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Fix Steam P2P join: resolve lobby in-process instead of worker (DllNotFoundException steam_api64) - #59
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Joining a Steam P2P lobby always spawned the separate worker process, which
must load steam_api64.dll and init Steam again. On some installs that throws
DllNotFoundException('steam_api64'), and when the DLL is found the worker's
SteamAPI.RestartAppIfNecessary can make Steam relaunch the game, after which
the real game fails "Steam init" until Steam is restarted.
- Resolve the lobby in the game process first (TryRunJoin ->
TryRunJoinInProcess), using the SteamAPI the game already initialized, like
the in-process P2P host. It runs on the existing background task, never
takes the pump lock or calls RunCallbacks off the main thread; the worker is
only a fallback when in-process Steam is unavailable.
- Remove RestartAppIfNecessary from the worker; set SteamAppId/SteamGameId.
- Preload steam_api64.dll by full path in PrepareSteamNativePath.
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Problem
Hosting via Steam P2P works, but accepting a Steam invite on the joining side fails:
Reproduced on two Windows 10 x64 PCs with clean installs (Dead Cells v35 Steam, DCCM 35.13.5, mod 0.5.1, .NET 10.0.14, VC++ 2015–2022 x64).
Cause
The join path (
TryResolveJoinEndpointFromLobbyId/TryResolveJoinEndpointFromClipboard) always starts the separate worker process, which has to loadsteam_api64.dlland init Steam again:PrepareSteamNativePath()callsSetDllDirectory, but the Steamworks.NETDllImportdoesn't pick that path up, sosteam_api64isn't found. In the game process it works only because DCCM'ssteam.hdllalready loaded the module.Steamworks.NET.dllincoremod\core\host\), the worker callsSteamAPI.RestartAppIfNecessary(588650). In a helper process that Steam didn't launch, this can make Steam relaunch the game. After that, the real game failedSteam initon every boot until Steam was restarted.Fix
Only
SteamP2P/SteamConnect.cschanges:SteamP2PInProcessBridge.TryStartHost). The newTryRunJoin→TryRunJoinInProcessruns the existingExecuteJoinon the existing backgroundTask.Runthread. It doesn't take the pump lock and doesn't callSteamAPI.RunCallbacksitself: a[ThreadStatic]flag makesRunWorkerSteamCallbacksa no-op there, and the main-thread title/frame hooks keep pumping callbacks. That avoids the off-main-threadRunCallbackscrash the code comments warn about. The worker is only a fallback when in-process Steam is unavailable. Definitive errors (wrong build, own lobby, not joinable) aren't retried through the worker.RestartAppIfNecessaryfrom the worker. It sets theSteamAppId/SteamGameIdenv vars instead.steam_api64.dllby full path (NativeLibrary.Load) inPrepareSteamNativePath, so later by-name loads reuse it.BuildInfoand the network protocol are untouched, so patched and unpatched peers stay compatible.Testing
0.5.1(branchsteam-join-fix-0.5.1in my fork) was tested on two machines. Joining through a Steam overlay invite now works; before, it failed with theDllNotFoundExceptionabove every time.main) builds with 0 warnings and 0 errors (Release, DCCM MDK 35.13.5). The patch applied cleanly, but I haven't play-tested it yet.🤖 Generated with Claude Code