Modding this game is incredibly difficult

[Wig Bang]

So I'm trying to install the map mod.

After much research, I finally understood that I needed to install something else first.

The thing I needed to install first (before installing any mods (and I'm not talking about a mod manager)) is BepInEx

Every video and guide simply says "download and install BepInEx."

The problem is that they all assume that people are incredibly incredibly computer literate.

I went to EXACTLY where the nexus mods page for the mod I wish to install sent me for installing BepInEx and what I found was beyond horrifying.

What I found was a github page with no obvious executables or binaries.

So I understand exactly what I need to do.

https://github.com/BepInEx/BepInEx

As you can see, I need to download all of this, build an environment that matches the local git repository file/directory structure of the development environment for this.

This needs to be done on Linux so I'll need to set up a dual boot for Linux on my machine. And then I'll need to build this with some kind of compiler. I'm not sure what programming language this source code repository is showing yet but I'm guessing C++ or Java.

After this, I'm guessing there are command line options to compile it to a windows version but at this point it is far beyond my own limited exposure to this kind of stuff.

Any tips to get me started would be appreciated.

And I guess I should mention, (not that it's particularly relevant at this point) that I am flabbergasted by how difficult modding Subnautica actually is. And I think it's stupid that the nexus mods page for the map mod didn't explain any of this in the instructions which literally just say:

Installation BepInEx
1. Install BepInEx
2. Extract the archive to folder \Subnautica\BepInEx\plugins\. Should be \Steam\steamapps\common\Subnautica\BepInEx\plugins\SubnauticaMap\

That is such a hilarious hand wavey way of explaining how to do this.

In the past, I've shied away from github repositories because of all the insane amount of work required to get anything hosted there working. But this time, I'd really like this mod to work.

I just don't know what type of tools and command line parameters I'm going to need to use. I'm just not that literate in this domain. Any help would be massively appreciated.

[Ray Robertson]

The Subnautica Bepinex pack page never tells you to go to the Github. It does provide a link, but this just means you didn't bother to read the installation instructions on the nexus page and just clicked on the first available link.

[Wig Bang]

That is not true. I followed the instructions to the letter.

And for your information, I did precisely what I described in my initial post and got it working.

I downloaded everything, built it for windows on a linux partition and was able to create the necessary files which I then pasted in my game folder. Now mods (including the Map mod) work.

[Capt. Carrot]

Use Vortex mod manager. it makes modding the game almost effortless as you can download and install the vast majority of mods from Nexusmods WITH Vortex (i.e. no manual download and installation). (you may also find that Vortex can be used to manage mods for other games that you have, Vortex is currently capable of managing mods for over 150 games)

[Wig Bang]

Originally posted by Capt. Carrot:

Use Vortex mod manager. it makes modding the game almost effortless as you can download and install the vast majority of mods from Nexusmods WITH Vortex (i.e. no manual download and installation). (you may also find that Vortex can be used to manage mods for other games that you have, Vortex is currently capable of managing mods for over 150 games)

I am a manual beast.

The kind that you walk by in a crowd (out in public) and you can just sense that I do things manually.

[Ray Robertson]

As you explained you were on Github. You never needed to visit Github.

All you had to do was follow these instructions:

"To install manually, follow these instructions:

1. Download the relevant archive:

For Windows and Linux/SteamDeck, download the archive designated x64
For macOS, download the archive designated *nix

2. Extract the contents of the downloaded archive into the game folder:

On Windows and Linux/SteamDeck, the game folder is the folder containing the game executable Subnautica.exe"

[Ray Robertson]

In the few months I've been helping people to install mods, this is the first time I've seen someone trying to do what you did. I'm definitely going to share this with the author of the pack. Quite amusing. Well done. :p

[space cat]

The map mod doesn't even link you to GitHub version of BepInEx. It links you to a nexus page "BepInEx Pack for Subnautica".

Install the BepInEx Pack for Subnautica. It includes BepInEx, built, configured and ready to go, for Subnautica. You just need to download the main file for Windows, and unzip it into your game directory, as the page describes. Then you can install the map mod.

Easy.

[space cat]

Ps: if you have further issues, there is a discord community for Subnautica Modding here: https://discord.gg/UpWuWwq

There are channels dedicated to helping people with installing mods for Subnautica. If you have any questions, you can ask there :)

[space cat]

Building BepInEx from scratch from GitHub was absolutely unnecessary, even if you wanted the version from GitHub, btw. As there is a Releases page on the GitHub. The releases page is where you download prebuilt binaries.

In other words, you thoroughly overcomplicated things by downloading the source code and attempting to build it yourself, then blamed everyone else for it ;)

[dreamrider]

@RayRobertson:
If you want to box your quote, as for the set of instructions you quoted above, the manually inserted syntax is:

At start of quote:
<square bracket>quote<close square bracket>
At end of quote:
<square bracket>/quote<close square bracket>

[Bubthebob]

1. Go to Nexus mods.
2. Download Vortex mod manager.
3. ???
4. Profit.