Total War Three Kingdoms Mod Load Order -

Total War: Three Kingdoms — Mod Load Order Guide

Tier 3: Factions, Characters, & Units

This is where most of your workshop subscriptions live.

  • New Faction Mods: Mods that add a new playable faction (e.g., Play as Lu Bu 194 Start).
  • Unit Packs: Mods that add new units without overhauling the whole game (e.g., Mercenary Unit Packs).
  • Character Mods: Mods adding specific officers or historical characters.
  • Unit Reskins/Rebalance: Mods that change the look or stats of vanilla units.

Tier 1: The Foundations (Load First)

These mods alter the "Database" tables fundamentally. If two of these conflict, your game will likely crash or behave bizarrely. total war three kingdoms mod load order

  • Total Conversion Mods: (e.g., Medieval Kingdoms 1212 AD). These usually come with their own specific load orders provided by the author.
  • Major Overhauls: (e.g., TUP - The Unification Project, Total War: 1918).
  • Essential Frameworks: Mods that other mods require as a dependency.

Handling specific conflict types

  • Duplicate db/table edits: Use PFM to compare. If two mods change the same table, create a merged patch (PFM) or use a compatibility mod.
  • Unit/class conflicts: Keep unit-modifying overhaul earlier, allow small stat rebalances later.
  • UI showing wrong values: Ensure UI mods load after gameplay mods; rebuild cache (verify game files) if values persist.
  • Textures/meshes not appearing: Check file path/name case-sensitivity and load order between texture packs and unit packs.

Tier 4: Script Heavy / Major Overhauls (Bottom of the List)

These run complex scripts and need to load last to ensure they function properly. Total War: Three Kingdoms — Mod Load Order

  • Total Conversions: (e.g., Total War: 1918, Three Kingdoms:Redux, A World Betrayed).
  • Major Overhauls: Mods that change the population system, supply lines, or combat drastically.

Tools of the Trade: How to Actually Manage Load Order

The default Creative Assembly launcher (the one that pops up after you hit “Play” on Steam) is sufficient for 5-10 mods. But for serious modding, upgrade your toolkit. New Faction Mods: Mods that add a new playable faction (e

  • CA Launcher (Vanilla): Drag and drop mods in the “Mod Manager” tab. The lowest mod in the visual list is the last to load. Warning: The launcher sometimes forgets your order after a game update.
  • Third-Party Mod Managers (e.g., Kaedrin’s Mod Manager for Warhammer – works for TW3K with tweaks): These tools provide conflict detection, color-coded warnings, and saveable load order profiles. Highly recommended for lists over 20 mods.
  • Rusted Pack File Manager (RPFM): For advanced users. This lets you open two mods, see exactly which database tables conflict, and even create your own mini-patch. Not required for playing, but invaluable for debugging.

⚠️ Common Issues

  • No native conflict detection — you’ll see crashes, missing units, or broken events without clear errors.
  • Overhaul mods often conflict with each other (e.g., Radious + TROM) unless patched.
  • Script-heavy mods (character recruit, faction mechanics) must load before overhauls, not after — counterintuitive for some users.
  • Outdated mods after game patches (1.7.1 → 1.7.2) can silently break load order logic.