Game Modding

[mikesol]

Hey,

So lately a lot of people have been leaving due to either not having enough experienced players or just getting bored with the game. I know that you two (Karl and Lam) spend a great amount of time programming all sorts of things into the game and I appreciate that.

However, I really think that this game needs to be opened up to modification. If I could write my own game-mods or add-ons to the game I'm sure a lot of people would be drawn back into the game and it would encourage more people to get the game.

Now, as a programmer, I realize that this request is a very complicated one. It's not so simple that you can magically just let us all make mods considering we don't have the source code or have any idea how the game elements work together. You'd probably have to write into the editor a means for us to edit or create certain things. Maybe this is in the works - maybe not. Either way I feel it's important to have in order to help make this game have more possibilities and encourage players to keep playing.

One of the reasons I played starcraft for so long was all of the game types that people made (tower defense, adventure games, etc). Part of the reason why I'm not playing as much anymore is because I am bored with the limited game types (admittedly there are quite a few but after hundreds of hours it starts to lose it's appeal).

Anywho, some ideas and possibilities I see with having the ability to modify the game:
* Creating new game modes such as freeze tag. This would involve changing plane death from having them fall out of the sky to freezing and glowing in place (i.e. we'd have to be able to change graphics). We'd also have to have triggers (i.e. allow us to modify elements of the game and map based on the time or actions of players) in order to handle some of those elements. This is discussed in more detail in maimer's thread

* Creating a team defense game - in the sense that all players face off against computers. I envisioned perhaps giving players a certain area to be in and have swarms of enemies spawn with different amounts of hp and speed (i.e. we'd need the ability to change plane's hp and speed and hopefully looks). I'd also like to see destructable terrain so that enemies can break through things over time.

* Having a king of the hill type game in the sense that one player would be on their own team with a ton of hp and increased energy regen / damage against a bunch of other players trying to take them down.

* Being able to create servers with different hp or energy regen or even a different type of weapon. I remember in UT there was an instant kill shock rifle and it would be fun if I could remove the weapon of every plane and replace it with something different.

My list of ideas can go on and on but ultimately it comes down to being able to change these variables in a particular server. I'm sure you'd end up with a lot of servers with people making themselves have infinite hp or something - which is why i feel like you should have a new section for modified servers that appear below the normal ones if you did this so new players wouldn't come in and get overwhelmed by it. Maybe even have it so you have to have x amount of game type to join a server like that.

PS: My apologies if some of this doesn't make sense as it's 4 am. I'll try and re-read it later.

[Element]

I agree with you as many of my friends have stopped play altitude because they are getting bored of this game because nothing really big has changed. It would be cool if there would be a mega update with more game styles etc. Like this it attracts new players and more players stay.

[Stormich]

I support this idea wholeheartedly, giving more options in editor/allowing moding would increase the time players spend in the game dramatically and maybe even spark some nice new ideas for different play modes. If this is possible please take this idea into consideration

[DiogenesDog]

I dunno, supporting mods on small games is always dangerous. It can really split the community. Which is cool if you have 20k people on all times, but ugh...

For instance, I tried to play Subspace/Continuum once, and in an HOUR OF SEARCHING I couldn't find a single non-modded game. Everyone was playing some bull**** nonsense version of their own, so I just gave up and never touched the game again. That's an extreme case, but I've heard of similar things happening with other games.

[Kuja900]

Altitude is at a point where it could really use some fresh content, and while lam/karl are great their only 2 people who can only do so much so fast. Doing this would allow limitless new amounts of content into the game, which would do wonders for adding some freshness to this game.

[Pieface]

While having new content would certainly be nice, I tend to agree with Dio here. The ability to mod is all very good in communities of hundreds of thousands of players, but allowing it for Altitude would spread an already small community even thinner and make it difficult to find a decent server with standard settings.

[York]

Do it mike.

New game modes
New perks
New everything could always be used

[nobodyhome]

Although I do agree that allowing for modding would be a great boon to the longetivity of Altitude, our community is small and consists mostly of <18 year olds, most of which don't know enough to be able to develop any good mods. Thus I would say that the amount of time that karl and lam need to spend in making Altitude moddable is not quite worth the value gained from the small amount of mods that would be made by the few who are capable.

Case in point: With the new JSON logs and server commands, there is a plethora of possibilities in changing the game somewhat (or even making primitive new game modes), yet so far only three people have even remotely touched the logs for anything (phong, varonth, and I).

This would be a great thing to keep in mind though for future Nimbly games, seeing as it is much easier to make a game from scratch with moddability in mind, as opposed to trying to force a game into moddability after it is already polished.

[nobodyhome]

With that said, anyone who has looked at the logs and has an idea for something they'd like to make (that is possible given the current implementation), feel free to contact me via PM to discuss it.

[mikesol]

The only reason I'm saying this is because the veteran players have taken a nose dive. People are leaving left and right. Clans are dissolving. People are getting bored and moving on. I just think there needs to be something new or something to strive for to make people keep playing.

Also, perhaps to address your concerns - new game types can have to pass a beta test before they are released? Maybe we can set up one server devoted to trying out new game modes or new things that people want to release?

Still prolly would have some issues and I see what you guys are saying - I just know that most people can only play the same thing for so long.

[A Nipple]

hello lamb an carl! i recognise mikesol's ideas maybe hard! but I to have played this game lots an want to play more but the truth is the veterans are going and I just dont have incentive to want to play usually i want to beat them haha! anyway! Hope these ideas can work as I myself will be leaving Alty after apl3 if something does not change!

much love nipple

[Demuyt]

Would be cool to add new stuff but still be able to play oldschool...

But even if Altitude remains the same, I'll never get bored of it and will keep playing forever <3

[hurripilot]

Oh man, I'd would so love to make a WWII mod for Alti. Like so much. You have no idea.

[Demuyt]

That would be awesome
With bf109's and Spits or Hurricanes, and Tempests, Mustangs, Corsairs, Hellcats, Wildcats, and so many more!!!! I'd spend days modelling these!!!

[PBS]

Altitude Classic Mode...

[Boko]

Seeing as Karl and Lam don't have time to spare, I guess it would only be natural for them to hire other people to work on the game. Maybe people who already proved their worth to the alti community?

[Ajuk999]

The thing about modding is it would allow people to implement the "Ideas" or "Suggestions" that didn't make it to the game, or a "Patch", they could then make a mod with the suggestions.


Thus by doing so create less work for the developers.


Anyways, seeing that this topic is about game modding, which I am not sure about because games like Command & Conquer, which are 'moddable' are sometimes turned into bizarre and wacky creations.

But on the other hand, I would support game modding in Altitude, because I think systems like the Altitude Ladder, would be great additions if they were officially implemented into Altitude.

It would also be nice if there were a "Mods" section in the Forums, and people could post their Modifications for the game, and you could download them. I think it would be neat to see every ones additions to the game.


I would love to use my coding abilities to further advance Altitude, and assist the developers. I wouldn't even want any compensation, gosh if you could work with Erik and Karl, who would want money?!?



I know for a fact that there are several different people in this community, that are very experienced in coding.



But I don't even know if the developers are even thinking about letting people in to the coding arena with them.

[Demuyt]

Good points Ajuk! On the Call of Duty Online home screen, there is a tab named "mods", you can click it and you will get a list of the mods you have installed, then you can select one and click "launch". I think it would be interesting to have such a system if we ever get the possibility of modding.

[Boko]

If you were replying to my post, I actually meant help with implementing the ability to mod.

[A doughnut]

Originally Posted by mikesol

Also, perhaps to address your concerns - new game types can have to pass a beta test before they are released? Maybe we can set up one server devoted to trying out new game modes or new things that people want to release?

im all for this-i can see this working

[Halfast]

well, im more a fan of the open source soft. but if that is not possible, then release some modding tools or something. let the comunity be creative and take it some steps forward.

[dr. carbon]

Originally Posted by A Nipple

hello lamb an carl! i recognise mikesol's ideas maybe hard! but I to have played this game lots an want to play more but the truth is the veterans are going and I just dont have incentive to want to play usually i want to beat them haha! anyway! Hope these ideas can work as I myself will be leaving Alty after apl3 if something does not change!

much love nipple

It's Karl, not Carl. Send this guy to the dungeons.

[classicallad]

Just re-launch the game with a strategic marketing strat and a post beta tag slapped on it.

Then look at mod packs.