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Modding Tools, Lack of
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:15 am
by Lamb Chop
It only took 10 months but game is now officially modifiable, Thank you.
However, an active modding community of a game with this kind of complexity requires a second component, Tools...
Not only for changes but also for correcting certain inconsistencies.
Your DW2 Data Editor is horrible. And the XML files are huge and intricately connected.
Quite frankly, I already have a job that pays me. And rummaging through them is not an attractive proposition for me personally for my time off, despite being able to read and modify code if needed.
There is already a magnificent tool available on your forums which has now been discontinued.
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 9&t=383057
May I suggest a similar approach to the problem or the issue at hand. Maybe pay the dude,
Re: Modding Tools, Lack of
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 11:59 am
by frankycl
Yes - it would be a great pitty to lose this guy / his magnificent tool, imho !
But I don't think that he want's to get paid / expects this (!) - I think it would be enough to allow him to integrate/connect his tool to the game - or to make it at least an officially supperted tool/thread in the forums.

)
(He told me that he also tried to get his profiles deleted (here and on Steam) - but I can still contact him privately, if needed !

)
Re: Modding Tools, Lack of
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:47 pm
by Lamb Chop
Wait, the reason he abandoned it is not boredom or lack of appreciation?
Re: Modding Tools, Lack of
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:59 pm
by frankycl
Lamb Chop wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:47 pm
Wait, the reason he abandoned it is not boredom or lack of appreciation?
No, it's not (however I don't know the exact reasons / what really happened; - he kept it more vaguely in his "goodbye", so far - and it's all in German, so I can't post it here).

Re: Modding Tools, Lack of
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 8:08 pm
by Rising-Sun
Well i manage to change some tricky stuffs around on the old Distant Worlds. I was using bmp picture format to bypass their alien/species portaits. So now in this second series, is going to be harder, unless it will support still pictures in vary formats. The background of those species wasnt too hard to do. Just give it a direction where the path is, bios, etc.
Not really sure how much different there is between two games. Feel like this one is going to be harder to do and more man hours as well.
Re: Modding Tools, Lack of
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 3:32 pm
by Lamb Chop
frankycl wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:59 pm
Lamb Chop wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:47 pm
Wait, the reason he abandoned it is not boredom or lack of appreciation?
No, it's not (however I don't know the exact reasons / what really happened; - he kept it more vaguely in his "goodbye", so far - and it's all in German, so I can't post it here).
Now I am curious...
From his work, he appeared and I had a mental image of an experienced Dev of middle ages.
I wish him the best. Modding is a thankless "job" with all the entitled kindergarteners out there.
Hence, I mod but never publish.
Re: Modding Tools, Lack of
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 6:28 pm
by frankycl
Lamb Chop wrote: Mon Feb 06, 2023 3:32 pm
Now I am curious...
From his work, he appeared and I had a mental image of an experienced Dev of middle ages.
(...)
Yes, I think your impression is not far off - only that he's not a professional Dev, but more a nice guy who knows a bit about coding and does create some (great) tools with this in his spare-time...

(although I only know him through the things he wrote in PMs and some mails, too)
But I will try to contact him again per mail if he doesn't answer me here in the forum anymore - and will keep you updated about the outcome. (I think he will at least be happy about the fact that someone else misses him/his work here.

)
Re: Modding Tools, Lack of
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:28 pm
by monk124us
Crazy to see him go

i was lucky to find his tool before he left! came in to thank him and saw that the project was abandon! He's tool is what you would expect from a developer. its quite masterful!