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Bundle layout

A .rcmod is a tar+gzip of a directory tree:

my_mod/
├── mod.yaml                       # manifest: name, version, scripts, addons, …
├── i18n.yaml                      # central string registry (cluster.i18n_strings)
├── scripts/                       # Python script hooks (server-side)
├── addons/                        # Client UI addons → Interface/AddOns/
├── client_files/                  # Loose client-side overrides (textures, models)
├── db/                            # Idempotent SQL migrations run on activation
├── dbc/                           # DBC table overrides (Item.dbc, Spell.dbc, …)
│
├── items/, quests/, creatures/    # AC `world.*_template` content rows
├── gameobjects/, spells/, maps/   #   (one JSON file per entry)
├── item_locales/, quest_locales/  # AC `world.*_template_locale` rows for
├── creature_locales/, …           #   non-base translations (auto-generated
│                                  #   from LocalisedString fields by stctl)
├── loot_creature/, loot_gameobj./ # `world.*_loot_template` -- one file per pool
├── conditions/, smart_scripts/    # `world.conditions` / `smart_scripts`
├── achievement_rewards/, …        # `world.achievement_reward` + criteria_data
│
└── config_schema/                 # Per-realm tunable knobs in the admin UI

Each section is optional. A pure-script mod has only mod.yaml + scripts/. A pure-rebalance mod might be mod.yaml + dbc/.

mod.yaml reference

name: my_mod                    # snake_case ID, must be unique
version: 1.0.0                  # semver
author: "Acme Realms"
description: |
  Multi-line free-form description shown in the admin UI.

target_versions:                # Client builds the bundle declares
  - wrath                       #   support for. Currently: wrath.

# Server-side Python script files. The mod runtime loads these on
# patch activation and wires every declared hook (see scripting docs).
scripts:
  - path: scripts/boss_overhaul.py
  - path: scripts/welcome.py

# Client UI addons. Every file under each folder ships into the
# launcher patch as Interface\AddOns\<FolderName>\*.
addons:
  - path: addons/MyHUD

Content directories

YAML manifests in the content directories compile to the AC world.* row shape. The stctl <domain> build family of commands handles the named-enum DSL — school: fire, flags: [stay_alive, party_accept], event: aggro, condition: aura — and falls back to raw integers for anything not enumerated.

See Tooling for the full stctl surface.

Localisation

i18n.yaml ships a per-mod string registry. Activation upserts into cluster.i18n_strings; the admin portal lets operators edit strings live (/admin/design/i18n-strings). Server-side resolution runs through instance.localize(player, key, *args), with offline-player fallback through characters.last_locale.

Per-entity content text (quest titles, item names, NPC names, etc.) flows through AC's *_template_locale siblings via the LocalisedString type in every content builder.

Tunables

config_schema/ declares per-realm knobs. The admin UI auto-renders typed forms; values flow back into scripts through instance.get_mod_config_* calls. Tunable schemas survive mod updates so realms keep their tweaks.