So how modable will it truly be?

Ploeperpengel

Join Date 07/2009

So how modable will it truly be?

So far I read about modtools launching with the game and a lot of scripting being done with python. Fine that seems like easy modding, but when it get's to serious modprojects this will still limit them a lot. So my question is:

Will there also be some sort of SDK so we can mod the game on a sourcecodelevel(like including new AI routines) and import/export scripts for 3D applications(like Maya/Max or best would be Blender) to modify existing models but also get complete custom models and animations into the gameengine?

I really loved the possibilities Firaxis opened up for modders with Civ4 and as Elemental seems to me the most promising strategy title on the horizon so far(and civ4 is starting to get old) I wonder wether this now might become fun for years to come or just an intermezzo till Civ5:P

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Quoting GW Swicord,

reply 23

Maybe part of what we'll get by choosing a faction will be something that makes certain shard types more valuable than others, but I'm starting to suspect that there might not be anything like choosing to be an 'element' specialist, a dualist, or a generalist. If my suspicion turns out to be accurate, I'll be a bit disappointed, but explaining why would lead me to discussing the Unmentionable Predecessor...

heh.

I don't really see it as a problem. Picking magic books/schools/spheres/whatever gives you the options to specialize at the start of a game. But since mana of a given type only comes from shards of that type, if the shards aren't terribly common, what you can get access to in game provides the same type of limitations based on the map and what you can control.

I kind of like that dynamic. If I want to cast fire spells, I need to get ahold of a fire shard. Its a change from say the AoW:SM dynamic, where if I want to cast fire spells I pick fire spheres, then I can cast fire spells even if all I control is water nodes.

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If you have a minimum requirement necessary for imbuing land and such, that doesn't necessarily mean you're starting out with a leader that specializes in life.

Psy, I think you've got life magic confused with essence. That's the stuff required for making cities, and all channelers have it. Life and Death magics are manas that you don't get from shards.

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Quoting ChongLi,

reply 11

MoM has 5 elements. I definitely want that.

In an effort to avoid the debate on the number of elements I'll refer to them as magical paths.

AgeofWonders:SM provided 6 magical paths. Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Life and Death.

Dominions_3 provided 8 magical paths (which doesn't include the priest school of magic).

I only hope Stardock developers are designing the game where more magical paths can be added sometime in the future.

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Quoting ChongLi,

reply 11

MoM has 5 elements. I definitely want that.

In an effort to avoid the debate on the number of elements I'll refer to them as magical paths.

AgeofWonders:SM provided 6 magical paths. Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Life and Death.

Dominions_3 provided 8 magical paths (which doesn't include the priest school of magic).

I only hope Stardock developers are designing the game where more magical paths can be added sometime in the future.

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Not meaning to be rude but I was mainly interested about the modding possibilities of the game. The mysteries of life and death could you guys possibly discuss in another thread?

thx

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Philocthetes

Join Date 10/2003

+153

Quoting Ploeperpengel,

reply 5

Not meaning to be rude but I was mainly interested about the modding possibilities of the game. The mysteries of life and death could you guys possibly discuss in another thread?

thx

You are not being rude, although it is (sadly) a bit unusual to see folks actively trying to keep their threads 'on topic.' I'll stop giving aid and comfort to my fellow threadjackers right now. Apologies.

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[Deleted] (thinking about a different game)

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Quoting Denryu,

reply 4

As far as adding your own races, creatures etc They said you could import stuff from Maia or possibly some other 3D object creator. So it is not going to be like Spore. At least that aspoect is going to require a decent amount of know-how-skillz.

Damn, that sucks. So if I want to create a new troll or something I have to take an entire class of Maya or some other **** like that? It's not like I plan on releasing it to the public or something.

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So if I want to create a new troll or something I have to take an entire class of Maya or some other **** like that?

Well, yes and no: from my own experiance with Blender, I can tell you that it's relatively easy to do things like resizingheads and limbs from the start. The more advanced stuff, however, is indeed very difficult.

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Quoting heretic613,

reply 8

Damn, that sucks. So if I want to create a new troll or something I have to take an entire class of Maya or some other **** like that? It's not like I plan on releasing it to the public or something.

Creating graphics for new units is always the most challenging part... I'd extremely surprised if Stardock develops a spore-like creature creation tool; it would require an immense amount of time, effort and money... Not to mention, there is a reason why the graphics in spore are as... silly.. as they are (that's not to say I have a problem with its graphics). The reason is that it is much easier to make silly creatures look good than more serious graphics. Elemental doesn't have realistic graphics, but they're not silly and they're much more artistic than they are cartoony - and creating a unit generator capable of achieving that feel would be extraordinarily difficult...

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econundrum1

Join Date 04/2007

+36

The biggest constraints on moders will be;

1. Maya isn't cheap will I be able to use Blender.

2. Their artistic talent.

The AI can be written with python script so that's easy to mod.

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Quoting pigeonpigeon,

reply 10

Creating graphics for new units is always the most challenging part... I'd extremely surprised if Stardock develops a spore-like creature creation tool; it would require an immense amount of time, effort and money... Not to mention, there is a reason why the graphics in spore are as... silly.. as they are (that's not to say I have a problem with its graphics). The reason is that it is much easier to make silly creatures look good than more serious graphics. Elemental doesn't have realistic graphics, but they're not silly and they're much more artistic than they are cartoony - and creating a unit generator capable of achieving that feel would be extraordinarily difficult...

Well I personally think the graphics are kinda silly. Like watching a fantasy world when you are high on shrooms or something. It's OK though, as long as the game is good.

But the point is that I'm dissappointed. My first impression of the modability was that there woud be some kind of sporesque tool to design stuff. Guess I got it all wrong as usual. I hope that user generated stuff will be good though. It probably wont, but that is what I will be stuck with until a major expansion arrives.*sigh*

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Quoting heretic613,

reply 12

Quoting pigeonpigeon, reply 10

Creating graphics for new units is always the most challenging part... I'd extremely surprised if Stardock develops a spore-like creature creation tool; it would require an immense amount of time, effort and money... Not to mention, there is a reason why the graphics in spore are as... silly.. as they are (that's not to say I have a problem with its graphics). The reason is that it is much easier to make silly creatures look good than more serious graphics. Elemental doesn't have realistic graphics, but they're not silly and they're much more artistic than they are cartoony - and creating a unit generator capable of achieving that feel would be extraordinarily difficult...

Well I personally think the graphics are kinda silly. Like watching a fantasy world when you are high on shrooms or something. It's OK though, as long as the game is good.

But the point is that I'm dissappointed. My first impression of the modability was that there woud be some kind of sporesque tool to design stuff. Guess I got it all wrong as usual. I hope that user generated stuff will be good though. It probably wont, but that is what I will be stuck with until a major expansion arrives.*sigh*

Well what WOULD be similar to spore is that you create your OWN UNITS in game..

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Philocthetes

Join Date 10/2003

+153

Edit: I forgot I this thread's owner wants folks to stay on topic. Apologies.

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Yeah. Elemental is looking more along the lines of Tiffany WIndows.

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econundrum1

Join Date 04/2007

+36

Quoting heretic613,

reply 12

Quoting pigeonpigeon,
reply 10

Creating graphics for new units is always the most challenging part... I'd extremely surprised if Stardock develops a spore-like creature creation tool; it would require an immense amount of time, effort and money... Not to mention, there is a reason why the graphics in spore are as... silly.. as they are (that's not to say I have a problem with its graphics). The reason is that it is much easier to make silly creatures look good than more serious graphics. Elemental doesn't have realistic graphics, but they're not silly and they're much more artistic than they are cartoony - and creating a unit generator capable of achieving that feel would be extraordinarily difficult...

Well I personally think the graphics are kinda silly. Like watching a fantasy world when you are high on shrooms or something. It's OK though, as long as the game is good.

But the point is that I'm dissappointed. My first impression of the modability was that there woud be some kind of sporesque tool to design stuff. Guess I got it all wrong as usual. I hope that user generated stuff will be good though. It probably wont, but that is what I will be stuck with until a major expansion arrives.*sigh*

Well you can put different types of armour and, weapons on unit's, as well as select mounts for them if you want. So to that extent it does allow you to create the look of your units in game as well as functionality. But you can't create new races in game as I understand.

Actually I'd like to see a spore like race editor for GC3.

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