Hello Tripwire. I'm once again putting forth the request to be allowed to bake the shader cache into upk files, just as maps are currently allowed to do.
At the moment, modders are currently unable to use any custom materials outside of maps, which greatly limits the scope of what can be done with mods. Additionally, we're not able to use all materials in the game either due to them not being compiled, such as the "M_Wep_1stP_Masked_Master_PM" material, which is the only weapon material that supports transparency in textures. Currently, in weapons, if you have something like a decal on a gun that occupies a different material slot, it will have an ugly black box around it because the material we are able to use for first person weapons does not support transparency.
It also prevents us from using any RenderToTexture features whatsoever, or even creating simple scope lenses, or anything of the sort, and the range of content that can be produced without custom materials is considerably smaller in scope than it would be with custom materials. These are just two example of limitations created by the issues with non-compiled materials in UPK's. There have been many occasions over the last year while I've worked on my mods where I required the use of a custom material, but couldn't use one, or even all of the base game materials.
Allowing modders the ability to use custom materials in UPK's would significantly broaden the amount of content that could be made for Killing Floor 2, and help extend the lifespan of the game dramatically. It would help attract new players when they see all the new content that would be made for the game, if by no one else than by me personally, when they see YouTubers and Twitch streamers playing it. This would increase the amount of revenue gotten from Killing Floor 2 through additional direct and in-app purchases.
Opening up modding as much as possible, beginning with allowing us to compile custom materials into UPK's would significantly extend the lifespan of this game, especially once the plug is pulled on development for it. Look at games like Halo for the PC. Incredible mods have come out of that games modding scene, such as Lumoria and SPv3. The lifespan of that game has been incredible, and Killing Floor 2's could be as well if this aspect of modding was opened up.
Lastly, allowing us to do this would also help increase the expected amount of sales for Killing Floor 3, if said game is going to be made, by increasing the player count of Killing Floor 2. The more people that know about the second game, the more that are likely to buy a potential third.
I know this feature has been requested several times over the years, both by myself and others, and been denied every time. But please, allow us to compile materials into UPK files. Not only will it help benefit us modders, it will help benefit Tripwire.
At the moment, modders are currently unable to use any custom materials outside of maps, which greatly limits the scope of what can be done with mods. Additionally, we're not able to use all materials in the game either due to them not being compiled, such as the "M_Wep_1stP_Masked_Master_PM" material, which is the only weapon material that supports transparency in textures. Currently, in weapons, if you have something like a decal on a gun that occupies a different material slot, it will have an ugly black box around it because the material we are able to use for first person weapons does not support transparency.
It also prevents us from using any RenderToTexture features whatsoever, or even creating simple scope lenses, or anything of the sort, and the range of content that can be produced without custom materials is considerably smaller in scope than it would be with custom materials. These are just two example of limitations created by the issues with non-compiled materials in UPK's. There have been many occasions over the last year while I've worked on my mods where I required the use of a custom material, but couldn't use one, or even all of the base game materials.
Allowing modders the ability to use custom materials in UPK's would significantly broaden the amount of content that could be made for Killing Floor 2, and help extend the lifespan of the game dramatically. It would help attract new players when they see all the new content that would be made for the game, if by no one else than by me personally, when they see YouTubers and Twitch streamers playing it. This would increase the amount of revenue gotten from Killing Floor 2 through additional direct and in-app purchases.
Opening up modding as much as possible, beginning with allowing us to compile custom materials into UPK's would significantly extend the lifespan of this game, especially once the plug is pulled on development for it. Look at games like Halo for the PC. Incredible mods have come out of that games modding scene, such as Lumoria and SPv3. The lifespan of that game has been incredible, and Killing Floor 2's could be as well if this aspect of modding was opened up.
Lastly, allowing us to do this would also help increase the expected amount of sales for Killing Floor 3, if said game is going to be made, by increasing the player count of Killing Floor 2. The more people that know about the second game, the more that are likely to buy a potential third.
I know this feature has been requested several times over the years, both by myself and others, and been denied every time. But please, allow us to compile materials into UPK files. Not only will it help benefit us modders, it will help benefit Tripwire.
