Quote Originally Posted by alpaca
About the SDK/hardcode issue: Guys, some of this might be interesting for CA for their next game (although only if they already implemented it, because they're probably quite far into the development process), not for a patch or an add-on.
The main problem here is probably that their management doesn't or didn't see supporting modders as a large priority - I guess because of the small fraction of people they constitute.
I know that this view is wrong, but some people in the industry still seem to have it. I hope that SEGA will change their opinion about that seeing the long shelf live of a game like Civ4 which is moddable to a far larger extent than Medieval 2.

What we need are suggestions like "raise this limit", "make this small code change" that seriously won't take more than a few minutes developer time.
I can also say that they are often simply not aware what we as modders need, which is due to the somewhat strange politics of an almost complete lack of cooperation with the modding community.
Again, I hope this will change in the future.
Thanks to Re Berengario and Whacker for the explanation about C++; now I know more about it.

Alpaca: Alas, it's true CA doesn't see modders as the potential resource they are. You made the point pretty clear.

Given this fact, to "raise the limit" seems the only option, therefore I agree to send suggestions who require a very limited developer time (that, unfortunately, I cannot distinguish from those who require huge dev time, but you can).

So we'll openly post any suggestions we have, and it's up to you to tell which can be accepted due to short time required, and to tell devs the "final message".

Let's hope constructive request will make CA value more the modders.