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UWP/MS Store modding support (pak/DLL plugins/etc)

Open emoose opened this issue 3 years ago • 18 comments

Just learned about https://github.com/SEWsam/UWP-DOOMdumper, which seems to allow converting the UWP version of Doom Eternal into a version that can have files modified/added/removed while still running as a UWP-app (despite DOOM Eternal not being "mod supported")

Maybe something similar can be done with DQXIS, if anyone is stuck with the MS store version it might be worth looking into

(also just want to point out that I'm still hoping someone with latest MS store update can upload the game EXE somewhere, DQXIS-SDK only supports the first MS store release afaik...)

emoose avatar Apr 15 '21 18:04 emoose

I did manage to confirm recently from another user that the current build date for the MS Store version is 10/23/20, matching what we have. Sorry to get back to you so late on this.

There are definitely still a lot of MS Store users that this would benefit.

mike9k1 avatar Apr 26 '21 02:04 mike9k1

Oh sweet, guess that just leaves the EGS version then, tried asking on a few sites but still haven't been able to come up with it sadly...

If you know anyone on discord that owns it, please try asking if they can upload the EXE somewhere, with any luck it might just be the same as JP where the EXE is pretty much identical besides the date or something like that.

emoose avatar Apr 26 '21 02:04 emoose

Oh sweet, guess that just leaves the EGS version then, tried asking on a few sites but still haven't been able to come up with it sadly...

If you know anyone on discord that owns it, please try asking if they can upload the EXE somewhere, with any luck it might just be the same as JP where the EXE is pretty much identical besides the date or something like that.

We got you covered -- RTH / Demolinizer will get the exe over to you as soon as they have it downloaded.

mike9k1 avatar Apr 26 '21 17:04 mike9k1

Oh sweet, guess that just leaves the EGS version then, tried asking on a few sites but still haven't been able to come up with it sadly... If you know anyone on discord that owns it, please try asking if they can upload the EXE somewhere, with any luck it might just be the same as JP where the EXE is pretty much identical besides the date or something like that.

We got you covered -- RTH / Demolinizer will get the exe over to you as soon as they have it downloaded.

here you are emoose https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bh6vu7rgCkN17hSFa-X0tHv9B0xNQVg8/view?usp=sharing

RTH-Retribution avatar Apr 26 '21 18:04 RTH-Retribution

@mike9k1 @Demolinizer awesome, many thanks! A quick look at it shows the timestamp is different to the other versions at least (EGS build is 3 days older than latest steam update), haven't taken a look at code yet though, but hopefully with date being so close there probably won't be too many differences.

@Demolinizer would you be able to test DQXIS-SDK with it once it's been ported over? (next few days or so) It's fine if you can't, most likely porting will go over fine, but would be nice to make sure

emoose avatar Apr 27 '21 04:04 emoose

@mike9k1 @Demolinizer awesome, many thanks! A quick look at it shows the timestamp is different to the other versions at least (EGS build is 3 days older than latest steam update), haven't taken a look at code yet though, but hopefully with date being so close there probably won't be too many differences.

@Demolinizer would you be able to test DQXIS-SDK with it once it's been ported over? (next few days or so) It's fine if you can't, most likely porting will go over fine, but would be nice to make sure

yep of course i can bud

RTH-Retribution avatar Apr 27 '21 16:04 RTH-Retribution

@emoose heres the epic one that has had denuvo removed https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bh6vu7rgCkN17hSFa-X0tHv9B0xNQVg8/view?usp=sharing

updated the current one thats why the link is the same.

RTH-Retribution avatar May 28 '21 20:05 RTH-Retribution

@Demolinizer great, many thanks! I've gone over the non-Denuvo exe and tried adding support for it, found all the places we need to patch etc fine, but no idea if it actually works or not, could you give https://github.com/emoose/DQXIS-SDK/releases/tag/0.7.5.2 a try with your EGS copy?

Mostly just need to see if dev-console unlocker works there, and if the render-fix for character viewers is working. If you'd like it'd be good to see if the "Camera FirstPerson" & Input.ini stuff works too, but those probably aren't really as important.

(0.7.5.2 changed how EXE is checked a little too... if someone with latest Steam ver can try it too and make sure I didn't mess anything up, that'd be appreciated!)

emoose avatar May 29 '21 01:05 emoose

@emoose i can confirm the console unlocker part works as for fps camera ill take a look at that since the epic version doesnt place its saves into the documents folder for some weird reason so ill have to find them, render fix seems to work as intended ill get on testing the input.ini stuff soon as i find out where tf epic puts its savegamefolder.

edit: ini stuff works fine too

RTH-Retribution avatar May 29 '21 01:05 RTH-Retribution

@Demolinizer great, many thanks! I've gone over the non-Denuvo exe and tried adding support for it, found all the places we need to patch etc fine, but no idea if it actually works or not, could you give https://github.com/emoose/DQXIS-SDK/releases/tag/0.7.5.2 a try with your EGS copy?

Mostly just need to see if dev-console unlocker works there, and if the render-fix for character viewers is working. If you'd like it'd be good to see if the "Camera FirstPerson" & Input.ini stuff works too, but those probably aren't really as important.

(0.7.5.2 changed how EXE is checked a little too... if someone with latest Steam ver can try it too and make sure I didn't mess anything up, that'd be appreciated!)

already done so works as it should so thats great defo aint messed anything up

RTH-Retribution avatar May 29 '21 01:05 RTH-Retribution

already done so works as it should so thats great defo aint messed anything up

Awesome glad to hear it! Thanks for sending the EGS builds and getting back to me so quick too - I forgot this earlier, but I've added a thanks to you on the releases page as well.

I'll probably look into the new MS store update soon, so with that we should have full support for all the latest versions (unless there's a JP UWP version.. dunno about that, hopefully if there is one it'll just match up with the WW exe file)

emoose avatar May 29 '21 01:05 emoose

already done so works as it should so thats great defo aint messed anything up

Awesome glad to hear it! Thanks for sending the EGS builds and getting back to me so quick too - I forgot this earlier, but I've added a thanks to you on the releases page as well.

I'll probably look into the new MS store update soon, so with that we should have full support for all the latest versions (unless there's a JP UWP version.. dunno about that, hopefully if there is one it'll just match up with the WW exe file)

No worries mate, glad i could help you out, it pays off to own all 3 of the pc versions of de i guess lmfao, ill have a look into a jp uwp version to see if one exists. time for a jp ms account.

RTH-Retribution avatar May 29 '21 01:05 RTH-Retribution

https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/11/22776024/microsoft-xbox-app-windows-folder-install-uwp-options hmm... @mike9k1

emoose avatar Nov 11 '21 13:11 emoose

https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/11/22776024/microsoft-xbox-app-windows-folder-install-uwp-options hmm... @mike9k1

I saw that article too, but i'm not so sure they did much (if any) follow-up research. Here's the official Microsoft announcement: https://youtu.be/ea4-mxDSz6I

At 2:16 you can see that they still require the "this game supports mods" tag, which is essentially no different than it is now. We even contacted a microsoft rep about this directly at one point -- https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/736008350076240172/822507340888408094/20210319_112942.jpg

My understanding is that the publisher has to opt-in for modding support. I don't exactly see Square Enix doing this (or most publishers, for that matter). Part of why the games that support mods on MS Store are barely in the double digits (assuming you count 12 different versions of Skyrim separately)

I sure hope i'm wrong on this, however. But the message i'm getting sounds like a bunch of lip service to the modding community without any meaningful action. By the looks of it, this isn't the first time they've done this, either -- https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/cfbd43/microsoft_is_adding_mod_support_for_certain

mike9k1 avatar Nov 12 '21 14:11 mike9k1

Actually kind of funny when you realize that they blindsided this poor guy @ 2:07 in their official announcement -- https://www.nexusmods.com/masseffectlegendaryedition/mods/320

Atm no modding support exists for Mass Effect 3 on GamePass either. Maybe that's a good sign, after all? Either that or that's a hilariously sh*t move on the part of the GamePass team xD

(Apologies -- in case you can't tell, we've been rather frustrated having to turn away GamePass folks due to this. Not to mention other major issues that have cropped up on the MS Store version from time to time --> that one took nearly a month to fix and prevented people from loading their own save files, essentially making the game unplayable in that time)

mike9k1 avatar Nov 12 '21 14:11 mike9k1

Ah damn that sucks, hopefully one day MS will come to their senses and make it so that flag isn't necessary anymore, so stupid trying to control what people do with their PCs :/

Did anyone ever try that UWP-DOOMdumper I linked in OP btw? Seems the dev made a newer version of it: https://github.com/SEWsam/DOOMdumper

Maybe with some tweaks a sideloading method could work, IIRC people used to do something similar for pirating MS store games at least.

emoose avatar Nov 12 '21 14:11 emoose

I have linked that tool to a few people but to my knowledge nobody's used it to any success (tbh, not sure if any have tried?)

I'm sure sideloading is at least a possibility in the long-term. Hopefully we are never saddled with a MS Store-exclusive release in the future. Then it becomes basically a requirement.

Still, here's hoping i'm wrong on the new announcement - a lot of people seem to be getting a completely different impression until I point out that detail -- i'm sure they'd be upset if Microsoft (seemingly intentionally) mislead them.

mike9k1 avatar Nov 12 '21 23:11 mike9k1

Still, here's hoping i'm wrong on the new announcement - a lot of people seem to be getting a completely different impression until I point out that detail -- i'm sure they'd be upset if Microsoft (seemingly intentionally) mislead them.

Update: I'm hearing a couple reports that modding works on GamePass now

Update 2: Sounds like it requires the Xbox App Preview which is downloaded from from the Xbox Insiders Hub

Follow the instructions here: https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/11/18/advanced-installation-and-management-features-available-for-insiders-through-the-xbox-app-for-windows

Update 3: Full guide by TAS here -- https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2723903805

mike9k1 avatar Jan 18 '22 04:01 mike9k1