Official CA comment - Total War: The modding situation

[taw]

Since nobody is paying you Taw, nobody can blame you that you didn't do something that would take some of your free time. "I prefer to drink a beer and watch bikini commercials than make a de-compiler" is a perfectly good excuse.

So, have some rep for the work you've done already.

Obviously. I still feel a tiny bit of responsibility for getting that fixed,
as I seem to be the only person in the community who could do that
without too much effort. I don't think there are many others with
(de)compiler writing experience out there.

Not enough responsibility to actually do that, just a tiny bit.

If CA released uncompiled lua files, all that responsibility would be gone
with no effort.

[T.C.]

T.C. probably blames me for both not being done yet, but I'm not doing anything about them
to give CA a chance to make a major contribution to the modding community, not out of
laziness of course ;-)

Well considering 50% of my last 6 months modding wouldn't have been possible since you started at these tools, I'll give you a break




Hopefully it will end better for us

TBH I can't see decompiled Lua's happening. Partially because Craig hasn't even acknowledged the question as of yet, and partially because IDT CA sit comfortably with the idea of releasing anything that was compiled (even though it was compiled for performance).

[taw]

Well considering 50% of my last 6 months modding wouldn't have been possible since you started at these tools, I'll give you a break

Hopefully it will end better for us

TBH I can't see decompiled Lua's happening. Partially because Craig hasn't even acknowledged the question as of yet, and partially because IDK CA sit comfortably with the idea of releasing anything that was compiled (even though it was compiled for performance).

Not releasing stuff is a dangerous territory. I had to disassemble Shogun2.dll to get group formations info I needed. If I keep doing that, who knows what I'll find. DLC keys? They're better off just giving us luas and documentation. (hint to grumpy moderators - I'm obviously joking here)

I'd like CA to give us some answer. Yes, no, we'll think about it. At least we'll know where we stand.

Anyway, UI layout file format documentation should be much less problematic and at least as useful.

EDIT: In case CA panics reading this post, I only decompiled a function containing one huge switch statement converting numerical ids to unit class strings. Nothing dangerous.

[♔DARTH LEGO♔]

I'd like CA to give us some answer. Yes, no, we'll think about it. At least we'll know where we stand.

Apparently not up to them though, it seems to be a publishers call about releasing content regardless if its a mod tool, unit card or a full game everything comes down to Sega.

Hence why im running around collecting download stats too pass onto the CA boys in the hope it will aid the 'decision process' at that level. From what they are saying is that they are also collecting as much info as possible to feed this process and the more the obviously the better.

Im getting the distinct impression from the CA lads that they want us to have more mod freedom as it is only going to make their games better= more exposure= fame= sales blah blah blah.

So i think the key here is to start affecting the process at the stage that involves sega and big corps. only listen to facts and figures.... so click the link on my sig read the thread and start flooding lads.

[alhoon]

Sega, like CA is not an evil company bent on making people miserly and sad. They make games and want to make money for themselves and their investors, as they are oblidged to do. Yes, figures and profit are important to them, but company name and fame are also important (for the pragmatists, it brings more investors). Everyone takes pride on his/her job.

However, SEGA has more games than TW to worry about. TW games are a fraction of what they do and sell so talking to them about what a community of one game they make wants (moddability) would need more than just insults/prayers/praises to reach their ears.
So I think we should work with CA, which indeed has SEGA's ear and has far better chances to be heard.

[Steph]

and we still have the issue with the unit voices.

So far, the release was mostly information we already had. Granted, there's a new channel of communication, but most of the time the answers are either to confirm something is not enabled, and so useless, or that we'd need to compile things (such as the unit voices) to make them work if we edit the files... But they can't release the compiler they use, or didn't give us information so we could make our own.

So... I'm still waiting to see.. With some hope... But not that much

[♔DARTH LEGO♔]

So I think we should work with CA, which indeed has SEGA's ear and has far better chances to be heard.

...this is exactly what i was saying and if you follow my links and stuff you can see the initiative i am trying to lift off to help the process.



Also this thread link HERE has an interesting comment from a really good modder and seeing how the lads at CA are toting their mod friendliness now, i would like a comment on that situation....


edit: post answered, kindly by Lusted

[1.21 GW]

May i ask what this means in a lay man's term? I mean what is the concensus given by the modders here over these last 26 pages? I am sorry for my laziness not to read all the pages. thanks.

[Dynamo11]

May i ask what this means in a lay man's term? I mean what is the concensus given by the modders here over these last 26 pages? I am sorry for my laziness not to read all the pages. thanks.

With these tables we can now see what all columns in the PFM are called and what they affect. However the rebuke is that we already worked out all the "important" columns already.

[alhoon]

I would say "many" of the important columns.

[arten800]

Thanks CA

[arten800]

Thanks CA Third age total war

[T&D]

I have a question it is possible/permitted??to create your own new unit's???

[crzyrndm]

I have a question it is possible/permitted??to create your own new unit's???

So long as they aren't units that are similar to those sold as DLC, creating your own is OK (looking at AUM). However it is rather difficult, compared to pre-warscape games.

[T&D]

And what with impleting completely new models in game???

[Lethe]

And what with impleting completely new models in game???

I don't think that's possible.

[T&D]

Lethe check Shaolin mod in compilations and overhoults

[Wundwolf]

About the Shaolin mod....
Those units are made of parts from the campaign maps agents...

[DaVinci]

I have a question it is possible/permitted??to create your own new unit's???

It is allowed to create every kind of new unit from main game content and its patches, as it was always with TW material.

You may not use DLC unit material for new units and publish it as mod content, "new unit" means here a new model/texture created from DLC material, incl. the unit icons/cards, if this unit appears additionally.
Edit: I think it is allowed to change DLC units in whatever way, as long the unit appears only in-game, if the according DLC is purchased, and is just not an additional unit of DLC material.

[last_name_left]

June:

The Total War series has a long and venerable history of modding, courtesy of yourselves. We’ve talked for a long time about releasing tools for your use, and as you’re (keenly!) aware this still hasn’t happened yet. We know you’re frustrated at the situation, and take it from us, so are we.

July 18:

we can't release any tools.

July 19:

We've already stated we won't be releasing tools

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Like anybody is really surprised so late in the day?

Couple of things to mention about that.

1) Obviously CA shouldn't go talking-up things they can't deliver on. Misleading invitations-to-treat are....misleading. When such product's are hitched to Steam (making returns near-impossible), the consumer seems especially vulnerable to sharp practice. Over the last 3 years CA have over-sold and under-delivered repeatedly.
2) If CA's professed wish to support modding were true, they would have designed a platform that would enable it - rather than one that doesn't.

A wildgoose-chase for ...... 3 years? "No tools". And even less for S2..... ding dong.