Modding is slowly becoming easier and easier as the years go on. Why there are entire worlds made out of sheer love and dedication. I recently began getting int modding myself recently through games like DOTA 2 and of course the king of modding communities, Skyrim.
But then it struck me... If Dota 2 could do it. Why couldn't a MMO? What if Pathfinder added something like the steam workshop, where you could add uniqe items that do not exist in the game. Perhaps you want a ancient rune blade, forged from the bone of a dragon?
Perhaps something simple as a family emblem on a piece of garment?
Or what if someone actually went to the trouble to rig and animate a playable goblin?
The possibilities are endless!
Now as much as I'd love a a uniqe blade devoted to Sarnrae, I do see the problems with such a thing in a MMO like pathfinder. I wouldn't want to see the game flooded with nude mods, or worse yet Starbucks Inns like Archage... That was what lost my interest in that game.
But what if Goblinworks monitored the mods? Making sure they didn't break the lore or immersion. Or you know crossed any other unplesant boundries.
Those deemed acceptable would be sent a activation code perhaps and the item could then be acessed in game.
Or maybe it could work something like the steam Green light thing? Where anyone can submit their work, but only those voted up by the community is allowed to be added.
I would never expect to see this at launch, but it is a fun idea.
Goblin Squad Member
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I think things like this will be required to stay competitive as time goes on because more and more MMO's will be implementing them and people just straight up love customization.
Hopefully when it does come there are processes that get your things approved faster if you regularly submit good content, and pushed farther back in line if.... you don't.
I'm kind of hoping the majority of user created content is skins for existing content. Once you add in the ability to create unique stats that starts a whole new headache.
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Goblin Squad Member
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There has been mention of user-made instances somewhere down the road after open enrollment, but my impression (could be faulty) is that those player-made dungeon/encounter instances would have to be populated using a Goblinworks item set. At this time the tool we would use will probably be a variant of the Unity toolset.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Here's what IMO could be fully plausible. A toolset given to players to craft PVE instances, and maybe even PVP games etc... But under one important thing. These parts of the game, do not exist within the game world. Rather, from a central hub at the NPC starter cities.
This hub could contain GW designed instances, as well as player designed instances. However, the most important detail of this area... would be in both the lore, and the reality of it. Essentially it would be essentially a holodeck from startrek, only based off illusion magic rather than technology.
Objects, locations etc... created in an illusionary world, do not leave the illusionary world. Players etc... who wish to have a prize or reward for clearing challenges etc... Must bring the items they wish to grant as a prize, to the tower of illusion (or whatever this location will be called). The tower would not create or destroy items for the game world. However the tower can record and note accomplishments held within there. Of which the players, GMs etc... can gauge significance of. Whether the developers wish them to be prereqs for a merit badge, a settlement or company etc... could use it as a "trial" to determine a CC or individual's worthyness to join, etc...
It would not even kill the lore or gameplay for the existance of a player created location with a "starbucks" on every corner, because well this crazy guy just happened to envision something out of this world, and lore wise the illusions are nothing but people's dreams put onto a canvas.
I think Dota 2 & steam is a good place for GW to look for tips regarding modding. Weapons, armor, settlement buildings, dungeons etc.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Here's what Shroud of the Avatar are doing (they included a "Developer Level" to first start making assets in Unity):
MMORPG.com article: Shroud of the Avatar Dev Journals: Crowdsourcing the World
Seems useful.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Might look like the studio is cutting costs penuriously and exploiting their devotees. Given the freakish hyperbole against a company making a profit these days that could be a PR/marketing problem that would complicate or negate the advantages while it adds to administrative costs.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I'm not entirely convinced on the merit of this idea in an MMO. What works for Single Player and constrained Multiplayer games does not necessarily scale up well to the Massively Multiplayer market. Especially Massively Multiplayer Persistent World. There are a number of reasons I would speak against Player-Mods.
1. Part of the reasons I am hesitant to have cosmetic items in a cash shop is that I feel "Looking Cool" is very much a victory condition for some players. This seems like another way to Look Cool without any real notion of success in game.
2. Given that cosmetic items will likely be available in cash anyways, how do we ensure that these player-made items are balanced against cash shop items? Does this player made content show up in the cash shop? Is it possible for players to make content uniquely applicable to them but nobody else?
3. Is the income going to be worth hiring someone in GW, or paying an existing employee, to review and test all of the various mods that are submitted vs. having said person working on GW Planned features and content?
4. How would this work from a file management perspective? In Skyrim or DOTA2, you only need mods and custom art for the mods you are using. You don't need the mods that are in use by the entire rest of the community until you play a game requiring said mod. MMO assets are different. You don't just download what you may need before a game. You have to have all the files on your machine all the time because you don't know when you may need to render the asset. Streaming texture files on demand is not going to be a very performant way to share custom content.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Unite '13 Keynote Live - Richard Garriot SotA (10mins / full start at #t=01h57m00s)
- Friends Graph ("Friends care most about their existing friends")
- Selectively Multiplayer
- Unity Assets
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Goblin Squad Member
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I'm not entirely convinced on the merit of this idea in an MMO. What works for Single Player and constrained Multiplayer games does not necessarily scale up well to the Massively Multiplayer market. Especially Massively Multiplayer Persistent World. There are a number of reasons I would speak against Player-Mods.
1. Part of the reasons I am hesitant to have cosmetic items in a cash shop is that I feel "Looking Cool" is very much a victory condition for some players. This seems like another way to Look Cool without any real notion of success in game.
2. Given that cosmetic items will likely be available in cash anyways, how do we ensure that these player-made items are balanced against cash shop items? Does this player made content show up in the cash shop? Is it possible for players to make content uniquely applicable to them but nobody else?
3. Is the income going to be worth hiring someone in GW, or paying an existing employee, to review and test all of the various mods that are submitted vs. having said person working on GW Planned features and content?
4. How would this work from a file management perspective? In Skyrim or DOTA2, you only need mods and custom art for the mods you are using. You don't need the mods that are in use by the entire rest of the community until you play a game requiring said mod. MMO assets are different. You don't just download what you may need before a game. You have to have all the files on your machine all the time because you don't know when you may need to render the asset. Streaming texture files on demand is not going to be a very performant way to share custom content.
1. Yeah there wouldn't be any success?... And? People aren't allowed to look fashionable now? We have to go and raid a dragons lair before we are worthy to wear my wide brimmed hat? I don't find there to be anything wrong with that notion. Yes they have not earned it, there for it goes to reason the wearer will not be all that formidable and that makes perfect sense. Why should the high lv 20 cleric be the only one to wear demonic armour?
There is a good example of this in one of the Dresden books. Where a man made out of shadows comes forth in a dark storm, speaking in a demonic voice. Intimidating right? Except our hero instantly sees through the act, and just punch the shadowy figure. It yelps out in pain. Our hero punch it again and it runs away.
2. I've said it before and I will say it again. The best kind of cash shop, is the one that gives cosmetic items. Let me take on the appearance of the modded armour, but I have to gain a proper armor with real stats ingame before it becomes useful.
3. I think if they did it like Green light it could work with some people voting a mod up before it is considered. I mean have you seen some of the things in steams green light considerations? Half of them aren't even games. Their a two sentence description of what some lone programmer wants to get around to one day.
4. If we assume were going with what I mentioned in 3. Then the only mods that would be added would be those considered acceptable by Goblin works. They could then be fully added into the game, maybe even added into the cash shop. For everyone you sell, perhaps you could recive tokens to use in the cash shop? There by we have people creating content, free of charge, they are given rewards and thus motivating them to do even better. And Goblin works can profit from those paying cash in the cash shop.
People are already laying down tons of hours, days, years in non-profit fan based projects. I myself as a 3d artist, would be honoured if my work was added into the game. In game rewards would only be icing on the cake!
Here's what Shroud of the Avatar are doing (they included a "Developer Level" to first start making assets in Unity):
MMORPG.com article: Shroud of the Avatar Dev Journals: Crowdsourcing the World
Seems useful.
Indeed. Personally I'd never touch the game, if only because of a moral stand point. Garrit always came of as some what of a duche in my eyes, all talk no bite. Openly bashing game developers, while he has failed to make anything of relevance in the last twenty years.
The fact that he used kick starter to fund a project, while living in a mansion with a trophy hall that would put Batman to shame, just rubbs me the wrong way.
Might look like the studio is cutting costs penuriously and exploiting their devotees. Given the freakish hyperbole against a company making a profit these days that could be a PR/marketing problem that would complicate or negate the advantages while it adds to administrative costs.
I don't think it would be much of a problem. Games such as skyrim, fall out and Vampire bloodlines, are famous for depending on their modding community and if anything their praised for it. I think people know that no one is holding a gun to these poor programmers heads and demanding them to wrap up 10 mods in one month if they want to live. Their work of love and devotion, which ultimately often makes the game a thousand times better than it would be without them.
The only grief I see myself is having to learn how to use unity... I just learned how to use mudbox damn it, and now I have to learn another one? Ah well... Simply the way of things I guess.