The model...for modding

Edwin

I have been giving some thought to the possibilities since the grain of encouragement offered by this BG resurrection has made it reasonable to do so.

I think the ideal model would be licensing a free creation tool that would allow the fans (as well as pro developers) to drive the content creation process. The amount of quality mods and overhauls created in the past for BG and BG2 should demonstrate how effective this model would be, especially when you think of how tediously the mod creators had to hack in their content as they didn't have any slick GUI based modding tools to work with...Imagine what could be done with power tools for the job.

I think that the mods created should go through a vetting process where the wheat is separated from the chaff much in the same way that the app store vets new apps for tablets (ie..they have to work and have a certain amount of quality to them) I imagine there would be a long line of beta testers just chomping at the bit to test these new adventures.

The thing I believe would really make a never-ending supply of new adventures is offering a percentage of sales to the modders who worked hard enough to create a quality mod. This incentive would offer real encouragement for hard work and underscore the need to create quality content...That is, if you make a great, epic adventure, better than all the rest, your fame and fortune will rise accordingly.

The right tools, quality control, financial reward...And me never leaving my computer chair.

Asthner

A new tool? As far as I know the modders used the tools developed by themselves – Near Infinity, DLTCEP, etc – which in turn Overhaul used in their work with the game, having the additional advantage of access to the source code and contracted possibility to modify it.
So the modders already have the best tools *available* for the job. The only thing that’s holding anyone back is the base technology, i.e. InfinityEngine’s hardcoded restrictions, etc. But the tools are already quite accessible.

As for quality control – I’d love to see something like the NwNVault, but for IE games. Heh.

Edwin

@Asthner Near Infinity was a great step, but did not completely demystify all the abstraction. Other mod tools such as TES construction set, CryEngine, ARMAII editor, etc. are less oblique.

I agree totally about the NwNVault.

Totally unlrelalted question: you wouldn't happen to know how to get Planescape Torment to work on W764x?

Darkcloud

Edwin said:

Totally unlrelalted question: you wouldn't happen to know how to get Planescape Torment to work on W764x?

Install it (preferabely not in program files), move all the data files from the other discs in a new folder in the install directory overwrite files that already exist, edit the torment.ini so that it points for all discs to that folder. This gives you a complete install of the game and it should work on win764.

Edwin

@Darkcloud Thanks!..so pretty much just like before hu? :-)

Asthner

@Edwin – what Darkcloud said. Also, you may check here for a more detailed guide. My copy of Torment works quite fine, with the widescreen mod on top, etc.

As for the discussion… Yeah, but aren’t those tools developed by the developer studios in the first place? My point is, Overhaul doesn’t seem to have the resources for creating a tool to do this single job. They found the existing tools sufficient after all… What I meant by the phrase „best tools available” is exactly that: „available”, not „possible”.
Whereas the TES, etc tools were created for games that had specifically the ability of being modded in their specs. Of course, Trent is responsible for the creation of NwN and its toolset, but I doubt Overhaul has the means (money, additional people) for creating an IE*-specific toolset right now. They have BG2EE to write after all.

But… I wonder… Sales are supposedly over initial estimates, so perhaps in the future, after BG2EE? Even if the new tool was a paid app, I’d consider buying it, provided it was shiny enough. :P

*Funny side-note: I’ve just noticed that these forums are the only place where I use the acronym „IE” in a positive tone, meaning „Infinity Engine”, and not „Internet Explorer”. :P

Edwin

@Asthner Thanks for the link.

Enough of the structure and inner workings of IE has been exposed, demystified and documented throughout the years of modding that building a slick development tool shouldn't be as hard as it would be if you were a 3rd party attempting the same for a game like Skyrim or Oblivion.

For the limited scope of the work that overhaul has done with IE, Near Infinity and associated tools are enough. I hope that excellent sales will encourage more ambitious content for the engine and creation of more shinys.