Fortnight Discussion: Mod Support

[Madguy]

I plan to start working mod support at some point after the game exits Early Access later this year. I’m not entirely sure what form this will take, or how extensive it will end up being. To be frank, I’ve never really done modding for a game before, and I’m not particularly familiar with how comparable games are handling their mod support.

The only thing I know for sure at this point is that I’d like to create a level editor. Beyond that, I’d like to give people a lot of flexibility to modify aspects of the game without creating an enormous workload for myself.

What sort of mod support would you like to see? Can you point me in the direction of other games whose examples I might follow? Is their any sort of “standard, baseline knowledge” that I should probably have?

[Cashdog]

Perhaps dead cells or Dont Starve are good examples of modding. Not too sure what kind of mods will be made but make it so that gameplay can be modified such as the AI being moddable or perhaps being able to change what buildings spawn and such.

[Pixelsplitter]

Steam workshop support would be amazing! I'm expecting mods for custom characters and items (as in custom abilities and costumes,), and hopefully more districts, although that might be difficult. Hopefully, it shouldn't be incredibly difficult to do (maybe even a dedicated API?) . Also definitely a selector for active mods.
At the very least, a folder in the game dir and a written tutorial would be great.

[jjshade]

Also look into Nuclear Throne Together - it's GML so not necessarily applicable to your code but having the ability to define scripts and game objects in files on your local system and a command line to load/ reload/ invoke them is a great and traditional model,

[Commander Vex]

I'd say Finish the Core game before Adding it, as I'd love to see the game finished before adding mods as much as it pains me, mods are Amazing, but finishing the game should be top Priority.

[Elkondo]

I think "Serious Sam's Bogus Detour" is a great example of an extensive map editor in a 2d top-down game, allowing for all sorts of custom game modes and such. In general, I'd say the best editors are those which allow for creating not just maps, but whole new modes, objectives, level logic, AI logic, maybe even player UI for those custom modes.
I'd say aim for something like that, whether it be through graphical interface or just extensive scripts in some programming language.

[Crimson Cube]

A specific part of modding I'd like to see is dedicated tools (alongside powerful actual programming API capabilities). Things like building creators would especially be nice.

[Ansam]

Level editor and Sprite uploader. I'd love to be able to recreate bizare environments and give my custom characters that unique anime feel.

An idea that might work well in this game are custom Weapons, like in Relic Hunters Zero.

[Old Man]

Check Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+, Barony, Don't Starve and Nuclear Throne for roguelikes with mod support. For non-roguelikes, check Bethesda games. xd.

[jacojerb]

Changing all the sprites is an obvious one. I can see fandoms making complete reskins for their own fandoms, which would be pretty cool.

Other than that, I'd ideally like to see being able to add your own buildings to the procedural generation process, maybe even have a sort of tick box for which buildings can spawn. That way, people can make their own custom districts that still kinda follow the game rules, as apposed to just a flat level editor where you just make 1 level

If you can just design your own buildings, like in a level editor, and just add those to your generation process. Of course, you'd need to specify what can spawn in your buildings, such as possible NPC's, and where a vending machine can spawn, for example. I don't really know the technical aspects of such things, but given this, people can in time make their own worlds that still follow Streets of Rogue rules. Most of the NPC's can just be reskinned an dumped into another "world". If people were to make alien worlds, or medievel worlds, or whatever, cops are still cops and shopkeepers still shopkeepers, but the building layouts and such would need to change

[Killer Keemstar]

Level editor, sound stuff, guns, sprite editor and i was just wondering by level editor do you mean preset levels or like extra areas which allow the setting to be randomly generated or like extra building which are randomly generated. I cannot wait to see mod support so i could download meem mods and just browse the sheer amount of anime mods and stand in awe of the amount weebs there are

[-Z-]

It sounds like a lot of levels are build with a library/array of buildings and layouts, from things you've mentioned via updates.

If that's correct, being able to add to and alter the composition of the libraries. This might be as basic as making our own store and bank layouts, to adding new building types (complete with custom NPCs), to complete reworks.

[Desperoni]

I bet one of the biggest things people would want is the ability to create completely new items, props, or character types, but I have absolutely no idea how difficult that would be to implement. Especially if people want it to be more in depth.

Besides that, the ability to really assemble buildings yourself.

[Tovarish]

What about custom-made buildingtypes with the posebility of using user-made or already existing charecters in those buildings and outside of it? It could make the game more fun and stimulate the will to share the game with others.

[DrakeLeSword]

Creating items,NPC's,building's and maybe even extra levels you can turn off or on

P.S Creating disasters would be nice as well

[Bofrab]

Maybe people can mod this game too add more playable characters or enemies. However if your planning on adding mod support, please don't do it as bad as Afterbirth+ did.