modwright 0.1.0

package/knowledge/eldenring/formats.binders.yaml

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+game: eldenring
+topic: formats.binders
+title: dvdbnd archives, dcx compression and the bnd4 container
+facts:
+  - id: eldenring.formats.game-data-lives-in-hashed-dvdbnd-archives
+    claim: Everything the game ships lives in paired .bhd/.bdt "dvdbnd" archives — Data0-3 and sd/sd in
+      Elden Ring's Game folder. The .bhd holds an encrypted table of file offsets keyed by a hash of
+      the file's path, and the .bdt holds the bytes. There is no filename table, so an archive
+      cannot be enumerated without a community dictionary.
+    status: community
+    source: http://soulsmodding.wikidot.com/game-engine-file-formats §"DVDBND archives" ("all the Souls
+      games on PC have all their game files inside giant so-called \"dvdbnd\" archives, which are
+      the bdt and bhd files... The bhd files are encrypted and contain the file lists and offsets
+      for each of the game files, and the bdt files contain all the game files... the file names are
+      hashed"); http://soulsmodding.wikidot.com/format:main ("BDT, BHT — dvdbnd archives containing
+      nearly all game data")
+    tags:
+      - dvdbnd
+      - bhd
+      - bdt
+      - archive
+      - hash
+      - dictionary
+      - vanilla-index
+    detail: 'This is why UXM Selective Unpack ships and maintains an "EldenRingDictionary" of known
+      paths and why its changelog is a running list of newly discovered files per patch. For
+      ModWright it means a vanilla index cannot be built by walking the archives the way
+      `build_index` walks a Cyberpunk archive: it needs either the unpacked loose-file tree or a
+      tool that already carries the dictionary.'
+  - id: eldenring.formats.dcx-is-the-outer-compression-wrapper
+    claim: "A `.dcx` suffix is a generic compression wrapper, not a content type — the real format is
+      whatever the inner name says (`.anibnd.dcx`, `.mapbnd.dcx`, `.msgbnd.dcx`). The wrapper's
+      magic is the four ASCII bytes `DCX\\0` at offset 0 and a second four-byte tag at 0x04 selects
+      the codec: DFLT (zlib), EDGE, KRAK (Oodle Kraken) or ZSTD."
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/JKAnderson/SoulsFormats/blob/master/SoulsFormats/Formats/DCX.cs (`return
+      magic == "DCP\0" || magic == "DCX\0";` then the format switch on "DFLT"/"EDGE"/"KRAK"/"ZSTD";
+      `DecompressDCXKRAK` opens with `br.AssertASCII("DCX\0"); br.AssertInt32(0x11000);`);
+      http://soulsmodding.wikidot.com/game-engine-file-formats §"DCX and BND files" ("DCX files are
+      compressed files, and use EDGE, DEFLATE, or Oodle depending on the game")
+    tags:
+      - dcx
+      - compression
+      - oodle
+      - kraken
+      - zstd
+      - deflate
+      - magic
+    detail: DCX.cs's Type enum comments pin the Elden Ring cases exactly - DCX_KRAK_6 is "DCX header,
+      Oodle compression. Used in Sekiro and Elden Ring", DCX_ZSTD is "DCX header, Zstandard
+      compression. Used in Elden Ring since DLC release", and DCX_DFLT_11000_44_9_15 is the one the
+      regulation itself uses. A validator that checks a staged file's compression against what the
+      game expects for that path is therefore possible from the first four bytes plus the tag, with
+      no game install.
+  - id: eldenring.formats.bnd4-header-is-fully-published
+    claim: BND4 is the container almost every Elden Ring asset bundle unwraps to. Its header is a fixed
+      0x40 bytes beginning with the ASCII magic `BND4`, with an explicit big-endian flag byte, a
+      file count, an asserted 0x40 header size and an 8-character version string. The layout is
+      published in full in SoulsFormats' read and write paths.
+    status: community
+    source: 'https://github.com/JKAnderson/SoulsFormats/blob/master/SoulsFormats/Binder/BND4/BND4.cs
+      (`Is`: `string magic = br.GetASCII(0, 4); return magic == "BND4";`; `ReadHeader`:
+      AssertASCII("BND4"), Unk04/Unk05 booleans, three asserted zero bytes, BigEndian and
+      BitBigEndian booleans, `int fileCount = br.ReadInt32()`, `br.AssertInt64(0x40) // Header
+      size`, `bnd.Version = br.ReadFixStr(8)`, fileHeaderSize, headers end, Unicode flag)'
+    tags:
+      - bnd4
+      - binder
+      - header
+      - magic
+      - synthetic-fixture
+      - byte-layout
+    detail: "This settles the question of whether ModWright can build a synthetic BND4 or DCX fixture
+      byte by byte without owning the game: it can. Every DCX header field is an asserted constant,
+      and BND4's header and per-entry layout have matching read/write implementations to copy from.
+      The one exception is a KRAK payload, which needs the non-redistributable Oodle DLL — a
+      synthetic fixture should use DFLT (plain zlib) or ZSTD instead."
+  - id: eldenring.formats.wiki-has-no-byte-layouts-for-binders
+    claim: The community wiki documents no byte-level layout for DCX, BND, BND4, BHD5/BDT, PARAM,
+      PARAMDEF, MSB, FLVER, TPF or HKX. Its format index is one-line descriptions that defer to
+      SoulsFormats. Any format claim needing offsets must cite the C# implementation, not the wiki.
+    status: community
+    source: http://soulsmodding.wikidot.com/format:main ("Many of the proprietary FromSoftware formats
+      are accessible in SoulsFormats for programmatic browsing or editing and SoulsTemplates for hex
+      browsing. See also the SoulsFormats format summary for even more obscure formats and usage
+      details."); the site's own page index (http://soulsmodding.wikidot.com/system:list-all-pages)
+      contains only format:main, :emevd, :esd, :ffx, :fmg, :fxr, :sfx, :sl2, :tae and :evd —
+      http://soulsmodding.wikidot.com/format:dcx answers "The page format:dcx you want to access
+      does not exist."
+    tags:
+      - wiki
+      - documentation
+      - gap
+      - souls-formats
+      - provenance
+    detail: The single exception is format:sl2, which carries real C structs for the Dark Souls
+      Remastered save file — and those are DSR's, not Elden Ring's. Treat the wiki as a tool index
+      and a tutorial index; treat SoulsFormats as the format specification.
+  - id: eldenring.formats.the-unpacked-tree-is-a-fixed-directory-vocabulary
+    claim: An unpacked Elden Ring tree uses a fixed, documented top-level vocabulary — chr/, obj/,
+      parts/, event/, map/, menu/, msg/, mtd/, param/, remo/, script/, sfx/ — and a mod package must
+      reproduce whichever of those paths it overrides, exactly.
+    status: community
+    source: "http://soulsmodding.wikidot.com/game-engine-file-formats §\"Game directory structure\"
+      (per-directory descriptions: chr/ \"Archives for characters and all their models and
+      animations\"; parts/ \"the models, textures, and animations for the weapons and armor\"; map/
+      \"Inside the MapStudio directory are msb files for each map, which defines the layouts and
+      placements of everything\"; msg/ \"all the text and dialogue for the game and all the
+      translations\"; script/ \"AI scripts are written in Lua and compiled... NPC scripts... use
+      From's proprietary state machine format\")"
+    tags:
+      - layout
+      - directories
+      - package
+      - overlay
+      - paths
+    detail: "Mod Engine 2's own config states the same requirement from the loader side — \"Inside each
+      specified mod directory must have the game assets in Fromsoft's asset structure. I.e. if you
+      mod parts/something.partsbnd.dcx, the modded version must be at
+      mod/parts/something.partsbnd.dcx.\" A structural validator can check a package's top-level
+      names against this vocabulary and flag a mod whose files sit one directory too deep, which is
+      a failure that otherwise produces a silently vanilla game. The wiki page is series-wide, and
+      its list is not Elden Ring's: this game has no obj/ or remo/ (its cutscenes are cutscene/) and
+      adds action/, asset/, expression/, facegen/, font/, material/, movie/, shader/ and sound/. The
+      exact set is UXM's EldenRingDictionary data0-data3 and DLC sections, which is what
+      `eldenring.package.layout` uses."
+  - id: eldenring.formats.per-domain-formats-and-their-editors
+    claim: Each authoring domain has its own format and its own editor - MSB for map entity placement,
+      EMEVD for event scripts, ESD for talk/AI state machines, HKS (compiled Lua) for character
+      behaviour, TAE inside an anibnd for animation events, FLVER for models, TPF for texture
+      archives, FMG for localized text, and PARAM for tabular game data.
+    status: community
+    source: http://soulsmodding.wikidot.com/format:main (rows for MSB "Map file containing all world
+      entity placements"; EMEVD "Event scripting files used in all games. Can be edited with
+      Darkscript3"; ESD "State machines used for character behavior, dialog trees, and enemy AI";
+      HKS "Compiled Lua script used by Havok for actor behaviors"; TAE "Defines animation events
+      such as sounds, effects, and hitboxes"; FLVER "Model format"; TPF "Texture archive containing
+      DDS files"; FMG "Generic text containers for localization"; PARAM "General-purpose game data
+      config")
+    tags:
+      - msb
+      - emevd
+      - esd
+      - hks
+      - tae
+      - flver
+      - tpf
+      - fmg
+      - param
+      - editors
+    detail: "The wiki's TAE page adds a detail worth carrying - \"vanilla TAE files have events placed
+      in 30 Hz ticks across the series but they are stored as floating point seconds values rather
+      than frame values\", which is exactly the kind of unit trap a validator can catch. Note the
+      scale difference from the games ModWright already supports: there is no single project format
+      here, so a mod is a heterogeneous set of binaries, each with its own tool."
+  - id: eldenring.formats.dcx-header-byte-layout
+    claim: 'A DCX header is big-endian and puts the same fields at the same offsets in all four codecs:
+      the four bytes "DCX" and a zero at 0x00, a variant word at 0x04, four more words to 0x17,
+      "DCS" at 0x18, the uncompressed and compressed sizes at 0x1C and 0x20, "DCP" at 0x24, the
+      four-byte codec tag at 0x28 (DFLT, EDGE, KRAK or ZSTD), 0x20 at 0x2C and the level byte at
+      0x30 (DFLT 8 or 9, EDGE 9, KRAK 6 or 9, ZSTD 21). Only the words between 0x04 and 0x17 vary by
+      codec and era: KRAK and ZSTD assert 0x11000, 0x18, 0x24, 0x44, 0x4C, DFLT allows 0x10000 or
+      0x11000 at 0x04 and 0x24/0x2C or 0x44/0x4C at 0x10, and EDGE asserts 0x10000, 0x18, 0x24, 0x24
+      with a computed word at 0x14. A file that starts "DCP" instead carries the codec tag at 0x04
+      with no DCX wrapper.'
+    status: community
+    source: SoulsFormats Formats/DCX.cs — DecompressDCXDFLT, DecompressDCXKRAK, DecompressDCXZSTD (each
+      an AssertASCII/AssertInt32 sequence), DecompressDCPDFLT and DecompressDCPEDGE; `br.BigEndian =
+      true` before the reads
+    tags:
+      - dcx
+      - header
+      - codec
+      - offset
+      - layout
+      - krak
+      - zstd
+      - dflt
+      - edge
+    detail: Reading 0x34 bytes is enough to name the codec and level, which is all `eldenring.dcx.codec`
+      needs; `src/surfaces/eldenring/dcx.ts` reads exactly that and the fixture in
+      test/unit/eldenring/tools.test.ts is byte-built from this layout with no payload.
+    related:
+      - eldenring.formats.dcx-is-the-outer-compression-wrapper
+  - id: eldenring.formats.zstd-dcx-arrived-with-the-dlc
+    claim: Elden Ring's own files are Oodle Kraken at level 6 (SoulsFormats' default DCX type for the
+      game), its regulation.bin is a DFLT level-9 variant, and ZSTD DCX files are "Used in Elden
+      Ring since DLC release" — so a ZSTD-compressed file in a mod needs a DLC-era game and a
+      pre-DLC build cannot read it.
+    status: community
+    source: SoulsFormats Formats/DCX.cs — `EldenRing = Type.DCX_KRAK_6` in DefaultType, the
+      `DCX_DFLT_11000_44_9_15` comment "Used in the ER regulation", and the `DCX_ZSTD` comment "DCX
+      header, Zstandard compression. Used in Elden Ring since DLC release."
+    tags:
+      - dcx
+      - zstd
+      - krak
+      - dlc
+      - version
+      - compat
+      - codec
+    detail: Which game version number the DLC boundary corresponds to is a marketing/App Ver question
+      (1.12 in the patch notes) and the PE version axis is unverified, so the validator reports ZSTD
+      as an info naming the DLC boundary rather than gating on a version it cannot compare.
+    related:
+      - eldenring.formats.dcx-is-the-outer-compression-wrapper
+  - id: eldenring.formats.bnd4-header-byte-offsets
+    claim: "The BND4 header's fields sit at fixed offsets: the ASCII magic at 0x00, two boolean bytes at
+      0x04-0x05, three zero bytes, the big-endian flag at 0x09, a byte at 0x0A whose inverse is the
+      bit-big-endian flag, a zero at 0x0B, the file count as an int32 at 0x0C, the header size as an
+      int64 at 0x10 (asserted 0x40), an eight-character version string at 0x18, the per-file header
+      size as an int64 at 0x20, the headers-end offset at 0x28, the Unicode flag at 0x30, the format
+      byte at 0x31, the extended byte at 0x32 (asserted 0, 1, 4 or 0x80), a zero byte and an int32
+      zero, then an int64 hash-table offset (when extended is 4) or zero. Integers follow the
+      big-endian flag."
+    status: community
+    source: SoulsFormats Binder/BND4/BND4.cs `ReadHeader` (`br.AssertASCII("BND4")`, `bnd.Unk04 =
+      br.ReadBoolean()`, ..., `bnd.BigEndian = br.ReadBoolean()`, `bnd.BitBigEndian =
+      !br.ReadBoolean()`, `int fileCount = br.ReadInt32()`, `br.AssertInt64(0x40) // Header size`,
+      `bnd.Version = br.ReadFixStr(8)`, `long fileHeaderSize = br.ReadInt64()`, `bnd.Unicode =
+      br.ReadBoolean()`, `bnd.Format = Binder.ReadFormat(...)`, `bnd.Extended = br.AssertByte(0, 1,
+      4, 0x80)`); Binder/Binder.cs `GetBND4FileHeaderSize` for the per-file size the header must
+      match
+    tags:
+      - bnd4
+      - binder
+      - header
+      - offsets
+      - byte-layout
+      - validator
+      - synthetic-fixture
+    detail: "`src/surfaces/eldenring/binders.ts` reads exactly these 0x40 bytes;
+      `eldenring.binders.bnd4-header` uses the magic, header size, extended byte and file count. The
+      format byte is reported raw: SoulsFormats decodes it against the bit-big-endian flag and the
+      rule has no need to."
+    related:
+      - eldenring.formats.bnd4-header-is-fully-published

package/knowledge/eldenring/launcher.me3.yaml

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+game: eldenring
+topic: launcher.me3
+title: me3, the current elden ring mod loader
+facts:
+  - id: eldenring.me3.supersedes-modengine2
+    claim: me3 (garyttierney/me3) is the live successor to Mod Engine 2 and the loader an Elden Ring
+      surface should target first. Mod Engine 2's own repository is archived and hands off to it,
+      and Smithbox's README recommends me3 for launching mods in all modern FromSoftware games.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/soulsmods/ModEngine2 (repo banner "This repository was archived by the
+      owner on Jul 19, 2024. It is now read-only"; README "Development on Mod Engine 2 is
+      discontinued. Any future work will be done on me3"); https://github.com/vawser/Smithbox
+      README, Troubleshooting, "Save Corruption" entry ("For most modern games, it is recommended
+      that you use ME3 to launch your mods. Smithbox has support for creating a ME3 profile
+      built-in.")
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - modengine2
+      - loader
+      - deprecation
+      - smithbox
+    detail: "Smithbox qualifies the recommendation: \"For DS1, DS2 and pre 1.15.2 DS3, you will still
+      need to use ModEngine2 or other mod launching solutions.\" Elden Ring is not in that exception
+      list. me3's latest release at the time of writing is v0.13.0, published 2026-08-11; Mod Engine
+      2's latest and last is release-2.1.0, published 2023-09-01, which predates the Shadow of the
+      Erdtree DLC."
+  - id: eldenring.me3.profile-is-a-toml-file
+    claim: A me3 mod setup is a single versioned TOML file with the extension `.me3`, holding
+      `profileVersion`, one or more `[[supports]]` blocks naming a game, `[[packages]]` blocks for
+      asset-override folders and `[[natives]]` blocks for DLL mods. This file, not a folder layout,
+      is the thing a surface must read and write.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/docs/configuration-reference.md ("ModProfile
+      (.me3) configuration reference"; "A ModProfile configuration is a versioned TOML file that
+      tells me3 which mods to load, how to load them, and the games they support")
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - profile
+      - toml
+      - packages
+      - natives
+      - config
+    detail: "The reference's worked example is exactly: profileVersion = \"v1\" / savefile =
+      \"MyModdedSave.sl2\" / start_online = true / [[supports]] game = \"eldenring\" / [[packages]]
+      path = 'mods/MyCoolTexturePack/' / [[natives]] path = 'mods/MyAwesomeMod.dll'. A
+      `[[packages]]` block may also carry an `id`. \"Profiles that list exactly one game can be
+      launched without specifying which game to launch.\""
+  - id: eldenring.me3.package-paths-are-relative-to-the-profile
+    claim: Every `path` in a `[[packages]]` or `[[natives]]` block is resolved relative to the location
+      of the `.me3` file itself, not to the game directory and not to the working directory. A
+      deploy or scaffold that writes a profile must compute paths against the profile's own
+      directory.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/docs/user-guide/creating-mod-profiles.md ("Any
+      paths referenced in a mod profile (`path` in `[[packages]]` and `[[natives]]`) are relative to
+      the location of the `.me3` file itself");
+      https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/docs/user-guide/troubleshooting.md ("Remember
+      that all `path`s for `[[packages]]` and `[[natives]]` are relative to the location of your
+      `.me3` file")
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - profile
+      - paths
+      - relative
+      - deploy
+    detail: The troubleshooting page names this and a typo in an `id`/`packages`/`path` keyword as the
+      two most frequent setup errors, which makes both of them cheap static validator rules against
+      a `.me3` file alone.
+  - id: eldenring.me3.package-mirrors-the-dvdbnd-hierarchy
+    claim: A `[[packages]]` folder is a loose-file overlay whose internal layout must match the path the
+      file would have inside the game's DVDBND archives — e.g. a `regulation.bin` at the package
+      root, a `parts/` folder for equipment models. Nothing renames or relocates files for the
+      author.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/docs/user-guide/creating-mod-profiles.md
+      ("Place asset files (e.g. `regulation.bin`, `parts/` folders) in `mod`. Place `.dll` files in
+      `natives`."); https://github.com/garyttierney/me3 README, packages description ("a source for
+      files that override files within the existing games DVDBND archives and points to a local path
+      containing assets matching the hierarchy they would be served under in the DVDBND")
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - packages
+      - dvdbnd
+      - overlay
+      - layout
+    detail: "This is why a file-level conflict between two Elden Ring mods is real rather than cosmetic:
+      two packages that both ship `regulation.bin` are contending for the same served path, unlike
+      two Skyrim mods that merely both contain a `config.json`."
+  - id: eldenring.me3.savefile-field-isolates-modded-saves
+    claim: A profile's optional `savefile` field renames the save the game uses, replacing the default
+      `ER0000.sl2`. me3 copies and renames an existing base save if the named file does not already
+      exist. The save directory itself is unchanged.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/docs/configuration-reference.md ("This
+      optional field specifies the file name of the savefile the game will use instead of the
+      default one (e.g. `ER0000.sl2` in Elden Ring). It's extremely handy for compartmentalizing
+      modded content to avoid save corruption and multiplayer bans. If a file with that name does
+      not already exist, me3 copies and renames an existing base savefile. The default save
+      directory is unchanged.")
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - savefile
+      - saves
+      - ban
+      - isolation
+      - safety
+    detail: This is the first-party version of the community convention Seamless Co-op established with
+      its `.co2` extension. For ModWright it means a modded-play profile can be made non-destructive
+      to a real save purely from the profile file, with no filesystem surgery — a precondition for
+      any attended test run.
+  - id: eldenring.me3.blocks-matchmaking-by-default
+    claim: me3 prevents the game from reaching the official multiplayer matchmaking servers unless a
+      profile sets `start_online = true`. The flag exists for private-server mods and is explicitly
+      not needed for Seamless Co-op.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/docs/configuration-reference.md ("By default,
+      me3 prevents the game from connecting to the official multiplayer matchmaking servers. This
+      functionality can be reenabled for use with private server mods like Waygate and DS3OS (it is
+      *not* needed for Seamless Co-op).")
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - online
+      - matchmaking
+      - ban
+      - start-online
+      - safety
+    detail: me3's own CLI help for the flag calls it a ban risk directly — "Re-enable online
+      matchmaking? (ban risk) ... Supported games are blocked from matchmaking servers by default to
+      prevent accidental online play with invalid (modded) data"
+      (crates/cli/src/commands/profile.rs). A compat rule should treat `start_online = true` on a
+      profile with any package as a warning, not a block.
+  - id: eldenring.me3.cli-and-profile-locations
+    claim: me3 ships a real command-line launcher — `me3 launch -p <profile>` — plus `me3 info`, `me3
+      profile create|list|show`, and `--skip-steam-init` / `--exe-path` for a non-Steam copy.
+      Default profiles live under %LOCALAPPDATA%\garyttierney\me3\config\profiles on Windows and the
+      global config is me3.toml in the sibling config directory.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/docs/user-guide/installation.md ("me3 launch
+      -p eldenring-default"; "See `me3 launch --help`");
+      https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/docs/user-guide/faq.md ("The default mod profile
+      folders are managed under `$HOME/.config/me3/profiles` on Linux and
+      `%LOCALAPPDATA%\\garyttierney\\me3\\config\\profiles` on Windows"; "me3 launch
+      --skip-steam-init --exe-path=\"C:/game-archive/eldenring.exe\""); command list from
+      crates/cli/src/main.rs
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - cli
+      - unattended
+      - profile-dir
+      - toolchain
+      - locator
+    detail: 'This is the piece Mod Engine 2 never had in a scriptable form and the reason an Elden Ring
+      toolchain spec is worth writing: launching a specific profile is a single non-interactive
+      command. The installer "will create a set of empty profiles for ELDEN RING by default", so
+      `eldenring-default` is a profile name that exists on a fresh install.'
+  - id: eldenring.me3.log-is-per-profile-and-rotates-at-five
+    claim: me3 writes one timestamped log file per launch at <data dir>/logs/<profile
+      name>/<YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS>.log and deletes the oldest once five already exist. A log source
+      for me3 must therefore be a glob over a per-profile directory, not a single fixed path.
+    status: inferred
+    source: 'Read from source: https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/crates/cli/src/db/logs.rs
+      (`retention: 5`; `self.base_dir.join(profile_name)`; `now.format("%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S")`;
+      `profile_log_folder.join(format!("{log_file_suffix}.log"))`) and crates/cli/src/config.rs
+      (`self.known_dirs.data_dir().join("logs")`)'
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - logs
+      - triage
+      - rotation
+      - log-source
+    detail: The CLI first logs into a temporary file (`tempfile::NamedTempFile` ... `.keep()`) and
+      copies it to the per-profile log only inside `launch` (crates/cli/src/commands/launch.rs, `let
+      log_file_path = db.logs.create_log_file(...)` then `std::fs::copy(tmp_log_file_path,
+      &log_file_path)`); crates/cli/src/main.rs ends with `let _ =
+      std::fs::remove_file(tmp_log_file_path)`. A command other than `launch` therefore leaves no
+      log behind at all. The Windows data directory is not stated in the docs — only the config
+      directory is — so the concrete parent of `logs/` still needs confirming on a machine that has
+      me3 installed.
+  - id: eldenring.me3.profile-schema-fixes-version-games-and-keys
+    claim: "me3 publishes a JSON schema for the .me3 profile that fixes what a validator can check
+      without the game: profileVersion is the constant \"v1\" and is required; a [[supports]].game
+      is one of darksouls3/ds3, sekiro/sdt, eldenring/er/elden-ring, armoredcore6/ac6,
+      nightreign/nr/nightrein; a [[packages]] block has id, enabled, path, load_after, load_before;
+      a [[natives]] block has path, optional, enabled, load_before, load_after, initializer,
+      finalizer, load_early; a load_after/ load_before entry is { id, optional }; and the profile's
+      other top-level keys are savefile, start_online, disable_arxan, mem_patch, mem_patch_heap_size
+      and debug_properties."
+    status: community
+    source: 'https://github.com/garyttierney/me3/blob/main/schemas/mod-profile.json (read 2026-09-11):
+      `"profileVersion": { "type": "string", "const": "v1" }`, the `Game` oneOf with each enum, and
+      the Package/Native/Dependent property lists; crates/mod-protocol/src/game.rs
+      `possible_names()` for the aliases'
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - profile
+      - schema
+      - profileversion
+      - game
+      - ids
+      - keys
+      - validator
+    detail: "This is the basis of the six `eldenring.me3.*` rules: a key outside those lists is a typo
+      me3 ignores (the docs call keyword typos a common failure), and a load_after id that names no
+      entry is a silent no-op."
+    related:
+      - eldenring.me3.profile-is-a-toml-file
+      - eldenring.me3.package-paths-are-relative-to-the-profile
+  - id: eldenring.me3.info-prints-the-logs-directory
+    claim: "`me3 info` prints the profile directory and the logs directory as \"Profile directory\" and
+      \"Logs directory\" lines, then the me3.toml search paths, the installation status and prefix
+      (Windows), and whether Steam was found; `me3 --version` prints `me3 <semver>` (clap's version
+      flag on a command named me3)."
+    status: community
+    source: crates/cli/src/commands/info.rs — `output.property("Profile directory", ...)`,
+      `output.property("Logs directory", format_path(config.log_dir()))`; crates/cli/ src/main.rs
+      `#[command(name = "me3", version, ...)]`; crates/cli/src/config.rs `log_dir()` =
+      `known_dirs.data_dir().join("logs")`
+    tags:
+      - me3
+      - cli
+      - info
+      - version
+      - logs
+      - directory
+      - toolchain
+    detail: So the me3 log location the loader-log research left open is one command away on any machine
+      with me3 installed, without reading the Rust source; the Windows default data directory itself
+      is still not sourced from disk.
+    related:
+      - eldenring.me3.log-is-per-profile-and-rotates-at-five

package/knowledge/eldenring/launcher.modengine2.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+game: eldenring
+topic: launcher.modengine2
+title: mod engine 2, the archived predecessor still on disk everywhere
+facts:
+  - id: eldenring.modengine2.archived-and-predates-the-dlc
+    claim: Mod Engine 2 is discontinued. Its last release, release-2.1.0, is dated 2023-09-01 and the
+      repository was archived 2024-07-19 — both before the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Any Elden Ring
+      install still using it is pinned to an old game build, so a compat rule should surface its
+      presence rather than treat it as current.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/soulsmods/ModEngine2 (archive banner dated Jul 19, 2024; README
+      "Development on Mod Engine 2 is discontinued. Any future work will be done on me3");
+      https://github.com/soulsmods/ModEngine2/releases (release-2.1.0, published 2023-09-01, is the
+      only non-prerelease; preview4 2022-08-26 and preview3 2022-03-31 are the others)
+    tags:
+      - modengine2
+      - deprecation
+      - compat
+      - version
+      - dlc
+    detail: 'The build still shipping in its installer calls itself a preview: installer/dist/README.txt
+      opens "Mod Engine 2 Preview release: This is a preview release of Mod Engine 2 for Elden Ring
+      and Armored Core 6." A locally installed copy reports itself in its own log as "ModEngine
+      version 2.1.0-0924ab36f1311bf84e7e626740b4bf2c0d54909a initializing for Elden Ring", i.e.
+      version plus the exact commit — a clean version-detection line for a compat surface that has
+      to report a Mod Engine 2 install at all.'
+  - id: eldenring.modengine2.first-enabled-mod-wins
+    claim: When two Mod Engine 2 mod folders provide the same relative path, the first enabled entry in
+      the config's `mods` array wins outright. There is no merging of any kind, including for
+      regulation.bin.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/soulsmods/ModEngine2/blob/main/installer/dist/config_eldenring.toml
+      ("List of directories that contain modded files in order of prioritization"; "Note that
+      modengine 2 currently has no way to resolve conflicting files including regulation.bin, and
+      thus the mod with the highest priority will have the modded file be loaded in the case of
+      conflict. Some support for merging of params and potentially other assets is considered for a
+      future release.")
+    tags:
+      - modengine2
+      - conflict
+      - load-order
+      - regulation
+      - merge
+      - override
+    detail: Corroborated by the README's own hedge on concurrent mods — "this is still restricted to
+      mods that don't replace conflicting files" — and by src/modengine/ext/mod_loader/, which
+      pushes enabled roots in array order and returns on the first root where the path exists. This
+      single sentence is the whole reason an Elden Ring surface's `mod/` root must be `merged`, not
+      `isolated`, and why regulation.bin is the central cross-mod problem for this game.
+  - id: eldenring.modengine2.config-keys
+    claim: config_eldenring.toml carries `[modengine] debug` (spawns a debug console), `[modengine]
+      external_dlls` (DLL mods loaded into the game), `[extension.mod_loader] enabled` and
+      `loose_params`, a `mods` list of `{ enabled, name, path }` entries, and
+      `[extension.scylla_hide] enabled`. `loose_params` is explicitly not supported for Elden Ring.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/soulsmods/ModEngine2/blob/main/installer/dist/config_eldenring.toml
+      (comments "If set to true the debug console will appear while the game is running"; "List of
+      files that will be loaded into the game as DLL mods."; "Not currently supported for Elden
+      Ring" above `loose_params = false`)
+    tags:
+      - modengine2
+      - config
+      - toml
+      - loose-params
+      - external-dlls
+      - scyllahide
+    detail: A locally installed copy's file uses the table-array spelling
+      `[[extension.mod_loader.mods]]` with one block per mod rather than the README's inline `mods =
+      [ { ... } ]` array; both parse to the same TOML value, so a parser must accept either. An
+      absolute path in `external_dlls` needs doubled backslashes, and a path with no drive specifier
+      is resolved relative to the launcher, not the game.
+  - id: eldenring.modengine2.launches-the-real-exe-and-bypasses-eac
+    claim: Mod Engine 2 launches Game/eldenring.exe directly rather than start_protected_game.exe, which
+      is the Easy Anti-Cheat shim Steam normally starts. Modded play therefore runs with EAC never
+      loaded, and is offline-only.
+    status: community
+    source: https://github.com/soulsmods/ModEngine2/blob/main/installer/dist/README.txt ("double-click
+      \"launchmod_eldenring.bat\" and the game will automatically be launched with Mod Engine 2
+      injected. This includes the game launching with EAC disabled so you can play with mods offline
+      with no fear of being banned."; and, on the rename trick, "You can also rename the launcher to
+      \"start_protected_game.exe\" (after backing up the existing one) and have Steam automatically
+      launch with your mod, though game updates will restore the existing exe and overwrite the Mod
+      Engine 2 launcher if you do so."); launcher target table in launcher/launcher.cpp mapping
+      ELDEN_RING to app id 1245620 and "Game/eldenring.exe"
+    tags:
+      - modengine2
+      - eac
+      - anticheat
+      - offline
+      - launch
+      - ban
+    detail: "There is no `-eac` flag: the launcher's whole option set is -t/--launch-target,
+      -p/--game-path, -c/--config, -s/--suspend and --modengine-dll. \"EAC disabled\" is a
+      consequence of which executable is started, not a switch. The shipped batch file is a single
+      line, `.\\modengine2_launcher.exe -t er -c .\\config_eldenring.toml`. Because running the game
+      from Steam still starts the vanilla instance, an install can hold both a modded and an
+      unmodded launch path at once."
+  - id: eldenring.modengine2.log-file-is-dated-not-fixed
+    claim: Mod Engine 2 logs to a daily-rotating file under its own `logs/` directory. The file on disk
+      is named modengine_<YYYY-MM-DD>.log, so a log source must declare a glob or candidate list
+      rather than one fixed filename.
+    status: community
+    source: src/modengine/main.cpp (`auto logs_path = modengine_path / "logs";`) and
+      src/modengine/logging.cpp (`daily_file_sink_mt` over `path / "modengine.log"`, rotating at
+      00:30 with 5 files retained) at https://github.com/soulsmods/ModEngine2; filename confirmed
+      against the install on this machine, which holds modengine2\logs\modengine_2026-03-07.log
+    tags:
+      - modengine2
+      - logs
+      - triage
+      - rotation
+      - log-source
+    detail: spdlog's daily sink appends the date to the base name, which is why the configured
+      "modengine.log" appears on disk as "modengine_2026-03-07.log". Useful lines seen in that real
+      log, each a candidate triage signature — an [info] banner "ModEngine version <ver>-<commit>
+      initializing for Elden Ring"; one "Installing mod location mod\\<name>" plus "Resolved mod
+      path to <abs path>" pair per enabled mod, in priority order; "Applied 3 hooks"; and, for a DLL
+      mod that failed to load, an [error] line "Failed to load DLL <absolute path>" that the game
+      otherwise reports nowhere.