Better Queue

Plan a survivor's Command build in the lobby, then let Command cubes follow the plan during a run.

The Queue tab sits after Loadout. Its compact editor has a scrollable category sidebar, an icon queue with quantity badges and drag reordering, and an item library. The lobby includes item search; the in-run scoreboard has no search field. Category tabs stay visible on the left, with a scrollbar when they exceed the panel height. Labels use RoR2's language-aware text component; buttons reuse the game's own sprite, material and hover colors. Item icons keep a compact size with quantity badges. The in-run editor is integrated into the game's own scoreboard: the native player list keeps its original width, and Queue flows below it in the same vertical layout. It reuses the scoreboard canvas, cursor and native blur; there is no additional black backdrop or standalone preview strip.

• Click an item to add one; Ctrl-click adds ten. Right-click removes one from its last planned stack.
• In the queue, click an icon to remove one; right-click adds one. Ctrl changes ten. Drag icons to reorder. Scroll the queue if it extends beyond the visible row.
• Item tooltips use full item descriptions. When LookingGlass is installed, Queue calls its existing formatter for colored descriptions and current inventory / next-stack calculations, respecting its calculation settings. Hover refreshes the item context. Mouse tooltips close when the pointer leaves an item, even if that button remains selected; gamepad navigation can still show focused item details. LookingGlass is optional; an unavailable formatter falls back to the full localized description.
• The two-arrow Loop icon sits beside the queued items, on the same row. Click it to toggle looping for the selected category; green means enabled. Each category advances independently.
• Changes autosave per survivor. During a run, hold Tab (or use the game's rebound/toggle scoreboard control) to see the queue below the existing player list. Edit the build, category, quantities and repeat mode directly there. F7 is an optional toggle shortcut for that same native scoreboard. The scoreboard follows native hold/toggle behavior. Search is available only in the lobby. Use F7 again to close a scoreboard opened with that shortcut; the header has no Close button. The lobby Queue tab remains available.
• Collected permanent ground items advance the live queue. Temporary/rental items and equipment are left to the ordinary game picker. Scrappers, cauldrons and other pickers are not intercepted.
• The saved build survives a run's item consumption. Non-repeating run edits preserve fulfilled units; changing a repeating category restarts its current cycle.

Installation and compatibility

Requires BepInExPack and HookGenPatcher. Install BetterQueue.dll under BepInEx/plugins/BetterQueue. Disable other Command queue plugins to avoid competing selections. Each player manages their own queue; the mod uses the game's normal Command choice transport and does not require a custom server message protocol. Standard network co-op is intended; split-screen is not supported.

The new plugin ID is modwright.betterqueue, independent of CommandQueue. On first launch after item catalogs load, survivor builds from BepInEx/config/CommandQueue.saves.json are imported into BetterQueue.plans.json. The original file stays untouched. Internal item names and stable entry IDs are stored instead of catalog indexes; unknown modded items are retained. Old named save slots are not imported as survivor builds.

Configuration: BepInEx/config/modwright.betterqueue.cfg. AutoSelect, ShowPreview (the scoreboard Queue editor) and the optional scoreboard shortcut are configurable. Saves use a temporary file and replacement backup. Damaged primary/recovery files are preserved before repair; unsupported newer save versions are never overwritten.

Build and package

Use the .NET 9 SDK and PowerShell 7:

dotnet build src/BetterQueue/BetterQueue.csproj -c Release
dotnet run --project tests/BetterQueue.Tests -c Release
pwsh ./scripts/package.ps1

The Thunderstore package is written to dist/BetterQueue-1.3.1.zip. GitHub Actions builds and tests it. See PUBLISHING.md.

Implementation and attribution

Better Queue has a new build/run model, reservation scheduler, survivor store, item browser, editor and HUD. RoR2 lobby-header integration and raw Command picker submission were adapted with attribution from the MIT-licensed CommandQueue ecosystem. Rewriting the presentation does not remove the attribution requirement: see THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md and LICENSE-CommandQueue.txt.

New code is Apache-2.0; adapted integration remains covered by its included MIT notice. Item artwork is loaded from the installed game and is not distributed. No game DLLs, decompiled game sources, user builds or credentials are included.

Validation

The release builds against RoR2 1.5.0-r.1 / MMHOOK 2026.10.8. The standalone scheduler suite checks 9,670 assertions, including sidebar/loop-row geometry in scoreboard and lobby sizes, reservations, reverse-order ground pickups, repeat cycles, live edits and unchanged saved templates. A local audit against the installed game's actual RoR2 assembly checks member access. Native HUD and installed HookGen API visibility audits pass. The pickup receipt hook no longer calls the private nested PickupMessage HookGen class; it decodes a copied packet through the public MessageBase contract and preserves the native reader position. Permanent receipt quantities advance the queue; temporary/rental receipts do not. Optional LookingGlass formatter lookup was checked against the installed LookingGlass 1.16.3 method signature. Live formatted tooltip values and mouse-exit behavior, category scrolling, loop visuals, native scoreboard hold/toggle behavior, lobby search, receipt transport and host/client integration still require in-game verification.

Changelog

1.3.7

• Search the selected lobby category by item name, internal ID or tooltip description, including optional LookingGlass descriptions. Ignore rich-text formatting and letter case; return to the top of the results when the query changes.
• Release build, targeted checks against the compiled search helper, and native API visibility audits pass. Live lobby verification remains manual.

1.3.6

• Remove the item library's bottom tier stripe, which overlapped its frame. Categories retain their tier colors in the sidebar.
• Use a single two-unit frame with soft edges and shared corners, replacing the fractional double strokes. Tile dimensions now use whole canvas units; item artwork and quantity labels stay inside the frame. Apply the same frame to drag previews.
• Release build, 71,492 existing assertions and native API/HookGen visibility audits pass. Live lobby and scoreboard visual verification remains manual.

1.3.5

• Replace stretched cancel-button textures with uniform nested UI mesh strokes for item tiles, category buttons, loop controls and drag ghosts. Keep native fonts, colors, masking and hover feedback; remove the uneven bottom stroke and texture seams.
• Keep the 1.3.4 scoreboard drag lifetime fix. Save data and scheduler behavior are unchanged.
• Release build and native UI/API visibility audits pass. Lobby/scoreboard rendering still needs live visual verification.

1.3.4

• Keep the drag preview inside the queue editor instead of adding a direct child to the native HUD canvas. Dragging no longer makes the HUD hide the scoreboard, cancel the drag and recenter the cursor.
• Preserve the native Tab hold/toggle behavior, item ghost, animated neighbour shifts and landing animation. Saved builds are unchanged.
• Release build, existing 71,492 assertions and native API/HookGen visibility audits pass; live cursor/drag verification remains manual.

1.3.3

• Keep authoritative builds outside shared mod-manager configs, in local app data keyed by the local RoR2 player profile. Importing the host's Gale profile into an existing or new manager folder can no longer overwrite an established local build.
• Migrate every survivor from the old JSON on first use; retain the config JSON as an export/backup copy. Keep atomic writes, readable replacement backups, corrupt-file preservation and forward-version protection. Log the exact save path.
• Wait for the local owned body at run startup instead of locking a stale lobby preference. Keep Tank and Enforcer plans separate.
• Release build and 71,492 assertions pass, including production file-store migration and recovery tests. Live two-machine/profile-import verification remains necessary.

1.3.2

• Add a cursor-following item ghost, a subtle lift, animated neighbour shifts and a short landing/return animation to queue drag-and-drop. Reuse native item frames/fonts on the existing canvas; no screen backdrop or copied UI prefab is added.
• Preview the destination without mutating the saved build. Commit once after a valid drop, preserving stable IDs, quantities, fulfilled run progress and other categories. Drops outside the queue cancel. Long queues scroll at the viewport edges.
• Clean up drag UI, tooltips and scroll state when the panel closes, focus is lost, the layout/plan changes or Escape is pressed. A released drop can finish even if Tab is released during landing. Do not treat a drag as an item click.
• Release build, 71,479 scheduler/layout/reorder assertions and native RoR2/UI/HookGen API audits pass. In-game drag animation, pointer scaling and native Tab lifetime still need visual verification.

1.3.1

• Remove the Queue header Close button. Keep the native Tab hold/toggle controls and F7 shortcut; reclaim header width for autosave status.
• Release build, 9,670 existing scheduler/layout assertions and installed-game/HookGen API visibility audits pass. Live UI verification remains manual.

1.3.0

• Replace the category dropdown with a persistent, scrollable left sidebar, tier color markers and an active-category highlight. Keep the native player-list width, UI assets and scoreboard blur.
• Replace Loop text with original vector two-arrow artwork. Place it beside the queued item row; icon and frame turn green when looping is enabled for that category.
• Remove search from the in-run scoreboard and remove its temporary pin, pause and chat hooks. Lobby search remains available.
• Pass scoreboard ownership directly when building an inactive HUD, so it cannot be mistaken for the lobby editor.
• Stop selected mouse items from reopening their tooltip after pointer exit. Explicitly remove the item's tooltip on exit; preserve LookingGlass descriptions and gamepad navigation details.
• Release build, 9,670 scheduler/layout assertions, native RoR2 member audit and installed HookGen visibility audit pass. Live UI, tooltip exit and host/client checks remain manual.

1.2.2

• Use full localized item descriptions in library and planned-queue tooltips. Optionally call LookingGlass's existing item formatter with the local master, current item count and next-copy preview; refresh on hover/select. Keep LookingGlass optional and fall back safely when its formatter is unavailable.
• Clicking the scoreboard search field temporarily pins the native scoreboard so Tab can be released while typing. Add a native-style Close button and editing hint. Tab, Esc, F7 or Close exits; restore the prior toggle setting on hide, detach and disable.
• Keep Enter in the selected search field from opening game chat. Intercept pause only for this pinned editing session; ordinary scoreboard and pause behavior remain native.
• Release build, 9,202 assertions, native RoR2 API audit and installed HookGen visibility audit pass. Live LookingGlass values and keyboard/UI behavior still need in-game verification.

1.2.1

• Fix overlapping scoreboard headers by preserving native horizontal sizing and padding. Place Queue below the player strips in the existing vertical layout instead of over the objective/stats column.
• Reuse the native pickup UI button sprite, material, colors and language-aware RoR2 font. Remove teal styling, duplicated headings and the unsupported dropdown glyph.
• Use a compact toolbar, fixed-size queue row, searchable scrolling item library and legible quantity badges. The editor stays transparent over the existing scoreboard blur.
• Add geometry regression coverage for compact lobby and co-op scoreboard sizes. Release build, 9,194 assertions, native RoR2 API and installed HookGen visibility audits pass. Live visual and multiplayer checks still require an in-game session.

1.2.0

• Move the in-run queue editor into the native Tab scoreboard beside the existing player list. Reuse its canvas, cursor and post-process blur; remove the separate editor black backdrop and always-on bottom preview strip.
• Use transparent queue/list surfaces, native scoreboard visibility/rebinding/toggle behavior, and an optional F7 toggle of the same scoreboard. Preserve lobby editing, per-survivor autosave, reservations and live run progress.
• Restore original scoreboard/player-container rectangles when detached or disabled. Attach on scoreboard-open and when the local HUD changes across stages.
• Replace the inaccessible private nested PickupMessage Deserialize hook with the public HookGen HandlePickupMessage hook. Decode a copy through MessageBase, preserve the live reader position, count permanent added quantities and ignore temporary/rental pickups.
• Release build, 8,998 scheduler assertions, native RoR2 API audit and installed HookGen visibility audit pass. In-game native layout/blur and live receipt/host-client verification remain manual.

1.1.1

• Respect the viewing camera's HUD visibility so the queue strip stays hidden during casino machine/table views, even when no screen button owns UI focus.

1.1.0

• Replace verbose build rows and per-row controls with compact clickable icons, quantity badges and drag reordering.
• Use one category selector, a Loop toggle and a larger searchable item grid.
• Move the HUD preview to a short bottom-centre icon strip; hide it while another interface owns focus.
• Narrow the in-run editor while preserving all survivor plans and live-run scheduling.

1.0.0

• New Better Queue plugin identity and standalone build/run scheduler.
• Autosaved survivor builds with stable entry IDs and non-destructive legacy survivor import.
• Compact Queue tab after Loadout: category selector, search, numbered steps, quantities and reorder controls.
• In-run F7 editor and next-item preview.
• Permanent ground-pickup reservations, order-preserving repeat cycles and fulfilled-unit reconciliation.
• Raw picker transport compatibility and destroyed inventory-display subscription cleanup.