A modification of a game or a game that uses X engine? blog - :SysOp:

:SysOp:

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Report article A modification of a game or a game that uses X engine?

Posted by :SysOp: on Nov 6th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

It's a common question.

Full modification, map/model pack, total conversion. Mod.

Common sentences when it comes to modding. Sometimes it's hard to specify what a project is.

We understand that a "mod" is a short for "modification". A modification of a series of player models can be considered as a mod by some guys, a model pack by other guys.

A project that enhances the way the mapper works, known as Spirit of Half life, could be considered as a mod or as a few dlls that produces that.

But when it is a total conversion... it is a mod, or a game that uses certain engine? By how much it could be considered a "total coversion"?

Projects like Zeno Clash or Insurgency comes into my mind. Those can be considered as full games (regardless they bought engine licenses or not) and can be considered as modifications, total conversions.

Both sentences are right? Both sentences are wrong. Mod or games?

Please leave a comment of what do you think it fits better.

Later on,

SysOp

Comments

projektariel Nov 24 2009, 11:01am says:

I would suggest that what is considered a "game modification" has evolved over time, often changes its meaning and each definition is what modders and players of a certain time have agreed on.
Before there was a separation of "engine(s)" and "content" games were one piece of code and if you altered something the whole game was changed, maybe with the exception of savegame hacks in the time before Doom offered an own structure for Mods, the PWAD, and more importantly established that everyone who wanted to play a mod should buy the game not the shareware version.
The games thus became a platform for modifications which became downloadable entities, called "Mods" (Partial Conversion). Soon standalone mods were prohibited through the EULA and (most of the) mods didn`t change files of the main game but got loaded into the game. CS`s success led to the public definition of a mod as "changing the (whole) game" though it was a particular form of the "Mods" Doom had made popular, a Total Conversion.
To sum up: Whether you call it a model pack or a mod depends on your point of view... Models pack may have been called mods some years ago and today are considered only to be addons, because "mods" nowadays often are actually "new games", some people don`t call modifications to a game a mod if there is no new content though the gameplay is changed, others think only modifications which change the code should be called mods. Interestingly, a TC for Doom may not count for some people today for a TC because only the graphics were changed and not the code and there is little difference (maybe the commercial aspect) technically between a TC and a game company which licenses an engine and creates new assets for it (see Valve who modified the Quake2 Engine in order to produce Half Life!)...
Excuse my English, it`s hard to translate my thoughts exactly... >_<
So what do you think? ^^

+1 vote reply to comment

tnk_x5000 Nov 25 2009, 3:42pm says:

I think the right word is "expansion".

+1 vote reply to comment

jjawinte Nov 25 2009, 10:51pm says:

Well now, here's an often used catalyst question for initializing a friendly debate/argument.Personally, I've never cared for it.Once the phrase, "both answers are correct and both are wrong" is introduced, the entire idea takes a staggering side-step towards philosophy.

Presented as it is above,it's a technical query asking for an individual opinion based solely on the amount of manipulated content(s) and of how you personally relate that amount to predetermined definitions used to define the degrees of these changes.

If the idea is to discuss or debate these definitions with direct emphasis on relation to age groups, cultural changes and/or views, or perhaps how the evolution of gaming as a whole is effecting changes in how non-professional developers are conceptualizing and creating their mods, then get a comfortable chair.It makes for great conversation, but you'll be awhile.

If you'd care to redefine the question to apply more specifically to one or the other, I believe we could all have a fine discussion.Both areas are more than worthy of taking the time to learn more about and I'd be happy to do so.

+1 vote reply to comment