NEVR Runtime

Overview

Runtime patches for Echo VR (echovr.exe) that enable it to connect to echovrce community game services. Both the game client and dedicated game server use these DLLs to communicate with the Nakama-based backend.

Part of the nEVR project — keeping Echo VR alive.

Components

Core DLLs

• gamepatches → dbgcore.dll — Runtime game modifications (CLI flags, headless/server modes, Detours-based hooks). Used by both client and dedicated server.
• gameserver → pnsradgameserver.dll — Game server networking (session management, events, external service communication). Used by the dedicated server only.
• telemetryagent — Game state monitoring and telemetry streaming (in extras/, needs protobuf-lite refactor)

Plugins

Optional DLLs loaded at runtime from a plugins/ subdirectory next to the game binary:

• log-filter → log_filter.dll — Structured log filtering, suppression, and file rotation
• server-timing → server_timing.dll — Wine CPU optimization for headless servers
• broadcaster-bridge → broadcaster_bridge.dll — Network message mirroring/injection over UDP
• audio-intercom → audio_intercom.dll — VoIP audio streaming via UDP
• game-rules-override → game_rules_override.dll — Balance config overrides (health, stun, physics)
• session-unlocker → session_unlocker.dll — Unlock /session HTTP API in all game modes

Legacy Components

• gamepatcheslegacy — Frozen v1 implementation (self-contained with local common/)
• gameserverlegacy — Frozen v1 implementation (self-contained with local common/)

Shared Code

• common — Shared utilities (logging, globals, base64, symbol resolution)
• protobufnevr — Protocol buffer code generation from extern/nevr-proto submodule

Directory Structure

nevr-runtime/
├── src/
│   ├── gamepatches/         # Game runtime patches DLL (PC)
│   ├── gameserver/          # Game server networking DLL (PC)
│   ├── server/              # Standalone server executable
│   ├── legacy/              # Frozen v1 implementations
│   ├── common/              # Shared C++ utilities
│   └── protobufnevr/        # Protocol buffer definitions
├── plugins/
│   ├── common/              # Shared plugin headers (address registry, config utils)
│   ├── log-filter/          # Log filtering and rotation
│   ├── server-timing/       # Wine CPU optimization
│   ├── broadcaster-bridge/  # Network message mirroring
│   ├── audio-intercom/      # VoIP audio streaming
│   ├── game-rules-override/ # Balance config overrides
│   └── session-unlocker/    # /session API unlock
├── extern/                  # External dependencies (minhook, nevr-proto)
├── cmake/                   # Build configuration helpers
├── tests/                   # Go-based system tests
├── docs/                    # Documentation
├── CMakeLists.txt           # Top-level CMake configuration
├── CMakePresets.json        # CMake build presets
├── justfile                 # Build recipes
└── vcpkg.json               # Dependency manifest

Building the Project

Prerequisites

• CMake 3.20 or higher Download
• One of:
  • MinGW (cross-compile from Linux) - Recommended
  • MSVC via Wine (Linux with Windows SDK mounted)
  • Visual Studio 2022 (native Windows)

MinGW Build (Linux - Recommended)

just configure  # Configure with MinGW toolchain
just build      # Build all components (core DLLs + plugins)
just dist       # Build + create distribution packages
just dist-lite  # Stripped binaries without debug symbols

Visual Studio (Windows)

just preset=release configure
just preset=release build

Usage

After building, DLL artifacts are in build/mingw-release/bin/ (MinGW) or build/release/bin/ (MSVC):

• gamepatches.dll → Deploy as dbgcore.dll to game directory
• gameserver.dll → Deploy as pnsradgameserver.dll to game directory
• Plugin DLLs → Deploy to plugins/ subdirectory next to game binary

Architecture & Data Flow

• GamePatches and GameServer are loaded into the game process (DLLs)
• GameServer communicates with the game via in-process hooks and with external services (ServerDB, WebSocket, HTTP)
• Plugins are discovered and loaded by GamePatches at runtime via the NvrPluginInterface lifecycle
• All protocol types are defined in extern/nevr-proto submodule

Related Projects

Project	Description
nevr-runtime (this repo)	Runtime patches for echovr.exe (PC + Quest)
nevr-server	Custom game server (Rust)
nakama	echovrce game service backend

Development

Local Configuration

Add local customizations to cmake/local.cmake (auto-included if exists). This file can override settings or add custom install rules.

Example:

# Deploy DLLs to game directory after build
set(GAME_DIR "C:/Program Files/Echo VR")
add_custom_command(TARGET gamepatches POST_BUILD
    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy $<TARGET_FILE:gamepatches> "${GAME_DIR}/dbgcore.dll"
)

Dependencies

Dependencies are managed via vcpkg (see vcpkg.json):

• curl - HTTP client for external API communication
• jsoncpp - JSON parsing
• minhook - Function hooking (Windows API)
• opus - Audio codec
• protobuf - Protocol buffer serialization

External submodules (in extern/):

• nevr-proto - Shared protocol definitions and game structures

Project Conventions

• Logging: Use Log(level, format, ...) from common/logging.h
• Game flags: CLI/mode flags (isHeadless, isServer) are in gamepatches/patches.cpp
• Protocol messages: Symbol IDs defined in gameserver/messages.h
• Protobuf: All types generated from extern/nevr-proto - never edit generated files

Distribution

Create distribution packages:

just dist       # Full package with debug symbols
just dist-lite  # Stripped binaries without debug symbols

Outputs:

• dist/nevr-runtime-v{VERSION}.tar.zst
• dist/nevr-runtime-v{VERSION}.zip
• dist/nevr-runtime-v{VERSION}-lite.tar.zst
• dist/nevr-runtime-v{VERSION}-lite.zip

License

See LICENSE file for details.