Modding.

[Ruler of Hell]

I don't know if this topic has been posted before. Forgive me if it has. I just wanted to know about the flexiblities the modders will get. How easy can one expect to mod the game. What programs must one use? Like 3Ds Max etc. I also want to know about the other aspects of modding you plan on giving the modders and the freedom to do some things. Will a modder be free to add/remove a resource if he/she wishes to?

I have loads of other questions in mind but you must have got it by now what I intend on asking and expressing..

[Aeros]

Given that many of the people on staff are avid modders, 0AD is going to be extremely modable, that is to say if you want to get a new unit in the game it shouldn't take any longer to do than it takes me, which is a few minutes for getting the art in and a few more minutes if I wanted to set up the unit for gameplay.

I don't know if we're going to keep open formats or not by release (no reason not to, but its not up to me to decide), but if anything our file structure, tools, and organized folder heirarchy should make modding much less anoying than it is for other games. Given that we have no publisher, that also means we don't have anyone to tell us what we can and can't do with the game files or if we have to lock them up and encrypt them the way all other developers do.

Without giving out too many details or confusing you with technicalities - I'll say that you should be very comfortable modding 0AD, and if you know how to script you'll be able to mod gameplay and things like resources if you want to among other things.

If its any reasurrance, our sister project - The Last Alliance will be developed off the 0AD engine, so we're making sure our stuff is flexible enough so that other games can be made off the same system.

Oh and check the FAQ, it'll probably have more stuff on this subject than what I could ramble off the top of my head about

[astralith]

I think a cool idea for a mod would not be a total conversion to sci-fi but add a high-tech faction (Aliens/Atlanteans). Game balance can be met with these otherwise overpowering civilization by imposing strange needs like having to convert units for its military, sort of like taking over in an Invasion of the Body Snatchers method and then having to consume the units as a resource ("To Serve Man! It's a cook book!").

[Mythos_Ruler]

Even a "Star Trek Armada" style mod would be cool.

[Kimball]

Lol. Well, when PDS expands into 0 A.D. when this thing is released, our first modpack will be mythology.

[The God of Mods]

O you know it Bob what u wanna do first

[Kimball]

Lol. I've had my mind set for a while. A mythology mod would do us good here. I'll look into it and see if I can figure out a way to implement god powers. Myth units could just have their own building, so that's easy enough.

[MythicRuler]

I really want this to come out, even just a demo or something. And a "Mythology A.D." project would definately be something I would want to work on.

[Kimball]

Since the game engine is in an early alpha stage, there is no promise of a beta release soon, even to a limited group of playtesters, however the actual release is quite far away in reality.