PPL breaks switching Photon regions, requiring a switch and restart to see the new game list. This is likely due to modifications to the version string. Changing how version strings are handled should fix both issues.

ModManager has a number of UI issues.
-Users are able click buttons behind GUI, which means the user has to move the manager around to avoid unintentional button clicking.
-Users must manually unlock the mouse when interacting with the GUI. Should have an option for toggling so users can keep the menu up while playing.
-deselecting text input fields is unintuitive, right click seems to be the best method.

Plugins that fail to load currently soft crash the game. This isn't too graceful, although it's been necessary to leave it this way since we haven't had a way to display broken plugins in game.

When a plugin fails to load, it should be handled such that other plugins and the game can still continue. The exception should still be displayed in the log. Additionally, an in game message should appear that states which plugins have failed in total.

I have just taken the time to delete every mod I'm running one by one and hosted a server with the same mods as the joining client each time, and yet still cannot join. Now if I'm running PML but the host is not, I can join. I am getting some sort of error which I think may be the cause of this. Started happening after the latest Pulsar update.

Full logs:
Joining-Side log

Host-Side log

The debug readout throws exceptions while in the main menu after quitting a game, although they won't be visible until joining a new game.

Steps:

1. Join a game and enable debug readout.
2. Exit game to main menu.
3. Join another game without closing the actual program.
4. Note the exception spam fading out on the left.

Some features are not implemented correctly:

• CaptainChar: implemented as ComponentModBase, so you can't change the appearance of the chair. (Suggestion: implement how TurretMod is implemented)
• For some components, not all method overloads work due to missing patches.

Suggestions for new content features:

• QuestAPI or MissionsAPI.
• ShopAPI (for exampel: IShopItem interface; implements a method similar to "OnNewShopCreated(Shop shop, Sector sector)" that allows you to manually add items to the shop. Or add a spawn chance property and store type to the interface.)
• DialogAPI for ships
• DialogAPI for pawns
• CreaturesAPI (maybe, if possible)
• Pawn Appearance API
• Translation API

Other Suggestions:

• Fix-patch for one bool method in SteamVR api (Creates boolean (false) many times if you don't have VR. For 1 hour of play, it creates them for 1 gigabyte +_+) (Solution: prefix override patch with "return false")
• Move the start PML method to Awake and add an attribute to it that will tell Unity that this Awake should be called first.

0.11.0.24
0.11.1.25

Generally when referring to PML versions, we use the first 3 numbers to differentiate the version. I am not aware of any case where we use the build number, so we should consider not including it in the PML version.

Wiki pages appear to be written against old versions of pulsar-mod-loader

For example, this page refers to PulsarPlugin instead of PulsarMod
https://github.com/PULSAR-Modders/pulsar-mod-loader/wiki/Creating-Plugins

This page talks about copying mods into <game dir>/PULSAR_LostColony_Data/Managed/Plugins, but they should go into <game dir>/Mods
https://github.com/PULSAR-Modders/pulsar-mod-loader/wiki/Visual-Studio-Tips

Some of the wiki's information is replicated in the README. so one of the two duplicates could be removed. The page about configuring .csproj, however, is not duplicated in the README. I found it useful, so I think it should be preserved somewhere, whether in the wiki or README or elsewhere.

PPL tries to store a clean backup of assemblies it modifies and restores them before patching to avoid repeated file verification + downloading. But as @18107 points out, this will fail subtlely and miserably in scenarios like official patches or plugin developers accidentally contaminating their DLLs before running PPL (thus contaminating the backup).

The backup logic needs to be improved to automatically delete the backup and start fresh after an official patch. See below for implementation strategy.

The plugins folder has been renamed to mods in the code but not in the readme

Publishing PPL's DLL assembly as a NuGet Package would ease dependency management for plugin creators.

PPL's own log file path is resolving to folders that may not be writable due to OS permissions (e.g., Program Files subfolders). Find a way to redirect it to a writable folder (AppData?) that makes sense.

IOException: Sharing violation on path C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\PULSARLostColony\PULSAR_LostColony_Data\Managed\Log.txt
  at System.IO.FileStream..ctor (System.String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, Boolean anonymous, FileOptions options) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0 
  at System.IO.FileStream..ctor (System.String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0 
  at System.IO.StreamWriter..ctor (System.String path, Boolean append, System.Text.Encoding encoding, Int32 bufferSize) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0 
  at System.IO.StreamWriter..ctor (System.String path, Boolean append) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0 
  at PulsarPluginLoader.Utils.Logger..cctor () [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0 
Rethrow as TypeInitializationException: An exception was thrown by the type initializer for PulsarPluginLoader.Utils.Logger
at PulsarPluginLoader.PluginManager..ctor () <IL 0x00033, 0x000ed>
at PulsarPluginLoader.PluginManager.get_Instance () <IL 0x0000e, 0x0008f>
at PulsarPluginLoader.Patches.LoadPlugins.Prefix () <IL 0x00028, 0x000d4>
at (wrapper dynamic-method) PLGlobal.Start_Patch1 (object) <IL 0x00000, 0x0001c>

The list of active plugins should be displayed in game, alongside all the plugin metadata. Place a button for this list on the main menu and possibly escape menu. Make sure the URLs are clickable.

The most common issue with new players installing mods is forgetting or not knowing about switching to the mono branch of Pulsar. It could be helpful to include information about this in the README file.

PPL Bootstrapper has sufficient logging, but it doesn't write to disk. This is a pain when the program crashes and wasn't run from the command line, since all the logs disappear forever and it may appear to have run correctly.

dnSpy is archived and unmaintained.
https://github.com/dnSpy/dnSpy/

I see that there is another project, dnSpyEx, that aims to continue maintenance and release new versions.
https://github.com/dnSpyEx/dnSpy

Do Pulsar modders use one or the other? Are there any reasons to prefer one or the other, perhaps because dnSpyEx removed an important feature, or because dnSpy already does everything you need and so there is no reason to upgrade?

Modded games announce themselves through Photon Properties as isModded. The game lobby should use this property to identify modded games, similar to the Discord game list bot. Look at how the lock icon is added for inspiration.

New PML users miss outside installation instructions to switch the game branch, and fill up support channels with questions on this one topic. Providing a notification that this is their issue should reduce such questions.

This feature would sync client lists between clients automatically. Do not confuse this with a user visible list of another users mods, that will have to be another feature.

Sometimes I need to sync mod info between host and client when they first join. Delegates will make it easy to send the info asap.

References to PULSAR assemblies are required to build PPL and subsequent plugins, but manually including them in the repository is error prone and wasteful. Instead, create a private NuGet feed containing all PULSAR assemblies for easy reference and restoration by other developers and auto build systems.

Create a display for extra debug info, such as position or map ID. Make it toggleable to avoid clutter. Check PPL version string append for an example of adding to the in game UI.

The game captures all exceptions for logging, but often continues as if nothing happened even after catastrophic failures. Display notifications of an exception in game to better alert plugin developers that something broke and roughly what gameplay caused it. Instead of showing the full exception, show an ID that can be used to search the logs for the exact event.

The installer crashes immediately on Linux without a crash log.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Download PulsarModLoaderInstaller-0.11.1.25-6159078.zip
2. Extract all contents to an empty folder
3. Open a terminal in that location and run mono PulsarModLoaderInstaller.exe

Result:

$ mono PulsarModLoaderInstaller.exe

Unhandled Exception:
System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'PulsarModLoader.PMLConfig' threw an exception. ---> System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.JsonWriter' threw an exception. ---> System.BadImageFormatException: Could not resolve field token 0x04000358, due to: Could not load type of field 'Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.Utilities.EnumUtils+<>c:<>9__1_0' (1) due to: Could not load file or assembly 'System.Runtime.Serialization, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' or one of its dependencies. assembly:/home/18107/Downloads/PML/Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.dll type:<>c member:(null)
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.JsonWriter.BuildStateArray () [0x0001b] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.JsonWriter..cctor () [0x001bc] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JTokenWriter..ctor () [0x00000] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JToken.FromObjectInternal (System.Object o, Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer jsonSerializer) [0x00016] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JToken.FromObject (System.Object o) [0x00006] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
  at PulsarModLoader.SaveValueManager.GetValueFor[T] (PulsarModLoader.SaveValue`1[T] saveValue, T default) [0x00067] in <53a71800fe3846058dfd108f34594256>:0 
  at PulsarModLoader.SaveValue`1[T]..ctor (System.String id, UnityEngine.TextAnchor default) [0x00018] in <53a71800fe3846058dfd108f34594256>:0 
  at PulsarModLoader.PMLConfig..cctor () [0x00000] in <53a71800fe3846058dfd108f34594256>:0 
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
  at PulsarInjector.Injector.Main (System.String[] args) [0x00026] in <5135491733384d65bb5de5588ed9bde3>:0 
[ERROR] FATAL UNHANDLED EXCEPTION: System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'PulsarModLoader.PMLConfig' threw an exception. ---> System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.JsonWriter' threw an exception. ---> System.BadImageFormatException: Could not resolve field token 0x04000358, due to: Could not load type of field 'Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.Utilities.EnumUtils+<>c:<>9__1_0' (1) due to: Could not load file or assembly 'System.Runtime.Serialization, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' or one of its dependencies. assembly:/home/18107/Downloads/PML/Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.dll type:<>c member:(null)
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.JsonWriter.BuildStateArray () [0x0001b] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.JsonWriter..cctor () [0x001bc] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JTokenWriter..ctor () [0x00000] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JToken.FromObjectInternal (System.Object o, Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer jsonSerializer) [0x00016] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
  at Valve.Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JToken.FromObject (System.Object o) [0x00006] in <2c5310964c4c487abfe73911114a8b49>:0 
  at PulsarModLoader.SaveValueManager.GetValueFor[T] (PulsarModLoader.SaveValue`1[T] saveValue, T default) [0x00067] in <53a71800fe3846058dfd108f34594256>:0 
  at PulsarModLoader.SaveValue`1[T]..ctor (System.String id, UnityEngine.TextAnchor default) [0x00018] in <53a71800fe3846058dfd108f34594256>:0 
  at PulsarModLoader.PMLConfig..cctor () [0x00000] in <53a71800fe3846058dfd108f34594256>:0 
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
  at PulsarInjector.Injector.Main (System.String[] args) [0x00026] in <5135491733384d65bb5de5588ed9bde3>:0

When creating a game with Photon, it's possible to set extra properties for use by the client. PPL should add an isModded flag or similar metadata to help with future management of modded games.

The link to PPL.CE on this wiki page is broken:

https://github.com/PULSAR-Modders/pulsar-mod-loader/wiki/Useful-Tools

The link points to:

https://github.com/TomRichter/PPL.CommonExtensions

To make it easier to find us, a Discord link should be added to the main menu. A simple Discord icon styled to look like a button should suffice.

More generally, this should be implemented as a collection of icons/buttons that we can add to in the future. Have it appear in the bottom left corner since that space is dark/contrasting and unused.

I am getting an NRE in logs regarding thrusters (all 3 types) coming from PML, see the errors below. I've also attached a full log if that's needed. NOTE: it appears thrusters added from PML are still functioning, however.

FULL LOG

[PML] Exception ID: C64BDDA
NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
  at PulsarModLoader.Content.Components.InertiaThruster.InertiaThrusterMod.GetStatLineRight (PLShipComponent InComp) [0x00019] in <f32009a277c84971bdfbcdf2877c3db4>:0 
  at PulsarModLoader.Content.Components.InertiaThruster.RightDescFix.Postfix (PLInertiaThruster __instance, System.String& __result) [0x00041] in <f32009a277c84971bdfbcdf2877c3db4>:0 
  at (wrapper dynamic-method) PLInertiaThruster.PLInertiaThruster.GetStatLineRight_Patch1(PLInertiaThruster)
  at PLTooltipRequest.Draw () [0x0035a] in <54e26eb28c19438f9c2ae141dc7fe68b>:0 
  at PLTooltip.OnGUI () [0x0001f] in <54e26eb28c19438f9c2ae141dc7fe68b>:0 

Uploading Crash Report
[PML] Exception ID: C64D6C1
NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
  at PulsarModLoader.Content.Components.ManeuverThruster.ManeuverThrusterMod.GetStatLineRight (PLShipComponent InComp) [0x00019] in <f32009a277c84971bdfbcdf2877c3db4>:0 
  at PulsarModLoader.Content.Components.ManeuverThruster.RightDescFix.Postfix (PLManeuverThruster __instance, System.String& __result) [0x00041] in <f32009a277c84971bdfbcdf2877c3db4>:0 
  at (wrapper dynamic-method) PLManeuverThruster.PLManeuverThruster.GetStatLineRight_Patch1(PLManeuverThruster)
  at PLTooltipRequest.Draw () [0x0035a] in <54e26eb28c19438f9c2ae141dc7fe68b>:0 
  at PLTooltip.OnGUI () [0x0001f] in <54e26eb28c19438f9c2ae141dc7fe68b>:0 

Uploading Crash Report
[PML] Exception ID: C640A00
NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
  at PulsarModLoader.Content.Components.Thruster.ThrusterMod.GetStatLineRight (PLShipComponent InComp) [0x00019] in <f32009a277c84971bdfbcdf2877c3db4>:0 
  at PulsarModLoader.Content.Components.Thruster.RightDescFix.Postfix (PLThruster __instance, System.String& __result) [0x00041] in <f32009a277c84971bdfbcdf2877c3db4>:0 
  at (wrapper dynamic-method) PLThruster.PLThruster.GetStatLineRight_Patch1(PLThruster)
  at PLTooltipRequest.Draw () [0x0035a] in <54e26eb28c19438f9c2ae141dc7fe68b>:0 
  at PLTooltip.OnGUI () [0x0001f] in <54e26eb28c19438f9c2ae141dc7fe68b>:0 

Most of PPL is lacking docstrings, making intellisense tooltips useless. Write docstrings for at least every public function to reduce wasted plugin developer time and keep us sane in the future.