State of the Mod Union

[Whisper_44 0]

I found this to be a little interesting - lets hope for the best with GR2

SOURCE

State of the Mod Union - 11/13/04

Half-Life 2’s release ushers in a new generation of gaming goodness – of that much we are certain. But when the revolutionary single-player campaign is beat ten times over, and not everyone will find themselves too keen on returning to Counter-Strike for multiplayer, where do we turn?

The answer lies, of course, in the incredibly robust HL2/Source Engine, which positions itself as the next milestone that the existing mod community has been eagerly awaiting for years. We’re without a doubt that HL2 will be the new “king of mods,” just as the original Half-Life was the first game to push user modifications out of the basement and into the spotlight. Mods have the potential to prolong a game’s lifespan indefinitely, adding replayability that professional developers alone may be hard pressed to provide. Hundreds of total conversions or “TC’s” morph existing games into something unique and different, while hundreds more smaller modifications tweak or add to existing gameplay mechanics. Gamers today aren’t just purchasing games for what comes out of the box – they're making an investment in the offerings of the modding community.

So what exactly makes a game attractive for mod developers, and more importantly, allows the game to support mods?

There are two crucial aspects to look at when determining a game’s “modability.” The first, and most obvious, are the technical limitations. “What exactly can be done with this game?” Mod teams look at the engine’s coding/scripting language. Typically a game that uses a cryptic, proprietary scripting language will not allow for much modification. “Is it easy or even possible to create custom levels?” Level designers want to know how powerful the map editor is, if there even is one. “Is it possible to add custom models, animations and sounds?” If not, then creating a total-conversion is near impossible. The answer to all these questions relies heavily on the existence and quality of a developer-provided SDK (or “Software Development Kit”), which is the second criteria on which to judge a game’s mod potential.

In the case of some games, like Battlefield 1942, all the early tools used in modding the game were created by the modding community themselves! Conversions such as Desert Combat and Eve of Destruction launched BF1942 into modding popularity, a phenomenon unanticipated by the developers. DICE software eventually provided their own official SDK and map editor after the release of their second expansion. BF1942 spawned some of the most popular mods since Counter-Strike, and for Desert Combat, ultimately landed the independent modders jobs at DICE. But in retrospect, BF1942 was not the ideal “modable” game. When compared to a game like Unreal Tournament 2004, and now, HL2, its initial mod potential was slim at best.

The key factor that determines a game’s mod potential is developer support. We believe that Epic, with UT2004, should become the archetype for all developers who realize the benefits of a strong mod community.

First, from a technical standpoint, the Unreal Engine has always been easy to modify and very open for modders to explore and work with. Thanks in part simply to the nature of the engine, the intuitive UnrealScript, and powerful all-around editor, UnrealEd; the Unreal series of games have always been a modder’s paradise.

Second, the active role Epic plays in the modding community is what seals the deal. Epic, which employs some of its own developers straight out of the mod community, pays close attention to the needs of its modders and is very supportive. From the quality tools they provide, to the extensive documentation available at the Unreal Developer Network, to the granddaddy of all mod support, the Make Something Unreal Contest, Epic (with the help of their publisher and sponsors) shows that it takes mods seriously.

Our hope now is that Valve, with HL2, can mirror Epic’s highly successful MSUC by having a similar contest of their own. Valve has already taken some great steps to ensure that it’ll be on top of mod support: they’ve released the HL2 SDK early, and can rely on the already existing database of knowledge available at the Valve ERC, the technical capability of the Source engine, Steam’s availability for modders, and their excellent track record with HL1.

With the quality of some mods rivaling professionally developed games, and the growing quantity and popularity of mods, we now await more developers to embrace the community with support and contests. Modders have made the first move, and if game developers respond, gamers everywhere win. Mods are here to stay, and we’ll be here to bring you updates from the community as they develop.

[Biro 0]

I have been working some with Hammer and the SDK over the few last days, and it's really, really awesome what you can do there. I belive this engine (source) will set the standard for the next couple of years as it's so advanced and the possibilities is so many when it comes to what you can do. I already know about some high quality mod that's in the work on this engine and it looks very promising. Check out: http://www.insurgencymod.net/ as an example on modern infantry combat.

[Whisper_44 0]

The insurgency mod(sbject of another thread here at gr.net) is reviewed on the pcgmer site as well. I agree it looks quite promising.

[swartsz 7]

i agree, that Insurgency mod is looking very promising.

I hope we will see similar quality mods for Ghost Recon 2 with loads of support from the devs at RSE.

[WP33 0]

So, there's not been any hard info yet on whether GR2 will even be able to be modded?

[Biro 0]

No, it hasn't. They haven't released any information about modding for GR2 yet and nothing at all about the PC version either for that sake. I guess the modding tool will come, but probably not before an expansion pack has been made, so UBI is sure they can make some money on that one aswell. I guess we talk about a year or so before we see them. "Source" here I come...

[deleyt 0]

I guess we talk about a year or so before we see them. "Source" here I come... 

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I'm thinking the same.

[WP33 0]

No, it hasn't. They haven't released any information about modding for GR2 yet and nothing at all about the PC version either for that sake. I guess the modding tool will come, but probably not before an expansion pack has been made, so UBI is sure they can make some money on that one aswell. I guess we talk about a year or so before we see them. "Source" here I come... 

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Bah! I guess it's wait and see what kind of impression it makes on guys in this community before I buy. I trust you guys a lot more than someone who'll play the game once just looking for eye candy and gets paid to review it.

Okay, I got into Ghost later than most- did the original game (not the Gold Edition) not come with Igor and the like?

[BornToKill 0]

The original came with Igor 1.0 (mission, kit etc editor)

Desert seige came out with the exporting tools and plugins and documentation for map making, characters, weapons etc and Igor 1.1 if i remember correct.

Island thunder came with the above but some improved plugins.

I too hope GR2 follows the trend of mod support, GR1's longevity was aided by its mod support. (our clan has 70 members in GR second only to Farcry with 126) Mods have kept people interested in this game and we frequently play Mods on our dedicated server.