How to Add Mods to Your Holdfast: Nations At War Server

Ready to take your Holdfast server beyond the standard line battles? With official mod support, you can introduce everything from helpful admin tools and custom maps to entirely new historical eras, completely transforming the gameplay for your community.

 PS5 or Xbox players can't join servers with mods.

All it takes is a few simple edits to your server's configuration files. This guide will walk you through every step of the process to ensure you get it right, whether you're adding a single mod or a whole collection.

Adding mods: The Basics

We have many options for the game in our server's panel, but for this particular process, it's required to create a new template for the modlist.txt and the appropriate map rotation files like armyfront_rotation.txt or frontlines_rotation.txt.
Let's dive right into it.

First, we need to locate this file. Go to the Config Manager tab on the left panel and select Create new config on modlist.txt.

Here's how to do it through the modlist.txt config manager template.

• Global mods: Use mods_installed and mods_installed_server_only here, which go outside of map rotations.
• Map-specific mods: Create a new template with the corresponding map rotation config file (frontlines:rotation)Use load_mod, load_mod_client_only, or load_mod_server_only within a !map_rotation block.
   

Some mods require installation on the server-only, others client-only, and some both. There are commands for each of the situations as follows. These commands must be entered in a specific map rotation. Make sure that the mods steamID/ModID is installed on the server. They can be separated with an empty line as long as the !map_rotation end line is below them.

load_mod MODID #loads the mod on client and server

load_mod_client_only MODID  #loads the mod on only client's machine

load_mod_server_only MODID  #loads the mod on only the servers machine

Pro-tip: For all command lines (global or map-specific), the #MESSAGE after the command line in the config template can be used to annotate details that are ignored by the server but they're useful for configuration description.

Example of a modded modlist.txt and map rotation with annotations using the #message format

modlist.txt:

####-- Here you can add all of your mods using the mods_installed STEAMID and mods_installed_server_only STEAMID variables.
####-- Once added here, you can use load_mod STEAMID, load_mod_client_only STEAMID, or load_mod_server_only STEAMID variables inside each map rotation block you want to load the mods into.
####-- Mods required for the linebattle template, even if you dont use it dont edit this part as these mods can be reused on other templates.
mods_installed 2531692643 #eLF’s AutoAdmin->Mod loaded globally into the server and client

#####

There might be some other mods loaded by default, but they can be ignored or removed if desired.

armyfront_rotation.txt as an example:

###- Map Rotations

#--- Rotation Group 1 = Army Battlefield --- 

#1 = Cross Hills (Battlefield) [Pop - Medium & High]
!map_rotation start
map_name crosshills
game_mode ArmyBattlefield
round_time_minutes 20
reinforcements_per_faction 570
wave_spawn_time_seconds 10
wave_spawn_vehicle_time_seconds 20
wave_spawn_dynamic_time_seconds 15
spawn_immunity_timer 5
max_player_respawns -1
faction_balancing true
faction_balancing_discrepancy_amount 8
allow_midround_spawning true
allow_faction_switching true
allow_spectating true
minimum_players -1
nature_preset none
faction_attacking british
faction_defending french
faction_randomiser both
friendly_fire false
friendly_fire_melee_bounce false
damage_split 0
sappers_attacking_starting_materials 100
sappers_defending_starting_materials 100
sappers_buildlimit explosivebarrel attacking 3
sappers_buildlimit explosivebarrel defending 3
sappers_buildlimit palisade attacking 3
sappers_buildlimit palisade defending 3
sappers_buildlimit shootingplatform attacking 3
sappers_buildlimit shootingplatform defending 3
sappers_buildlimit rocketstack attacking 4
sappers_buildlimit rocketstack defending 4
class_system_orders true
class_system_orders_reinforce true
class_system_orders_reinforce_limit -1
class_system_orders_reinforce_cooldown 240
population_verylow_playable false
population_low_playable false
population_medium_playable true
population_high_playable true
max_accumulated_faction_points -1
load_mod 2531692643 #eLF’s AutoAdmin  -->Mod loaded specifically into this map rotation
!map_rotation end

In this example, this mod requires server-client side installation and it's on both global (modlist.txt) and map rotation (armyfront_rotation.txt) config. Mods_installed mod ID is on the global configurations outside map rotation such as server name, intro message, etc and load_modmod ID is inside map rotation block. 

If we add more map rotations to this config, but we omit the load_mod 2531692643 #eLF’s AutoAdmin, the mod won't be present on that map.

Adding Mods: Step by Step

1. Find the mod you want to add from the workshop here. Take the mod ID from the URL or the description. Most mods specify where they need to be installed (server-side, client-side or both).

2. Once all information is gathered, go to Config Manager and Create a new config template for modlists.txt.

3. Add the line to add the mod. There are two versions of this command:
   1. mods_installed_server_only MODID for server-side only mods (it doesn't ask the players to download the mod to join)
   2. mods_installed MODID for server-client side mods (it asks the players joining to download the mod).

This is outside the map rotation so it affects the server globally as long as it's set to Override Boot Config - Use As Default. One command line per mod added as it's seen in the example with 4 mods and 4 lines.

5. Depending on the mod, you'll need to use the corresponding commands to add the mod. There are three commands, as explained in the introduction:
   1. load_mod MODIDfor server-client side.
   2. load_mod_client_only MODID for client-side only.
   3. load_mod_server_only MODIDfor server-side only.

This is inside the map rotation only, so it must be inside the !map_rotation start line and the !map_rotation end line. One command line per mod added. 

Example shown with AutoAdmin mod inside map rotation.

6. Click on Override Boot Config - Use As Default and click Save Config Template

7. Make sure you select the same map rotation in the basic settings Map Rotation Template variable that was modified in the config manager.

   

Here, armyfront_rotation.txt config template was modified, so I selected armyfront_rotation on the Map Rotation Template on Basic Settings.

7. Restart the server by going to Actions, then Restart to apply the changes. The server should have the mods installed on boot.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, consider the following possible problems:

• Check for syntax errors in the config template.
• Ensure you're using the correct commands, such as not using server-side mods for server-client side mods.
• Don't forget to load mods globally with modlist.txt.
• Make sure to add a mod line to a particular rotation appropriately.

Conclusion

You now have the essential knowledge to customize your Holdfast server with any mod from the Steam Workshop. By mastering the server config file, you can mix and match mods to create a unique server that will keep your community engaged and coming back for more. Don't be afraid to experiment with different mod combinations to craft your perfect gameplay experience.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to our customer care agents through our live chat or email at [email protected]. 

Happy gaming!