MultiplayerChat - In-Game Text Chat for Subnautica 2

Description

MultiplayerChat adds a fully functional in-game text chat system to Subnautica 2's cooperative multiplayer. Communicate with your fellow pioneers without ever leaving the game — no overlays, no external apps, just native in-game chat.

The mod hooks directly into the game's networking layer using ServerExecRPC and ClientMessage, meaning messages are transmitted through the existing multiplayer connection. The chat UI is built by reparenting the game's native Watermark widget to the left side of your screen, so it blends naturally with the Subnautica 2 HUD aesthetic.

Chat automatically fades out after a few seconds of inactivity to keep your view clean, and reappears whenever a new message arrives or you open the chat input.

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Installation

1. Install UE4SS — Download and install UE4SS for Subnautica 2. The mod framework should be placed in:

   Subnautica2/Binaries/Win64/ue4ss/
   

2. Install MultiplayerChat — Copy the MultiplayerChat folder into the UE4SS Mods directory:

   Subnautica2/Binaries/Win64/ue4ss/Mods/MultiplayerChat/
   

   Your folder structure should look like:

   Mods/
   └── MultiplayerChat/
       ├── metadata.json
       └── Scripts/
           └── main.lua
   

3. Enable the mod — Make sure the mod is enabled in UE4SS. If you have a mods.txt file, add:

   MultiplayerChat : 1
   

4. Launch the game — The mod loads automatically. You'll see [MultiplayerChat] v1.1 loaded in the UE4SS (Dev Edition only) console when it initializes.

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Main Features

💬 Native In-Game Chat

• Send and receive text messages in real-time during multiplayer sessions
• Messages are broadcast to all connected players using Subnautica 2's built-in networking
• Player names are automatically displayed alongside messages

⌨️ Full Text Editing

• Shift + Letter — Type uppercase characters
• Left / Right Arrow — Move the cursor through your message
• Ctrl + Left / Right — Jump between words
• Backspace — Delete the character before the cursor
• Up / Down Arrow — Recall previously sent messages (stores up to 50)

🎮 Smart Input Handling

• Press T to open chat — works on foot, swimming, and in vehicles
• Press Enter to send your message
• Press Escape to cancel — closes chat without opening the pause menu
• All character movement (walking, swimming, jumping) is frozen while typing so you don't accidentally drift away mid-sentence

👁️ Clean HUD Integration

• Chat appears on the left side of the screen with Subnautica-styled cyan-white text
• Automatically fades out after 6 seconds of inactivity
• Reappears instantly when a new message arrives or you press T
• Completely disabled in the main menu — only activates during gameplay

⚙️ Configurable

All settings are exposed at the top of main.lua in the Chat.Config table:

Setting	Default	Description
Singleplayer	true	Enable chat in singleplayer / non-hosted saves
MaxMessages	10	Number of messages visible in the chat window
MaxCharLimit	75	Maximum characters per message
FadeoutTime	6.0	Seconds before chat auto-hides
PositionX	1.0	Horizontal offset from the left edge
PositionY	200.0	Vertical offset from the top
WidgetWidth	500.0	Chat widget width
WidgetHeight	400.0	Chat widget height
TextColor	Cyan-white	RGBA color of chat text
ShadowColor	Dark blue	RGBA color of text shadow

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Requirements

• Subnautica 2 (Early Access or later)
• UE4SS — Unreal Engine scripting framework (Lua mod loader)
• A multiplayer session with at least one other player (or set Singleplayer = true for Singleplayer testing)

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Shout Outs

• UE4SS Team — For building the incredible Lua modding framework that makes mods like this possible without custom engine builds or .pak files
• Unknown Worlds Entertainment — For creating the Subnautica universe and giving us another world to explore together
• The Subnautica modding community — For pioneering UE4SS integration with Subnautica 2 and documenting the game's internals