The assessment is unfair about this game and modding. The game is in many regards a sequel in terms of game engine. Thus, the mods for e:wom can be easily be ported over and thus lots of mods can be there at the release.
Many older games weren't as easy to mod for many people. The point is that frogboy is partaking in a new paradigm in gaming and allowing the game to be modded simply.
I look at it as play testing a board game and a person is creating house rules. I've seen brand new boardgames before people started playing them they already had house rules to make the game their own, in a way. Modding is no different, because modders want to have fun to and Modding is FUN.
Take monopoly: add the house rule of if you go to jail take a shot of Jack (note be of the legal drinking age to do this mod to the game). Don't need much knowledge about the game or game play to add that house rule. (modded feature). The ability to create a custom sovereign is modding in my opinion, but because it seems like an integral part of the game people feel its not a modded game. Same with NWN which I enjoyed immensely, they had pre-gen characters (non modded game) to play.
Maybe you consider modding the game as changing files of the game outside the game architecture. This, at one point, was only accessible with a hex editor and now newer games are allowing more and more accessibility to the changing of their games. Which equates to more people willing to try to mod their games or change it.
We are existing in a new paradigm where games moddability is an advertisement. In other words, a community that says "Here are my house rules for the game" and a game designer that fully supports this idea (Cheers Stardock).
If you advertise that you can mod the game easily, and had an extensive beta test, and uses a similar engine to another game, and mods don't come out at release, then there is some false advertisement or at the very least a stretch that the game is easily moddable.
The last point is that there are people who derive enjoyment from modding their game. It's their way of creating an experience of a new game that they just don't have the time, or maybe the ability to program from scratch, or maybe they just want to show off their skills and show what can be done with the game . This is a small group and if they are in a beta test, they will mod the beta, if they are able to because they love the game and they are willing to spend the time to do what they love to do best (mess with game files AND play their game).
I applaud all modders of all games, even at release.
