Getting started
Just want to play with mods? Follow this link →
This page is for building your own.
From zero to a working mod. The Hub does the heavy lifting — you install it once and pull in tools as you need them.
Two ways in
🎨 Building content
New things to see and use — items, buildings, factions, textures, quests. No C# required. You work in the Mod Kit and the rest of the suite, and the mod is data the game reads. Start here ↓
⌨️ Writing code
New behaviour — changing how the game acts, reacting to events, adding player settings. C# and the Mod SDK. Three files and a dotnet build. Start here ↓
Plenty of mods are both. Start with whichever half you are surer of — nothing here stops you adding the other later.
Building content: five steps
Install the Hub
Download the AshForge Hub (Windows or Linux, ~100 MB, signed). It's the front door — every other tool installs and updates through it.
Start a mod with the Mod Kit
Open Mod Kit from the Hub to scaffold a new Ascent of Ashes mod from a template — project structure and editor extensions included.
Build your content
Reach for the tool that fits: Canvas for textures, Motion for animation, Atlas for worlds, Sentinel for AI, Chronicles for quests. See them all on the tools page.
Test it in Crucible
Run your mod through Crucible to catch problems and validate it before anyone else sees it.
Publish with Depot
Package and publish through Depot, then players install it with the Mod Loader. Browse what others have made in the mod library.
Writing code: three files and a build
A code mod is a .NET 6 class library the loader finds and calls. The SDK brings the references, finds your game install, and drops the built mod straight into your mods folder.
Install the Hub, then get the SDK
You need the AshForge Hub with the mod loader enabled, the .NET 6 SDK or newer, and the Mod SDK. Windows for now.
Copy the template and build it
The SDK ships a mod that already compiles — MyFirstMod.csproj, mod.json and ModMain.cs. Run dotnet build and it lands in your mods folder laid out correctly. It finds your install itself, including a Steam library on another drive.
Turn signature checking off while you work
The loader only runs mods signed by AshForge, so your own build is refused and you see nothing happen at all. In the Hub: Manage Mods → Advanced → turn off Require AshForge signatures. A warning stays on screen while it is off. Turn it back on when you are done.
Read the two that save you a day
Lifecycle and the API is everything ModContext gives you — settings, save data, scheduling, dev commands, and talking to other mods. Rules that bite is the non-obvious ones; every entry is there because it already broke something real, and several fail silently or destroy saves.
Publish with Depot
Same door as content mods — package and publish through Depot. See submit a mod for what review involves.
Stuck?
Check the FAQ first — it covers the common problems, including the one that catches nearly everyone: a game update turns mod support back off, and you re-enable it in the Hub. Otherwise, questions and bug reports are welcome on the contribute page.