Dated source reference. Current release status: handoff state. Full original relative paths are in the developer archive.

OpenHoops external-mode adapter v0.2

Current scope (October13,2026): Windows-first deep editing and a public extension API; Mac/Linux compatibility follows later. Earlier native-port goals and next-step proposals in this evidence history are superseded. Technical observations and verification limits remain as recorded.

An x86 runtime adapter for the supplied, hash-pinned NBA 2K14 ISO executable. It skips forced startup onboarding, initializes a generic local player when missing, and redirects game user data to a saves folder beside nba2k14.exe. This adapter is part of the Windows-first deep-editing platform; a full native engine reconstruction is not required.

This bootstrap is included in current private source API0.2.0.dev47/ABI22/eventABI4 and opt-in collegeprofile4. The base build.cmd below builds external mode; use API build instructions for the API/college compile flags. Current API verification separates tested reference scenarios from deferred checks. Published preview2 includes ultrawide support and API36/ABI14; current launch expansion is a separate private candidate. See the active ledger; no new package is part of this work.

Current implementation/evidence: portable saves. Historical onboarding recovery: external mode v0.1.

Build on Windows with build.cmd (MSVC x86, C++17, /W4 /WX). The script uses our host's C:\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat; adjust that path on another machine. Output: build\dinput8.dll. Package: project-root build/external-mode-v0.2. Rebuilds require refreshing manifest hashes and runtime testing.

The guarded temporary GetModuleHandleA hotpatch selects the verified WinMain boundary before game paths initialize, restores the API entry, then verifies executable/runtime bytes and installs the path-builder and onboarding hooks. DllMain performs no filesystem work or library loading. The game later obtains DirectInput through the original system DLL. Naked stubs require MSVC x86. Windows 11 x64 is tested; Wine/macOS/Linux compatibility for this new bootstrap is unverified.

Use the packaged installer with the game closed. -MigrateAppData optionally copies and hash-verifies the old user's Saves, Cache, shoes and Online Data into a new portable folder; it refuses an existing destination and leaves originals intact. Existing v0.1 loader upgrades are backed up. Other mod loaders are refused, not silently overwritten. Preserve the original game corpus.

Optional8Kasset support uses openhoops/graphics.ini [Graphics] MaximumTextureSize=8192 plus the portable saved video cap8192/automatic adjustment0. graphics.inc verifies original startup code, checks default HAL texture capabilities and preserves the4096 fallback. Missing/default4096 configuration leaves those instructions unchanged. This is a startup option, not runtime conversion or a live graphics API. Current compact8192×4096/11miploading is verified on the Windows Dell with a compatible guide-derived court; see court evidence.