Decompiling the game

Warning

PLEASE DO NOT SHARE EXTRACTED/DECOMPILED ASSETS PUBLICLY

Decompiling the game is the best way to learn about how certain features are implemented. This guide will teach you how to use various tools to read the code of Stacklands. The code is compiled into assemblies, and can easily be extracted.

Choosing a decompiler

There are various C# decompilers, each with their own benefits, though since the core feature set is largely similar, the choice often comes down to preference.

• ILSpy (windows only) / AvaloniaILSpy (cross-platform)

• dnSpy

• dotPeek

The rest of the guide will focus on ILSpy, but you can find all the showcased features in other tools.

Decompiling the code

Open the GameScripts.dll file in ILSpy by either dragging it onto the window or finding it in File > Open. The DLL file is found in <Path to Stacklands>/Stacklands_Data/Managed. If you are interested in other code, see the File guide section.

After opening the DLL, it will appear in the panel on the left. Click GameScripts and - to view the list of classes. You can click on any of them to view its code.

Exporting the code

You may export the code to get better integration with certain editors such as VSCode. This is a completely optional step. Right click GameScripts and select Save Code, then create a folder where the code will be exported.

File guide

The DLL files are found in <Path to Stacklands>/Stacklands_Data/Managed.

GameScripts.dll	Contains all of the gameplay related code
SokLoc.dll	Contains the code of the localization system