hacktix/winch

A simple Harmony-based mod loader for DREDGE.

Winch is intended to be a Mod Loader for the game DREDGE. It is currently heavily under development and there are many improvements to come. As of right now, it's not considered ready for use and there will not be any documentation or instructions until this changes.

Roadmap

• Code Execution when booting DREDGE
• Basic Configuration Options for Winch
• Loading separate Mod Assemblies at runtime
• Standardized Mod Format (Metadata JSON File)
• Provide API to Mod Assemblies to interface with the game
• Documentation & Examples

winch's Issues

Harmony Patches applied for incompatible mods

Harmony Patches defined in mods are always applied, no matter whether Winch considers the mod compatible or not. This is due to the fact that Harmony Patching occurs immediately after assemblies are loaded, before any meta validation is done.

Add options for Mod Dependencies

Let mods define dependencies in their Metadata, specifying other mods that the mod depends on. If it isn't present, fail loading the mod.

Mod & Winch Versions

Enforce a mod meta field defining the minimum Winch version it was built for, as well as a field that defines the version of the mod.

#2 : Integrate versions into dependencies

Mod Assets Loaded Event

Currently implemented DredgeEvents are only related to AssetBundle loading. Mod Assets are not loaded at the time of the events being triggered. An additional event should be implemented which is triggered when Winch Asset Loading has completed.

Mod-specific Configuration Files

Use the WinchConfig system in place to allow for mods to have their own config for users to mess with.

Validate Item ID Uniqueness

When loading items, the item IDs should be validated to not cause interference with other mods or the base game. The simplest solution that does take performance into account would be to populate a HashSet with existing item IDs and throwing an exception when attempting to add an item with an ID that's already registered.

Add support for mod zip files + optional folder loading

Mods should be packaged as zip files rather than folders. This simplifies the installation process for less tech-savvy users and causes less issues when updating mods to new versions.

For mod developers, a Winch Config flag should still be available to load mods from folders in order for them to be able to easily and quickly make changes to their mod without having to go through the process of packaging it in zips.

Winch Update Check

While possibly more gimmick-y than genuinely useful, it would be neat to have a built-in check for a newer version of Winch which displays a little label in the main menu if an update is available.

The latest release tag on GitHub could be used for reference, as the repository tags follow the Winch version naming scheme and are therefore compatible with VersionUtil.IsSameOrNewer()