Datapacks

Datapacks and `pack.json`

If you want your changes to look and behave like a proper mod instead of a few loose JSON files, the recommended way is to use a datapack.

Minimal Structure

MyFirstMod/
├── pack.json
└── jsons/
    ├── features/
    ├── lang/
    ├── objects/
    ├── levels/
    └── worldmap/

Here, pack.json is required.

`pack.json` Template

{
  "uuid": "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "name": "My Custom Mod",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "priority": 100,
  "description": "Description of the mod",
  "author": "Your name",
  "formatVersion": 1,
  "gameVersion": "0.7.1",
  "gpNextVersion": ">=1.0.0"
}

Field Reference

`uuid`

The unique identifier.

It matters because GP-Next uses it to remember:

whether the pack is enabled
where the pack appears in the load order

You can generate one directly from the Guide page in game.

`name`

The name shown in Patcher.

`version`

The version number of your own mod.

`priority`

Default load priority. Smaller numbers load earlier.

`description`

Short description of the mod.

`author`

Author name.

`formatVersion`

For now, just write 1.

`gameVersion`

The game version your mod targets.

`gpNextVersion`

The minimum GP-Next version required by your mod.

Thumbnail

You can place these files next to pack.json:

thumbnail.png
thumbnail.ico

Requirements:

square image
smaller than 128x128

Patcher will then show it as the pack cover image.

Folder and ZIP Support

packs/ supports both:

folders
.zip files

Basic Workflow

Create a new folder under packs/
Write pack.json
Create jsons/ and its subfolders
Put your patch JSON files inside
Go back to the game and click Save & Reload

What `worldmap/` Is For

If you want to change the runtime world-map node graph rather than ordinary WorldmapFeatures raw data, you will also use:

jsons/worldmap/gpn-worldmap.json5

This feature is currently still classified as Experimental inside GP-Next, so you need to enable it first on that page.
For the actual format, see World Map.

The most common way to share a datapack is as a ZIP file.

The ZIP should look like this:

MyFirstMod.zip
├── pack.json
└── jsons/

not like this:

MyFirstMod.zip
└── MyFirstMod/
    ├── pack.json
    └── jsons/

Things To Watch in `pack.json`

once a uuid is generated, do not change it casually
name is player-facing, so keep it clear
description should explain what the pack changes
update version when you publish important changes