What i think will happen with modding M2TW

[Apoc]

I said useless (as far as larger mods are concerned, at least). ;)

And I agree we cannot demand anything from CA - but we can, and should, loudly voice our opinion on how we think things should be. Modding tools would be great for the modding community - but, perhaps more importantly, it would be great for CA, the Total War-series, and the larger TW community, as well.

[Bwian]

I would think that a plugin for Max to allow models to be imported and exported, plus a converter for the texture files so they could be edited are the minimums.

Even better would be something to allow reliable modification of animations as well!

Without those, no major mods can be done.

[zarkis]

I would think that a plugin for Max to allow models to be imported and exported, plus a converter for the texture files so they could be edited are the minimums.

Even better would be something to allow reliable modification of animations as well!

Without those, no major mods can be done.

My intuition tells me that CA is in a conflict when it comes to models/textures. They said they developed a way to improve the performance of their engine. Now, if this was an in house development, they may want to keep it secret, which is reasonable. After all they want to keep an edge over the competition.

Just my speculative intuition.

[hellenes]

My intuition tells me that CA is in a conflict when it comes to models/textures. They said they developed a way to improve the performance of their engine. Now, if this was an in house development, they may want to keep it secret, which is reasonable. After all they want to keep an edge over the competition.

Just my speculative intuition.

Competition?
What competition?
Like the dumbed down archaic basebuilding, build order memorising clickfests that bare the "RTS" title?
Name one game that even remotely approaches the scale and tactical deepness (SP?) of the TW series...

[Sir Robin]

I suspect that the skins and how they are randomized makes it much more difficult to create units for M2TW than RTW. I sincerely hope that CA will release a tool to make it possible. Yet they did not do this for RTW for whatever reasons.

Hopefully, in the next few months someone with far more talent than I will figure out to at least alter existing models. Being able to alter existing models would open up major mod possiblities.

[Neon twilight]

I don't think modeling and skining would be so harder for people used to it, there was a lot of projects for RTW who were unable to find a modelers and died it made the sad "natural selection" for mods.

The main problem is, would CA/Sega allow us to create new models and textures for the game ? I'm not sure because of concurency...

If there's no way to mod MTW 2 with graphical enchancements. Most will consider this game just for time to time playing and It'll go after one or two months. If there's no possibilty for graphical enchancements there'll be no major mods nor realism mods, just a lot of gameplay mods who can be intresting to try for your second game but quite boring in the long term, because you basicly see the same things that just behave a bit different.

About more factions, hem... what's the point of having more factions slots if we can create units and/or edit textures for them ? Creating Sweden faction with Dane skins and units ? .

It'll kill most of the community enthusiasm, mine for sure. Because TW game are making the emphasis on graphics during battles otherwise you can play europa universallis, crusader kings or Dabol online... and RTW/STW and the first MTW.

I've the same feeling regardin MTW 2 as Abraces, I jumped from intense excitement during the first week to intense deception after the feever. I've unistalled to make room to install chivarly mod and I enjoy it more .

[Callatian]

I personally think that they are delaying us with good reason - so they get more time to choose and partially complete the new expansion.

[Lusted]

I think you have a good understanding of the modding community and m2tw. Although my guess about graphics is yesss you can have 15 (e.g. number) different models per unit but most likely people can just copy and paste 1 model for all 15. Or is there something else about m2tw thats graphicly harder to mod that ive missed?

Well, that is true, but from what i understand the resolution of textures has been increased, and the number used a unit, so that more work already. Personally im looking forward into digging around in the diplomacy and ai files once the unpacker comes out.

[WImPyTjeH]

About more factions, hem... what's the point of having more factions slots if we can create units and/or edit textures for them ? Creating Sweden faction with Dane skins and units ? .

This is a smart statement (never would've thought of that )

Why do they make it more modable if we can't mod anything except the .TXT files. aka. rebalance, make regions and borders more realistic, some scripting but that's it.

The mod is what kept me playing RTW. The first time i played the vanilla RTW campaign, I thought it was the most awsome thing i would ever see, but when the mods came out, i got bored when playing that campaign.

I sincerly hope that CA will release some tools for us and for them. I also hope that they will realise that releasing some tools could make M2TW's sales explode + the community can mod, which means: larger and stronger community

W

[Bongaroo]

CA and Sega are probably being greedy. I would think they are threatened by such a good modding community that they are worried a good mod will be better than any expansions they can make or something silly like that. One of my favorite games of all time was Bungie's Myth II. Had a huge modding community and thrived on internet play, man I miss that game. CA will be missing out if they limit how much can be modded.