Ratchet

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Getting Started 🎬 ​

Ratchet is a script extender that enables modders and server admins to create server-side mods called plugins using Lua scripting language.

Players don't have to install these plugins, neither do they have to install Ratchet itself, everything lives on the server and can be changed at runtime.

WARNING

Ratchet is still in development and not yet publicly available for download!

Installing Ratchet ​

Ratchet has to be installed in the ConanSandbox\Binaries\Win64 directory of the dedicated server. From there it will be automatically loaded whenever server is started.

Configuration file named config.json also has to remain in this directory. It will tell Ratchet where to look for plugins (and packages).

By default, they are located in ConanSandbox\Binaries\Win64\plugins but this can be changed in the configuration file.

json
{
  "plugins": "C:/Ratchet/plugins",
  "packages": "C:/Users/USERNAME/AppData/Roaming/luarocks/share/lua/5.4/?.lua"
}

Workshop Mod ​

For Ratchet to function, you also need to add the Workshop mod to your mod list.

It is recommended to put Ratchet at the very bottom of the mod order or as near to it as possible to avoid overwriting interface API and other unforeseen issues.

WARNING

Ratchet is still in development, you will not find it on the Steam Workshop just yet.

Installing plugins ​

Plugins are folders of Lua files. They always have to contain main.lua to be recognized by Ratchet as plugins. That file is also automatically executed whenever the plugin is loaded.

Official and community made plugins that are available as open-source projects for everyone to use can be found at: https://github.com/RatajVaver/ratchet-plugins

These plugins also serve as examples to learn from, if you wish to create your own plugins.

Once you downloaded or created some plugins, you can load them using in-game command: /ratchet load myfirstplugin or with plugin manager in Sudo admin panel.

You can also load them using HTTP request, directing your browser to localhost:5460/reload?plugin=myfirstplugin on the server machine or using that as an API.

Better yet, you can have plugins load on server startup by creating plugins.txt file in the root plugins directory and listing a name of plugin to load on each line.

myfirstplugin
community/chess
community/storage
deeply/closeted/gay/plugin
discord-webhooks

TIP

Plugins can live in subfolders but it is generally good idea to not go too crazy with the structure. Use first level to organize plugins into categories or groups if you have too many of them.

Global code ​

You can create a file named global.lua in your root plugins directory.

This file will be executed once with server startup before loading plugins.

WARNING

Be careful with this file, as anything you declare in it will be shared with every plugin!