Coding knowledge for modding? Thread

So my question is how much coding do I need to know to work on modding. I pretty much know the basics of C (prolly even more than basics). Where do I get started to know more. If any1 is interested in helping me walk in to it that would be gr8 !

Depends on the game you want to mod, each game is different... For instance, modding The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will require you to learn how to use Creation Kit Engine and also Papyrus language whereas modding a game that does not support mods will often require for you to make tools before even beginning adding mods, if such tools do not exist already.

Hello. QQ for this group. My 11 year old son and I are trying to load a Civil War Mod for Napoleon Total War on our Mac. We've watched some videos online but it's not an easy process for a couple n00bs to follow. Would anyone here be able to help us find our way? He is recouping from a heart procedure and was hoping to play while resting and recovering. Please let us know. My email is tggilmartin@gmail.com if that is easier. Thank you all in advance.

Depends on the game.
It ranges from everything between official level editors to no tools and no documentation. In the latter case I would say that you are pretty screwed unless you have extensive C++ knowledge and know how to do things like decompiling dll's, writing a model viewer, writing a mesh and animation exporter plugin for Maya, Max or other 3D software. That is if you manage to find the file format specifications of the in-house asset formats they use. Without that you have to analyze the file size blocks and do guesswork about what information they hold. Or as the kids say it: GG.

Edited by: Nightshade

As others have said, it depends on the game. If you don't already have your heart set on a certain mod, I'd recommend you start modding with a game that has robust modding tools available, like NWN or Oblivion. You can get a lot done without touching a script compiler, but more importantly you can gradually ease yourself in to coding while making a tangible mod. I particularly recommend Neverwinter Nights for this because the code documentation for that game is excellent.