Modding Team

[Vegejor]

All right as I have noticed from other people and you guys/girls probably from me; once the modding tools are released people will start making mods. I for one will certainly attempt to improve this great game even further and I am certain some, perhaps alot, of you have the same intention.

 

So I thought; since modding this large game would be very time consuming and require a diverse range of talents, why not create a team to work together on a mod?

 

While off course I'd be part of the team, I won't volunteer myself to lead it. I simply lack the modding experience and programming skills to volunteer myself.

 

Anyway I thought it would be a good start to have those interested gather in one topic. I suggest we all start with a little introduction off ourself, perhaps what we want to achieve with the mod and what we hope to bring to the team.

 

I'll start;

 

Name is Vegejor a.k.a Veggie. 24 years old, fanatic gamer since I can remember and a great fan of rpg's. Currently studying so most of the time I'll have plenty of time on my hands, though in some periods I might vanish. (exams etcs)

What I hope to achieve with the mod is for me very simple; make it more fun to play. While I don't have the programming or modding experience to make suggestions about the game or the engine, I hope to be able to add to the game with a wide scale of events and adventures. So it would be mostly writing for me.

 

On another note; I am well able to provide with a private server to host the mod and other things we could need the private server for.

 

 

All right that is it for me. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask them here or pm me.

[mecharm]

Since this is my very first post, the amount of "respect" I command within these forums lack...force, but I thought this could be the best place to start!

 

So, let's see.

 

I'm 23 (but not for long...), been a hardcore gamer since I was six, rpg's are my favorite (though I'm a sucker for a good strategy any day), I'm at University...wait...do I see a pattern here? Anyway, I'm studying English as my major, Philosophy as my minor and I had a one-year-stand with ancient Latin and Greek too...yeah...

 

So far, this was the fluff, what matters is:

- I'm in love with the game - my deepest thanks for it, I think it might very well be my favorite game this year so far...

- I really want to see it expanded in every possible way

- The community seems (for now at least) very family like, which is awesome

 

=

 

I would be more than happy to join any assembling group of individuals with the common goal of making our stay in Academagia deeper and more fun...

 

Cheers,

[Vegejor]

Good enough for me.

 

I liked your enthusiasm and I am certain that you will be able to add very much to the game if you keep that up.

 

And you are right, I get the same feeling from this community. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. I think that is what counts. So why don't you go and meet some of the great guys and girls out there, while we wait for more to join us.

 

Don't worry about the "respect" you talk about though. I don't think we sift people based on their post count and if we do, we shouldn't. Just be yourself, help people out or just chat with them. That is many times more important then respect based on post count. I mean look at me; all I do is spam, but that shouldn't grant me respect now should it.

 

So just do your thing, show the people who you are and let them respect ya for that! That is the kind of respect ya want.

[Ranielle Limeleaf]

I usually work alone, but maybe it would be easier and faster if we pooled ideas and resources. Introduction is on the introduction ( duh ) thread ;]

[Vegejor]

Glad to have you on board then. Welcome to our little clique Ranielle.

 

And I am sure it will be easier and faster, not to mention better an overal better quality, if we pool together our idea's and resources.

 

Anyway once I get a few more people I'll ask legate if he can create a modding subforum so we can start the work. While I'd suggest waiting on the content patch, the bug patch and till they have released the tools, I think it would be great if we could start bundling our idea's.

[Iselwin]

I'll start;

 

I wonder what would be the best direction to take the whole modding project. I've been thinking myself about possibility to add the "darker" content, which would never make into vanilla Academagia... What are the preferences of others?

 

And yeah, I might participate in modding effort, although as I'm a non-native speaker, my writing would require some heavy editing .

[Ranielle Limeleaf]

Grimdark wouldn't really work in full effect on first year, the character is supposed to be 13 or something. But a magical world would be a really scary world, for those who leave the safety of the Academagia grounds and ventures into the wilds.

[Vegejor]

I agree. One of the first things on our priority list would be added a bit of "real" life to the game, instead of the honey sweet world it is now.

 

A bit of darkness, a bit more danger. I like it.

[nightguard]

Well, I might be willing to help out. I've been thinking about the direction a mod could take, and while I agree that things certainly aren't quite as comical in the rest of the world as magic is around the Academagia, my thoughts didn't go to darker so much as more ordered. In a society where magic is commonplace, society would have needed to set up laws governing the use of magic, from making certain uses of magic criminal offenses to governing the applicability of magic in commerce to outlining the public offices a magic user may hold. I tried to give a light-hearted example of this with my random event submission over in the writer's corner, but this is something that I feel could possibly be explored much further in a mod than Black Chicken might want to do in the main game.

 

As far as actual contributions from me, keep in mind that my attention tends to wander frequently, so I might not be the most reliable source of content for a mod, but I'd be willing to try my hand at it.

[mecharm]

I'm in for both chilling horror that strikes the very heart of the 13 years old and the happy easy-going sunny side stuff.

 

What I would like to see in a mod is:

 

- A more everyday use for spells (I know this should arrive in Year 2, but if we are lucky maybe the modding tools would allow us to create some shortcuts here), during adventures, exams, explorations, etc. For example, I would LOVE to be able to "attach" some (the emphasis is on some) spells to actions when you plan the day...

 

- More items and crafting. I feel that these areas are a bit lacking at the moment, but they have an amazing potential...(I'm a crafting freak by the way...no idea why...maybe I should have become a blacksmith instead of playing video games)

[Command]

I simply lack the modding experience and programming skills to volunteer myself.

 

In regards to "programming skills", if you mean experience with some sort of coding/scripting language, you will require none to mod. The tool, from the beginning, was tailored to be used by writers.

[Ranielle Limeleaf]

In regards to "programming skills", if you mean experience with some sort of coding/scripting language, you will require none to mod. The tool, from the beginning, was tailored to be used by writers.

 

Yey that's great news. Here, have a cookie.

 

Or even a cupcake.

 

*bakes a red velvet cupcake*

 

here you go.

[Vegejor]

Yey that's great news. Here, have a cookie.

 

Or even a cupcake.

 

*bakes a red velvet cupcake*

 

here you go.

 

 

In regards to "programming skills", if you mean experience with some sort of coding/scripting language, you will require none to mod. The tool, from the beginning, was tailored to be used by writers.

 

 

While that is correct, I heard from Legate that parts of the game are hard coded, which can't be changed by the tools. For example the days and weeks. While I have not yet made any concrete plans, I think the game could use adding features or entirely new things. I just don't think the tools will provide that, since it isn't in the game.

 

If I am mistaken I apoligise. Also I don't know yet if I need a programmer, but I just thought it would always come in handy to have someone.

 

 

Still that is great news academagia fan, thnx for telling us.

 

*Steals cupcake*

 

Sorry bout that.

[Ranielle Limeleaf]

Making social, adventure and spellcasting a 4th action a day would be awesome as in, an action you can only use one of those three and nothing else, that could make people enjoy more of the gigantic content.

 

Here's another cupcake Academagia Fan.

 

And BAD VEGEJOR, BAD, NO BANANA

[Vegejor]

*steals banana* Sorry feeling a bit like a bit of a Kleptomaniac at the moment. (or I am just hungry I don't know)

 

Anyway that is an idea I would very much like to adopt. As well as making a proper beginning and ending to the game. Both are rather... dull and anticlimactic.

[mecharm]

Maybe we (and by we, I mean we) could draft a document containing all our ideas (a google doc for example), which anyone could edit, so we would have a base point to go from when the tools arrive...

 

Can I get a pineapple please?

[Vegejor]

If legate is reading this, or any other moderator; could I request a sub forum to be made for modding so I can make idea polls for such things and keep the place tidy?

[Legate of Mineta]

Veggie;

 

I think we can oblige you- I'll ask Academagia Fan.

[Vegejor]

Thank you very much. If you keep this up I am going to feel like I owe you one though.

 

Anyway thnx alot. Perhaps this topic can be moved there when it is created.

[Avatar Of Woe]

I'm... hesitant to commit... but really, really tempted. I love mods. I love modding (though I've done nothing special), and this game has so much potential waiting to burst in a shower of viscera. Joyous viscera.

 

Background: I'm a sort of itinerant programmer with some sporadic modding experience. I know my way around a design doc enough to know how to avoid them. I've got some high-school editing experience and I'm a native English speaker and I study story-design as a hobby. Just tell me where I can be useful.

 

 

In regards to "programming skills", if you mean experience with some sort of coding/scripting language, you will require none to mod. The tool, from the beginning, was tailored to be used by writers.

 

Will we still be able to create addons or scripts to extend the tool functionality?

 

 

I heard from Legate that parts of the game are hard coded, which can't be changed by the tools. For example the days and weeks.

 

Is this true?!?

 

My first mod was going to be a "Summer School" freeplay mode after the year was over.

[Legate of Mineta]

Woe;

 

Unfortunately it is true- and the Mod Tools are not very friendly for addons or scripts, because it is more or less a glorified database entry tool.

 

It's possible that we will alter the Tools to allow you to touch some of the things which are hard coded (for you total conversion modders out there), but no guarantees.

[mecharm]

...and this game has so much potential waiting to burst in a shower of viscera. Joyous viscera.

 

I nominate this to be the modders credo...

[Avatar Of Woe]

Legate;

 

Will we be able to influence the interface? Say, move the elements around, make new windows and tabs, and replace the backgound picture?

 

...and this game has so much potential waiting to burst in a shower of viscera. Joyous viscera.

I nominate this to be the modders credo...

 

Heh, thanks. And sigged.

[Legate of Mineta]

Woe;

 

Unfortunately not easily- that is one reason why we are improving the UI and reporting in phases.

[mecharm]

Woe;

 

Unfortunately not easily- that is one reason why we are improving the UI and reporting in phases.

 

And would it be possible to modify the already existing elements to a certain degree? For example, would we be able to add new variables to certain actions in the preparation phase?