Installing and Managing Mods

Overview

Kyber uses Frosty mods (.fbmod files) and collections to customize Star Wars Battlefront II. The launcher provides a complete mod management system with automatic detection, categorization, and collection building.

Mod Directory Setup

Initial Configuration

Launch Kyber

Open the Kyber Launcher for the first time.

Select Mods Directory

During setup, choose a directory to store your mods. This should have at least 20 GB of free space.

Automatic Detection

The launcher automatically scans this directory and detects all .fbmod and .fbcollection files.

The launcher watches your mods directory and automatically refreshes when files are added or removed.

Installing Mods

Method 1: Download from Mod Browser

Open Mod Browser

Navigate to the Mod Browser in the launcher.

Search for Mods

Browse available mods or use the search function.

Download

Click the download button. Mods are automatically saved to your mods directory.

Wait for Completion

The launcher will download and verify the mod file.

Method 2: Manual Installation

Download Mod File

Download .fbmod or .fbcollection files from external sources (NexusMods, Discord, etc.).

Move to Mods Directory

Copy the file to your configured mods directory.

Automatic Detection

The launcher will automatically detect the new mod within 2 seconds.

Method 3: Drag and Drop

The launcher supports drag and drop for .fbmod, .fbcollection, .kbcollection, and .kbrotation files:

Drag the file into the launcher window
The launcher will prompt to install
Mods are automatically copied to your mods directory

The launcher automatically filters and categorizes mods by type during the loading process.

Mod File Types

Frosty Mods (.fbmod)

Standard mod files created with Frosty Mod Manager. The launcher reads mod metadata including:

Name and Version: From mod manifest
Category: Gameplay, Maps, Cosmetic, etc.
File Size: For download tracking
Custom Data: Custom modes, maps, and level declarations

Frosty Collections (.fbcollection)

Collections of multiple mods bundled together. The launcher:

Reads the collection manifest
Expands all referenced mods
Validates each mod exists
Loads metadata for all contained mods

From source/CLI/lib/utils/mod_helper.dart:13-36:

static List<FrostyMod> expandMods(List<FrostyMod> mods) {
  final mods = <FrostyMod>[];
  for (final mod in mods) {
    if (!mod.isCollection) {
      mods.add(mod);
    } else {
      // Expand collection into individual mods
      for (final modPath in getCollectionMods(mod)) {
        final frostyMod = ModReader(mod.openSync(), modPath).readMod();
        if (frostyMod != null) {
          mods.add(frostyMod);
        }
      }
    }
  }
  return mods;
}

Kyber Collections (.kbcollection)

Kyber’s native collection format with enhanced features:

Metadata and descriptions
Custom thumbnails
Load order configuration
Collection versioning
Cross-platform compatibility

Creating Mod Collections

Using the Collection Builder

Navigate to Mods

Go to the Mods section in the launcher.

Create New Collection

Click “New Collection” or use the URL kyber://mods?collection=new.

Add Mods

Select mods from your library to include in the collection.

Configure Load Order

Drag and drop mods to set the load order. Mods at the bottom load last and override earlier mods.

Set Metadata

Configure:

Collection name
Description
Custom thumbnail (optional)

Save Collection

Save as a .kbcollection file. This creates a reusable, shareable collection.

Collection Export

Export collections for sharing:

Open your collection
Click “Export Collection”
Choose export options:
- Include mod files (creates larger archive)
- Metadata only (requires others to download mods separately)

Mod Categories

The launcher organizes mods into categories from source/Launcher/lib/features/mods/services/mod_service.dart:71-82:

Category	Description	Server Compatible
Gameplay	Game mechanics, balance changes	Yes
Maps	New maps and map modifications	Yes
Cosmetic	Visual changes, skins	No
Audio	Sound replacements	No
UI	Interface modifications	No
Other	Miscellaneous mods	Varies

Only Gameplay and Maps mods are loaded when hosting or joining servers. Cosmetic mods work in offline/instant action only.

Advanced Management

Changing Mods Directory

Open Settings

Navigate to Settings in the launcher.

Select New Directory

Choose a new directory for mod storage.

Move Existing Mods

The launcher will prompt to move existing mods to the new location.

Automatic Rescan

The launcher rescans and indexes all mods in the new directory.

Duplicate Detection

The launcher automatically detects duplicate mods based on:

Mod name
Version number
File hash

Duplicates are flagged in the mod list for cleanup.

Hidden Mods

Mods with the .bsm extension are hidden from the main mod list but still loaded. This is used for:

BSM plugin mods
Internal launcher mods
Background modifications

From source/Launcher/lib/features/mods/services/mod_service.dart:128-133:

_mods = [
  ...x[0].where((e) => !extension(e.filename, 2).contains('.bsm')),
  ...x[1],
];
_hiddenMods = x[0]
    .where((e) => extension(e.filename, 2).contains('.bsm'))
    .toList();

Server Mod Requirements

Joining Servers with Mods

When joining a modded server:

Check Requirements

The server browser displays required mods with download links.

Download Missing Mods

Click download buttons for any missing mods.

Select Collection

Choose a collection that matches the server’s mod requirements, or create a new one.

Join Server

Once all mods are installed, click Join.

Auto-Matching Collections

The launcher automatically matches your collections to server requirements based on:

Gameplay mods only (cosmetic mods are ignored)
Exact version matching
Load order compatibility

From source/Launcher/lib/features/server_browser/dialogs/join_server_dialog.dart:55-78:

for (final collection in collectionBox.values) {
  final gameplayMods = collection
      .mods
      .where((e) => e.category == 'Gameplay' || e.category == 'Maps')
      .toList();

  if (ListEquality().equals(gameplayMods, mods) || 
      collection.isCosmetic || 
      gameplayMods.isEmpty) {
    collections.add(collection);
  }
}

Create a “No Mods” collection for joining vanilla servers without disabling your mod setup.

Custom Modes and Maps

Some mods include custom game modes and maps. The launcher extracts this metadata:

Custom Mode Data

Mode name and ID
Maximum players
Mode icon/image
Supported maps

Custom Map Data

Map name and ID
Supported modes
Map preview image
Level path

This data is used in the map rotation builder and server browser.

Troubleshooting

Mods Not Appearing

Check file extension: Only .fbmod and .fbcollection files are supported
Verify directory: Ensure mods are in the configured directory
Force refresh: Restart the launcher to trigger a manual rescan
Check permissions: Ensure the launcher has read access to the mods directory

Collection Load Failures

If a mod referenced in a collection is missing, the collection may fail to load completely.

To fix:

Download missing mods
Edit the collection to remove missing references
Create a new collection with available mods

Performance Issues

With large mod libraries (500+ mods):

The initial scan may take 30-60 seconds
Use collections to organize mods
Remove unused mods to improve load times

The launcher uses parallel processing (2 worker threads) to load mods efficiently.

File Watcher Issues

If automatic detection stops working:

Check that the mods directory still exists
Verify no permission changes occurred
Restart the launcher to reset the file watcher

The watcher has a 2-second debounce to prevent excessive refreshes.

Best Practices

Organize with Collections

Create separate collections for different playstyles (e.g., “Vanilla+”, “Total Conversion”, “Cosmetic Only”)

Keep Mods Updated

Regularly check for mod updates to ensure compatibility

Backup Collections

Export important collections to backup files

Test Before Hosting

Test mod combinations in instant action before hosting a server

Next Steps

Host a Server

Learn how to host servers with your mod collections

Map Rotations

Build custom map rotations with modded maps

Get Started

Features

Guides

​Overview

​Mod Directory Setup

​Initial Configuration

​Installing Mods

​Method 1: Download from Mod Browser

​Method 2: Manual Installation

​Method 3: Drag and Drop

​Mod File Types

​Frosty Mods (.fbmod)

​Frosty Collections (.fbcollection)

​Kyber Collections (.kbcollection)

​Creating Mod Collections

​Using the Collection Builder

​Collection Export

​Mod Categories

​Advanced Management

​Changing Mods Directory

​Duplicate Detection

​Hidden Mods

​Server Mod Requirements

​Joining Servers with Mods

​Auto-Matching Collections

​Custom Modes and Maps

​Custom Mode Data

​Custom Map Data

​Troubleshooting

​Mods Not Appearing

​Collection Load Failures

​Performance Issues

​File Watcher Issues

​Best Practices

Organize with Collections

Keep Mods Updated

Backup Collections

Test Before Hosting

​Next Steps

Host a Server

Map Rotations

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Mod Directory Setup

Initial Configuration

Installing Mods

Method 1: Download from Mod Browser

Method 2: Manual Installation

Method 3: Drag and Drop

Mod File Types

Frosty Mods (.fbmod)

Frosty Collections (.fbcollection)

Kyber Collections (.kbcollection)

Creating Mod Collections

Using the Collection Builder

Collection Export

Mod Categories

Advanced Management

Changing Mods Directory

Duplicate Detection

Hidden Mods

Server Mod Requirements

Joining Servers with Mods

Auto-Matching Collections

Custom Modes and Maps

Custom Mode Data

Custom Map Data

Troubleshooting

Mods Not Appearing

Collection Load Failures

Performance Issues

File Watcher Issues

Best Practices

Next Steps