Better4 is a THPS4 modpack that includes modern gameplay and QOL features while maintaining the look and feel of the original game.
Warning
Better4 is beta software and may contain bugs. See Known Issues.
First, verify THPS4 is installed. Download the latest GitHub release, unzip it, and run install.bat, selecting your Skate4.exe file when prompted. Alternatively, you may drag and drop Skate4.exe from your THPS4 game directory onto install.bat.
If you have an existing PARTYMOD-THPS4 installation, you may copy partymod.ini to better4.ini to reuse the same configuration. Alternatively, you may run better4config.exe and configure from scratch.
Better4 does not modify any vanilla game files. Any game data created by the installer is contained in **/better4/** subdirectories, which are only referenced when better4.exe is run.
Note
If THPS4 is installed to Program Files (or another directory which requires admin access to write files), you may have to run as admin for config changes to save.
The installer script will prompt to re-run as admin if needed, but better4.exe and better4config.exe must be manually run as admin.
This may be set persistently by right-clicking on the exe and going to Properties > Compatibility > Change settings for all users > Run this program as an administrator.
Better4 ships with THPS4 default controls, but can be configured to your liking. Here is a brief overview of all gameplay features added:
- Added left and right dropdown
- Added left and right manual spin
- Added PS2-exclusive manual float glitches (MFG, MQT, etc.)
- Added spacewalk
- Added wallpush
- Added pressure flips
- Added single-tap WalliePlants
- Added configuration for boneless trick (beanplant, fastplant, MikeV)
- Added toggles for:
- Double revert after dropdown
- Lip tricks
- Rail spin
- Wall spin
- Wallride bail (enables THUG1 BP)
- Stance change
- Restored unused animations:
- Beni Fingerflip
- Nollie 360 Flip
- Kickflip to Indy
- Kickflip to Crail
- THPS3 specials (Handspring Layout, etc.)
- Made some tricks holdable:
- Ollie North
- Double Kickflip Varial Indy
- Added NAT negotiation when connecting to servers (no more port forwarding!)
- Added server browser
- Added lobby player list and peerchat
- Added better observe functionality (observe after 0, don't need to leave game)
- Added observe UI
- Added "Restart Game" option to game ranking screen
- Added chat size and duration configuration
- Added chat commands (/obs, /set, /goto)
- Added Los Angeles from THPS3
- Improved collision in THPS4 levels
- Made more surfaces wallridable
- Removed bottom-plane collisions in a few spots where a wallride makes the skater hit their head on a ledge above (e.g. slam bros warehouse in San Francisco)
- Added board scales
- Added X + Y + Z + XYZ sliders for all scales
- Widened min/max scales (0-200)
- Unlocked full RGB range
- Restored hidden CAS items for pros, secret skaters, and neversoft devs
- Added custom boards (banana, hoverboard, old school, ollie)
- Added various CAS items from other games (bunched cargos, muska hat, zoom glasses)
- Added option to change CAS during gameplay (local-only)
- Added toggle for pause-on-unfocus
- Added toggle for board scuff
- Added button to unassign trick in "Edit Tricks" menu
- Added configuration for buttons font (PS2, Xbox, PC)
- Added FOV configuration
- Added aspect ratio configuration
- Added size customization for panel elements (trick string, score, etc.)
- Added toggle for the main menu demo that plays after a period of inactivity
- LA objectives (graffiti trick objects, KOTH crown, CTF flags, etc.) not yet implemented
A special thank you to the following people, without whom this project would not exist:
- @zedthps, @voss10, @1borgy, and @clairethps for their contributions
- @PARTYMANX for their work on partymod-thps4
- @DCxDemo for their work on THPSQScriptEd
- The folks at @GameProgressive for their work on UniSpySDK
- @denetii for their work on io_thps_scene
- Peachboy for their work on Los Angeles' loading screen
- PunishedFiddle for their work on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Gamepad Prompts
- @ILC-YTP for their work on Faster Save/Load
Clone the Better4 repo with the --recurse-submodules option:
git clone --recurse-submodules git@github.com:better-4/Better4.git --config core.autocrlf=false --config core.eol=lf
cd Better4
Using Docker is the easiest way to build Better4, as it automates the process of pulling build dependencies and building a release.
Install Docker Desktop, then verify the Docker Engine is running and run:
docker build -f Dockerfile --target export -o build/out .
Build artifacts will be exported to the build/out directory.