Machines Mod Idea

[Deliverance]

How about we go with a more realistic and achievable approach to quench our thirst for Machines action and go for a good modded game with an original Machines or a new creative Machines 2 theme?

If we took a game that already has an established online game foundation (such as battle.net) where we as a small community can host modded maps of the original game to be more like Machines then tournaments are easier to set up, people might find out about the game/site through curiosity, and it is an achievable goal instead of creating an entirely new game.

So first of all - does anyone think something like this could work?

Secondly - any ideas for games that could be modded?

My thoughts: I might be overestimating the use of this because of our small community in different timezones (might not be able to get too many games on it) but I think it could do well - it seems lots of people like the game but don't play it so much. Perhaps because there are other games taking up their time, other commitments doing the same, or frustration with the older game and not wanting to use up hard drive space, and also the lack of online multiplay without a lot of hassle.

I also see a problem with the fact that everyone has to have a legitimate copy of the game in question to play the mod. This is why older games are more attractive, as they are probably only $10-$20 in the stores brand new nowadays.

Some games that could be modded pretty easily/comprehensively into a machines-like game that I can think of:

Starcraft: Old game, dated graphics, but easy to mod (and sprites are probably easier than 3D models to make) and also a strong online community and good online hosting services through battle.net.

Warcraft 3: Same as above, but more modern graphics.

Dawn of War: Some unique parts of the RTS system that would be interesting for Machines and differentiate it from the original. Lots of races and cool building models and animations that may be reusable. More modern RTS engine. Not sure how easy it is to mod, and will be more expensive if purchase is required.

Not sure of what else. Are Homeworld or the Total War games easily modified? They could lead to some interesting Machines themes - especially space combat. Designing the space-travel ships for the Machines would be fun ^^

Thoughts?

[M123]

Maybe we could make a mod for Spring, after all, that was the engine we were probably going to use for M2 anyway!

We would need:

> Someone who can code with Lua
> A modeller
> Someone who can texture
> An animator
> A sound recorder/ artist
> A mapper

>> We might be able to use some of the code already contained in the game for things like resource collection and AI.

[Automatic]

How about we go with a more realistic and achievable approach to quench our thirst for Machines action and go for a good modded game with an original Machines or a new creative Machines 2 theme?

If we took a game that already has an established online game foundation (such as battle.net) where we as a small community can host modded maps of the original game to be more like Machines then tournaments are easier to set up, people might find out about the game/site through curiosity, and it is an achievable goal instead of creating an entirely new game.

I didn't understand what you meant here. Did you mean take a completely different game and make it machines themed? COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: I would really like to have it without requiring IPs and have a tournament mode... Isn't modifying multiplayer impossible though? If we made a new game we could do it...

[X-Lord]

I can mod WC3 very well, but I don't have this game anymore, I would have to dl it from the net I'd really like to try this out

[Deliverance]

I didn't understand what you meant here. Did you mean take a completely different game and make it machines themed? COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: I would really like to have it without requiring IPs and have a tournament mode... Isn't modifying multiplayer impossible though? If we made a new game we could do it...

I am thinking more along the lines of taking a game and editting a few maps of it or replacing units/stats with out own so you can still host it online but are required to download the different textures, models and maps. This will work for some games but others we will have to make the maps individually - perhaps there is some way to create a template to save the machines-themed units onto, for example, a warcraft 3 map, so people can just recreate the old Machines maps in the WC3 editor and load up the machines units.

Modding the game to make it completely different (i.e. just using the engine, basically) would not allow for online play.

[Automatic]

You mean like what they suggested here? http://forums.wiredforwar.org/index.php?topic=65.0

[Deliverance]

Kind of, but something that everyone can play so it can keep people coming to and staying at the forums - kind of like something to do with fellow forum-goers. Make it simple and machines-themed but still based on the original game.

[MetalBeast]

Hi,

some times ago I already thought about Machines Mod for any existing game.
The problem is, I know only two games, which have gameplay close to Machines:
- Battlezone II
- LEGO Rock Raiders

- Battlezone II is well modable and has still a small modding community, there are some good modding tools.
The Problem is, In BZII you can go outside the vehicle and act like human, what does not fit Machines idea.

- LEGO Rock Raiders is complety NOT moddable in any way

Since, I have some modding experience with few Q3-based games, I was thinking about this.
The problem is, Q3-Engine is developed especially for First Person Shooter games.

It is possible to create strategy game on quake engine, but than we still need any experienced coder, who can make needed changes.
The best example is "UFO:Alien Invasion" a remake of old DOS game "UFO Enemy unknown" based on Quake2 engine.
http://ufoai.sourceforge.net/?page=Home

So only one idea, I think is realistic at the moment is "Jedi-Knight Jedi Academy"-Engine.
Why ?

Benefits:
======
1. Based on Q3 engine, so we can use all of the tons modding tools av.
2. This engine supports vehicles(ATST etc.) and NPCs, which can act without "pilots"
3. we can build relative big maps with one of the best world editors av., the GTK Radiant.
4. This engine supports scripting.
5. The menu and UI are well moddable
6. we can build completly independent Single-player campaign.
7. There is one of the best multiplayer-code av.
8. Q3 engine is Open Source now.

Drawbacks:
=========
1. Everyone, who would like to play this mod, has to have a copy of JKJA (until we can code our own version based on Open-Source Q3-Engine).
2. Making of JKJA models is not easy, you have to be at least advanced modeller.
3. Only First-Person strategy is possible without codding.

What do you think ?

If you do not like this idea, I have one more, it is Warzone 2100 engine(RTS), it is open-source now.
It is well moddable, but First-Person mode is no possible and the map.editor is horrible.
http://forums.wz2100.net/ (site down at the moment)

Cu, MB

[Deliverance]

If you can import new models easily into wc3 (for buildings AND units) that has a very friendly editor that lots of people could use and make new maps for easily. Also has online capabilities easily over bnet.

Anyone know how to use your own custom models in it and what kind of 3D models would work?

[MetalBeast]

The problem with modding any game is, that everyone need a copy of full version of the game to play the mod.
I do not think it is the best idea for M2.

[M123]

That's why we should use Spring, it's free!

[MetalBeast]

That's why we should use Spring, it's free!

"Spring" looks good, although it's user interface is crappy.
But they have nice modding tools.