What i think will happen with modding M2TW

[econ21]

Realistically, without the opportunity to add new graphical content.... be that skins or models, then there isn't really a 'mod community' for MTW2 to worry about. There will be a few people tweaking preferences and re-balancing stats...but that is it.

I know what you are saying, and you are probably right, but isn't it a little bit ironic? The "hardcore" TW fans, among which I count myself, bitch and moan about the limitations of the AI and lack of realism of TW while conceding the graphics were pretty and state of the art. Later, when M2TW comes out and (worst case scenario) they find they can't change the graphics, they abandon modding the game at all.

With M2TW, we have better AI but (maybe) can't change the graphics. With RTW, we have inferior AI but can make even better eye candy. So the hardcore choose to stick to modding RTW. I'm not wanting personally criticise someone, but it seems almost hypocritical. To repeat - I am not criticising anyone: I guess it's human nature, we are preprogrammed to like eye candy, just like we are preprogrammed to have a sweet tooth.

Take EB and RTR. Those are two massive, major mods. I can't imagine the labour input that has gone into them - it must run into person-years of highly skilled labour. Did they start out because they wanted to make RTW graphics prettier? Surely not! Would I be less motivated to play them if they used RTW skins, but modded the maps, stats, starting situations etc as they have done? Not really. But I reluctantly agree with Lusted and Bwian - without the ability to edit the unit skins, I don't think we will see their like for M2TW.

Or take the Crusades mod. It looks utterly gorgeous, I agree. And I agree Caius would have not bothered doing it if he could not use it to showcase his amazing skinning ability. But the concept of such a mod focussed on a particular part of the world, covering particular conflicts, with just a couple of factions etc is still a good and worthwhile concept.

Maybe there is some consolation in this - maybe M2TW is good enough in the gameplay and the history not to make a spectacular major mod required? Rather like MTW (no offence to MTW modders).

And ironically, maybe it was the much derided "pretty" graphics of RTW that allowed the hardcore TW modding community to really take off and thrive.