Create stations and recipes¶

A station is more than a world model. A complete station needs a buildable or placed actor, an interaction, a recipe list, and a way for the player to unlock or find it. RuneSchema can connect those pieces without replacing a native game table.

Decide which station type you need¶

Use a crafting station when the player selects a recipe and crafts it directly. Crafting stations usually group recipes by a named category.

Use a processing station when the player inserts materials and waits for an output. Processing stations usually keep recipes in a Recipes list and may also have fuel, speed, slot, and automatic-start settings.

Choose a native station with the same behavior as your starting reference.

Build the station PAK content¶

A new station commonly includes:

a station actor Blueprint;
a building-piece data asset if players can build it;
meshes, materials, icons, sounds, and effects;
a crafting or processing table with a station row;
an interaction and interface compatible with the selected station family.

Keep the station actor and its data in your own content root. Compile the Blueprint and verify every referenced file is included before cooking.

Connect a buildable station¶

A RuneSchema buildings file may point to the cooked building data and adjust supported behavior:

{
  "GoldenForge": {
    "Asset": "/GoldenArsenal/Buildings/BUILDPIECE_GoldenForge.BUILDPIECE_GoldenForge",
    "Unlock": true,
    "Overrides": {
      "Names": {
        "Catalogue": "Golden Forge",
        "World": "Golden Forge",
        "Interact": "Use Golden Forge",
        "Menu": "Golden Forge"
      },
      "Placement": {
        "RequiresFoundation": true,
        "bAllowUserRotationModification": true
      },
      "Processing": {
        "Rate": 1.0
      }
    }
  }
}

Only include overrides the station needs. A PAK asset that already has correct placement, stability, and processing settings does not need those values copied into JSON.

Add a recipe to a native crafting station¶

{
  "RECIPE_GoldenSpear": {
    "AddTo": [
      {
        "Table": "DT_CraftingStationsDataTable",
        "Row": "MysticForge",
        "Category": "Weapons"
      }
    ],
    "Properties": {
      "ItemsConsumed": [
        {
          "ItemData": "/Game/Gameplay/Items/Resources/EXACT_MATERIAL.EXACT_MATERIAL",
          "Count": 10
        }
      ],
      "ItemsCreated": [
        {
          "ItemData": "/GoldenArsenal/Items/ITEM_GoldenSpear.ITEM_GoldenSpear",
          "Count": 1
        }
      ],
      "ExtraItemsCreated": []
    }
  }
}

Category is the section shown in a crafting menu. Use a category that the station supports or deliberately add a new category tested with that interface.

Add a recipe to a processing station¶

RuneSchema resolves the requested station table and row, verifies that the named field is a compatible native RecipeData array, performs the insertion, and then reads the live row back. The placement is accepted only when the recipe appears exactly once. A missing Replaces target or a failed readback is reported as an error instead of a successful recipe load.

{
  "RECIPE_GoldenIngot": {
    "AddTo": [
      {
        "Table": "DT_ProcessingStationDataTable",
        "Row": "Campfire",
        "Array": "Recipes"
      }
    ],
    "Properties": {
      "ItemsConsumed": [
        {
          "ItemData": "/GoldenArsenal/Items/ITEM_GoldenOre.ITEM_GoldenOre",
          "Count": 2
        }
      ],
      "ItemsCreated": [
        {
          "ItemData": "/GoldenArsenal/Items/ITEM_GoldenIngot.ITEM_GoldenIngot",
          "Count": 1
        }
      ],
      "ExtraItemsCreated": []
    }
  }
}

Array: "Recipes" places the recipe in the station's processing list. Fuel, timing, input slots, and automatic-start behavior come from the station and may need separate building overrides.

Add a recipe to a custom cooked station table¶

Use the full path when the station table lives in your PAK:

"AddTo": [
  {
    "DataTable": "/GoldenArsenal/Data/DT_GoldenForge.DT_GoldenForge",
    "Row": "GoldenForge",
    "Category": "Weapons"
  }
]

Use either Table or DataTable, not both. Table is a short lookup suited to known native tables. DataTable is the exact path for a custom cooked table.

Recipe unlock behavior¶

Placing a recipe in a station does not have to grant it immediately. RuneSchema keeps station placement separate from recipe discovery.

Use the recipe's supported unlock setting only when the recipe should be granted automatically. For normal progression, connect the recipe to a quest, journal entry, discovery event, or recipe-unlock item.

This avoids filling a new character with every modded recipe at first login.

Why RuneSchema helps¶

Without RuneSchema, a PAK recipe can exist without the game ever adding it to a station or save-aware recipe list. RuneSchema can:

load the recipe and its item references;
verify that ingredient and output paths are real items;
add the recipe to an existing or custom station row;
give a newly authored recipe a stable identity;
keep recipe placement separate from automatic unlocking;
report missing station rows and item paths clearly;
remove a saved recipe reference if the mod is later removed.

For a very large cooked recipe catalogue, bake recipe-to-item and recipe-to-station relationships into the PAK instead of producing thousands of RuneSchema recipe references. The configurable advisory warning defaults to more than 50,000 authored recipes and does not stop loading. Large PAK authors should also read the cooked registry guide.

Station and recipe test checklist¶

Confirm the station PAK mounts.
Confirm the building data and actor paths load.
Place the station and test rotation, snapping, stability, and deconstruction.
Open the station and confirm the intended category or processing list.
Confirm every ingredient icon, name, and count.
Craft or process one output.
Test full inventory, missing fuel, interrupted processing, and cancelled use.
Save, return to the menu, and re-enter the world.
Restart and verify the placed station and recipe again.
Test host and client interaction.
Disable the mod only on a backup and confirm cleanup warnings name only the missing content.