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One of the features mentioned in the initial announcement was that user-created content was going to bring a lot of replayability to the table. I’m curious, what kind of content are we talking about here, and to what degree will that control extend?
Scenario/map editor and custom campaigns editor were mentioned (If my memory serves me well). It’d be nice if the units and terrain were easily moddable too in both stats and appearance.
I hope the guys who made the strange lands mod for aowsm will be able to do it again for aow3.
I wonder if it will be possible with the scenario editor modify the world in order to make more difficult manage the realms.
It should be nice to create an open ended scenario to play by email with my friends but this would require:
1) everything you build can be lost
2) everything you learn can be lost
3) environment (natural disasters, npc realms, plagues, wandering monsters… ) is configurable.One more point:
4) it could be interesting to have a player acting as master like in the RPGNow this might be unrealistic, but I hope that we can create our own classes, spells, and maybe even races. Don’t know how hard that would be to implement, but it would be awesome if they could.
@hawkro: Here are my thoughts. I love customization, I think it’s a cornerstone of good games these days, but I do like a little structure. Like giving our hero a basic class, but then specializing and tweaking with each level gained. Or multiclassing, like when you level up, deciding which class you want to take a level in (maybe spending extra experience to unlock a new class?). When you say you want custom races, what do you mean exactly? I’d like to be provided with a set of basic races, but then maybe have a shaping influence on that race’s alignment, culture, visual style (fashion, architecture) and way of approaching life. I think combining the two elven races was a good move. I think the neutral-aligned races from the first game are much cooler than the ones in the second game. As for spells, unless it’s a really flexible, intuitive customization system that I could teach my mom to use, I would much prefer they just give us a vast selection of spells and leave it at that. Elemental: War of Magic bit off more than it could chew with an ambitious customization system and that game wiped out spectacularly.@Bart: You mentioned modding the terrain. I’m curious, what kind of things did you have in mind?
I sincerely hope that modders will be provided with tolls for: AI, units, spells, maps, quests, and especially campaigns modding… That would be awesome!
Re terrain modding:
That depends on the underlying data structure. If terrain tiles have stats of some sort (other than identifying a tile as specific terrain type) then by modifying them and adding your own graphics (not sure how easily this can be done in 3D) you could in principle create your own terrain type.
Another possibility is to modify/create a structure but instead of a building make it flat. This then sits on top of the underlying terrain affecting the movement of units, especially if you cover wider area with this type of structures.
Now this might be unrealistic, but I hope that we can create our own classes, spells, and maybe even races. Don’t know how hard that would be to implement, but it would be awesome if they could.
I sincerely hope that modders will be provided with tolls for: AI, units, spells, maps, quests, and especially campaigns modding… That would be awesome!
I agree! Give modders what they need and you will see amazing things happen. Release some of the C++ source code of the game so it can be modded and recompiled. If there are some parts of the source you want to keep secret like the underlying engine thats fine, but give us the code that controls game rules/mechanics and AI. Allow us to mod the Lua and the UI. Civ4 is the only game I have modded, but it seems to me like they did modding right in Civ4. With Civ4, modders can compile their own DLL or make changes to the Python and XML, and all modded files are kept separate from the original game files. Thus, you can still play the original unmodded game or load up a mod very easily even if a different DLL is being used.
Of course tools that don’t require so much programming knowledge are even better. If we could create new units, spells, races, etc… without coding that would be great.
Of course tools that don’t require so much programming knowledge are even better. If we could create new units, spells, races, etc… without coding that would be great.
Agreed. Far and away better to provide accessibility to the many instead of the few.
Fyrdraca I like good structure too. I don’t want people to necessarily be able to change the core mechanics of the main game, just for the map editor to provide the most freedom to users without breaking the game or being to complex. I am not talking doing away with set classes, spells, and races. I am just stating that I think it would be cool to give users the ability to customize and tweak these things, perhaps to fit in more with a custom scenario. This would give their map editor a whole new level of versatility.
As for what I mean by custom races, I think it would be cool if users could use the map editor to create or tweak the current races to better fit a scenario. Lets say a user wanted to make a custom scenario about the return of the shadow demons. If this person could make their own models and animations, I think it would be great if they were provided the freedom to be able to implement these within their scenario. Dedicated modders have been able to create some truly awe-inspiring mods, and I hope AoW3 lets them do the same in this game.
I do agree with you and Red Key however, providing tools that we can all use is better than only allowing dedicated modders the ability to create great content.
The editor in previous age of wonders was robust.
The major area that was missing was the ability to create and modify adventure locations. Could you please add this feature.
include branching dialogue trees.
The ability to add delete and modify unit, city, and global attributes.
The ability to spawn or remove assets ie (units, structures, items etc.)For all created content add the ability to place in random map generator.
Branching dialogue trees imply some form of chice-making. This requires better scripting feature. So far scripting reminded me of old Basic line after line scipt. I’d like to see something more object-oriented that would make possible defining global conditions, triggers etc where structures’ and units’ behaviour would depend on these conditions.
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