Modding UE4 4.18 game that Is free/abandon-ware for dying friend. PLEASE Help!

If you have a problem with Modding games please do not answer! ***It was free, it is now abandon-ware, if there were anytime it was ok, this is it! ***If you don’t like Modding, don’t MOD,. but please, let me be me! Life is too short for derision, negative (or even just NOT FUN) comments or opinions, or wasting time. (ask my friend)- PLEASE do not tell me why it is NOT POSSIBLE I don’t believe that is true for anything and is just a matter of figuring out how. In the end, I could even go to the point of remaking the entire thing as a dummy project (then swapping in all the real Named.uasset’s after building) so anything is possible! BUT: I am trying to make is happen before it is of no value to a great lifelong friend from New England. That is the only ‘right’ I know about at this time.

My friend really wants to play this particular game in VR, the last update of a series. and knows I am majorly into VR and I said I would try.

Clues/facts:

  1. This little single player game was made in 4.18

  2. I already UnPaked it in the usual way, and it runs fine with NO PAK FILE. (ie, it was not encrypted and I now have access to all the .Uassets, .INI’s FileOpenOrder lists etc. A huge first step!!)

  3. It miraculously already has all the UE4 4.18 ‘VR Template’ still intact, IN FACT IT RETAINS EVERYTHING FROM THE PRIOR VERSION which was VR+2D mode compatible, (Went into 2D mode if no VR HMD available)

  4. It uses VR Template for the VR Mode (in the prior version) ‘AdvancedLocomotion2’ (Which I have I have, like everything) when in it’s 2D mode.

It seems to me this is the ideal situation to make a VR mod, as there is an example of the game WITH VR and an example of the same basic game WITHOUT VR, so the only relevant difference is the fact vr is ‘turned off’ and that it is using the ‘AdvancedLocomotion2’ Character rather than the VR Template one!!!

plan1: is to use the info from the GameMode uassets (I can read it using Notepad++) and make a NEW GAME Mode Uasset by building to ‘swap out’ (I have done this to add characters, clothing take away clothing) change textures, increase resolution all kinds of other stuff,. I have MUCH MUCH MUCH to trade for help.

plan 2 if that doesn’t work, I hope to use 4.18, the VR Template and AdvancedLocomotion2, to make a build that mirrors that games setup, but ALLOWS VR.

plan3 I can always just make my OWN GAME WORLD that CALLS ‘dummy’ version of the maps and blueprints, then SWAP OUT the real UASSETS of the Maps (by simply recreating folder structure)

Perhaps you know a lot about Unreal Engine and where VR is ‘turned on’ or how to switch from a Advanced Locomotion’ pawn / character to the VR Template on,. I already know all about Modding and how to replace the files etc! I would be happy to share all I now about that and the tools to do so! I’m actually getting really good at many other facets of making UE4 mods at this point having tried, I know all the tools and how to Unpak, run a game with new assets etc… It is more my ue4 and ‘uasset’ knowledge that needs a booster shot just in terms of this final hurdle, understanding enough about Gamemodes and what actually TURNS VR ON (what that UASSET would be) I think I am on the right track with GameMode, etc. ,. if you want to help it would be FUN and I would appreciate it, I know my friend certainly will… I just need that and one more thing, where it would say VR Yes instead of no. The game is already essentially made and optimized for VR (most of the base sets, most of the assets are the same as the earlier VR version,. So I am near certain there is a way, that it is simple and it will run fine…

I have MUCH to trade for help,… Or, need to market your game or? I have thousands of Youtube subscribers, I am a VR Show creator, Game developer,. (though relatively new to Unreal I have worked in ‘3ds Max’ since it was ‘3D Studio’ for DOS!) - I have endless assets to share or trade after working in Hollywood and game companies 25+ years…*** I am a professional Character Rigger, Animator, if you need Character help? *** I worked on Hollywood films, TV shows, and at game companies like Activision,. I would be happy to help you figure out the magic of quickly rigging a character to the Mannequin Skeleton, or how to have total control over making an ATLAS of all your textures on multi-material objects/environments etc.
I have amazing Locomotion schemes, Zero-G perfected, Full Body IK for VR Perfected, Natural Grabbing of Physics objects in VR.. ENDLESS ASSETS… If you can help us, anything you need, I would be very happy to help and reciprocate in perpetuity! :slight_smile:

THANK YOU!!!

-Wood!