Mod Release Rules

[Terra Incognita]

Download Disclaimer​

All mods are downloaded and used at your own risk. You are responsible for any damage, data loss, or security issues caused by third-party mods. Always review source code and be cautious about what you run.

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0. Definitions​

• Mod - Any original or derivative work intended to expand or modify Kitten Space Agency, including plugins, asset replacements, configuration files, or standalone tools.
• Dependency - Another mod required for your mod to function.
• Asset-only mod - A mod containing only non-executable content (textures, models, sounds, configuration files, etc.) with no code that executes.

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1. License Requirement​

Every mod must have a clearly stated license that specifies what others can do with your work.

Requirements:

• Include the full license text in a LICENSE or LICENSE.txt file in your download;
• Clearly state the license type in your forum post (e.g., "License: MIT");
• Clearly state the license in your external hosting location.

If you're unsure which license to choose, see choosealicense.com for guidance.

Including others' work: If your mod includes or depends on someone else's work (code, assets, etc.), you must:

• Ensure your license is compatible with theirs;
• Include their license files in your download;
• Credit the original author(s);
• Comply with all terms of their license.

We recommend using mod managers or dependency lists instead of bundling others' mods when possible.

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2. Source Code Requirement​

All mods containing executable code (plugins, DLLs, standalone applications, scripts) must make source code publicly available.

You must:

• Host your code on a public repository, e.g., GitHub, and link it in your forum post and download location, OR;
• Include complete source code in your download package.

Asset-only mods (textures, models, configs only) are exempt from this requirement, but must still have a license.

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3. Required Information​

Your forum post must include:

1. Mod name and version;
2. License type (e.g., "MIT", "GPL-3.0", "CC-BY-4.0");
3. Download link to external hosting;
4. Source code link (if mod contains executable code);
5. List of dependencies (if any) with links to original mods;
6. A brief description of what the mod does.

If your mod includes others' work, document:

• Original author(s);
• Their license(s);
• Version(s) used;
• Link(s) to original work.

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4. Enforcement​

We rely on the community to help identify rule violations. We cannot manually verify every mod file or review every line of code.

If you see a mod violating these rules, please report it.

Users are responsible for reviewing source code and making informed decisions about what they download and run. The source code requirement exists so you can check what you're installing.

Violations may result in:

• Request to update mod to comply;
• Thread lock until compliance;
• Removal of download links;
• Warnings or bans for repeated/intentional violations.

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5. Questions & Feedback​

These rules are new and will evolve based on community needs. If something is unclear or seems wrong, please discuss it with us. We're open to refinement!

 

[SSDeveloper]

Clarifying question:

Mods cannot be unlicensed.

Does this mean "Mods must have a license" or "Mods cannot use the Unlicense"?

 

[Terra Incognita]

Clarifying question:

Does this mean "Mods must have a license" or "Mods cannot use the Unlicense"?

Yes, mods must have a license. You are allowed to use the Unlicense.

I've removed that sentence as it repeats the same information above.

 

[Barney]

Got it!

 

[Jabbawaky]

My mod uses xmls modified from the ones provided by KSA. How does licensing work in that case, what license are you using?

In the meantime I think I'll just remove my mod, I don't want to get in any trouble.

 

[Terra Incognita]

My mod uses xmls modified from the ones provided by KSA. How does licensing work in that case, what license are you using?

In the meantime I think I'll just remove my mod, I don't want to get in any trouble.

Hey, great question - I'm getting an answer for you.

In the meantime, please feel free to keep XML mods up. Source code isn't required for these either, as they're asset mods.

 

[UriahGnu]

That's simple actually!

Any game which allow or promote community modding (as KSA does) should have a EULA, and they are all basically worded the same.

Assets from that game are covered under the EULA, and it is technically the EULA that is necessary to include in the mod.

For example, a mod which uses modified KSA assets cannot by definition be MIT or any of the commercial licenses, as inclusion of those assets can only be used with the source software as defined by the EULA, so that is the license.

I don't think Rocketwerkz will care if we include the EULA or not right now, as I cannot even find one in the files, so that's something they will need to provide, but it is more important to make sure mods which do include their assets are not under commercial license, etc.

 

[Poodmund]

2. Source Code Requirement​

All mods containing executable code (plugins, DLLs, standalone applications, scripts) must make source code publicly available.

You must:

• Host your code on a public repository, e.g., GitHub, and link it in your forum post and download location, OR;
• Include complete source code in your download package.

Asset-only mods (textures, models, configs only) are exempt from this requirement, but must still have a license.

Hi @Terra Incognita , I was wondering if there could be some clarification around the following area, which was never clarified for another beloved title. The Rule #2 states that executable code (plugins, DLLs, standalone applications, scripts) must have publicly available source code but it does not mention or clarify the stance on shaders. I would argue that shaders would fall under the category of this as they are essentially instructions that are sent to the GPU/CPU and therefore executable code. They are written in a programming language, compiled, and then executed every frame by the CPU/GPU. In that sense they are no different in principle from any other code library; they are constrained, but they are still compiled code being executed, not passive data.

Could shaders be added to the list in your Rule #2 or could that section be expanded? There is additional nuance around shaders as custom text-based shaders (GLSL/HLSL/etc.) would be considered executable code and would therefore have to comply with Rule #2, but purely node-based materials created in a third-party editor would be treated as asset-only. Would be good to clear up any grey areas.

 

[UriahGnu]

Hi @Terra Incognita , I was wondering if there could be some clarification around the following area, which was never clarified for another beloved title. The Rule #2 states that executable code (plugins, DLLs, standalone applications, scripts) must have publicly available source code but it does not mention or clarify the stance on shaders. I would argue that shaders would fall under the category of this as they are essentially instructions that are sent to the GPU/CPU and therefore executable code. They are written in a programming language, compiled, and then executed every frame by the CPU/GPU. In that sense they are no different in principle from any other code library; they are constrained, but they are still compiled code being executed, not passive data.

Could shaders be added to the list in your Rule #2 or could that section be expanded? There is additional nuance around shaders as custom text-based shaders (GLSL/HLSL/etc.) would be considered executable code and would therefore have to comply with Rule #2, but purely node-based materials created in a third-party editor would be treated as asset-only. Would be good to clear up any grey areas.

Shaders are not compiled code, they are plain text and can already be read in the file and cannot execute malicious code that presents a threat to the user.

 

[Jabbawaky]

Hey, great question - I'm getting an answer for you.

In the meantime, please feel free to keep XML mods up. Source code isn't required for these either, as they're asset mods.

Do you have any new information regarding this?

Also, do all mods need to be externally hosted? I would assume so since otherwise you'd be hosting a bunch of files which takes up a lot of server space. But it would be good for clarification.