Thank you EXpMiNi for taking the time to solve my issue! I now have viewmode unlit as a starting command, and can now add hotkeys to switch between lit/unlit viewmodes to compare them!
It seems you were wrong about that. Unlit mode looks beautiful. The reason I was so keen for it was because I think it looks better than having shadows. Bright lights / dark shadows are distracting and unpleasant to the eye. I actually grew up playing “bad '90s 3D games” as you put it, and I very much enjoy them.
The one thing I have always disliked about UE4 is the way it handles light. It’s too realistic. In real life, light sucks. It’s a necessary evil. We’ve designed sunglasses, window tint, blinds, shutters, curtains, walls, lamp shades, planted trees, and done all sorts of other things to hinder the sun’s effect on our eyes. Why would I want to willingly look at a game that goes from so bright I can’t see properly, to so dark I can’t see properly? I could tweak everything to make sure the game is lit very well, hand-placing and calibrating each individual light, but what would it achieve? I want to make the game I have always wanted to play, and I don’t care if some people think it doesn’t have the best graphics around. Battlefield One and Battlefront have graphics that will kick the sh*t out of any game I could make anyway.