Debugging your modpack

Are you running into crashes or panics? Perhaps you've installed some mods but none of them seem to be working?

Finding out the cause of your issues may seem like a daunting task when you're not familiar with modding or Cobalt.

But fear not! With a bit of patience and the process of elimination, it is actually quite simple. You just need to ask yourself the right questions!

Important

Do not rush through the process and be patient. Most issues can be figured out by just checking a few things.
Try not to seek help by reaching out to mod authors, Cobalt developers, or in Discord servers before attempting to figure out the issue yourself using this page.

People are more likely to help you if you show that you've done your research first. On the other hand, they might consider you a Help Vampire and ignore you if you seem to just beg to have your hand held through the process.

Now, take a deep breath and think about the situation and what could cause it.

Did you properly install Cobalt?

Assuming the game can boot up to the title screen, check in the bottom-right corner if you can see the Cobalt version number.
If all you see is the game's version (2.0.0), then you did not install Cobalt properly. Please try again!

Did you properly install your Cobalt mods?

You may have incorrectly installed your mods. Common mistakes include installing in the wrong place, or having incorrectly set up folders or zip files. Check here for detailed instructions on how to install your mods!

The game crashes as soon as I open it.

Make sure your game is properly updated to 2.0.0 and update it if not. On a console, press Plus (+) on the game icon from the main menu, and look under the name in the top-left corner of the window.

My game is updated to 2.0.0, but I immediately crash on boot.

Make sure you installed Cobalt properly and did not forget any of the cache.lut, subsdk9 or main.npdm files provided in the latest release.

The game crashes when I try to load a save file.

Did you install any new mod(s) recently? If so, follow these steps.

If you still crash with every mod disabled, it means you previously saved the game with the Unit Limit Expansion and/or Skill Limit Expansion patches.
There is currently no way to revert this, so install those mods back if you still wish to use your save file.

I get a "Cobalt has panicked" message.

Make sure to press on the Details button and read the message displayed. Most of the time, a clear explanation is provided for why Cobalt panicked.
If the message does not seem to tell you what the problem is, take a screen capture or photo of the error message and consider reporting it in the Discussions page.

Process of elimination

Consider what you've done since the last time the game ran properly (if it did):

Did you add new mods?

Disable them one by one until you manage to isolate which mod causes the issue. Once you do, follow the next steps!

Did you update Cobalt (manually or through the updater)?

• If you did NOT change ANYTHING in your mods after updating, make sure to thoroughly read the Cobalt changelogs to see if there was a change in Cobalt. Maybe the mod needs updating!
• If you DID change something in your mods after updating, either revert the change and confirm if things still work, or follow the Did you add new mods? step above.

I isolated a problematic mod, what should I do?

As with most things, process of elimination is key.

• Did the mod ever work properly for you? Is the mod "old" or marked as Deprecated?
  • Consider reading comments on the page where you downloaded it from and see if someone else ran into the same issue.
  • If a mod is "Deprecated", it means it has not been updated in a long time and is most likely not compatible with version 2.0.0 of the game. Discard it, or ask the author to update it!
  • If you REALLY want to use the mod despite that, read the following instructions.
• Did you update Cobalt recently and your (previously working) mod behaves incorrectly? Follow the appropriate steps.
• Did you add new mod(s) since the last time the mod was functional? Follow the appropriate steps.

Some elements such as items, jobs, characters are suddenly missing text!

First, isolate which mod causes the issue.

• Check if the mod contains files with the .msbt extension in the patches/msbt/ sub-directory.
  Mods making use of .msbt patches are now deprecated and have to be updated, so make sure to use the latest version of it and let the author know if you are already on the latest version and text still doesn't show up!
• Check if the mod contains files with the .bundle extension in the Data/StreamingAssets/aa/Switch/fe_assets_message sub-directory.
  This mod is very outdated and in dire need of an update to play well with other mods.

The mod I'm using is not compatible with Cobalt anymore, what can I do?

• Discard it, if you don't consider it essential.
• Let the author know, and don't expect a reply.
• Once you've lost all hope of getting a reply and assuming the mod was made for Engage 2.0.0, consider using cobalt-migrator.
• Update or remake it yourself! Modding Engage is very approachable even for beginners and resources on Cobalt's features are available on this Wiki.

I read the page very carefully, tried everything as best I could to no avail.

Important

Make sure to have a link to the mod ready, and a zip with your engage/mods directory to make it simpler for everybody.

You've done your best and saved us some time to help you more effectively! Here's what you can do:

• Head over to the Discord server to ask questions directly (make sure to have a link to the mod at the ready, and let people know what you've already tried)
• Leave a message in the Discussions tab if you do not mind waiting a bit for us to notice. Make sure to provide as much information as you possibly can so we don't need to go through an interrogation to get to the issue.
• If you are CERTAIN that the issue comes from Cobalt, please consider opening an issue and thoroughly fill out the form.