Modding 1.0?. File format. Mod approval.

[ShaneRetter 20]

Will mod capability come with / after 1.0 release? It would make sense if it will, as there's little point creating mods until you have all the base features / files to work with.

I've read somewhere that you are thinking of having an official mod approval system of some kind in the future ....and it was meet (at least where I saw it) with a fair bit of displeasure. For me, this ties in my other question of file formats nicely. A lot of people think that having your mod packs "approved" is going to stifle mod creativity, where as I feel it will do the very opposite if done so as to make more files accessible to us mod creators. As an example, I was desperate to create new zombie sound files for State of Decay YOSE, and make them sound a little more intimidating, unnerving, and less "samey". The problem, developers did not want modders adding sound bites that would tarnish the games reputation (racism, or profanity), and that made perfect sense. So they used .fsb, format that meant you could extract the files as .wav ...but though removing an older version of FMOD that had a 'repackage' feature, you could no longer convert edited .mp3 back into .fsb, and have them usable in the game. I found a way around this by swapping some trigger code around, and changing which .fsb files were searched for first, and in which order ...but it gave me very limited results compared to what I really wanted to achieve. So, I feel having mods "approved" may be a very good way to stop this happening for Dayz SA, and may allow legitimate modders more freedom to access a wider range of file formats. In saying that, my intent would be to create a full 'hardcore' mod pack in the future, to be used on a brutally hardcore server. If mods were to be approved, how would this effect me? as it may not be a very popular mod, apart from a small number of fellow masochistic survivalists like myself. For context, I make it a rule to never look up 'how to' guides before playing new games, so I logged in to Dayz, and promptly died of hypothermia from not knowing how to make a fire, respawned, and died of dehydration because I wanted to wait until the rain had stopped before I went out to look for a drink .....I clapped like an insane seal at this, but alas, the difficulty dwindled with time played...and left me fantasizing about a modded server for the future .

So will mods be community tested? or would you conduct some kind of file check for yourselves before allowing a mod to be released to the public? I'm a little concerned that a mod like mine may only be played by myself, and a few other weirdos, so may not be rated very well in the community, even though the few playing with it installed, are having the most fun ever with it. What some class as a "game breaker" others class as a "game maker" ...you only have to read forum post to see that is true already ( "this game shit, not enough loot" vs "This games too easy, too much loot", etc). I know if mods go unchecked, especially sound files (infected yelling profanity, racial slurs, etc), it can be a death sentence for a game ...not mentioning any particular game ...but riding my horse across the Mexico sands online, and getting surprise obliterated by an Apache attack helicopter is a little immersion breaking.

As a side note, from a new comer to the game (been following since day one, but only just jumped into it). Two thumbs up for not taking the generic "walking dead Zombie" approach, living humans infected with some kind of "rage virus" as in 28 days is a far more frightening concept. I was wondering if the infected sounds are just place holders at this stage? As I'd love to hear them sounding more like living humans with a brain destroying virus ....ie, a little more quite sobbing and moaning, with random outbursts of screaming and yelling. I know from experience ...quite "Zombies", that let out a loud shout, or a random past memory recall, like "BREAKFAST" or "NO" as you're sneaking past a window unaware of their presence, is what really soils underwear.

Edited November 12, 2016 by ShaneRetter

[exwoll 255]

Doubt you'll end up being the only one playing your mod if it's true hardcore. At least check me in too lol. As long as you add permadeath with like a month of respawn timer and a system to kill the TS exploit, and and, a lot of stuff suggested around by hardcore gamers :3

Also, devs gonna introduce the approval system to avoid having people coming up with mods where you have granade launcher in the coast and 500 cars parked in cherno. 

Regading the sounds, i've read somewhere that they gonna add more sounds to infected, because the current one are quite old.

Edited November 12, 2016 by exwoll

[sneakydude 480]

OP we have no info about what mods, what anything will be like in the future. It is just thrown at us when its thought of after the fact. So the only thing some of us have going is arma 3 modding tools, what we can do and can not do.

[IkaikaKekai 1957]

Think it's been said that Modding/modding support will begin sometime in Beta, which should begin 'Soon' (or rather after the new Engine is finished).  Others have mentioned that there will be an aproval process for mods, and I would think that would be for the 'easy download' mods that they would put in Steam Workshop, though I'm sure there will be 'unofficial' mods.

[ShaneRetter 20]

I wonder if we'll get a more official statement on modding soon ....not solid promises, but just a clearer idea of how it's most possibly going to be implemented. Might stop some people putting so much pressure on the team to add / remove / tweak vanilla features if people knew modders would be fulfilling their individual wants later on. By that I mean, some want Dayz more pvp focused, others more pve ...some want a less involved survival experience (spawn, loot, kill, die, repeat), some want more longevity (characters life span being a profound achievement). I'm not sure Arma 3 formats would be the best thing to bet on, I've heard Dayz has specific requirements that Arma does not, so may have some unique file formats also.

@exwoll I'll keep you in mind if modding does allow for such a server ....in reality, extreme re-spawn timers are not good, but there are other ways to make the death of your character a harrowing experience.

[exwoll 255]

1 hour ago, ShaneRetter said:

 

@exwoll I'll keep you in mind if modding does allow for such a server ....in reality, extreme re-spawn timers are not good, but there are other ways to make the death of your character a harrowing experience.

You can actually make a REALLY GOOD extreme hardcore mod, offer for free, and then charge 1$ for every respawn XD