Modding support

[Wastelander121]

Edit: Modding tools now updated, requires the VFS file be unpacked and deleted first.

Use this tool to unpack the vfs by dragging the data.vfs onto it. Then delete the data.vfs file as the game will not load the new files unless you do so.
https://github.com/LinkOFF7/GameReverseScripts/blob/main/sotd_hella_remastered_vfs3_extract.py

For creating mods, use UPK Explorer: https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/587
For installing them, most mods will use TFC Installer: https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/588

For editing Coalesced files, use MECoalescedConvert: https://github.com/cmrazek/MECoalescedConvert

Special thanks to FrancisLouis, LinkOFF7, Lyall and Weez for figuring out how to access Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered package files and what compression method they used.

[Deep_wolf]

+1

[Be Very Afraid]

+1

[NesRsT]

+1 ultrawide mod and fov slider would be nice

[blackmamba1187]

+1

[Weez]

The VFS file structure is pretty straight forward. Not familiar with UE3 modding, are there existing tools for decompressing/unpackaging cooked UE3 ".xxx" files?

[Wastelander121]

Originally posted by Weez:

The VFS file structure is pretty straight forward. Not familiar with UE3 modding, are there existing tools for decompressing/unpackaging cooked UE3 ".xxx" files?

UPK Explorer doesn't need to decompress or unpack. You can open and modify them directly within the app, with a GUI. The problem is getting to the files in the first place. Additionally, we'd need to know if the game can still read the new modified files outside of the VFS. On top of that, none of the existing VFS tools I've tried have worked.

[Weez]

There are some differences to other VFS archives. Namely, the folder entries are 28 bytes, and the file/folder names aren't prefixed with lengths, they're null terminated and 2 bytes per character.

[Wastelander121]

To be honest, it's unlikely we're going to implement a feature to look into VFS files, find all the packages, generate descriptors, create edits and all of that just for one game. We've added support for around 200 UE2/3 games and this is the only one that has such a structure.

If someone else wants to make a VFS unpacker, and if the game will read the unpacked files then we should be able to add support, but until we can access the loose files it's a bust.

[Weez]

Is UPK Explorer capable of modifying/repackaging xxx files? If so, repackaging the VFS files should be straight forward.

Here's a brief except from the folder structure, look about right?

--cookedpcconsole
---City_FirstHalf_SL005B_Env.xxx
---City_Suburbs_Sound_TunnelG.xxx
---CountryVillage_Sound02I.xxx
---Paula_SoundStaffRoll.xxx
---act_06_09_Church_Justine.xxx
---Coalesced_FRA.bin
---Catacombs_Sound_01D.xxx
---Country_Valley_002b_Env.xxx
---City_Suburbs_ShinA.xxx
---Stage4_3_ValleyVillage_PL.xxx
---Title_Menu_SoundCredits_08.xxx
---Metro_Library_Basement_Kismet.xxx
---Apartment_Cutscenes_LOC_JPN.xxx
---City_Second_World_ENV.xxx
---act_05_03_Valley_BirdArena_LOC_INT.xxx
---Country_Escher_Spinner_Env.xxx
---Country_Valley_004_CutscenesA_LOC_INT.xxx
---Metro_Library_Basement.xxx
---act_02_08_City_First_gator_LOC_JPN.xxx
---Country_Escher_SoundD.xxx
---City_Tunnel_under2_Environment.xxx

[Wastelander121]

Yeah, they should be fine, try and them with this. We added textures and mesh editing to the PS3/360 version a while back so it should work here, too.

https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/587?

If it works, I'll need your unpack/repack tool and I'll update the wiki.

[Wastelander121]

Also let me know if any files give errors. It's possible the PC version is customised in some way that we'd need to account for.

[Weez]

Aight, thanks. Heading out for the night, will hopefully get a moment to verify tomorrow and post back.

[Wastelander121]

Awesome, thanks for the assist. I'll make sure you're mentioned in the wiki and changelog if we can get it working. :)

[BADMANXL]

Originally posted by NesRsT:

+1 ultrawide mod and fov slider would be nice

Here in super ultrawide 32:9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeiob7EQygY

Thanks to Lyall for the fix
https://github.com/Lyall/SotDFix

[SireEvalish]

Originally posted by Weez:

Is UPK Explorer capable of modifying/repackaging xxx files? If so, repackaging the VFS files should be straight forward.

Here's a brief except from the folder structure, look about right?

--cookedpcconsole
---City_FirstHalf_SL005B_Env.xxx
---City_Suburbs_Sound_TunnelG.xxx
---CountryVillage_Sound02I.xxx
---Paula_SoundStaffRoll.xxx
---act_06_09_Church_Justine.xxx
---Coalesced_FRA.bin
---Catacombs_Sound_01D.xxx
---Country_Valley_002b_Env.xxx
---City_Suburbs_ShinA.xxx
---Stage4_3_ValleyVillage_PL.xxx
---Title_Menu_SoundCredits_08.xxx
---Metro_Library_Basement_Kismet.xxx
---Apartment_Cutscenes_LOC_JPN.xxx
---City_Second_World_ENV.xxx
---act_05_03_Valley_BirdArena_LOC_INT.xxx
---Country_Escher_Spinner_Env.xxx
---Country_Valley_004_CutscenesA_LOC_INT.xxx
---Metro_Library_Basement.xxx
---act_02_08_City_First_gator_LOC_JPN.xxx
---Country_Escher_SoundD.xxx
---City_Tunnel_under2_Environment.xxx

How did you read the internal structure?

The big things I'd want to get my hands on are COALESCED_INT.BIN, since that contains the ini files you would need to edit to change settings, and then the movies folder so we can replace the intro videos.