End of Advanced Game Settings mod

[Zlatý Bludišťak]

It's been about a year and a half since the release of the mod tools. State of both the tools and mods remains essentially the same as the day it was released. While there have been a few fixes and minor UI improvements within the game client, let's be honest here - it's absolutely underwhelming, and none of these changes have truly addressed the issues modders face with the tools.

**Now, onto the topic why this is most likely the end for AGS:**

* **1. Feedback is ignored.**
Over half a year ago modders compiled a [document](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ULgadw_qs2XA9v7L9wUK58UpPfgOjjRJR4wNNTpNsBw/edit?usp=sharing) that highlights numerous issues with modding AOE4.

Speaking for myself, it feels completely ignored and thus it contributed to my final decision.

* **2. Lack of communication.**
This isn't a new issue, but it persists. I wouldn't even call it silence. There is communication, but it's limited to only a few chosen people. Everyone else is left in the dark.

This is baffling to me, as it just doesn't help anyone. I don't see any bright future, or any promise that things are going to get better for me. And with all the issues being ignored for so long, this makes it even worse.

This got a lot worse after Relic laid off devs. As they also got rid of the only dev that was still actively communicating with modders on discord. After that, there is only silence.

* **3. Update lottery.**
You may ask, what is this? Well, it's the one thing that drives me mad and discourages me to even touch the mod. Each time I try to update the mod I encounter one issue. I can't! Well unless I want to repeat extremely entertaining process of launching the game, pressing "update mod" and closing it once it fails. Then do it once more, hoping that the mod will eventually pass the check and update...

Why ? They decided that all mods are checked by profanity filter. I can guarantee that this feature never worked properly. Unless the desired behaviour was to frustrate modders. In that case I am probably the one affected the most as I dared to have multiple localizations for my mod as community desired it.

Anyway, the best way to see this issue and why it's so frustrating is to head to the modding discord and see the update-lottery thread from a few weeks ago. Here is link to [modding discord](https://discord.gg/2TqPbAyfUS) and to [update lottery thread](https://discord.com/channels/911038016179560529/1156330791433945088) that perfectly summarizes this issue and how it's ignored.

* **4. XBOX version and mods.**
All mods are available on both PC and XBOX versions. However, modders can't access the Xbox UI on the PC version, making it impossible to update the mods to work properly on Xbox. Thus I can't update the mod to work properly on the XBOX. Due to this one of the core aspects of the mod (diplomacy) is not available. So as someone who never owned a console, and I definitely do not plan on buying one, with another copy of the game just so I could finally update the mod for folks that want diplomacy on XBOX.

* **5. Updates breaking mods.**
It is expected that patches will break mods. On the other hand, there is also a way for developers and modders to communicate about this. Bare minimum is a proper changelog that includes all breaking changes being listed. Other is to also provide migration guidelines, which in general are not really that hard to produce. It's good to remember that these are official modding tools...

Problem is that we do not receive anything. Each patch I have to go though the process of extracting game files and maintaning private repository to see diff of all the changes made by the patch to both scripts and attributes as any of these could break the mod.

For context last few patches broke mods in subtle ways, such as changing attributes on all markets made it impossible for the mod to detect market. Even a Halloween biome update broke the mod as it introduced new sacred site without any warning... (nope it wasn't just a cosmetic change, biome used separate sacred site entity)

* **6. No PUP and early access for modders.**
The absence of a Public Update Preview (PUP) and any early access for modders is what I consider the final nail in the coffin for me as it leads to my final point.

* **7. Lack of respect.**
All of the above can be summarized as being disrespectful towards me and the time I have invested in making and maintaining the mod.

I spent AT LEAST 3 months working on the mod, with work being equivalent to a full time job, and additional time helping other modders...

So I really feel that World's Edge has no respect toward me as a person and as a member of the AoE community. In the end, my mods are not revolutionary ideas or impossible features to implement. They are mostly basic features that were available in previous games in the franchise and should have already been part of the base game.


While there are a few additional points I could mention, they deviate from the mod-related topic, even though they played a significant part in influencing my final decision and choosing this over alternatives that I was considering.

**Thus, I have decided to suspend the development and updating of all my mods indefinitely.**

Woprok (Zlatý Bludišťak)
Author of Advanced Game Settings, Outback Octagon 2 and few more...

[FloosWorld]

I feel like you should post this in the general section as it's too important to just be in the Modding section.

[paulschrama48]

First of all, let me thank you for all your great work and effort. Your AGS mod is the best mod there is for AOE4. It actually repairs what otherwise would be an incomplete game. So sad to hear that AGS might come to an end.

Developers, if you read this:
The mod brings back essential settings that used to be in the AOE-franchise for decades. It's simply incomprehensible that settings from AOE1/2/3 are not available in the basic AOE4 settings. A basic setting like treaty time was what enabled hours of fun in multiplayer-versus AI games. The lack of such a simple setting means that AOE4 is not worth to be played. Reading the messages on fora about issues with the game and with the modding feels like paying bad tribute to an epic franchise. You could do so much better!

[Mahamaya17]

noooooooooooooooooooo i love this mod

[76561199767710317]

oops