Standalone Modding Forum Category - it's never to early to start talking about it

[chambersenator 106]

While modding SA is still a long way off, an BI has not released any official info, specs, or tools for modding SA, I think there is value in having a forum category to start talking about the subject.

The three main reasons I think it's worth creating now are:

1. To have a place for people interested in any of the different aspects of modding SA (be it concepts, coding, animation, or modelling) to share ideas and info, and to bring together people with different skills to combine their efforts. 
    
2. Modeling discussion. Making quality models takes time. A lot of time. Why not use this time while we wait to consider what kinds of assets can be created and tested in ArmA 3 that should hopefully require little to no conversion? If one avoids weapons, vehicles, and certain types of clothing, as they are probably (AFIK) the assets with the most amount of differences in SA from A3, which would lead to a great deal of conversion/porting issues until we know more, that still leaves us with a ton of possible things to create. 
    
3. Discuss the topic of how the player base and BI can work out the best procedure for submitting, collecting, and distributing mods and asset collections. While the end results would end up in the Steam Workshop, figuring out the most efficient ways to get to that point is worth talking about. Take modeling, for example. If there is a way to have a few 'community asset' packs available of player-submitted models that all mods can use, such as 'industrial items,' household items,' and 'farm items,' we can hopefully avoid ending up with 10 different models of the exact same item. Not only would that make detecting and debugging problems easier, but it would also help modelers make a wider selection of items. While it's perfectly fine to have 3 different kinds of coffee pots, for example, having 16 different models for 'loose wires ripped from an old TV' is overkill. Community asset packs also may help address some of the issues/headaches that involve rights/usage/attribution.

[psylnz 34]

I'd like to know if they are using already available modding tools that were used in other Bohemia games, like Visitor, Oxygen, Bulldozer, or Terrain Builder. Content takes a long time to create, and If the community could know which tools they are using, we could get to work making new maps, or models, and have them ready for when Day Z is a full release.