Traits

Creating Traits

To create an trait, you first need to make a class overriding CustomTrait.
Example:

using COTL_API.CustomTraits;
using UnityEngine;
using System.IO;

[HarmonyPatch]
internal class ExampleTrait : CustomTrait
     {
         public override string InternalName => "ExampleTrait";

         public override bool Positive => true;

        // exclusive traits are traits that can't appear along with this trait!
        // if they are also custom defined trait, you only need to exclude it on
        // one of the traits.
         public override List<FollowerTrait.TraitType> ExclusiveTraits =>
         [
             FollowerTrait.TraitType.RoyalPooper
         ];

         public override TraitFlags TraitFlags => TraitFlags.RareStartingTrait;

         public override string LocalizedTitle() => "Example Trait";

         public override string LocalizedDescription() => "this trait is just an example :).";

         public override Sprite Icon => TextureHelper.CreateSpriteFromPath(Path.Combine(Plugin.PluginPath, "Assets", "ExampleTrait.png"));

        // by default, no behaviour for custom traits is added. use patches check in
        // your own code for the presence of the trait, and change the game's
        // behvaiour accordingly.
         [HarmonyPatch(typeof(FollowerBrain), nameof(FollowerBrain.GetPoopType))]
         [HarmonyPrefix]
         private static bool FollowerBrain_GetPoopType(ref FollowerBrain __instance, ref StructureBrain.TYPES __result)
         {
             if (!__instance.Info.Traits.Contains(Plugin.ExampleTrait)) return true;

             __result = StructureBrain.TYPES.POOP_RAINBOW;
             DataManager.Instance.DaySinceLastSpecialPoop = TimeManager.CurrentDay;
             return false;

         }
}

There is no diffrence between cult traits and regular traits. Cult traits are added by FollowerTrait.AddCultTrait(FollowerTrait.TraitType); and regular ones by followerBrain.AddTrait(FollowerTrait.TraitType); on a follower’s brain.

CustomTrait supports the following overrides:

Type	Name	Default
string	InternalName	[REQUIRED]
bool	Positive	true
bool	IsTraitUnavailable()	false
Sprite	Icon	TextureHelper.CreateSpriteFromPath(PluginPaths.ResolveAssetPath(“placeholder.png”));
List<FollowerTrait.TraitType>	ExclusiveTraits	[]
TraitFlags	TraitFlags	TraitFlags.None
string	LocalizedTitle()	LocalizationManager.GetTranslation($“Traits/{ModPrefix}.{InternalName}“)
string	LocalizedDescription()	LocalizationManager.GetTranslation($“Traits/{InternalName}.description”)

Adding Traits

To add a trait to the game, simply use CustomTraitManager.Add().
Example:

using COTL_API.CustomTraits;
public static FollowerTrait.TraitType ExampleTrait { get; private set; }

private void Awake()
{
    ExampleTrait = CustomTraitManager.Add(new ExampleTrait());
}

Assigning the result of CustomTraitManager.Add() allows you to reference that trait elsewhere in your code using Plugin.ExampleTrait.

Final Steps

For the icon to load, you need to put it in the appropriate location. For the example, this would be /Assets/ExampleTrait.png relative to the root folder containing the .dll
Directory structure:

📂plugins
 ┣📂Assets
 ┃ ┗🖼️ExampleTrait.png
 ┗📜mod_name.dll