Where to begin?

[dudebro692169]

I'm getting into this game and its mods for the first time and trying to figure out where to begin.

This forum has 66 pages, no pinned threads, multiple "beginner" threads (or comments buried in massive threads) from various points in time, and I'm finding it very confusing and difficult to determine which information is up-to-date.

Where should I begin?

I'll tell you about myself and my priorities:
1) I'm using the (non-Japan) Asia regional version through Steam.
2) I want to keep the character designs more or less standard, staying faithful to their official measurements, e.g., Marie staying flat-chested, although I would appreciate some refinements for the girls' rather flat-looking butts.
3) I like the idea of the malfunctioned versions of the swimsuits being made more lewd with some nudity without everyone being completely naked all the time.
4) I currently have Sayuri, Amy, Shandy, Reika, Helena, Kasumi, and Ayane unlocked.

Basically, I'm just looking for whatever is the beginner, standard, "vanilla" version of the adult mods for this game (and the girls I currently have unlocked).

Where should I begin?

[Evannee45]

Basic mods: 3Dfix (engine of mods), VV mod manager, Skin per character (recommend KF2314 Simple 4K skin), Square Bikini Nude, Gacha Demist.

 

Costumes fall into 2 types: replacer and CostumeCustomizer. Replacer affects outfits you actually get in game, usually lewder version. CostumeCustomizer is a framework to import outfits no matter you have or not, even outfits not from this game.

[zhuangzhiping]

 

[dudebro692169]

22 hours ago, Evannee45 said:

Basic mods: 3Dfix (engine of mods), VV mod manager, Skin per character (recommend KF2314 Simple 4K skin), Square Bikini Nude, Gacha Demist.

 

Costumes fall into 2 types: replacer and CostumeCustomizer. Replacer affects outfits you actually get in game, usually lewder version. CostumeCustomizer is a framework to import outfits no matter you have or not, even outfits not from this game.

 

21 hours ago, zhuangzhiping said:

 

 

Thank you for the replies. I appreciate that information.

OK, from the research I've done, some of the features of the Mod Manager (specifically the online parts) no longer work, and the download for 3DFix has an outdated d3dx.ini file from 2020 that no longer works.

The "Beginner Modding Guide" which was so kindly linked by zhuangzhiping was last updated a year ago, and the most recent comment is from someone saying their game crashed. That Beginner Mod Pack has an older d3dx.ini file, and there seem to be newer versions of the file like from knight77 dated 2025-12-30.
 

Maybe outdated files in that Beginner Mod Pack made that person's game crash?

Like I said, a lot of this stuff seems to be outdated (or semi-outdated) and confusing from the perspective of a newer player. Posting links to old threads is... something, but I wouldn't have started this thread if all the information in those threads was fully up-to-date and functional.

EDIT: I went ahead and installed that Beginner Mod Pack, and as predicted, it broke my game. I then downloaded/installed Knight77's d3dx.ini file, and the game successfully launched, but some of the outfits were broken. I also don't personally like some of the outfits that DID work, so I've deleted the Mods folder and am more or less back at square one.

It looks like I will have to scavenge one-by-one for basic individual mods that do things like add nudity to the Gacha shower scenes and Hot Springs without overhauling everything, and good luck to any new players trying to figure all this out until someone creates a (preferably pinned) up-to-date new start guide. I think a guide with more timeless information would be more useful (and more feasible) than a modpack that gets outdated with each new game update.

Edited August 15 by dudebro692169

[dudebro692169]

I'm going to keep replying to this thread and editing this post to keep a log of what I've discovered, to benefit anyone that might be lurking, and to invite anyone to correct any mistakes that I've made or things I've overlooked. This is now the Self-Guided New Player Guide from me, the new player himself.

 

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1) 3DFix is required for any mods

Download and extract into the game folder. The download for 3Dfix is partially outdated (the d3dx.ini file), so next we will need to...

 

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2) Download/extract the latest d3dx.ini file (for Steam or DMM)

Which file(s) we use depends on which version of the game we have.

 

2.1) For Steam, as of this current writing (2026-08-18), the current d3dx.ini file is this d3dx.ini file by Teddy (yes, it's dated 2024-10-20, but it still works). Download/extract into the game folder.

 

2.2) For DMM, Wizard XT informed me the current (as of 2026-08-18) practice is to put this "base" d3dx.ini file in the game folder and to put this ShaderOverrides-2026-06-17.ini file in the Mods folder.

 

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3) Download/Install the Mod Manager (Semi-Required)

The online features no longer work at all, but the basic mod management functionality still seems to work.

 

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4) Download/Install GUICVM (Semi-Required depending on mods) 

This is a utility that can be used to customize/configure certain mods using an in-game interface. Some mods use it, others don't. Check each mod individually for instructions. Bring up the GUICVM interface in-game by pressing F4 and press the GUICVM buttons by using right-click. It works best on the Home screen.

 

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5) Download/Extract Skin Textures (Required)

I think it is important to have a skin texture for EVERY GIRL in the game including the unlocked ones because they will still show up wearing modded outfits on opposing teams and such. I have been using a mixture of KF2314's skin textures, versions 1.0+, 2.0+, or 3.0+. Different versions have different options for nipples, pubic hair, etc. Some of these skin textures can be found in KF2314's thread, but others I found by searching through his post history.

 

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6) Download/Extract Outfit Mods

 

6.1) [N] Normal Bikini and other starting outfits.

Most girls wear the same [N] Normal Bikini as their starting outfit. There are great mods for this by Teddy, or by Lunatic Dawn (divided into three for Common body, Honoka body, and Marie body types), or by other modders. Pick one mod or set of mods. I like both the Teddy and the Lunatic Dawn [N] Normal Bikini mods, but right now (2026-08-18) I'm using Lunatic Dawn's.

 

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[I will update the rest later]

The most obvious place to start lewding this game is to uncensor the gacha shower scenes using Teddy's Customizable Gacha Demist mod and [R] Loquat (AKA Square Bikini) mod (the first removes the obscuring mist/steam/fog, the second makes the girl nude in the shower instead of wearing the Loquat/Square Bikini). There also seems to be an older Gacha Demist mod from krunkdunk, but I can't tell if it still works, and I'm also not sure which of the six files are necessary to download. There is also a second (newer) version of the Loquat/Square Bikini mod that uses the Perfect Body 2.0 mesh, but I've been unable to find confirmation if the KF2314 skin textures will work with it.

After installing everything, they can be tested out by going to the Gacha select screen. I know that everything is working properly because I can now see through the glass of the shower door and see my naked partner. Leaving the cursor idle for a moment (or alt-tabbing) makes the Gacha menu disappear to see more clearly. Settings for the glass, steam, and outfocusing can be adjusted using CTRL+1, CTRL+2, and CTRL+3. Skin textures can be changed using the hotkeys indicated in the text file for that girl's skin texture mod. If the shower is still totally obscured, then that would be an issue with the Gacha Demist mod. If the girl looks like her nipples and crotch are covered up, then that would be an issue with the [R] Loquat (Square Bikini) mod. If the showering scene that plays when pulling an SR or SSR swimsuit still looks censored by mist/steam, that's because it's a pre-rendered video (with no known mods changing it that I can find) and is just the way it is.

The next most obvious place I can see to lewd this game in a basic and immersive way is to make the girls nude in the Hot Spring. I am still investigating how best to accomplish this. Something that simply removes the green towel would be ideal.

 

Puffy Onsen

Edited August 18 by dudebro692169

[Wizard XT]

18 hours ago, dudebro692169 said:

 

 

Thank you for the replies. I appreciate that information.

OK, from the research I've done, some of the features of the Mod Manager (specifically the online parts) no longer work, and the download for 3DFix has an outdated d3dx.ini file from 2020 that no longer works.

The "Beginner Modding Guide" which was so kindly linked by zhuangzhiping was last updated a year ago, and the most recent comment is from someone saying their game crashed. That Beginner Mod Pack has an older d3dx.ini file, and there seem to be newer versions of the file like from knight77 dated 2025-12-30.
 

Maybe outdated files in that Beginner Mod Pack made that person's game crash?

Like I said, a lot of this stuff seems to be outdated (or semi-outdated) and confusing from the perspective of a newer player. Posting links to old threads is... something, but I wouldn't have started this thread if all the information in those threads was fully up-to-date and functional.

EDIT: I went ahead and installed that Beginner Mod Pack, and as predicted, it broke my game. I then downloaded/installed Knight77's d3dx.ini file, and the game successfully launched, but some of the outfits were broken. I also don't personally like some of the outfits that DID work, so I've deleted the Mods folder and am more or less back at square one.

It looks like I will have to scavenge one-by-one for basic individual mods that do things like add nudity to the Gacha shower scenes and Hot Springs without overhauling everything, and any newer players that are less determined than I will just have to go fuck themselves until someone creates a (preferably pinned) up-to-date new start guide. I think a guide with more timeless information would be more useful (and more feasible) than a modpack that gets outdated with each new game update.

You're right; things have certainly become more complicated.

The game's systems have changed significantly over the past few years, and mod creators have had to rely on trial and error to keep up with each update.

However, they likely didn't have the time to constantly update the beginner pack, which is what has led to the current situation.

 

For now, I want to clarify that the "Beginner Modding Guide and Mod Pack" isn't a bad pack just because it's older.

It’s just that a series of minor changes—primarily regarding "d3dx.ini"—have accumulated over time to shape how mods are used today.

Once you understand the correct mechanism for running mods, everything should work fine.

 

I should start by telling you where to find the latest version of "d3dx.ini."

The version designed by krunkdunk is the current standard.

The advantage of this approach is that even if the game undergoes major system changes, you don't have to update "d3dx.ini" itself; instead, you just update the "ShaderOverrides-YYYY-MM-DD.ini" file located within the "Mod" folder.

And here is that crucial, up-to-date ini file.

 

---

 

Next, I'll share the basic knowledge I have regarding mod usage.

 

 

1. General Knowledge

1.1. All mods must be placed inside the "Mod" folder.

Only mods located here will be executed.

You can create any subfolders you like within the "Mod" folder, so feel free to organize them using names that make sense to you.

 

1.2. Mods consist of an .ini file and texture files (specifically .ib, .vb, and .dds).

Each mod's .ini file runs by referencing the "d3dx.ini" file (located outside the "Mod" folder). If you install a mod but the swimsuit remains unchanged, it is likely that your "d3dx.ini" is outdated and lacks the correct code.

However, if you are using krunkdunk's "d3dx.ini" (mentioned above), you simply need to update the "ShaderOverrides-YYYY-MM-DD.ini" file.

 

1.3. The game renders body movement by manipulating countless weight points on the swimsuit graphics; mods reference these weight points to display the replaced graphics on screen.

In other words, if a modded swimsuit or a girl's body appears distorted or mangled, it means the positions of the weight points referenced by the game have changed. You will need to install a newer version of the mod or recreate it.

 

 

2. Characteristics of DOAXVV

2.1. There are three body types for the girls, and each requires a separate mod.

The game does not design bodies and swimsuits individually for each girl.

A girl's individuality is expressed solely through her facial features and skin tone; only three body graphic types exist.

These three patterns are based on breast shape and are distinguished on this LoversLab by the names "Common," "Honoka," and "Marie."

Conversely, installing a mod does not necessarily change the swimsuits for every girl.

For example, a mod might change the swimsuit for girls with the "Common" breast type while leaving those with "Honoka" or "Marie" types unchanged.

 

2.2. Swimsuits are designed separately for their standard state and their malfunction state.

Even if a mod functions correctly when the swimsuit is worn properly, most mods fail to work if the swimsuit becomes disheveled.

A new mod specifically designed for such malfunctions becomes necessary.

 

 

3. Modding Culture

3.1. CC (Costume Customizer)

The "R Takao" swimsuit is utilized as a versatile base that allows the character to change into various other swimsuits.

 

3.2. GUICVM

Recent mods are designed to allow individual toggling (ON/OFF) by pressing the F4 key.

 

3.3. Nipples

Mod creators have their own preferences regarding nipples; consequently, with some mods, the nipple graphics may not display correctly even if the appropriate skin mod has been installed.

 

---

 

That's about it.

I'm tired, so please ask someone else for more details.

 

Have a nice day!

Edited August 15 by Wizard XT
Edit the quote

[dudebro692169]

Thank you for the reply and for all of the useful information!

 

9 hours ago, Wizard XT said:

For now, I want to clarify that the "Beginner Modding Guide and Mod Pack" isn't a bad pack just because it's older.

It’s just that a series of minor changes—primarily regarding "d3dx.ini"—have accumulated over time to shape how mods are used today.

Once you understand the correct mechanism for running mods, everything should work fine.

Whether it's a "good" or a "bad" modpack, it no longer functions with a beginner's level of knowledge. I would make the case that, especially in a game receiving regular updates, modpacks in general are "bad" for beginners because they inevitably become broken at some point and are too complicated for beginners to have the knowledge (or the will) to fix. That's when the "beginner modpack" joins the ever increasing landmine of broken and outdated information that beginners have to navigate in order to get started at all.

That's why I'm starting my Self-Guided New Player Guide (from me, the New Player), and trying to write it in such a way as to include more timeless information that will hopefully still be useful even if I stop updating it and the links become outdated.

 

9 hours ago, Wizard XT said:

I should start by telling you where to find the latest version of "d3dx.ini."

The version designed by krunkdunk is the current standard.

 

9 hours ago, Wizard XT said:

The advantage of this approach is that even if the game undergoes major system changes, you don't have to update "d3dx.ini" itself; instead, you just update the "ShaderOverrides-YYYY-MM-DD.ini" file located within the "Mod" folder.

And here is that crucial, up-to-date ini file.

 

This is very helpful! Thank you!

 

9 hours ago, Wizard XT said:

2.1. There are three body types for the girls, and each requires a separate mod.

The game does not design bodies and swimsuits individually for each girl.

A girl's individuality is expressed solely through her facial features and skin tone; only three body graphic types exist.

These three patterns are based on breast shape and are distinguished on this LoversLab by the names "Common," "Honoka," and "Marie."

If I'm not mistaken, each character also has a separate... what's it called... skeleton? morph?... that tweaks the body mesh to give it some individuality. This is how girls that use the same body type can end up with slightly different shapes to their breasts, butt, hips, etc., despite utilizing the same mesh files. Is this not the case?

In any case, I currently have my girls visibly nude in the shower scene of the Gacha select screen, and the next thing on my priority list is to figure out how to remove the green towels so the girls will be nude in the Hot Spring. I'm personally setting aside everything else with the costumes for now.

EDIT: Are there different branches of these d3dx.ini / ShaderOverrides files floating around that only work with certain sets of mods? When I switched over to the base d3dx.ini + ShaderOverrides-2026-06-17.ini, my Gacha Demist stopped working properly. The glass stayed frosted over, although certain other demist functions still worked. For now, I switched back to the knight77 d3dx.ini from 2025-12-30, and the Gacha Demist is fully functional again.

Edited August 15 by dudebro692169

[trebolu]

 

Sup. Thanks for making this thread. I am also relatively new to the DOAXVV section of this site and if not for finding the Beginner Modding Guide, I would still be lost. That said, it's true it is not up to date and that makes it not so helpful.

 

3 hours ago, dudebro692169 said:

EDIT: Are there different branches of these d3dx.ini / ShaderOverrides files floating around that only work with certain sets of mods? When I switched over to the base d3dx.ini + ShaderOverrides-2026-06-17.ini, my Gacha Demist stopped working properly. The glass stayed frosted over, although certain other demist functions still worked. For now, I switched back to the knight77 d3dx.ini from 2025-12-30, and the Gacha Demist is fully functional again.

 

As for this, my guess is that it's due to those being up-to-date for the DMM version. The Steam is behind a few versions the DMM one. Maybe you can try searching for an older version of ShaderOverrides.ini ? That said, I wouldn't know how back you'd have to go. I myself haven't used DMM since it's a bother to start up a VPN every time just to open it.

 

[Wizard XT]

16 hours ago, dudebro692169 said:

According to Wizard XT, the most up-to-date approach is now to install a "base" d3dx.ini file in the game folder, found here (don't worry about the date of 2023-06-15, this file is designed to be timeless), along with the most up-to-date ShaderOverrides-YYYY-MM-DD.ini file in the Mods folder, currently this one (ShaderOverrides-2026-06-17.ini). As of this writing, I ran into issues with the Gacha Demist when trying this, so I switched back to the one from knight77 mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Huh? The Gacha Demist didn't work? That can't be right.
Here, I give you the GUI version mod I use—try it (though I apologize for not getting permission from the creator).

Gacha_Demist. 2022-09-08 (1.1.1).zip

[dudebro692169]

29 minutes ago, trebolu said:

As for this, my guess is that it's due to those being up-to-date for the DMM version. The Steam is behind a few versions the DMM one. Maybe you can try searching for an older version of ShaderOverrides.ini ? That said, I wouldn't know how back you'd have to go. I myself haven't used DMM since it's a bother to start up a VPN every time just to open it.

Ah, I didn't even notice that it's for DMM. That's probably it. Thank you! I have a functioning d3dx.ini file from knight77 dated 2025-12-30, and it's working great for me so far, so I'm just going to stick with it.

 

9 minutes ago, Wizard XT said:

Huh? The Gacha Demist didn't work? That can't be right.
Here, I give you the GUI version mod I use—try it (though I apologize for not getting permission from the creator).

Gacha_Demist. 2022-09-08 (1.1.1).zip 972.38 kB · 0 downloads

 

It's not the Gacha Demist mod (I tried a couple different ones). I think it's because the ShaderOverrides file is for the DMM version of the game while I'm using the Steam version. It's fine, the knight77 d3dx.ini file is working just fine for me.

Update regarding the Hot Spring situation:

I was successful in removing the default green "bamboo" Hot Spring towel using the Puffy Onsen mod. It's... maybe not perfect (I think the puffy nipple body mesh looks a little bit weird especially for girls with small or medium-sized nipples), but it's a simple and functional solution. I had a hard time finding any other "Towel Removal" mods; the only others I found were buried in old mod packs from years ago and throw errors in the launcher. The other possibility would be installing nude mods for each of the girls' private outfits while turning on the Hot Springs setting "Apply Private Outfit," but that would require a LOT more micro-management especially since I DO NOT want the girls to be nude outside the Hot Springs.

Edited August 15 by dudebro692169