How to Add Workshop Mods to a Harsh Doorstop Server

To add a Workshop mod to an Operation: Harsh Doorstop server, download the item (by subscribing in Steam or with SteamCMD), open its folder under steamapps/workshop/content/736590/<workshop id>/, copy the mod folder inside it into the server's HarshDoorstop/Mods, and restart. Then make every player subscribe to the same items, because the server does not send mods to clients. Most mod problems come from copying the wrong folder level or from players missing one item.

How mods work in Harsh Doorstop

OHD was built for modders, and the Workshop is full of maps, factions, weapon packs, vehicles and whole game modes. On the server side, each mod is just a folder of content files. The server loads every mod folder it finds in HarshDoorstop/Mods when it starts.

On the player side, the game loads the Workshop items the player is subscribed to. There is no automatic download when joining. So the rule is simple: the server's mod folders and each player's subscriptions must match. A player missing a map mod cannot load the map, and a player missing a weapon or faction mod sees missing content or gets kicked.

Step 1: Build your list as a collection

Before touching the server, decide what your server runs and put it all in a Steam Workshop collection:

1. On the OHD Workshop, open the first mod and choose Add to Collection, then create a new collection.
2. Add every map, faction and weapon mod you want.
3. Make the collection public and note the link.

This collection becomes the one link you give players, and your checklist for the server.

Step 2: Download the mod files

Option A: subscribe on your own PC. Subscribe to the collection, start the game once so Steam downloads everything, then find the files in:

<Steam library>/steamapps/workshop/content/736590/<workshop id>/

736590 is the game's Steam app ID. Each item has its own numbered folder, the number from the item's Workshop URL.

Option B: SteamCMD on the server. Since the game is free, SteamCMD can usually fetch items anonymously:

steamcmd +login anonymous +workshop_download_item 736590 1234567890 +quit

Replace the number with the Workshop ID. Files land under SteamCMD's steamapps/workshop/content/736590/1234567890/.

Step 3: Copy the right folder

This is the step that breaks most setups. Inside each Workshop ID folder there is usually one more folder, named after the mod. That inner folder is what goes into the server:

workshop/content/736590/1234567890/      <- do NOT copy this one
workshop/content/736590/1234567890/ExampleMapMod/   <- copy this

The result on the server:

HarshDoorstop/Mods/ExampleMapMod/
HarshDoorstop/Mods/ExampleFactionMod/
HarshDoorstop/Mods/ExampleWeaponPack/

One folder per mod, directly under Mods. A folder named only with numbers inside Mods is a sign you copied one level too high.

Upload with an SFTP client or your host's file manager. Large map mods can be hundreds of megabytes, so SFTP is faster and resumes if the connection drops.

Step 4: Restart and check the console

Restart the server and watch the console. You should see each mod load. If the server stops on start after adding a mod:

• Remove the newest mod folder and restart to confirm it is the cause.
• Check the mod's Workshop page for a recent update or a note about a required dependency.
• Make sure the mod is current with the game version. Mods built for an older OHD release can break after a game update.

Add mods a few at a time on a working server, not twenty at once, so you know which one broke it.

Step 5: Get every player on the same items

Post the collection link where your players will see it, with three instructions:

1. Open the collection and click Subscribe to all.
2. Fully restart the game so Steam finishes downloading.
3. Join the server only after the downloads complete.

Workshop authors update their mods. When one updates, players get the new version automatically through Steam, but your server keeps the copy you uploaded. Re-download and re-upload updated mods so the server matches what players have.

Loading a modded map

Copying a map mod into Mods makes it available, but the server still boots into the map on its launch line. Running a modded map means pointing the launch line at that map's name, which differs per mod (check the mod's Workshop page). Factions and weapons from mods usually apply on the maps or modes that use them.

Memory and mods

Every map, faction and weapon pack adds to server memory. A small server with a couple of mods is fine on 6 GB. A full 32 player server with several packs is comfortable on 8 GB, and big modded maps with many vehicles want 12 GB. If the server starts slowing down after a mod night grows, read why a game server lags before adding more.

Mods on a GamezServers server

An Operation: Harsh Doorstop server on GamezServers gives you HarshDoorstop/Mods through the file manager and SFTP, a live console to watch mods load, and one click backups to snapshot a working setup before you change the list. Auto update keeps the server on the current game build. The server boots on the stock AAS-TestMap; for a modded boot map, email support@gamezservers.com with the map name from the mod page and we set it up. If you have not built your server yet, start with how to host an Operation: Harsh Doorstop server.

FAQ

Where do mods go on a Harsh Doorstop server?

In HarshDoorstop/Mods, one folder per mod. Copy the mod folder from inside the Workshop ID folder, not the ID folder itself.

Do players download mods when they join?

No. Each player subscribes to the same Workshop items and restarts the game. A Workshop collection makes that one click.

Why do players get kicked after I added a mod?

Usually they are missing that mod, or the server has an older copy than their updated subscription. Match the server's files to the collection.

Can I download Workshop mods without owning the game?

OHD is free, so SteamCMD can usually download its Workshop items with an anonymous login using app ID 736590.