Animators: read this! And a complaint against CA.

[Bwian]

Additionally, Relic released a SDK for Dawn of War, allowing model export from Max. Same with Battlefield 2. In fact, for that title they relesed a full editing package. It can be done.

The sad truth, however, is that modders only buy a few games. If you look at how many regular contributors there are on modding sites, and compare that to the number of units that get sold in total for any moddable game, the impact of mod makers on sales is negligable.

Where modders DO help a game company, is in the longevity of their product. It maintains interest in a title after the casual gamers have 'beaten' it, and gives the makers time to get a sequel together. Definitely of value these days, since the bulk of big-sellers nowadays are 'franchise' games, rather than new titles. Big money investment follows a proven success.

The flipside, however, is that all us modders keeping people playing old games may mean that people won't be out buying a new game so soon!

There are pro's and cons to game makers supporting modders, but at the end of the day, I can't see CA releasing a comprehensive modding toolkit. It's not going to increase sales, and it won't make Sega happy.

If they DO make one.....we need:

1) Plugins for Max import/export for mesh and animation
2) A reliable animation packer/unpacker
3) The ability to make NEW skeletons not just alter old ones.

Key element would be reliability. Vercingetorix has done a lot of work to give us tools, but he is working without complete knowledge and that never helps!

[Cesare diBorja]

I think the idea is to make the game completely moddable. Or else it is just a bad fix for an otherwise addicted community. It is Just-Over-Broke(job) thinking that has gotten every part of our society nowhere the last 100 years. If you are going to sell a moddable game, make it truly moddable. I am tired of 'lemons'. Complete support with tools especially when you are setting $60 market prices, I have bought two games with expansions. $120+50, ok, I have a bike for the same amount and the company values my patronage with free service for three years. I am at want for nothing for this vehicle and get all I need to repair. Hope you get the analogy.

Lost in thought and reading about the Luddites

diBorgia