Mod Summit 2015

[Joey CA]

Hi Guys!

With Total War: ATTILA fast approaching we thought it’s about time we held our 3^rd annual Mod Summit to discuss potential new tools and new ways in which we can involve the modding community this year.
The Summit will be held at our studio in Horsham, UK this Friday and we’ll be seeing some familiar faces from last year who are experts in their modding field, along with some new faces who were recognised for their efforts in last summer’s Mod Awards.

We’re hoping it’ll be another great opportunity for the devs to chat with modders and share some of the detail that goes into TW code. Everyone got a huge amount out of it last year and we’re interested to hear more about their experiences using the Assembly Kits for ROME II and SHOGUN 2.


The attendees will be tweeting and live blogging from the summit and we’ll be announcing the highlights on the day, so if you are into modding stay tuned to the forums and our Twitter for more news on Friday!

Joey

[Karnil Vark Khaitan]

Hey just a quick heads up.
Look what the unofficial tools does and learn a bit from it. (Pfm) :3
The mod launcher also needs to be improved on, would love to see it as a list of modnames, and then you click on it shows a picture and a list of info the modder can write.

And please create better documents then releasing patchs (as in; then a table is change with a new column)
And Map plus battle map tools :3

Keep up the great work :3

[AnthoniusII]

Hey just a quick heads up.
Look what the unofficial tools does and learn a bit from it. (Pfm) :3
The mod launcher also needs to be improved on, would love to see it as a list of modnames, and then you click on it shows a picture and a list of info the modder can write.

And please create better documents then releasing patchs (as in; then a table is change with a new column)
And Map plus battle map tools :3

Keep up the great work :3

Is that a complain???
On Topic:
The previus Modding Summit was a total failure!
Few people "enjoyed" the hospitality of CA , played for free, took some gifts but there was never a complete modding tool!
Advertising is good but do not mock all the rest of us that this is going to be a modding summit!
If it will be the same as the previus one it mostly willbe a bribing session to some of "modders" to give CA some possitive reviews!!!
I hope that for the 1st time CA will prove me wrong...

[perifanosEllinas]

Is that a complain???
On Topic:
The previus Modding Summit was a total failure!
Few people "enjoyed" the hospitality of CA , played for free, took some gifts but there was never a complete modding tool!
Advertising is good but do not mock all the rest of us that this is going to be a modding summit!
If it will be the same as the previus one it mostly willbe a bribing session to some of "modders" to give CA some possitive reviews!!!
I hope that for the 1st time CA will prove me wrong...

I completely agree with this post.The previous modding summit was a huge fiasco.And a few of the modders that were there had a very suspicious change of behaviour afterwards indeed.

Joey,please inform the people at CA that the modders want proper campaign map modding tools for Rome 2 as soon as possible.It's been 1,5 year after release already.

[Noif de Bodemloze]

Is that a complain???
On Topic:
The previus Modding Summit was a total failure!
Few people "enjoyed" the hospitality of CA , played for free, took some gifts but there was never a complete modding tool!
Advertising is good but do not mock all the rest of us that this is going to be a modding summit!
If it will be the same as the previus one it mostly willbe a bribing session to some of "modders" to give CA some possitive reviews!!!
I hope that for the 1st time CA will prove me wrong...

How about music mod tool? Did you forgot it? That you guys also wanted, right? We made it true. It was one progress from our last mod summit and you call it failure? Hey cmon.

When we were there last year, we delivered all your mod wishes,prays and questions for CA. Played for free? We haven't any gaming session there. 100% of time was only about modding and we modders did much as we can do. Did you expect that we modders who was there that WE make those tools? Now you pointing wrong people, man. What CA said us and what wroted up in report. We can only wait or think, that does it come or not.

[zackstefy]

Yeah, can't wait to read the blog about the mod summit
Btw, CA, you should do what Valve( TF2 and DOTA2) or the guys from Chivalry medieval warfare(weapons, armors) are doing : allow the modders to summit mods to the Workshop, test and accept them to the game and sell them ( units, campaigns) . With that, you CA and the modders are making money.

[reliablePersian]

i think charging us for mods is not a good idea . they are supposed to make the game better ( ,,close combat mod" or texture mods ) . i think not many would pay for a REtexture mod or an battle improuvement mod :/ imo.

[Magnar]

Yeah, can't wait to read the blog about the mod summit
Btw, CA, you should do what Valve( TF2 and DOTA2) or the guys from Chivalry medieval warfare(weapons, armors) are doing : allow the modders to summit mods to the Workshop, test and accept them to the game and sell them ( units, campaigns) . With that, you CA and the modders are making money.

Please PLease PLEASE PLEASE Dont let this happen.

Keep modding a work of passion for those that want to create something cos they want to not for $$$ sake

[Huberto]

Keep expectations low, understand that CA views this as PR...and realize the most effective advocates for mod support probably won't be in the room.

[Causeless]

Please PLease PLEASE PLEASE Dont let this happen.

Keep modding a work of passion for those that want to create something cos they want to not for $$$ sake

I'm sorry, but I HUGELY disagree, for 2 main reasons:

1. Paid community mods would create a far larger incentive for CA to release modding tools, as there is direct money flow coming out of it.

2. You can't force passion. If you say "NO!", "no paid mods allowed!", that doesn't mean all the people who would've otherwise planned on making a paid mod would suddenly drop everything and make it for free out of passion! That's ridiculous! Instead, the people who were previously making mods for the sake of making it (the passion) would continue making free mods, and the people who do want $$$ can also make content if they want. The modding community would certainly expand, and there would still be as much free content as before.

It's a win-win...

[craziii]

I'm sorry, but I HUGELY disagree, for 2 main reasons:

1. Paid community mods would create a far larger incentive for CA to release modding tools, as there is direct money flow coming out of it.

2. You can't force passion. If you say "NO!", "no paid mods allowed!", that doesn't mean all the people who would've otherwise planned on making a paid mod would suddenly drop everything and make it for free out of passion! That's ridiculous! Instead, the people who were previously making mods for the sake of making it (the passion) would continue making free mods, and the people who do want $$$ can also make content if they want. The modding community would certainly expand, and there would still be as much free content as before.

It's a win-win...

a better solution would be a donate button for mods on the steam workshop? keep it a work of passion, that I 100% agree with magnar. but if people wants to show their appreciation, donate some money to buy a beer for the modder, voila, best of both worlds.

on the other hand I can totally understand the reasons behind paid mods though. look at skyrim and oblivion mods. people paid for the right to download those mods nexus website and if you like a mod, you endorse it. the modder gets money by the amount of endorsements. and the amount of mods on that website is staggering.

[Fredrin]

I would pay for a good comprehensive mod, particularly if would help CA improve a game's moddability and reward the modders themselves for their hard work.

[MathiasOfAthens]

I would pay for a tool to edit the campaign map. Edit regions, units, factions and create new regions and provinces. You dont need to hold a modding summit to know we want a campaign map editor.

[zackstefy]

Also, some updates for the exporters would be nice..for example, I use Zbrush(for the high poly) in combination with Maya(low mesh) + Substance for textures..and i need to know what nr of polys does the engine support

[anonimo272]

interesting
a question
didn't CA "promised" campaign map tools for rome 2 ?
(not trolling iam not sure about it)

[Magnar]

interesting
a question
didn't CA "promised" campaign map tools for rome 2 ?
(not trolling iam not sure about it)

They didnt promise map tools, they questioned whether it was worthwhile providing map tools considering how few people used them on S2

[The Wandering Storyteller]

They didnt promise map tools, they questioned whether it was worthwhile providing map tools considering how few people used them on S2

I would rather question this, as Shogun 2 workshop tripled with hundreds of map mods being made when Rome 2 was being developed and getting ready to be released. It is certainly worthwhile - heck, there have been more mods for Shogun 2 expanding on it, some have created historically accuracte maps, and yes to CA- it is worthwhile - it would also help a lot of modders who have been restricted since the days of ETW.

[AnthoniusII]

They didnt promise map tools, they questioned whether it was worthwhile providing map tools considering how few people used them on S2

No they didin't! But CA had the nerv to advertise in its FB page the Chinese Mod that Chinese armies can replace Rome II factions!!!!!!!!
How rediculus advertisment this was! How a modding team can offer to players a complete mod when it can not EVEN add new cities on the existing map, imagine to need to re-create the map from scratch!!!
Changing colors on shields or cloths or replace helmets is good but it can not be a complete mod! Unless we fool our selves denying to see the clear truth!
Take as example the Constantine: Rise of Christianity exelent mod!
The team CAN NOT EVEN PLACE Constantinople on the existing map! Do you call this a complete mod??????????
Or do you call an honest modding suport from CA?

[Magnar]

No they didin't! But CA had the nerv to advertise in its FB page the Chinese Mod that Chinese armies can replace Rome II factions!!!!!!!!
How rediculus advertisment this was! How a modding team can offer to players a complete mod when it can not EVEN add new cities on the existing map, imagine to need to re-create the map from scratch!!!
Changing colors on shields or cloths or replace helmets is good but it can not be a complete mod! Unless we fool our selves denying to see the clear truth!
Take as example the Constantine: Rise of Christianity exelent mod!
The team CAN NOT EVEN PLACE Constantinople on the existing map! Do you call this a complete mod??????????
Or do you call an honest modding suport from CA?

Nothing wrong with saying what mods do.

Who is to say what is a complete mod ? Would DeI be considered a complete mod if it never redoes the campaign map? ofc it can be complete. A complete mod doesnt HAVE to mod the campaign map.

"EVEN add new cities", you make it sound like modding the map is as simple as changing a value or 2 here and there and hey presto a new city. Im sure you don't think that, but thats how it read to me

If map tools were made, what makes you think CRoC would create a new map or add new cities? I believe most of the people who made that have moved on to other mods now (grudge (TW: Karling) dresden, ahiga, gunny (DeI) Avetis (CIU, VV, and prob 5 others hehe)) so it is no guarentee they would go back and develop it further.

The real question is, out of all the people wanting map tools how many will actually use those map tools if they are ever released?

I get the feeling a lot of people are demanding map tools hoping that someone else will create a new campaign map for them.

Would it be nice to have? definitely. But i think Demanding map tools is a bit much personally.

At the end of the day, there are companies that do a lot more for mods and companies that do a lot less.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Nothing wrong with saying what mods do.

Who is to say what is a complete mod ? Would DeI be considered a complete mod if it never redoes the campaign map? ofc it can be complete. A complete mod doesnt HAVE to mod the campaign map.

"EVEN add new cities", you make it sound like modding the map is as simple as changing a value or 2 here and there and hey presto a new city. Im sure you don't think that, but thats how it read to me

If map tools were made, what makes you think CRoC would create a new map or add new cities? I believe most of the people who made that have moved on to other mods now (grudge (TW: Karling) dresden, ahiga, gunny (DeI) Avetis (CIU, VV, and prob 5 others hehe)) so it is no guarentee they would go back and develop it further.

The real question is, out of all the people wanting map tools how many will actually use those map tools if they are ever released?

I get the feeling a lot of people are demanding map tools hoping that someone else will create a new campaign map for them.

Would it be nice to have? definitely. But i think Demanding map tools is a bit much personally.

At the end of the day, there are companies that do a lot more for mods and companies that do a lot less.

You are not going to get a hundred modders who will learn how to mod the map. That just isnt possible. Too few people have the time to learn. But is that really a reason to withhold the files needed to mod the map like Shogun II?