modded weapons, some modded vehicles may also become unusable to bots. They will still enter it but their AI will be glitched.

## Types of Mods

### Weapon Mods

Weapon mods will add new weapons to the game. These mods appear in the main weapon menu, and like vanilla weapons, can be set for use by Eagle, Raven, both, or neither (weapons can be excluded for use using certain parameters, as set by the player). These also affect the player, unless the setting "Player has all weapons" is checked.

Some mod weapons have their own categories, making organization much easier.

### Vehicle Mods

Vehicle mods add new vehicles and also turrets to the game. The vehicle selection interface is disorganized, but all mod vehicles can still be accessed from each drop-down tab. Tabs will be labelled with the simplified names of each vanilla vehicle. If a certain vehicle is set within that tab, vehicles of that type will spawn in the corresponding spawn point, if any. Like weapon mods, vehicle mods can be configured to be accessible by both teams or just for one team, causing different vehicles/turrets to replace existing ones when an applicable point is taken over.

Note that spawn points may lead to some issues. For example, replacing APC with a vehicle that cannot float will result in it sinking if it would spawn near the Carrier in Archipelago.

### Map Mods

Map mods provide additional maps. They can vary drastically in size, and are accessed from the 'Custom Maps' tab. Maps created with the Ingame Map Editor will automatically appear in that tab as well, after a game restart.

Some custom Maps come bundled with built-in modded Vehicles and turret spawns which cannot be overridden by the vehicle switch settings.

### Skin Mods

Skin mods alter the appearance of soldiers. Each team can be configured as having different skins, from the two adjacent drop-down tabs below the configuration tab. These mods are purely cosmetic. They can also automatically replace the soldier dialog portraits in Spec OPS Mode.

Some custom maps may enforce custom skins which will override all other settings.

### Mutator Mods

Mutator mods have the greatest variety in terms of impact on gameplay. Mutators may simply be visual in nature, like the vanilla mutators, or they can drastically affect the game by altering infantry properties. As the modding tools continue to expand, Mutators have been used to create new game modes, simple cutscenes, and entirely new mechanical game properties (bleeding, weapon drops, health bars, remote-controlled vehicles, and the list goes on). Simply put, Mutators are an extremely powerful tool for freeform modding.

### Game Configurations

Combinations of skins, maps, weapons, and mutators can be saved in a configuration, established by hitting the 'Save New Config' button and accessed from said configuration tab. If saved with the same name, the existing configuration will be overwritten with the current one.

Configuration files created through unity can also be uploaded to the Workshop for others to use.

## How to Get and Install Mods

### With Steam

If you downloaded Ravenfield from Steam, the recommended method of installing mods is from there, using these steps:

1. From the main menu, hit 'Workshop', which will take you to Steam, OR: Open the Steam application manually, navigate to the game's Library page, and select "workshop" from the tab.
2. Navigate to a Ravenfield mod's page of your choosing.
3. Press 'Subscribe'. The mod should install into Ravenfield, and will be usable after a game restart.

### Manually

It is possible to install mods by accessing the game directory directly. This method is often abused by pirates. However, manual installation overall enables the modding experience to many more Ravenfield players, such as those who purchased it from Humble, or Steam users who wish to ensure that their mods integrate before leaving it on the steam workshop.

First, you must manually download the mod. It will likely be an archive file (usually a .zip file, though the Windows-exclusive .rar file is also seen) dubbed a jumble of numbers, but feel free to overhaul names later. Extract it, and a folder will be seen. The folder must include at least one .rfc file (a file which describes an individual weapon, vehicle, map, skin, or mutator) and may also have an accompanying image. This can be especially helpful if you do not wish to rename mod folders.

#### Installing on Windows

1. Find the Ravenfield game folder.
2. Next to the game .exe file, there should also be a folder named 'ravenfield\_data'. Open it.
3. Create a folder named 'Mods' within 'ravenfield\_data'.
4. Drag the mod folder, complete with an .rfc file inside it, into the 'Mods' folder.

#### Installing on macOS

1. Find the Ravenfield app in Finder. If you have the game in your Dock, simply right-click it, open 'Options' in the appearing menu, and click 'Show in Finder' to automatically take you to the app, as in Finder.
2. Right click the app in Finder, and click on 'Show Package Contents'.
3. The main Finder window will be replaced with a solitary 'Contents' folder. Open it.
4. Create a folder named 'Mods' within 'Contents'.
5. Drag the mod folder, complete with an .rfc file inside it, into the 'Mods' folder.

## Troubleshooting

### Loading delay

Since the game will attempt to load all installed mods (and attempt to do so on unusable mods), if too many are present the game may take hours to load. This can be solved simply by removing redundant or no-longer-used mods.

### Infinite loading

You may have tried the .dll method. The .dll method refers to the downloading of a file named 'Assembly-CSharp.dll' and adding it to an obscure folder down a complicated directory path. **Do not attempt this.** Not only can conflicting guides through the directory result in headaches, the game takes an incredibly long time to load if you try this. Again, **do *not* attempt to install mods using a .dll file named 'Assembly-CSharp.dll'.**

### Magenta Sprites

The presence of a bright, practically neon pink-magenta color means there is a missing texture with the mod in question, which can range from weapon models and projectiles to smoke effects and entire maps. These sprites can get obstructive but are otherwise harmless. Make sure that the mod version number corresponds with your game version number. If it does but the problem still persists, then it is recommended to deactivate the mod. Mac or Linux users may also encounter these "pink particles" if the particles for a mod are built for Windows only (DirectX rather than OpenGL).

## Creating Mods

There are several ways to create Mods for Ravenfield. The game offers an inbuilt Map Editor which allows for simple and easy creation of playable maps, but there are other ways to accomplish this using the Unity Engine program.

All required tools for Modding are listed in detail on ravenfieldgame.com/modding. The website will direct you to the appropriate versions for all software, so take care to follow it closely. The website also links to several community-made tutorials.

### Creating Maps with Unity and the Toolpack

You will need to download a specific version of Unity (Currently 5.6.3 or 5.6.7 and in the future Unity 2020), and the Ravenfield Toolspack. This will allow you create and export maps to the game, eventually uploading them to the Steam Workshop. This option is more complicated but more flexible than the ingame Map Editor. Unity allows you to deform terrain and add objects, but you will need to procure props yourself, either through the Unity store or by your own creation using a 3d modelling program (Blender 2.79). The toolspack allows you to place flags, vehicle spawns and other map-crucial functions before exporting it to the game.

### Creating Weapons and Vehicles with Unity and the Toolspack

Once again, ravenfieldgame.com/modding is the source of information on this process. The toolspack will allow you to transform models or parts of weapons and vehicles into functional objects for the game. Some initial examples are provided. Weapons modding involves 3D modelling a gun, animating the components of the gun (both done in a 3d modelling program, generally) and then configuring it in all Unity. Guides made by the community can be found on Steam.

### Creating Mutators with Ravenscript

Ravenscript is a code language based on Lua that is designed to allow for all sorts of game-changing behavior. It is designed to be safe and readily compatible with the game. Documentation and tutorials for Ravenscript can be found at ravenfieldgame.com/ravenscript.

To use ravenscript, you will need Unity, the toolspack, and any text edit software. Prior programming knowledge is very helpful, but not strictly needed.

## Trivia

* SteelRaven7, the game's developer, does make mods. He has two low-poly products on steam, intended to be used as a guide to other modders. One is a low poly two legged mech and the other is a version of the RK-44 with a high rate of fire.