Developed a modular diagnostics and observability toolkit for Garry's Mod servers, designed to provide developers and administrators with real-time access to debugging information, performance metrics, and operational insights directly from within the game.

The project focuses on reducing the time required to investigate issues by making relevant runtime information immediately accessible through configurable in-game interfaces and external reporting integrations.

Overview

The toolkit consists of multiple independent modules, each responsible for collecting and exposing a specific category of diagnostic data. Information can be viewed directly through in-game administrative interfaces or exported to external systems for monitoring, logging, and incident investigation.

The architecture was designed with extensibility in mind, allowing new diagnostic modules to be added without affecting existing functionality.

Modular Data Collection

Implemented a plugin-style architecture that enables individual modules to gather and expose information from different areas of the game server.

Examples include:

• Runtime state inspection
• Entity and player diagnostics
• System and performance metrics
• Administrative debugging tools
• Event and activity tracking
• Custom data collection modules

Collected information is centralized and made available through a unified interface for rapid troubleshooting.

In-Game Developer Tools

Designed configurable in-game interfaces that allow administrators and developers to inspect server state without requiring external tools or direct server access.

Features include:

• Real-time diagnostics
• Searchable information views
• Context-sensitive debugging tools
• Configurable module visibility
• Administrative access controls

The goal is to minimize context switching and provide actionable information where it is most useful: directly within the running environment.

External Integrations & Reporting

Developed integrations that allow collected diagnostics to be forwarded to external services for analysis and long-term retention.

Supported workflows include:

• Discord webhook notifications
• Discord bot integrations
• Server-side data exports
• Automated reporting
• Remote troubleshooting support

These integrations enable operational visibility even when administrators are not actively connected to the server.

Configuration & Extensibility

A strong emphasis was placed on configurability to accommodate different server environments and administrative workflows.

The system provides:

• Per-module configuration
• Custom reporting settings
• Permission-based access control
• Flexible notification routing
• Extensible module registration

This allows server operators to tailor the toolkit to their specific monitoring and debugging requirements.

Current Development

The project remains under active development, with ongoing work focused on improving architecture, maintainability, and scalability. Future plans include a significant refactor and rebuild of core components to streamline module development and provide a cleaner foundation for long-term growth.

Technologies

• Lua
• Garry's Mod
• Discord APIs
• Webhooks
• Modular Plugin Architecture

Key Achievements

• Built a modular diagnostics and observability platform for live game servers
• Created real-time in-game tooling for debugging and operational analysis
• Implemented external reporting through Discord integrations and webhooks
• Designed an extensible architecture supporting independent diagnostic modules
• Reduced troubleshooting complexity by centralizing runtime information
• Established a foundation for future expansion and architectural improvements