Klei modding API requests

[whismerhill]

- in the game, version should be shown by default for all mods, mod authors shouldn't have to rewrite version info in the description for lack of a better option

- in the game, list of last downloaded/updated mods after workshop sync (and yes the steam workshop should also be reworked, since there is no details on what you download from it, but that's a valve issue and there's just no way to get back info to them. Anyways this doesn't concern klei but in game it does and would be nice.)

- update modAPI of DS to reach capabilities of DST : namely in modinfo.lua hover fields. This is definitely lacking and in fact several mods now resort to ingame mod options through a button or a hotkey.

- NEW clicking to select a mod instead of hover : like in DST

- NEW a common framework for mod hotkeys would be also super awesome, even though I doubt Klei might be interested, I'll still detail its features : + allows the user to easily input keyboard, mouse & controller binds to a mod which has used this framework for his binds/hotkeys + allows the user to rebind those from both the mod configuration menu & the general don't starve configuration menu OR alternatively only shows them in the  the don't starve controls configuration menu (readonly), why ? because it gives a central position to recall all your binds for the user

- NEW a common framework for INGAME mod configurations : this should be kept extremely simple on the framework side, basically it's just a small modification to the escape menu which adds : "mod configuration" as a button, which if pressed will then list all mods who have declared an ingame configuration tool, why? because more & more mods add their own ingame configuration menu, each of them has its own keybind to access it ... unpractical & hard to use properly for the user.

 

edit : added two more advanced suggestions just in case

[Mobbstar]

#1 and #3 would be very helpful and barely effortous to implement.

I'd like to suggest selecting a mod by clicking instead of hovering over, like it is in DST.

[CarlZalph]

Workaround for #1:

version = "0.0.1"
description = "My mod v"..version.." and it does x y and z."

In Lua the '..' operator concatenates strings so in this case the description would read: "My mod v0.0.1 and it does x y and z."

[Mobbstar]

38 minutes ago, CarlZalph said:

Workaround for #1

The OP mentioned this, but besides most people not doing it, this makes finding the version at first glance more difficult than a dedicated area.

[whismerhill]

1 hour ago, Mobbstar said:

The OP mentioned this, but besides most people not doing it, this makes finding the version at first glance more difficult than a dedicated area.

Besides the fact that not all mod authors will think of putting the version in the description. Since the workshop forces to update the version number for each consequent upload, I think it would be a nice addition

 

concrete example why we need number 3

		name = "SortOrderConf",
		label = "Sorting Order",
		options =
		{
			{description = "1: wltbefo ", data = 1}, --Dump everything in inventory in an intuitive order
			{description = "2: wltbef..o", data = 2}, --Stick others at end, starting in the pack if present
			{description = "3: wltbeo..f", data = 3}, --Place all food into backpack if possible. Do food last
			{description = "4: of.ebtlw", data = 4}, --keep weapons and tools just left of equipslots, then from left to right: others, food
			{description = "5: Custom", data = 5},
		},
		default = 1,
		hover = "Controls the default order for autosorting (changeable with keybind)",

so this is for DS, I added the hover back then thinking it worked but of course it doesn't

wltbefo stands for : Weapons, Lights, Tools, Books, Equips, Food, Other

no need to tell you how handy & practical it is to make users refer to the mod description to understand what the hell "wltbefo" stands for ..

[whismerhill]

added two more advanced suggestions / wishes to the first post that would take more effort, but would be so awesome !

Spoiler

- NEW a common framework for mod hotkeys would be also super awesome, even though I doubt Klei might be interested, I'll still detail its features : + allows the user to easily input keyboard, mouse & controller binds to a mod which has used this framework for his binds/hotkeys + allows the user to rebind those from both the mod configuration menu & the general don't starve configuration menu OR alternatively only shows them in the  the don't starve controls configuration menu (readonly) , why ? because it gives a central position to recall all your binds for the user

- NEW a common framework for INGAME mod configurations : this should be kept extremely simple on the framework side, basically it's just a small modification to the escape menu which adds : "mod configuration" as a button, which if pressed will then list all mods who have declared an ingame configuration tool, why? because more & more mods add their own ingame configuration menu, each of them has its own keybind to access it ... unpractical & hard to use properly for the user.