Making Mods: Getting Started

A high-level overview of what's possible with the Atlan Modding Tools. If you have previous experience modding Doom Eternal, this page explains the critical differences between the two games.

(Page is still a work in progress)

Dark Ages vs Eternal

Almost no differences exist between the Dark Ages and Eternal file system. However, major discoveries have simplified the modding process. Massive issues Eternal modders faced are irrelevant in Dark Ages.

Eternal	Dark Ages
Mod loader replaces the files inside of the vanilla game archives.	Mod loader builds it's own resource archive. The vanilla game archives are untouched
Modders had to know what archives contained which assets, and replicate this setup in their mods.	Not an issue. The modded resource archive is loaded globally, so modded assets will always be usable. Modders don't need need to consider where their assets should be stored.
Adding new assets to an archive, instead of replacing existing assets, could cause instability.	Not an issue. Add as many new assets as you want!
Game updates frequently broke mods due to resource archive priorities changing.	Not an issue. The modded resource archive will always have the highest priority.

This doesn't make your mods immune to game updates. When updates revises a vanilla game file, you should update your mods to use that new version. Otherwise, your mod will be outdated because it uses a previous update's file as a baseline. The consequences will vary significantly depending on the mod. It may range from nothing happening, to game balance being off, to core mechanics not working, to game crashes.