Modding

MODs files are stored in:

Windows version

path to game folder/Mods

Linux version

Mac OS X version

General Modding Advice

The tilde key (`) brings up the dev console, which will report any errors it encounters. This is the quickest way to see what, if any, errors exist in your mod.
Use Developement Mode (Found in Options) to help debug your mod.

Mod Info:

This is found in \MODNAME\About\

The contents of About.xml are plain text. HTML Markup tags cause NullRef's.
You can have an image for your mod. Restrict the image width to 600 pixels

Textures:

These are found in \MODNAME\Textures\

You can have any path you want from this point on.
When referencing textures in your mod, using <TexturePath>, have the complete path relative to your mod, including the filename (but not the file extension) Example for the RoyalBed Testmod: <TexturePath>Things/Building/RoyalBed</TexturePath>
You can randomize textures within a folder using a <textureFolderPath> pointing at a folder with multiple textures inside. Each Thing of the given def will have a random texture from the folder (which may change when the game is saved and reloaded).

Mod Folder Structure:

While you can name all .xml files whatever you want. You cannot rename the folders; the game looks in folders with specific names to find specific data.

New Interactable "Things":

A thing is anything that exists in the game world. It includes resources, races (humanoid and animal), buildings, furniture, and many others.

These are defined in \MODNAME\Defs\ThingDefs If you make a new workbench, you'll need to define a recipe for it. This is a list, so you can have many new recipes listed.

The recipes themselves are defined in: \MODNAME\Defs\RecipeDefs In here you can define what ingredients/resources are required, what can be used, and what the default recipe is.

Any new resources will need to be defined in: MODNAME\Defs\ThingDefs

New Turrets:

These are defined in two files in: \MODNAME\Defs\ThingDefs Buildings_Big.xml and Weapons_Guns.xml (Remember, these can be named anything)

Buildings_Big.xml defines the structure of the turret itself. IE:

		<building>
			<turretGunDef>Gun_TurretImprovised</turretGunDef>
			<burstCooldownTicks>300</burstCooldownTicks>
		</building>

Weapons_Gun.xml defines the weapon the turret uses. Anything can be used as a weapon for turrets, including grenades.

New Resources:

These are defined in: MODNAME\Defs\ThingDefs\Resources.xml

New Research Projects:

These are found in: MODNAME\Defs\ResearchProjectDefs You can have research trees as well, where additional research projects get unlocked as you move through. This is how to add prerequisites:

		<prerequisites>
			<li>-this is the <defName> of the prerequisite-</li>
		</prerequisites>

Because it's a list, you can have multiple prerequisites for a research project.