[Bug]: Vanilla Factions Expanded - Mechanoids load order issue if Alpha Biomes is also active

[Merwini]

Specifications Please provide the following.

Rimworld version: 1.5 Combat Extended version: v15.6.0.0 Combat Extended source (Steam, GitHub, etc.): Steam Your operating system: Windows 10 Your mod list: Vanilla Expanded Framework, Alpha Biomes, Combat Extended, Vanilla Factions Expanded - Mechanoids (VFE-M)

Description XML error when CE is above VFE-M while Alpha Biomes is also active. VFE-M adds in the def VFEM_MunitionsAndArmamentFactory_ArtilleryFoundry_AB_Shell_Tar via patch operation when Alpha Biomes is active. CE has a patch for that def. This results in the XML error if CE is above VFE-M, since the CE patch runs before the def is added.

Expected behavior No error

To reproduce Launch game with the above modlist, with CE before VFE-M

Screenshots & log dumps

[Combat Extended] Patch operation Verse.PatchOperationFindMod(Alpha Biomes) failed file: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\294100\2890901044\ModPatches\Vanilla Factions Expanded - Mechanoids\Patches\Vanilla Factions Expanded - Mechanoids\CombinationDefs\CombinationDefs.xml

Complete the following checklist I hereby verify that I have done the following:

• [ X ] Confirmed that my game version and load order are correct.
• [ X ] Confirmed that I am running the appropriate and most updated version of Combat Extended and required compatibility patches.
• [ X ] Confirmed I am not running any mods with known incompatibilities with Combat Extended.
• [ ] Disabled Combat Extended and attempted to reproduce the behavior without success.

[Merwini]

Recommend adding VFE-M to loadAfter for CE to prevent this error, but needs investigation as to whether this will produce dependency loops in larger modlists.