About Modding

About Modding (A Work In Progress)

This is a guideline on modding, not a jumpstart modding tutorial.

Some Slang Tips:

To prevent confusion, the word Mod can be used as a verb and a noun. The noun form is commonly used and it is the modified version of a game (eg. That's the mod for Half-Life). The verb form of Mod simply means 'modifying' (eg. I'll mod the game).

The noun Modder is a word which means a person who modifies a game.

About Modding:

Mod is a simplified term for modification which stands for a modified or customized version of a game made by the fans or the general public, or by other groups excluding the game developers/publishers. There are many types of mods which range from total conversions to simple modifications with a few alterations and additions, the possibilities are endless!

Since the dawn of video games, people have been making mods for many games. The majority of game mods comes in the PC platform, but there are also mods for console games but in my experience I've seen a few or no console game mods at all. I'll leave this up to you to explore!

Mod Purpose:

Mods for games were made to increase the publicity/popularity and lifespan of those games. There are also some known mods which have surpassed the popularity of their original counterparts, like Counter-Strike for the Half-life FPS game, and many more out there.

Standalone 'Indie' Mods or Games:

But there are also other 'standalone' mods out there which actually don't require the original game to play, yet the mod's basis is based on those games, and you can install it like any other game! Those are named 'Indie' games or independent standalone games. I saw some indie games out there like Battle For Dune, an indie game based on the game Command and Conquer: Renegade.

But you will require a standalone licence from the company/corporation/development group who developed and created the original game. For example, the mod above, Battle for Dune, applied for a licence from EA games, and they agreed. This is a more difficult path that I wouldn't explain any further.

Mods are Freeware:

All mods are free, if you think mods aren't free, then you better download some mods and think twice. This is true in the world of modding. People can download mods of games and simply install them. The effort done with creating and developing the mod should also be free from cash/money payments and transactions. Some other modders, however, pay their members money, or whichever small company works for the mod, in this case if the project is a big indie standalone game. But I strongly suggest not to transact payments to team members working for your mod. Fame, popularity, pride, reputation(including messageboard reputation points!) and many others can be willing substitutes for money or cash. Mods of games are free and they're considered freeware, and through it, the effort put in for the development of that mod.

Modding Games:

Want to become a modder? Well that takes a rough journey ahead of you. Don't give up and if you want to be a modder, you should have great interest in it. This depends truly on the game you wish to modify. Each game uses different data or file types and their nature is truly complex.

You can find mods for almost any moddable game like Starcraft or Half-life. Before, the majority of mods came to First-person shooters (FPS) and RTS (Real-time strategy) games. Most RTS games have application which allow you to make 'maps', areas where the players wage war upon, or play their game. Most FPS mods have balance changes, there are also TC's (Total Conversions) for those games. Since then, there are now mods for some games like NFS (Need for Speed) and Grand Theft Auto. I don't know how to mod those games, but clever ones will do it.

The 'moddability' of games varies, some games like Red Alert or Dune II have limited modifications such as making maps and changing the stats of units, etc. Others allow you to modify the game to the point that you have changed the entire game.

But don't worry though. No mod is a piece of cake to create, and it takes a good community and team to make any mod of any variant.

Mod Release:

Well I have tried to find modsites which allow people to publish/release their mods and allow others to critique their mods, or do recruitment or contributions. So far, the best modsite out there is Mod DB! Mod DB is a modsite where people can publish and release their mods and a whole lot of stuff such as downloading content and more! So go show your mod to players around the world now!

Now that you've read the basics of modding. You can consider it your 'sideline'. If you want, then you can engage into modding. Who knows for sure? You can make a lot of friends, colleagues and teams online, but the internet is always full of tricks and surprises, and fake stuff, and some viruses. Practice makes perfect, if not, then practice makes better!

Happy Modding this 2008!!