CA Modding Summit

[DARTH VADER]

There are some mods out there that claim to do things that are impossible to do within the limitations that exist at the moment, for example.

Indirectly, CraigTW is referring to DarthMod and its manipulation of BAI and CAI techniques. Many times I have heard that from you and CA generally. Directly speaking, as I am always straight, bad or good, this is who I am, I know this embarrasses CA but it would be better if CA developers learned how I improve the gameplay than trying to devalue my work. Or maybe I manipulate the minds of the thousands who play my mods and see the vast difference...

I know, I do not have an "original" approach to modding, as you call it, but with this last reply, I am certainly out of Total War modding for good. Fair well, and you better do not mess up RTW2 gameplay because I think most of the modders will not be able to help you out.

Edit:
Especially to Taw and Daniu with whom I have collaborated personally many times. You deserve 100% to be there. Congratulations and I hope you have a really fruitful experience.

[leviath]

.mitch. is a fine choice, he'll bring some heavy WWI tanks to crush those arrogant carthaginians elephants !

[taw]

TAW will be focused on the campaign map and adding new regions, hopefully he can crack the code.

Map research is primarily PietroMicca's and uanime5's effort, I just provide support to them as they need it.

[Erwin Rommel]

Perfect! I'm not sure about this .mitch. fellow; he seems rather shady . It's very good to see taw and Daniu going, too .

Why is Akaie-sama not invited! This is a travesty, and a grave insult to the Ukita Clan, for deliberately ignoring the Fudai Daimyo Akaie from participating in this event.

To show our protest. We shall have one of our loyal vassals and retainers* commit suduku in front of the CA headquarters, to show them how shameful this display is.

*no one is volunteering yet.

[DisgruntledGoat]

Excellent news in seeing this go forward as someone who was part of the RTW/M2TW modding scene I am quite glad to see this happening. Hopefully we can get close to the freedom we enjoyed in modding those titles.

Also, its sad to learn the kind of attitude Darth (a modder I have respected since his formation mods of RTW) has. I guess even minor acclaim can go to your head very easily.

[Steph]

Map research is primarily PietroMicca's and uanime5's effort, I just provide support to them as they need it.

Then let's hope you can learn enough to gave them valuable input

[Akaie]

Map research is primarily PietroMicca's and uanime5's effort, I just provide support to them as they need it.

If you manage to sneak away with the ui format documentation, I'll harbour you while you publish it publicly .

Why is Akaie-sama not invited! This is a travesty, and a grave insult to the Ukita Clan, for deliberately ignoring the Fudai Daimyo Akaie from participating in this event.

I doubt Craig still needs my silence (please scould me if that's still the case). I was tapped on the shoulder to see if I was interested, but sadly I have obligations here. That, and I doubt I'd be of any use except for wasting my money on an Ishida Mitsunari getup just to impress the CA staff .

[MathiasOfAthens]

Map research is primarily PietroMicca's and uanime5's effort, I just provide support to them as they need it.

True, very true, hopefully they get invites as well but your the only one on the list I am aware of that is involved in mapping. Even if not primarily.

Everyone wants the campaign map cracked.

[Erwin Rommel]

If you manage to sneak away with the ui format documentation, I'll harbour you while you publish it publicly .



I doubt Craig still needs my silence (please scould me if that's still the case). I was, but sadly I have obligations here. That, and I doubt I'd be of any use except for wasting my money on an Ishida Mitsunari getup just to impress the CA staff .

But but....who will air our pleas and demands and righteous gripes...........that the current Shogun 2 kabuto of Toyotomi Hideyoshi....

IS BUTT UGLY

(then again, if it was attributed to someone like.......Hidetada, remove the horsehair and just have it pointy, it would be awesome. )

That, and I doubt I'd be of any use except for wasting my money on an Ishida Mitsunari getup just to impress the CA staff .

Oh there is a more easy way, dress up as Otani Yoshitsugu.



Tada. 2 Towels does the trick.



AND, be carried upon a palanquin.

[daniu]

I have no idea why I was invited
No of course I do, but I've said several times that I'm no modder, I just maintain some of the tools.
Since so do taw and .Mitch. (don't know about bobbin tbh), my assumption is that the summit is going to be somewhat more technical in nature; i.e., the focus will be what CA can do to support the community's efforts to provide tools rather than ask what modders want to have more moddable.

IMO, that is the way to go. With the technical specifications they gave about the new ESF format, taw was able to provide access to it within a few days.
More documentation like that, or better yet the release of an API to reliably access the data with the tools we build upon it, and a point of contact for the tool creators to ask specific questions when they're stuck would be perfect.

But we'll have to wait and see

[Prof]

I was nicely suprised by the offer, but as Craig said timing is not right for me, i am just too busy at my job lately and i cant disappear for 2 days to England in midweek . But i love TW games and modding is my hobby, so the invitation honored me and i am sure i will follow all about TW games in the future and if the Rome 2 will allow me to mod it, i am damn sure i will spend long time on it to deliver my best again for all of you in a style i am used to work.

I hope summit will be great and we get some new info about modding future. People who can make it are all well chosen and they are importnat part of this community.

Those are exactly the words I was looking for earlier. xD

I was also surprised about the invitation, but Wednesday is just kind of bad if you are still a student/trainee and don't get many days off.

I hope there will be some information that will make me get involved with modding again. ^^

[Derbiean]

For CA to marginalize Darthmod over this summit is an act of incredible stupidity and unless CA make it right i have to reconsider being a customer and a player of the total war series.

[Anna_Gein]

There are some mods out there that claim to do things that are impossible to do within the limitations that exist at the moment, for example.

Trying to not look aggressive as it wouldn't be of any help but I must say I do not like at all what this quote imply.

The subject is delicate enough and it is not the first time during this summit story. This summit could be a great event for Total War and its community and I find this small bitter tastes a bit out of place.

I hope as many people as possible will be able to attend the summit and good news could be revealed at its end.

[Kensai7]

Craig, I really hope DarthMod is reserved to make the keynote speak or something, otherwise you are terribly shooting your "community leg" (so to speak) in the leg here. Even if he might have promised things not possible, his mods are still the best around and deserve special attention.

Actually, I am flabbergasted why Nick is not under your payroll already, with all the perks a freelancer developer can have working to improve Creative Assembly's already fantastic titles. Come on, guys, do not let politics or misunderstandings get the better of you.

I want to see DarthMod CA's CMO (Chief Modding Officer)!

[TheNewKing]

There's a balancing act when picking who to attends our events and we have to take into consideration a range of factors. There are some mods out there that claim to do things that are impossible to do within the limitations that exist at the moment, for example.

We’ve been impressed by the endeavours of a lot of the community, and it’s fair to shine the spotlight on them. We invited a range of modders we felt took an exceptional approach to modding and the claims they make of their mods. We were hoping Radious could join us, but sadly he can’t make it.

Attending will be:

TAW
Daniu
.mitch.
Bobbin (EB team)

We’ve extended invites to a few other members of the modding community, too, who we also feel have taken a proactive, original approach to modding. Not all of them could make it, but we’re hoping to add a couple of extra names to the list by the end of the week.

As you can see in the summit agenda, there’s a secret section there which we hope to share news of with the entire community on the day.

-The Creative Assembly

Craig and the people at CA who do not recognise Darth Vader and his DARTH MODS i have absoulotley no RESPECT for you now, Every single Darth Mod is the most popular mod from EMPIRE to SHOGUN 2
and has completely improved your game in every area and you do not recognise this!!!
CRAIG and the people of CA go play DARTH MOD EMPIRE , DARTH MOD NAPOLEON &
DARTH MOD SHOGUN2 !!!!!!!!!! like everyone else and you will see the greatness he brings to all TW Games that everyone on this site sees

OPEN YOUR EYES CA
absoulute desgrace

[.Mitch.]

I have no idea why I was invited
No of course I do, but I've said several times that I'm no modder, I just maintain some of the tools.
Since so do taw and .Mitch. (don't know about bobbin tbh), my assumption is that the summit is going to be somewhat more technical in nature; i.e., the focus will be what CA can do to support the community's efforts to provide tools rather than ask what modders want to have more moddable.

IMO, that is the way to go. With the technical specifications they gave about the new ESF format, taw was able to provide access to it within a few days.
More documentation like that, or better yet the release of an API to reliably access the data with the tools we build upon it, and a point of contact for the tool creators to ask specific questions when they're stuck would be perfect.

But we'll have to wait and see

Exactly.

People need to understand they should be elated at the fact that people with technical knowledge were chosen to go, and what that could potentially mean.

If we go there and they try to explain the ESF format, should TAW be there or DarthVader? If we go there and they talk to us about the format of the pack files, should DarthVader be there or the guy responsible for creating Shogun2's version of the PackFileManager? Obvious answers.

The truth is that anyone can open the PFM an change database tables while claiming to be rewriting AI. Craig has my utmost and profound respect for saying it how it is.

The sad thing is, is that while Darth likes to tell us how other modders hate him or that they are jealous, his very post doing so shows us that in fact he is the jealous one here, and that posts exactly like that are why other modders might dislike him. He is, after all, the only one in the entirety of this site who will likely complain about not being chosen.

I'm ecstatic that I was chosen, I wouldn't be complaining if I wasn't though instead what I'd be doing is hoping that those going would be the likes of Taw, Daniu, etc, because I honestly believe that it means much greater things than inviting the more known names just for positive publicity.

My piece is said.

[Prof]

@.Mitch.:

That's exactly what I thought. They have their reasons to chose whoever they chose and people should respect that.

I hope you guys can improve the current modding situation (I'd really like to make some models again)

[Agate86]

If you stop moddind Darth i wont buy Rome 2.....that for sure!! Vanilla game is for noob not for veteran total war series....

[Anna_Gein]

Please peolpe do not turn it into personal conflict.

The truth is Craig declared that invited people were chosen for what they have been able to accomplish on Shogun 2. In fact his post was implying people who have been devoted to the whole TW modding scene.

here :

We have chosen members of the community to attend who we feel have demonstrated a considerable talent or passion for the modding scene, with a track record of creating excellent content or a demonstrable passion for spreading the word about some of the best Total War mods out there.

For every latest TW mod a DarthMod has been released a an incedible number of people has enjoyed it. It is just logical to assume he would be invited. Like others team leader involved in Shogun 2 with the Radious Total War Mod, The Right of Man 3 - Road to Kyoto and The Sekigahara Campaign. It is logical to preffer modders involved in Shogun 2 instead of people working on Empire or Napoleon is the outcome we all hope is better moddability on Rome 2.


So it seem people has been chosen for the help they could provide on a hypothetical tool set but then it should have been announced as it. Again a possible error of communication.

Now I really expect an explanation about the sentence I quoted on my previous post. It is enough insulting for the whole modding community.

[TheNewKing]

If you stop moddind Darth i wont buy Rome 2.....that for sure!! Vanilla game is for noob not for veteran total war series....

Agree the Vanilla game is for the people who only play the game for a few months
the real total war fans are the people who play the mods

I had shogun 2 when it first came out played it for a few months then stoped playing completely untill the mods came out.
But they do not care as they allready got my money