Commonwealth-Online-Public/Interface/exported/PATCH_MainMenu_Multiplayer.md

MainMenu.swf — Multiplayer button patch guide

Reference export: scripts/MainMenu.as
Edit the script inside FFDec on the SWF (or paste changes back into FFDec after editing the export). Saving only the .as file does not update MainMenu.swf.

Why texts/sprites only showed CONTINUE

The main menu is a dynamic list (MainPanel_mc.List_mc). Items like $NEW, $LOAD, $SETTINGS are pushed in InitList(), not stored as static text tags.

Three edits in MainMenu class

1. Add index constant (~line 214)

After INSTALLED_CONTENT_INDEX:

private const MULTIPLAYER_INDEX:Number = 15;

Index 15 is unused in vanilla (highest defined is INSTALLED_CONTENT_INDEX = 14).

2. Add list entry in InitList() (~line 589)

Insert after the $LOAD push and before the PS5 transfer / DLC block — only on the title screen (!PauseMode):

         this.MainPanel_mc.List_mc.entryList.push({
            "text":"$LOAD",
            "disabled":!this.HasRecentSave || !param6,
            "index":this.LOAD_INDEX
         });
         // --- ADD BELOW ---
         if(!this.PauseMode)
         {
            this.MainPanel_mc.List_mc.entryList.push({
               "text":"Multiplayer",
               "index":this.MULTIPLAYER_INDEX
            });
         }
         // --- ADD ABOVE ---
         if(param8 == true)

Using literal "MULTIPLAYER" avoids needing a .strings entry for the PoC. Later switch to "$COSYNC_MULTIPLAYER" + Interface/Translate_en.txt if you want localization.

Label text: For the PoC use a literal label (no $ prefix):

"text":"Multiplayer",

Strings starting with $ are looked up in Interface/Translate_en.txt (from Fallout4 - Interface.ba2). A lone Interface/Translations/MainMenu_en.txt is not how vanilla resolves main-menu keys, so $MULTIPLAYER shows as-is until you merge the key into Translate_en.txt (extract from BA2, append $MULTIPLAYER Multiplayer, redeploy loose file).

Regenerate optional translation stub: python tools/write_mainmenu_translation.py (for future i18n / Translate_en merge only).

Fallout 4 must load loose Interface files

Loose Data/Interface/*.swf overrides are ignored unless archive invalidation is on. Add to %USERPROFILE%/Documents/My Games/Fallout4/Fallout4Custom.ini:

[Archive]
bInvalidateOlderFiles=1

(MO2 enables this automatically; manual Data/ copies need it.)

Without invalidation, the game keeps using Fallout4 - Interface.ba2 — your patched SWF never loads even though the file is on disk.

Suggested placement: between Load and Add-ons so it reads naturally on the main menu.

3. Handle selection in onMainListItemPress() switch (~line 864)

Add before case this.HELP_INDEX: (or anywhere in the switch):

               case this.MULTIPLAYER_INDEX:
                  this.BGSCodeObj.PlayOKSound();
                  if(root.f4se != null && root.f4se.plugins != null && root.f4se.plugins.commonwealthOnline != null)
                  {
                     root.f4se.plugins.commonwealthOnline.openManager();
                  }
                  break;

Requires the C++ plugin to register commonwealthOnline.openManager() via F4SE Scaleform (not done yet). Until then, the button will play the OK sound and do nothing else — safe for SWF-only testing.

FFDec workflow

1. Open Interface/MainMenu.swf in FFDec.
2. scripts → MainMenu → right-click → Replace / Edit (or open script, paste from scripts/MainMenu.as).
3. File → Save (overwrites SWF).
4. Deploy to Fallout 4/Data/Interface/MainMenu.swf or your mod folder.
5. Launch via F4SE and test.

Re-import from edited export: In FFDec, select the MainMenu script under scripts, use Edit ActionScript and paste the full contents of Interface/exported/scripts/MainMenu.as, then save the SWF. FFDec may also offer Import script / Replace script from file depending on version.

Keep MainMenu.swf.vanilla.bak unchanged.

Related functions (no edit needed for PoC)

Function	Role
InitList()	Builds entryList with $CONTINUE, $NEW, $LOAD, …
onMainListItemPress()	switch on selectedEntry.index
onListItemPress()	Routes list press events to onMainListItemPress()
Index constants (~184–212)	CONTINUE_INDEX … INSTALLED_CONTENT_INDEX

Next step (code)

Implement commonwealthOnline.openManager() in CommonwealthOnline.dll and CoSyncServerBrowser.swf per docs/custom-swf-ui.md.