What i think will happen with modding M2TW

[Ciaran]

We couldn´t in RTW as well until Vercingetorix made his .cas importer. Though I don´t know if he´s still active in the TW community.

[Lusted]

If we can't change models i see the mod community becoming much more test editing orientated as we now have more to work with, the most important being moddable ai.

[SigniferOne]

I don't see why graphical modding will present such a difficulty. Although you CAN create many varieties of a skin, it doesn't mean you HAVE to. So if you had a model for an Armored Hoplite from RTW, you could just split up his one texture into 4-5 separate ones that M2TW requires, and your work would end there. You could then add varieties if you WANTED to. Besides, as I think the M2 engine will allow, you can probably share textures/models between units, so that the many different Greek units can share the same muscled cuirass for instance, cutting down the graphical development DRASTICALLY. All in all, we'll just have to wait a few days for all these things to clear out.

[Lusted]

CA have said Rome models wont more in M2Tw, so it wont be that easy.

[SigniferOne]

Well right, some transitional issues will have to be accomodated between Rome and M2, but people have made it sound like 4x or 5x as much work will have to be done on each model, and I think that's just not the case. It will go a little slow at first, but it was also SUPER slow at the beginning for Rome, with some extraordinarily primitive textures in the beginning, and only arriving to quality work in the last year or so.

[shifty157]

Well as it is CA has not announced anything about model/texture tools which we as the community do need. I really kind of doubt that we'll able to reverse engineer the stuff this time as apparently everything is much more complex. So we're kind of stuck at CA's mercy. And if this is the case and CA doesnt provide us with these tools then the modding community is pretty much dead in the water.

I kind of really wished i would have known this stuff earlier. I wouldnt have preordered the game then.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Well I don't think we should jump to conclusions just yet it may take time but CA seem to be definitely helping the community this time and they say they will look at the models so lets just be patient for a couple of months or so.

[Burns]

Who knows. There are some things I want to create (model) but, if I can't I might as well not bother.

[Urnamma]

Well as it is CA has not announced anything about model/texture tools which we as the community do need. I really kind of doubt that we'll able to reverse engineer the stuff this time as apparently everything is much more complex. So we're kind of stuck at CA's mercy. And if this is the case and CA doesnt provide us with these tools then the modding community is pretty much dead in the water.

I kind of really wished i would have known this stuff earlier. I wouldnt have preordered the game then.

I'm in the same boat. 'Modder Friendly' except you can't make any actual major mods... at all. I refuse to buy the game until they provide us with some way to add models, skins, and animations, and I would encourage others to do so as well.

As it stands now, CA has put a nail in the coffin of the community who has done nothing but add options and refinements (and hence value) to their game. I can't help but take it somewhat personally.

There will be NO major mods, and NO diversity in the game if we cannot add/edit models, textures, and animations.

[Arbaces]

After having played the game since it was released I have taken my decision not to bother with modding it or playing it anymore. It's quite a crap after spending 50 Euros not to feel anything more then you feel for a mod like Chivalry. The things I don't like are many more then the things I like, the things which should have been are many more then what it is. I don't think there is an extra-feature here which can't be scripted or managed (even without scripting) in RTW as well.

Arbaces.