PAX or similar conventions?

pak://DLC/.. could also work. It’d still largely be in your hands to figure out, but at least you wouldn’t need to completely invent something, unless you wanted to. In which case go for it!

In this specific case you might use file://DLC.pak?<asset>, but in the future you could easily switch to https:// and your asset loader could then pull it in from a server. Basically, it’s a well documented format. You could also use shorthand to make the strings smaller by having defaults for parts

Consider using a url for paths. If done well it would allow you to pull remote assets easily in the future.

Apparently my top artists are Chvrches, Purity Ring, Illenium, Halsey, Seven Lions.

When I’m feeling more classic rock I gotta go Queen & Journey

When I need to concentrate, I switch audio to a “noise” generator. What works for me is often a combination of Tibetan chant and/or multitonal droning from meditation. My goto is MyNoise.