Game mode: Online private
Type of issue: Bad Design
Server type: PvE
Region: US
On servers that use mods, the login sequence goes like:
open client
click Play online
find server
connect to server
client checks mods
client downloads mods
client restarts with mods loaded
client connects to server again
character login occurs
ready to play
However, mod writers update at odd times, so many times what you get is:
open client
click Play online
find server
connect to server
client checks mods
client finds newer mod than server has
client cannot login until server admin updates server mods and restarts server
This is undesirable, because it leaves players unable to play and requires constant johnny-on-the-spot attention from admins.
A better way to handle this would be for
a) servers to check for mod updates on a scheduled frequency; and
b) clients to update to the mod version found on the server.
This way, clients would always be able to play, and server admins could script/schedule the mod updates to predictable maintenance windows.