You will have more luck asking on the game forum for whatever game you're talking about.

1. Check Your Launch Option Format

Steam’s mod launch syntax for FoC is very picky.
The correct format is usually:

STEAMMOD=######

or

MODPATH=Mods\YourModFolderName

Depending on how your mod was installed.

Example 1 (Steam Workshop mod):

STEAMMOD=123456789

(where 123456789 is the Workshop ID)

Example 2 (Manual mod):

MODPATH=Mods\Thrawn's Revenge

(Make sure the folder name matches exactly, including capitalization and spacing!)


2. Make Sure the Folder Structure Is Correct

For manual mods, your folder should look like this:

...\Star Wars Empire at War\corruption\Mods\YourModFolder\

Inside that folder should be the mod’s data files (like Data, XML, etc.), not another nested folder.
If it’s like Mods\YourMod\YourMod\Data, move everything up one level.

3. Verify the Game Path

FoC sometimes launches from the base game path instead of the corruption folder.
Try this launch option format if the mod still won’t start:

"MODPATH=Mods\YourModFolder"

(With quotes included)

4. Try the Shortcut Method (Alternative)

If the Steam launch option fails:

Go to your FoC install directory.

Create a shortcut of swfoc.exe.

Right-click → Properties → Target.

Add the same mod argument at the end, like:

"...\swfoc.exe" MODPATH=Mods\YourModFolder

Launch through that shortcut instead of Steam.

5. Workshop-Specific Issue

If your mod is from Steam Workshop and it’s not updating or appearing, unsubscribe and re-subscribe to force Steam to redownload it.
Then re-check the mod ID in the folder:

...\steamapps\workshop\content\32470\

6. In-Game Mod Menu Doesn’t Always Save

You mentioned the in-game mod selector doesn’t always work — that’s normal. It edits Petroglyph\Empire at War - Forces of Corruption\Settings.xml, but the setting can get reset if the game crashes or you verify files.

You can manually edit that file and set the mod path there too if needed

Thank you for responding. Yeah I'm using the mods from the steam Workshop, and been using the correct format, but it still doesnt load unfortunately. I've also tried redownloading the mod, but that hasn't worked either :/

I just tried reinstalling the mod I was trying to use and now its working. Thank you for your help!