LoadTimeProfiler

Profiles modded Valheim startup, world joins, and dedicated server boot. One patcher DLL also provides optional localization caching, config-write coalescing, timeout protection, logging filters, and automatic reload of other mods' BepInEx cfg files.

Features

• Measures Start to Lobby, Lobby to World, and dedicated server startup.
• Shows plugin construction, Awake, OnEnable, Start, and major lifecycle timings.
• Attributes synchronous Harmony callback time in ObjectDB.Awake and ZNetScene.Awake to individual mods.
• Optionally accelerates supported localization work and automatic BepInEx config writes.
• Applies a configurable timeout floor to supported vanilla, Jotunn, ServerSync, and AzuAntiCheat paths.
• Gives each mod four GUID-based log checkboxes, without inspecting the stack on each message.
• Reloads logging settings automatically, including on headless servers with no connected player.
• Optionally reloads other mods' registered BepInEx cfg files after local file edits, without an in-game administrator or ConfigManager.
• Keeps the newest 20 reports for comparison.

Installation

Place LoadTimeProfiler.dll in:

BepInEx/patchers

Do not place it in BepInEx/plugins. Install it separately on each client or dedicated server you want to profile.

Timeout protection is endpoint-local. Install the same build and timeout setting on both client and server when you want equivalent protection in both directions.

Usage

1. Start Valheim normally.
2. Wait for the main menu to measure Start to Lobby.
3. Enter a world to also measure Lobby to World.
4. Open the newest report in:

BepInEx/config/LoadTimeProfiler

Dedicated servers create a Server Startup report in the same directory. Compare multiple warm runs because disk cache, network conditions, world size, and background programs can affect loading time.

Start To Lobby starts at this patcher's Patch callback and ends when FejdStartup.Start completes. It does not include the entire executable startup or all later rendering. The earlier preloader config/Manual logging setup is outside that clock; use an external launch-to-menu measurement when comparing total startup cost.

In Valheim 1.0, the intro cinematic can continue after this boundary. Intro playback, skipping it, and the time until the menu accepts input are outside this measurement; the existing timing boundary stays unchanged.

Lobby To World starts when TransitionToMainScene accepts the world transition and ends when SpawnPlayer completes. Earlier login, password, permission, warning, and world-selection prompts are not included.

Configuration

The configuration file is:

BepInEx/config/sighsorry.LoadTimeProfiler.cfg

Setting	Default	Purpose
General.ProfilingEnabled	true	Measures loading times, creates timing reports and enables lifecycle and per-mod attribution.
General.LocalizationCacheEnabled	true	Caches supported vanilla and external localization work.
General.ConfigWriteCoalescingEnabled	true	Coalesces automatic config writes during Chainloader.Start.
General.ConfigAutoReloadEnabled	false	Automatically reloads other mods' registered BepInEx cfg files after local file edits. Restart required.
General.TimeoutProtectionSeconds	120	Sets the minimum supported connection and send-queue timeout. Use 0 to disable it.
Logging.Mods.<GUID>	Errors, Warnings when absent	Allowed groups for the mod's default BepInEx logger.

Each mod has four independent checkboxes. There is no logging master switch, common logger option, or source-name override.

Checkbox	Config name	Default
Fatal + Error	Errors	Checked
Warning	Warnings	Checked
Message + Info	Information	Unchecked
Debug	Debug	Unchecked

Unconfigured mods keep fatal/error/warning messages and suppress message/info/debug on their default logger. Clear every checkbox (None in the file) to silence that logger; select all four to allow every event, including custom level values. LoadTimeProfiler's own diagnostic logger and report files remain available. Unity logs and unowned/custom/shared Manual loggers always pass through this filter.

Example (replace the example GUIDs with the actual mod GUIDs):

[General]
ProfilingEnabled = true
LocalizationCacheEnabled = true
ConfigWriteCoalescingEnabled = true
ConfigAutoReloadEnabled = false
TimeoutProtectionSeconds = 120

[Logging.Mods]
sighsorry.ConfigManager = Errors, Warnings
author.examplemod = Errors, Warnings, Information, Debug
author.noisymod = None

Compatibility

When one of these mods is installed, disable the overlapping LoadTimeProfiler feature:

Installed mod	LoadTimeProfiler setting
Smoothbrain-StartupAccelerator	LocalizationCacheEnabled = false and ConfigWriteCoalescingEnabled = false
MSchmoecker-LocalizationCache	LocalizationCacheEnabled = false
MSchmoecker-TimeoutLimit	TimeoutProtectionSeconds = 0

LoadTimeProfiler does not detect the three acceleration/timeout overlaps above or change their settings automatically. Edit the config and restart. Standalone QuietLogs/ShutUp detection prevents overlapping logging filters; standalone ConfigWatcher detection prevents overlapping automatic cfg watchers. Each conflict disables only its matching LTP feature.

Reading Reports

• Total is the complete measured session time.
• Milestone intervals show where time passed between major loading events.
• Plugin construction/Awake/OnEnable and Plugin Start methods show per-plugin startup work.
• Measured lifecycle execution times show inclusive Valheim lifecycle duration.
• Scoped deep attribution assigns synchronous ObjectDB.Awake and ZNetScene.Awake callbacks to mods.
• Connection outcome separates successful connection time from failure-decision time.
• Logging at start/end, hook availability, and config revisions record the conditions of the measurement. A revision change warns that configuration changed during the session, even if it was subsequently changed back. Startup feature values remain fixed until restart.

Slow entries are investigation targets, not automatic proof that a mod is broken. Framework mods may perform work on behalf of other mods. Acceleration hit counts and internal patch timings are intentionally omitted because they do not measure end-to-end time saved.

Example Reports

The abridged logs below are examples only.

Start To Lobby

=== Start To Lobby ===
Result: completed
Total: 2 min 15.781 s
Milestone intervals:
  Breakdown: lifecycle execution + remaining time until the next milestone.
  0.714 s: LoadTimeProfiler.Patcher.Patch
  0.106 s: LoadTimeProfiler.Patcher initialized
  82.336 s: BepInEx.Chainloader.Start
  32.418 s: BepInEx.Chainloader.Start complete
  16.894 s (16.463 s + 0.431 s): FejdStartup.Awake
  0.000 s: FejdStartup.Start
  0.244 s (0.244 s + 0.000 s): FejdStartup.SetupGui
  3.068 s (2.771 s + 0.297 s): FejdStartup.SetupObjectDB
BepInEx startup:
  Before Chainloader.Start (includes Chainloader.Initialize): 820.046 ms
  Chainloader.Start: 1 min 22.336 s
Plugin construction/Awake/OnEnable:
  6.534 s: MonsterLabZ
  4.629 s: MonstrumDeepNorth
  4.091 s: WarfareFireAndIce
  3.134 s: SouthsilArmor
  2.965 s: Jewelcrafting
  2.770 s: CrystalLights
  2.486 s: Warfare
  2.367 s: ValheimCuisine

Lobby To World

=== Lobby To World ===
Result: completed
Total: 52.154 s
Connection outcome:
  Normal connection time: 52.154 s
Milestone intervals:
  Breakdown: lifecycle execution + remaining time until the next milestone.
  1.468 s (0.000 s + 1.468 s): FejdStartup.TransitionToMainScene
  0.233 s (0.000 s + 0.233 s): FejdStartup.LoadMainScene
  0.043 s (0.043 s + 0.000 s): Game.Awake
  0.009 s (0.008 s + 0.001 s): ZoneSystem.Awake
  2.262 s (2.261 s + 0.001 s): ZNet.Awake
  15.022 s (13.311 s + 1.711 s): ZNetScene.Awake
  8.769 s (7.079 s + 1.690 s): ObjectDB.Awake
  0.033 s (0.032 s + 0.001 s): Game.Start
  0.438 s (0.437 s + 0.001 s): ZoneSystem.Start
  3.387 s (3.387 s + 0.000 s): DungeonDB.Start
  4.285 s (0.293 s + 3.992 s): ZNet.Start
  16.010 s (0.301 s + 15.709 s): Game.RequestRespawn
  0.167 s (0.167 s + 0.000 s): Game.SpawnPlayer
Measured lifecycle execution times (prefix -> finalizer, inclusive):
  13.311 s: ZNetScene.Awake
  7.079 s: ObjectDB.Awake
  3.388 s: DungeonDB.Start
  2.262 s: ZNet.Awake
  0.437 s: ZoneSystem.Start
  0.301 s: Game.RequestRespawn
  0.293 s: ZNet.Start
  0.167 s: Game.SpawnPlayer
Scoped deep lobby attribution:
  Exclusive synchronous Harmony callback time in ObjectDB.Awake and ZNetScene.Awake.
  Breakdown order: ObjectDB + ZNetScene.
  Prepared callbacks: installed=4, existing=398, skipped=2, failed=0, setup=0.021 s
  11.973 s (0.189 s + 11.783 s): Jotunn
  4.423 s (4.418 s + 0.005 s): DataForge
  0.813 s (0.813 s + 0.000 s): AdminQoL
  0.534 s (0.047 s + 0.486 s): EpicMMOSystem
  0.246 s (0.211 s + 0.035 s): WarfareFireAndIce
  0.180 s (0.116 s + 0.064 s): Jewelcrafting

For 15.022 s (13.311 s + 1.711 s): ZNetScene.Awake, 13.311 s is measured lifecycle execution and 1.711 s is the remaining time before the next milestone. Scoped attribution rows use ObjectDB + ZNetScene order.

Limits

LoadTimeProfiler attributes synchronous work it can observe. Network waits, coroutine continuations, background tasks, vanilla work, transpiled code, and work delegated through another framework may remain unattributed or appear under the framework. Timeout protection cannot make an offline, incompatible, or permanently stalled peer connect.