> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rathforge.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Fork FORGE, boot it in HELIX, and walk the neutral baseline loop.

This guide gets FORGE running and walks you through the neutral baseline so you can confirm the
framework works before you start building your own server.

## Prerequisites

* A HELIX project (Unreal Engine) with UnLua enabled.
* The FORGE framework, clone or fork [FORGE-FRAMEWORK](https://github.com/1kaliel/FORGE-FRAMEWORK).

## Install

<Steps>
  <Step title="Drop FORGE into your Scripts folder">
    The repository root **is** your `Scripts/` directory. Place the packages so HELIX loads them from
    `Scripts/forge-core`, `Scripts/forge-items`, and so on.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the package list">
    `config.json` registers every package and its load order. `forge-core` must load first; the
    example content (`forge-examples/forge-example-content`) loads last.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Play-In-Editor">
    On boot, `forge-core` initializes, every package registers its exports, and the test suites run.
    Read the Output Log.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Check>
  A healthy boot logs `... ready` for each package, `[FORGE-SMOKE] DONE 153 passed, 0 failed`, and
  `[FORGE-TEST] DONE ... pass=625 fail=0`.
</Check>

## Walk the neutral baseline

With no themed content, a fresh character can already exercise the core loop. (The example content
ships dev keybinds, `G` to grant starter items, `I` to open the inventory, to make this quick.)

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a character">
    The character-select screen lets you create a character with a structured name and identity
    fields, then spawn in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get starter items">
    The shipped neutral items include a bandage, bread, water, cloth, a simple dagger, and a coin.
    A new character also starts with **100 coin** (`forge-economy` starting balance).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Craft a bandage">
    `recipe:bandage` is common knowledge, turn 2× cloth into a bandage with no station required.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Eat bread → get a buff">
    Using bread applies `effect:well_fed`: a timed `+2 Constitution` buff.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Equip an item → stats change">
    Equipping an item with an `equip.modifiers` block applies its attribute modifiers; unequipping
    reverts them.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Type `dumpchar` in the in-game console (dev tooling) to print your character's live attributes,
  active effects, equipment, and progression to the Output Log, handy for confirming a buff applied.
</Tip>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Understand the architecture" icon="diagram-project" href="/concepts/architecture">
    How packages talk to each other.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Learn the content model" icon="layer-group" href="/concepts/content-model">
    Keep, edit, or switch off the neutral defaults.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Make it your own" icon="hammer" href="/concepts/fork-model">
    The fork workflow for building your server.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add your first item" icon="plus" href="/guides/add-an-item">
    Register content through the public API.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>