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Overview

Follow these best practices to create mods that are stable, compatible, and easy to maintain.

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Project Organization

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File Naming

Use descriptive, meaningful names:✅ Good:
  • weapon-rebalance-v2.fbproject
  • 4k-character-textures.fbproject
  • enhanced-lighting-overhaul.fbproject
❌ Avoid:
  • project1.fbproject
  • mod.fbproject
  • asdf.fbproject

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Directory Structure

Organize your modding workspace: 
MyMods/
├─ Projects/           # Source .fbproject files
│   ├─ weapon-mod/
│   │   ├─ weapon-rebalance.fbproject
│   │   ├─ notes.txt
│   │   └─ reference/
│   └─ texture-pack/
├─ Exports/            # Built .fbmod files
│   ├─ weapon-rebalance-v1.0.fbmod
│   └─ texture-pack-v2.1.fbmod
├─ Resources/          # Source assets
│   ├─ textures/
│   ├─ meshes/
│   └─ audio/
└─ Documentation/      # Guides and notes

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Version Control

Track your projects with Git:
# Initialize repository
git init
git add *.fbproject
git commit -m "Initial commit"

# Tag releases
git tag -a v1.0 -m "Version 1.0 release"
.gitignore for mods:
# Ignore built mods
*.fbmod

# Ignore temp files
*.tmp
*.bak

# Keep projects
!*.fbproject
Write clear commit messages:✅ Good:
Increase assault rifle damage by 15%
Add 4K textures for main character
Fix crash when loading custom level
❌ Avoid:
Update
Fixed stuff
changes
Use branches for major changes:
main        - Stable releases
develop     - Active development
feature/*   - New features
bugfix/*    - Bug fixes

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Asset Modification

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Texture Best Practices

Choose appropriate texture formats:
Use CaseFormatNotes
Color (no alpha)BC16:1 compression
Color + alphaBC3Good quality
High qualityBC7Best quality, larger
Normal mapsBC5Optimized for normals
HDR lightingBC6HHigh dynamic range
Don’t use uncompressed formats (RGBA8) for shipped mods. They’re 4-6x larger and hurt performance.

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Mesh Best Practices

Maintain good mesh topology:
  • Quad-based: Use quads where possible
  • Triangulate: Triangulate before export
  • No N-gons: Avoid faces with >4 sides
  • Clean geometry: Remove doubles, fix normals
  • Proper UVs: No overlapping (unless intentional)
Match or slightly improve original counts:
Original: 5,000 triangles
✅ Good: 4,500 - 6,000 triangles
⚠️ Warning: 10,000 triangles (2x)
❌ Bad: 50,000 triangles (10x)
High poly counts hurt performance, especially for multiple instances.
Preserve vertex channel requirements:Required Channels:
  • Position (always)
  • Normal (always)
  • UV0 (almost always)
  • Tangent/Bitangent (for normal maps)
  • Vertex Colors (if original had them)
  • Additional UVs (match original count)
Bone Weights:
  • Max bones per vertex: Match original
  • Normalize weights
  • Remove unused influences
Keep materials organized:
  • Use descriptive material names
  • Match original material count
  • Preserve material IDs
  • Don’t create unnecessary materials

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EBX Property Editing

Before editing EBX properties:
  • Understand what the property does
  • Note the original value
  • Test changes incrementally
  • Check for dependent properties
Generally safe to modify:
  • Numeric values: Damage, range, speed
  • Boolean flags: Enable/disable features
  • Strings: Names, descriptions
  • Colors: RGB values
  • Asset references: Swap textures/meshes

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Compatibility

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Mod Conflicts

1

Minimize Conflicts

Reduce chances of conflicts:
  • Modify only what’s needed: Don’t change unnecessary assets
  • Avoid popular assets: Commonly modded assets conflict more
  • Provide alternatives: Offer compatible versions
  • Document changes: List all modified assets
2

Test with Popular Mods

Before release, test with:
  • Top 10 most downloaded mods
  • Mods in same category
  • Known overhaul mods
  • Different load orders
3

Communicate Conflicts

Document known incompatibilities:
## Compatibility

**Compatible with:**
- UI Enhancement Mod v2.1+
- Performance Optimizer

**Incompatible with:**
- Total Overhaul Mod (conflicts with weapon stats)
- Texture Mega Pack (use our textures OR theirs)

**Load Order:**
Load this mod AFTER gameplay mods, BEFORE texture mods.

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Game Version Compatibility

Track which game version your mod targets:
  • Project file: Stores game version (head revision)
  • Description: Document game version in mod description
  • Updates: Test after game patches
  • Changelog: Note when updating for new game version
When game updates:
  1. Wait for Frosty update: Ensure toolsuite supports new version
  2. Test existing mod: Check if still works
  3. Update if needed: Fix broken assets
  4. Increment version: Update mod version number
  5. Notify users: Announce compatibility

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Performance Optimization

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Resource Size

Optimize mod size without sacrificing quality:
  1. Use compressed formats: BC1/BC3/BC7 for textures
  2. Remove unused mipmaps: Don’t include more than needed
  3. Optimize mesh data: Remove unused vertex channels
  4. Avoid duplicates: Reuse assets where possible
  5. Test compression: Different formats for different use cases

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Runtime Performance

Be mindful of texture streaming:
  • Mipmap chains: Ensure proper mipmap generation
  • Chunk ranges: Don’t break texture chunk data
  • FirstMip value: Maintain for streaming textures
  • LogicalOffset/Size: Required for proper loading
Optimize mesh rendering:
  • LOD levels: Provide multiple detail levels
  • Polygon budget: Stay within reasonable limits
  • Vertex cache: Optimize vertex order
  • Material count: Minimize draw calls
Organize assets efficiently:
  • Related assets: Keep in same bundle
  • Streaming: Use appropriate bundle types
  • Size balance: Don’t create massive bundles

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Documentation

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Mod Description Template

# [Mod Name] v[Version]

## Description
[Brief summary of what your mod does]

## Features
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
- Feature 3

## Installation
1. Download [ModName].fbmod
2. Open Frosty Mod Manager
3. Import the mod
4. Enable and apply
5. Launch game

## Requirements
- Game version: [version]
- Frosty Mod Manager: [version]
- Dependencies: [list any required mods]

## Compatibility
- Compatible with: [list]
- Incompatible with: [list]
- Load order: [instructions]

## Configuration
[If mod has options or settings]

## Known Issues
- Issue 1 (workaround: ...)
- Issue 2

## Changelog
### v1.1 (2024-01-15)
- Fixed bug X
- Added feature Y

### v1.0 (2024-01-01)
- Initial release

## Credits
- Author: [Your name]
- Thanks to: [contributors, testers]
- Tools: Frosty Toolsuite

## License
[License terms]

## Support
[How to get help or report bugs]

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Screenshots

Take quality screenshots:
  1. In-game: Show mod in actual gameplay
  2. Comparisons: Before/after shots
  3. Key features: Highlight main changes
  4. Resolution: 1080p or higher
  5. Clean UI: Hide debugging overlays
  6. Good lighting: Show details clearly

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Testing

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Pre-Release Testing

1

Functional Testing

Verify core functionality:
  • All modified assets load
  • No crashes during normal gameplay
  • Visual changes appear correctly
  • Gameplay changes work as intended
  • No console errors
2

Compatibility Testing

Test with other mods:
  • Works alone
  • Works with popular mods
  • No conflicts in multiple load orders
  • Performance acceptable
3

Edge Case Testing

Test unusual scenarios:
  • Quick save/load
  • Long play sessions (memory leaks)
  • Different graphics settings
  • Minimum spec hardware (if possible)
4

User Testing

Get feedback before release:
  • Share with trusted testers
  • Gather feedback on usability
  • Fix critical bugs
  • Refine based on suggestions

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Bug Reporting Template

Provide users with a bug report template: 
## Bug Report

**Mod Version:** 
**Game Version:** 
**Frosty Version:** 

**Description:**
[What happened?]

**Expected Behavior:**
[What should happen?]

**Steps to Reproduce:**
1. 
2. 
3. 

**Other Mods:**
[List other enabled mods]

**Screenshots/Videos:**
[Attach if relevant]

**Console Errors:**
[Any error messages]

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Release Process

1

Final Testing

Before release:
  • Full playthrough test
  • Clean game install test
  • Performance profiling
  • Asset validation
2

Prepare Release

Package for distribution:
  • Export final .fbmod
  • Write/update README
  • Create changelog
  • Gather screenshots
  • Record demonstration video (optional)
3

Upload

Publish to platforms:
  • Choose appropriate category
  • Add descriptive tags
  • Include all screenshots
  • Link to documentation
  • Set correct game version
4

Post-Release

After publishing:
  • Monitor comments/feedback
  • Fix critical bugs quickly
  • Update documentation as needed
  • Thank users for feedback

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Maintenance

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Update Strategy

Use semantic versioning:Format: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
  • MAJOR: Breaking changes, incompatible
  • MINOR: New features, backwards compatible
  • PATCH: Bug fixes only
Examples:
  • 1.0.0 → 1.0.1: Bug fix
  • 1.0.1 → 1.1.0: New feature
  • 1.1.0 → 2.0.0: Major overhaul
Maintain detailed changelogs:
## v1.2.0 (2024-03-01)

### Added
- New weapon textures
- Alternate color options

### Changed
- Improved mesh quality
- Updated for game patch 1.5

### Fixed
- Crash when using feature X
- Visual glitch on weapon Y

### Removed
- Deprecated feature Z
When retiring features:
  1. Announce early: Warn users in advance
  2. Provide alternatives: Suggest replacements
  3. Gradual removal: Mark deprecated first
  4. Archive old versions: Keep available for existing users

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Community

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Being a Good Mod Author

Community Best Practices:
  • Respond to feedback: Engage with users
  • Credit others: Acknowledge help and inspiration
  • Be receptive: Accept constructive criticism
  • Share knowledge: Help other modders learn
  • Respect licenses: Follow other mods’ terms
  • Be patient: Users have varying technical knowledge

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Licensing

Consider your mod’s license:
  • Open Source: Allow others to learn/modify
  • Restrictive: Prevent unauthorized use
  • Credits Required: Ensure attribution
  • Commercial Use: Allow/disallow monetization
Common licenses:
  • MIT: Very permissive
  • CC BY 4.0: Requires attribution
  • CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: Non-commercial, share-alike
  • All Rights Reserved: Most restrictive

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Resources

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Asset Modification

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