The most I struggle with is GUI controls, looks like I need to write my own controls to allow user editing new filter settings.
Second most is the absence of any code modding API or documentation.
So I wrote list of things I think DW2 need to implement to allow easier code mods development:
- Allow game GUI controls to be used in mods and avoid designing them with code only. There should be controls that allow various types of input like text, numbers, combobox list, etc
- Modding API: public classes or interfaces for things like ships, components, AI behaviors, GUI, fields, properties.
- Inbuilt Mod loader to resolve dependencies across mods (to avoid dll hell), checks for mod target version range vs. game version.
- Something to track mod updates. Ideal case would be a game or launcher updating selected mods. (Inspired by Factorio)
- Stages for the mod loading process to allow mods to change data in other mods or adapt to their presence. To allow one mod to share assets, code or adapt to changes that other mods do.
- Something to allow saved games to load with missing mods, so the player don't have to restart the game due to change of active mod list. After loading a saved game all disabled mod stuff is removed from the current game/
- Something to allow mods to change things during loading a saved game so that newer version of the mods can launch update routine instead of requiring mod's code that work with all old versions.
- Protect users from dangerous code mods using some kind of sandboxing. Mods probably still need access to assets from other mods?
