Update 21/Dec-2018: Progression changes in base XML file broke the jokeblimp, so I took the progression out and reposted the version here. The link at the bottom is a working version, just doesn’t require learning any recipes to craft.

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What’s a modlet? And what does it have to do with 7 Days to Die? Is it a pancake?

A modlet is a new kind of dessert in Alpha 17, utilizing xPath dynamic loading to incorporate xml snippets into existing XML configuration before the game loads them.

While it might seem as if this is only of interest to modders, nothing could be further from the truth! With modlets, you drop them into a /Mods folder, and that’s it. No need to edit files, no need to update and fix after a version change. No need to understand much. Don’t like something? There’s probably a mod for that (or can be made) and you can simply use it without understanding how any of the configs work.

In effect, they are small mods that effect the xml files. They can add, remove, alter the xml configs, adding additional icons to support and it’s all nicely rolled up into a pancake (or am modlet)!

Why are they good? With the new system in Alpha 17, we use xPath loading to dynamically load in these changes before they are brought into the game. So editing individual xml files every time the game is verified or updated is a thing of the past, or using a mod loader for small mods. The modlets do have to follow a particular format, specify what it does, but then they just get put in a /Mods folder and everything works!

And the great thing is that a lot of people can and are making modlets, they package them up and all you need to do is download and extract into the right location and you are good to go! Conflicts could always occur if multiple modlets touch the same piece of config, but that’s always been an issue. At least if they are small, the risk lessens and hopefully people describe what they do correctly so we know what it might touch. At least you don’t need to edit together different snippets of xml manually.

Very useful for small mods, and thus the name modlets  is appropriate, but naturally big mod packs will continue to be out of scope, you’re not making a Starvation or War of the Walkers mod with this system yet 🙂

Steps to install:

  1. Download the modlet
  2. Unzip into the /Mods directory (create if needed)
  3. Verify you don’t have multiple layers of folders which can happen if you extract incorrectly.
  4. Profit! Start the game and enjoy!

Of course do make sure the modlets are supporting your version. If things change in the XML configs the modlets might behave incorrectly if not updated as well.

For installing the blimp, here’s the download –> Vedui_JokeBlimp

If you find cool modlets, do come to my discord and tell us all about them!

 

/Vedui!

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