Mod loader not working for me

[Cubano]

I'm trying to use the alternate research icons mod but must be doing something wrong. I downloaded the mod loader from github and unpacked it to the game directory.

I expected to see a popup when launching the game but didn't. I then copied the mod directly in the new mod folder but still nothing.

Playing the latest beta version of the game 1.0.5.1 (updated manually from the the steam 1.0.5.0 version)

What am I missing?

[frankycl]

Playing the latest beta version of the game 1.0.5.1 (updated manually from the the steam 1.0.5.0 version)

What do you mean ? Where have you got the files from for this "1.0.5.1"-version (and what files have you updated/exchanged) ?

Also: Have you already tried the .NET 6 executable from the modloader ? (Since the game above 1.0.4.9 now runs now with this)

[Cubano]

Playing the latest beta version of the game 1.0.5.1 (updated manually from the the steam 1.0.5.0 version)

What do you mean ? Where have you got the files from for this "1.0.5.1"-version (and what files have you updated/exchanged) ?

Also: Have you already tried the .NET 6 executable from the modloader ? (Since the game above 1.0.4.9 now runs now with this)

I got the files from the beta tester's FTP site (I'm a beta tester). 5.1 was released a few days ago for us to test before it hits Steam.

I'm not in front of my game PC right now but I do have the .NET 6 executables required for the 5.+ version of the game.

Do you mean I need to launch the game via a different executable than the game's standard exe?

Edit: Tried running DW2Net6Win.exe from within the game folder. It opens a command line window briefly and then nothing. I strongly suspect I'm being an idiot.

[frankycl]

(...)
I'm not in front of my game PC right now but I do have the .NET 6 executables required for the 5.+ version of the game.

Hm- do you mean the executable for the game, or for the framework (.NET 6) here ?
Because if you've only got the "files from the beta tester's FTP site" you might have not got the needed .NET 6 -setup-file, because this is offered officially only by Microsoft and you have to install it additionally - not only for the game, but also for the .NET 6-version of the modloader (just in case you didn't know / didn't do this already) !

Do you mean I need to launch the game via a different executable than the game's standard exe?

No, I meant the DW2Net6Win.exe from the mod-loader that you tried already. However, I'm not certain if you need this anymore, since the game itself runs with .NET 6 now (and according to the readme this file was only needed to run the game under .NET 6, before game-ver. 1.0.5.0).
(I wasn't able to try the new .NET 6 BETA-game-version (because I can only use the game with GOG / Galaxy), but I tried this with some versions before 1.0.5.0 - and it worked. )

Now, it's a bit too long ago, I've done these things, so it might be better to ask the guy who created the mod-loader himself - you should find him when you look for "Tyler Young" / "Tyler-IN" on GitHub or this odd symbol: ̑🅠 on Discord.

But, anyway I still know that there are some extra possibilities that come with the moad-loader-package, normally (see also in the readme from Tyler):

1. You can additionally launch a debugging-log when starting the mod-loader -> use "DW2Net6Win-Debug.cmd" instead of DW2Net6Win.exe ! Then there should open a log when the game (and the mod-loader) starts where you can see what is loaded, etc. and maybe some exceptional error, etc.. This log also can create a log-file in your game-directory where you can look at those things after the game / the loader has closed again (but I don't remember exactly if it does this by ots own, or if you'd have to do something additionally with your system - please also ask Tyler about this). - but here is a link where you might get help for this, too: https://github.com/DW2MC/DW2ModLoader/w ... ug-Logging

2. You can use a different executable game-file to speed up the process (= skip the DW2-launcher completely) -> use "DistantWorlds2.exe" instead of the default "Launcher.exe".

- Hope This will help you a bit.

[Cubano]

Thanks,

Yes, I installed the .NET 6 executables from Microsoft when 5.0 launched.

Thanks for all that info.

[frankycl]

(...)
Thanks for all that info.

No problem
... And now that they officially opened this 1.0.5.1 version for GOG-users, too , I can try to reproduce your problems (tomorrow) - or even might be able to tell you what you can do to get it to work.

But to do this I need a bit of additional info:

1. What mod-loader version are you using ?

2. What files do you have in the mods-directory exactly ? Only the ones for the "alternate research icons", or some others, too ?

3. What exactly have you done to use this mod (and in what order) ?

4. Where on your system have you installed the game / the mod-loader ? (this might be important for some access-rights of the used files )

[Cubano]

(...)
Thanks for all that info.

No problem
... And now that they officially opened this 1.0.5.1 version for GOG-users, too , I can try to reproduce your problems (tomorrow) - or even might be able to tell you what you can do to get it to work.

But to do this I need a bit of additional info:

1. What mod-loader version are you using ?

2. What files do you have in the mods-directory exactly ? Only the ones for the "alternate research icons", or some others, too ?

3. What exactly have you done to use this mod (and in what order) ?

4. Where on your system have you installed the game / the mod-loader ? (this might be important for some access-rights of the used files )

1) Version 1.2 .2 from https://github.com/DW2MC/DW2ModLoader/r ... tag/v1.2.2

2) Just the folder "Simplified Research Icons" obtained from the mod's link from this forum

3) Well, I expected a popup to open per the mod loader's wiki to select the mod but nothing came up. I wasn't sure if the loader interface (which I never saw) expects one to browse to the mod's original download folder and copies it to the games mod directory or if it expects the mod to be already in that directory so I manually copied it to the mod folder. I don't see the custom icons in game. I also don't see any kind of popup interface when launching the game using either the main DW exe or the mod loader's DW2Net6Win.exe

4) I have the game installed in the standard Steam Common folder. I placed all the mod-loader files under the Distant Worlds 2 directory as per the instructions.

I just now saw there is a way to turn on logging for the mod loader. I will try that next.

Thanks

[frankycl]

Ok, just some additional info:

1) Version 1.2 .2 from https://github.com/DW2MC/DW2ModLoader/r ... tag/v1.2.2

Good - as far as I know that's the latest version (although it's quite old now) - and the same version I use.

2) Just the folder "Simplified Research Icons" obtained from the mod's link from this forum

Also fine - this should work (I tested if before a long time ago).

3) Well, I expected a popup to open per the mod loader's wiki to select the mod but nothing came up. I wasn't sure if the loader interface (which I never saw) expects one to browse to the mod's original download folder...

No, there is no interface and you have to do nothing, after you started the mod-loader ! There is only a popup in game (if the mod-loader was loaded correctly) which will show you what mods were loaded and what problems/failures probably occured (but you can only confirm the messages, in order to close the popup) - and additionally you'll see the version of the mod-loader in the right bottom-screen.
If you used the debugging-file from above you'll additionally see a console-/logging-Window when the game and the mods are loaded, but this will close automatically after eveything is loaded or after anexceptional error (but to stop the (general very quick) logging you can always press the "Pause"-button on your keyboard (in case you didn't know)).

so I manually copied it to the mod folder. (...)

Hm - do you mean the "Simplified Research Icons"-folder that you copied to the folder "mods" here, or something else ?

4) I have the game installed in the standard Steam Common folder.

Ok, but on what drive ? (and did you use the (DW2-game-) launcher for the start ?)

[Cubano]

Huh, seems windows security is blocking DW2NET6Win.exe cause it thinks it is a Trojan. Specifically Trogan:W32/Mamson.Alac

That might be the issue.

Well I've added the distant worlds folder to the exclusion list and turned of real time protection and still no joy. Turned on debugging for the mod loader per the environment variables as instructed in the wiki but no logs are created.

I have no idea.

[Cubano]

I managed to get a screen shot of the CMD window that pops up when running the mod loader exe. Looks like it is throwing an error. I'm going to move this to github and see if the author has any thoughts

ModLoaderError.jpg (98.51 KiB) Viewed 848 times

[frankycl]

I was trying to reproduce your problem with 1.0.5.1 ... and I've got the same error / the moad-loader isn't functioning properly, anymore. - So, I guess only Tyler can solve this (for now)...

And yes, there's a security problem now (Norton told me that DW2Net6Win.exe tried to edit the security-attributes of "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportQueue\AppCrash_DW2Net6Win.exe_a77930ad33791a44a2d9efafa1a861acb3ba21c4_8a97854e_cab_330ef427-cfea-4b4a-bde2-53b5fb9c5e58\WERBBAA.tmp.mdmp". )

So, to use the mod-loader until this is fixed, I guess you'd have to use a game-version before 1.0.5x !

[Cubano]

I was trying to reproduce your problem with 1.0.5.1 ... and I've got the same error / the moad-loader isn't functioning properly, anymore. - So, I guess only Tyler can solve this (for now)...

And yes, there's a security problem now (Norton told me that DW2Net6Win.exe tried to edit the security-attributes of "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportQueue\AppCrash_DW2Net6Win.exe_a77930ad33791a44a2d9efafa1a861acb3ba21c4_8a97854e_cab_330ef427-cfea-4b4a-bde2-53b5fb9c5e58\WERBBAA.tmp.mdmp". )

So, to use the mod-loader until this is fixed, I guess you'd have to use a game-version before 1.0.5x !

That's actually good to hear, that it wasn't just me being incompetent. I posted both issues on Github so I'm sure he'll get to it.

[TylerIN]

There's a new command line load point for the Mod Loader (and other mods) to use and game content re-loading has been removed so the mod loader won't "duplicate changes," but I have yet to update it to post-v1.0.4.9 support yet.

The game's support for extensions using XML is being extended and is entirely separate from the Mod Loader's use of YML.

The game still writes some content to the main game directory, there's still graphics fixes, gameplay bug fixes, and performance improvements being made - there's also some QoL things on the docket - and they all have higher priority than working on the Mod Loader for now.

I hope to get back to it soon.

[frankycl]

Ok, thanks for the info, Tyler.

And keep on the good work - the community needs you.