PalApi - plugin dev kit

This is the kit for writing your own PalApi plugins (server-side Palworld mods). If you just want to run PalApi on your server, you dont need this repo - grab the ready-to-use release instead.

A plugin is a small Windows DLL. PalApi loads it into the dedicated server and hands it a C API so it can read game state, call engine functions, run code on the game thread, react to chat, schedule timers, answer custom RCON commands, and more. Clients stay vanilla.

Whats in here

• include/palapi/palapi.h - the whole plugin API in one header (stable C ABI, version 14). This is the only file you include.
• docs/PLUGIN_API.md - the guide: how a plugin is structured, what each part of the API does, and the safety rules (very important: some calls are game-thread only, RCON handlers must never block).
• docs/BUILDING.md - how to build with the MSVC toolchain.
• example/ - a full working plugin (example.cpp + PluginInfo.json + build_example.bat). Best starting point: copy it and change it.
• bin/ - the PalApi binaries so you can load and test your plugin on a server (version.dll, or PalApiLoader.exe + PalApiCore.dll). Turn on debug_log=true in palapi.cfg while developing.

Quick start

1. Copy the example folder, rename it.
2. Edit example.cpp - your entry points are Plugin_Init(const PalApi* api) and Plugin_Unload().
3. Edit PluginInfo.json (name, and MinApiVersion = the API version you rely on).
4. Build it (see build_example.bat, it just calls the compiler with the right flags).
5. Drop the resulting folder in PalApi\Plugins\ on a test server and start it. Watch palapi.log (or palapi_debug.log with debug_log=true).

The one rule to remember

Read docs/PLUGIN_API.md, but if you remember one thing: respect the thread rules. Game state reads/writes and calls happen on the game thread (use the provided marshaling). A custom RCON command handler must return fast and never block - on the current build it runs on the game thread, so a slow handler freezes the whole server. When in doubt, do less and return.

License

MIT (see the source repo). Please dont resell it, and if you make the kit better, send it back.