steam workshop like skyrim uses, several mods made for several game aspects, the user simply subscribes to the mod he likes and it gets installed in the game, if you want to remove the mod , simply unsubscribe, and your left with the vanilla game again, however even with steam workshop , the mod maker still has to upload his mod to that platform.

limitation: max mod size to upload on steam workshop is i believe 100mb

Also since sg2 has a mod folder, from where , in game it shows which mods are availabe for the user, those mods still need to be downloaded at first, and have to abide certain mod rules
as the game requires, so the problem is also where to place mods, on which sites etc. , for the user to download them from, if they are placed on several mod sites, like with some older games, that would mean a lot trouble for the user, to even find them

you could make an overlay in the game itself, that when you click the mods section, has a connection to the mod server, where it shows under downloads the mods, and maybe a upload option , to upload an user mod, i dont know if that would be a option for SG2 though

Steam workshop is great and all but we'd like it to be an addition to our current system (the way you described) rather than the basis. That "basis" is actually what we're pondering about currently as there are many possible ways to implement it.

i would like to see what other players think of it ^^

I'm on my phone so apologies for spelling.

I *personally* think it would be better if you stuck to your own language. Adding in a new language on top of your own would be off putting to new modders. There's enough to learn already without learning python.


On the problem of enabling mods:
You need to invent a system that would allow multiple mods to be enabled at once, and a load order for the mods to help with conflicts. Kinda the same as skyrim. I don't know the limitations of steam workshop, but I've never seen it in a game with loose files. Maybe you need to come up with a container for the mods? Like a zip file, but only read by the game. That would solve the problem of mod conflicts and adding mods.

Anyway ill add more when I'm back at a pc.

Hello.
I am not a modder myself, however I use mods all the time. My thoughts and suggestions are as follows.

First of all, Fantastic news that not only will you be supporting mods for SG2, but you will be supplying the community with the platform.
So the situation wont be like e.g Torchlight 2. Where the modders had to ad-hock them until Runic released the platform. (and it was ages)

Also, I agree with saynomore that Steam Workshop would be the easiest way for gamers who are not familiar with installing mods.
However I was not aware that Steam Workshop had a mod size limitation (100mb)
Would this cause problems for you Kele, and the Dev team?

Another option would be using recognized and very established sites like ModDB and The Nexus.
I have downloaded and used scores of mods (possibly hundreds) over many games. From huge total conversions to tiny UI changes.
And usually only use those two web sites.

2 final thoughts.
1, The nexus offers a "MOD Manager" which does just that. Installs the mod, and updates it, also allowing the gamer to turn off and on the desired mods.
2, Is there anyway you could link the SG2 in-game mod option to a particular mod site of your choosing, the way some games do with Steam Workshop.

All of these suggestions really come down to one point.
Is the 100mb Steam Workshop restriction a problem for your intentions, and the type/maximum size of mods you envisage the mod community making with your dx11 mod platform in the future?
If not Steam possibly would be the easiest way, IMHO ofc.

I am not sure if any of this was of any use/help, but I hope so.

Just read mrhellhounds comments.

Which opens another question, that of mod load order, as most mod users will enable multiple mods.
I have never used the Steam workshop, and naturally assumed there was some way to give a load order to the mods.

Skyrim does have a built in mod load order list "Skyrim data files"
However I still find myself using an external manager, as they are more user friendly. With extras like file categories/options, updates to mods, takes you to the mod web page to look for more, etc.

I´m lazy about too much action for installing mods, so for me the most comfortable way is steam workshop! Simply check a box for whatever you like as mod, start the game and enjoy.

Nexus mod manager.

Never nexus mod manager.
It's just bad.

I'm not a modder but I mostly use mods from time to time and found the easier to apply and find a mod the better it is. So things like Curse or Nexus were welcome to me from time to time. However I started to take a dislike of such programs lately and gained more favor for systems that let me do look up, find and apply mods from an ingame perspective.

I know Civ 5 has done this togehter with Steam Workshop where you subscribe to the mod it gets downloaded through steam and the configuration and activation happens ingame. But there it only works cause they ingame method of finding mods is only steam workshop which will bind the game to steamworks and only available through steam. This will also put some people off that don't like steam.

So with those things in mind that everyone has his favourite platform of finding mods, an ingame method of finding mods isn't probably that feasable. And the closest to my liking would be some kind of map where you store the mods and then the games pick them up and give you the selection and options for them ingame. That way everyone can still use his favourite platform to download mods and the configuration like load order/activation and such are done through ingame methods before starting an effective game.

Something screwy asking folks for MODIFICATION information on a game that isn't working properly.. how about just working on the BUGS instead of inviting NEW Bugs in?...
Start with your BOXED MOUSE problem - I paid for EARLY access, Service! Service!

Originally posted by Dangerous:

Something screwy asking folks for MODIFICATION information on a game that isn't working properly

Works fine for me.

Please add a faction object
I want to be able to do this:

Originally posted by MrHellhound1:

Originally posted by Dangerous:

Something screwy asking folks for MODIFICATION information on a game that isn't working properly

Works fine for me.

Please add a faction object
I want to be able to do this:

faction GetByKeyName faction0 SetFriendFoe 0 ;

Glad it's workin for ya son!.. There's just something about a selfish comment, one gamer to tell another.. "Mine works!.. screw you!".. that's been around for years.. makes me sick!

My opinion works more as a suggestion for the implementation of modding itself. The consumer end, not the modder himself. Sloppy work can derive from not only bad modders, but modders not following proper guidlines to get their work added to the game they choose to mod.

Suggestion #1: DISREGARD ALREADY DONE!

I'd like the vanilla assets of the game to be protected, and new modifications act as contained pluggins that do not take away or substitute material manually in the same place (mod overwrites files with it's own). Have them in a seperate directory the game can read from that acts as a clone to the primary assets and a switching system that would allow you to change which mods you want to use or do not want active.

Suggestion #2:▼

Have workshop material be able to tag and delete the subscribed mod upon user choice in the user no longer wishes to use the modification. Killing Floor has implemented a similar system in colaboration of steam workshop, but when you unsubscribe, much of the mod files are still left over and taking up space. I think this is either a bug or their own neglegence.

Do not under any circumstances have manual controll as the only option. The game should be able to take care of the registry of modifications and internal vanilla assets.

Suggestion #3:▼

Instructions to using such a contained pluggin system as a modder generates or build's his or her own mod should be simple to follow and easy to do. Modification's made by said user should have their own sub directories corrisponding to the mod author's name, and in the next directory after it, the name of the mod. The game should be able to scan all these files (As they should have matching directories similar to that of the primary assets.) Shoud look like this.▼

"C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Steam\Steamapps\Common\StarpointGemini2\Mods\AuthorName\ModificationName\Core files."

Suggestion #4:▼

The pluggin system should have some method for checking for conflicts. There are people who may or may not use something in the exact same space as a script, model, or entity that may collide with another. (Looking at you guys who seem load their game up with too many modifications. This idea is to protect you, as only Engine Limitations would be the only thing to keep you from going too far with 100+ modifications active.)

Suggestion #5:▼

Leave a portion of the game's code open to the idea of Netcoding. If your team isn't ready to make multiplayer a possibility in the long run during much later developments. It maybe best to leave a large portion of the game's code that could possibly be used for muliplater implementation accessable. Modders might be able to build multiplayer function into the game. Since the developers own the game, they could potientally learn a thing or two about Netcoding and things having to do with multiplayer development. If the multiplayer implementation isn't copy righted, the developers have a chance of asking to use this function and add it to the final game. (Modders who make multiplayer happen could find their name in the credits and be glad they helped out in a huge way to those who want the multplayer element to be added!)

On a side note, if some of the code isn't open for such modification, modders will have an extremely hard time implimenting any kind of netcode into the game. This is why Suggestion 5 exist.

Overview of these suggestions.

-How this development perceeds is entirely up to the developers.
-These suggestions are made to protect interest regarding the implementation of modifications and the possibility of multiplayer gameplay in your pretty damn epic sandbox space game.
-None of these suggestions have any hostility or mal intent on the developers, gamers, and assosiates.
-To decrease instabilities in the game when mods are active.
(Which may allow for easier trouble shooting.)
-I want everyone to succeed. Lets make it a really good begining.

You've already got 75% of this down.

Since I will only be an end user of said mods (and the potential for a rich modding scene is one of the main reasons why i bought your game) my only real priority would be that mods are easily installable and removable.
The thing I dislike about modding many other games (And I love playing with mods!) is that it is very often hard to seperate mod files from vanilla files which makes reinstalling the entire game the easiest option.
I would suggest a system similar to the "Freelancer Mod Manager" which makes automatic backups of any files it overwrites making installation and removal of mods extremely simple.

Also since you are not planning to make a multiplayer mode any time soon it would be nice if you could still try to implement theoretical dedicated server support to leave that option open to modders (e.g. Freelancer which is still being modded and actively played online today and where probably some 75% of your future users will come from.)