Resource Packs (Switchable Asset Layers)

Resource packs are switchable asset override layers — the player selects which version of a resource category to use (cutscenes, sprites, music, voice lines, etc.), and the engine swaps to those assets without touching gameplay. Same concept as Minecraft’s resource packs or the Remastered Collection’s SD/HD toggle, but generalized to any asset type.

This falls naturally out of the architecture. Every asset is referenced by logical ID in YAML (e.g., video: videos/allied-01-briefing.vqa). A resource pack overrides those references — mapping the same IDs to different files. No code, no mods, no gameplay changes. Pure presentation layer.

Tera-Templated Resource Packs (Optional, for Complex Packs)

Most community resource packs are plain YAML (see “Most Packs Are Plain YAML” below). But all first-party IC packs use Tera — the built-in cutscene, sprite, and music packs are templated with configurable quality, language, and content selection. This dogfoods the system and provides working examples for pack authors who want to go beyond flat mappings.

For packs that need configurable parameters — quality tiers, language selection, platform-aware defaults — Tera templates use a schema.yaml that defines the available knobs. Defaults are inline in the template; users configure through the in-game settings UI.

Pack structure:

resource-packs/hd-cutscenes/
  pack.yaml.tera      # Tera template — generates the override map
  schema.yaml          # Parameter definitions with inline defaults
  assets/              # The actual replacement files
    videos/
      allied-01-briefing-720p.mp4
      allied-01-briefing-1080p.mp4
      allied-01-briefing-4k.mp4
      ...

Schema (configurable knobs):

# schema.yaml
parameters:
  quality:
    type: enum
    options: [720p, 1080p, 4k]
    default: 1080p
    description: "Video resolution — higher needs more disk space"

  language:
    type: enum
    options: [en, de, fr, ru, es, ja]
    default: en
    description: "Subtitle/dub language"

  include_victory_sequences:
    type: boolean
    default: true
    description: "Also replace victory/defeat cinematics"

  style:
    type: enum
    options: [upscaled, redrawn, ai_generated]
    default: upscaled
    description: "Visual style of replacement cutscenes"

Tera template (generates the override map from parameters):

{# pack.yaml.tera #}
resource_pack:
  name: "HD Cutscenes ({{ quality }}, {{ language }})"
  description: "{{ style | title }} briefing videos in {{ quality }}"
  category: cutscenes
  version: "2.0.0"

  assets:
    {% for mission in ["allied-01", "allied-02", "allied-03", "soviet-01", "soviet-02", "soviet-03"] %}
    videos/{{ mission }}-briefing.vqa: assets/videos/{{ mission }}-briefing-{{ quality }}.mp4
    {% endfor %}

    {% if include_victory_sequences %}
    {% for seq in ["allied-victory", "allied-defeat", "soviet-victory", "soviet-defeat"] %}
    videos/{{ seq }}.vqa: assets/videos/{{ seq }}-{{ quality }}.mp4
    {% endfor %}
    {% endif %}

    {# Language-specific subtitle tracks #}
    {% if language != "en" %}
    {% for mission in ["allied-01", "allied-02", "allied-03", "soviet-01", "soviet-02", "soviet-03"] %}
    subtitles/{{ mission }}.srt: assets/subtitles/{{ language }}/{{ mission }}.srt
    {% endfor %}
    {% endif %}

User configuration (in-game settings, not CLI overrides):

Players configure pack parameters through the Settings → Resource Packs UI. When a pack has a schema.yaml, the UI renders the appropriate controls (dropdowns for enums, checkboxes for booleans). The engine re-renders the Tera template whenever settings change, producing an updated override map. This is load-time only — zero runtime cost.

For CLI users, ic resource-pack install hd-cutscenes installs the pack with its defaults. Parameters are then adjusted in settings.

Why Tera (Not Just Flat Mappings)

Flat override maps (asset_a → asset_b) work for simple cases, but fall apart when packs need to:

This is the same reason Helm uses Go templates instead of static YAML — real-world configuration has conditionals, loops, and user-specific values. Our approach is inspired by Helm’s parameterized templating, but the configuration surface is the in-game settings UI, not a CLI + values file workflow.

Most Packs Are Plain YAML (No Templating)

The default and recommended way to create a resource pack is plain YAML — just list the files you’re replacing. No template syntax, no schema, no values file. This is what ic mod init resource-pack generates:

# resource-packs/retro-sounds/pack.yaml — plain YAML, no Tera
resource_pack:
  name: "Retro 8-bit Sound Effects"
  category: sound_effects
  version: "1.0.0"
  assets:
    sounds/explosion_large.wav: assets/explosion_large_8bit.wav
    sounds/rifle_fire.wav: assets/rifle_fire_8bit.wav
    sounds/tank_move.wav: assets/tank_move_8bit.wav

This covers the majority of resource packs. Someone replacing cutscenes, swapping in HD sprites, or providing an alternative soundtrack just lists the overrides — done.

Tera templates are opt-in for complex packs that need parameters (quality tiers, language selection, conditional content). Rename pack.yaml to pack.yaml.tera, add a schema.yaml, and the engine renders the template at install time. But this is a power-user feature — most content creators never need it.

The engine detects .tera extension → renders template; plain .yaml → loads directly.

Resource Pack Categories

Players can mix and match one pack per category:

Settings UI

Settings → Resource Packs
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Cutscenes:     [HD Upscaled ▾]     [⚙ Configure]
│                 Quality: [1080p ▾]            │
│                 Language: [English ▾]         │
│                 Victory sequences: [✓]        │
│                                               │
│ Music:         [Remastered ▾]                 │
│ Voice Lines:   [Original ▾]                   │
│ Sprites:       [HD Pack ▾]          [⚙ Configure]
│ Sound Effects: [Original ▾]                   │
│ Terrain:       [HD Pack ▾]                    │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The ⚙ Configure button appears when a pack has a schema.yaml with user-configurable parameters. Simple packs (no schema) just show the dropdown.

Relationship to Existing Decisions

Resource packs generalize a pattern that already appears in several places:

The underlying mechanism is the same: YAML-level asset indirection with Tera rendering. The template.tera + schema.yaml pattern appears in three places:

Mission Templates  → template.yaml.tera + schema.yaml = playable mission
Scene Templates    → triggers.lua.tera  + schema.yaml = scripted encounter
Resource Packs     → pack.yaml.tera     + schema.yaml = asset override layer

One templating engine (Tera), one pattern, three use cases. Defaults live inline in the schema. User preferences come from settings UI (resource packs) or from the LLM/user filling in parameters (mission templates). No separate values file needed in the common case.

Workshop Distribution (D030)

Resource packs are publishable to the workshop like any other resource:

• ic mod init resource-pack → scaffolds a pack with asset manifest
• ic mod publish → uploads to workshop
• Players subscribe in-game or via CLI
• Packs from multiple authors can coexist — one per category, player’s choice
• Dependencies work: a mission pack can require a specific cutscene pack (depends: alice/hd-cutscenes@^1.0)

Cutscenes Specifically

Since cutscenes are what prompted this — the system is particularly powerful here:

1. Original .vqa files — ship with the game (from original RA install). Low-res but authentic.
2. AI-upscaled HD — community or first-party pack running the originals through video upscaling. Same content, better resolution.
3. Community remakes — fans re-creating briefings with modern tools, voice acting, or different artistic styles.
4. AI-generated replacements — using video generation AI to create entirely new briefing sequences. Same narrative beats (referenced from campaign YAML), different visuals.
5. Humorous/parody versions — because the community will absolutely do this, and we should make it easy.
6. Localized versions — same briefings with translated subtitles or dubbed audio.

The campaign system (D021) references cutscenes by logical ID in the video: field. Changing which pack is active changes which video plays — no campaign YAML edits needed.