I'm looking for some help

[flak4223]

I want to create a huge mod for this game.

It would include new maps, new characters, new animations, and new in game mechanics.

I was wondering if this would all be possible from the SDK.

I'm really new to modding but I have a great idea and I really want it to be seen through. Thanks for any help given.

[Six_Ten]

Ideas are a dime-a-dozen. What can you do? Have you made any maps, models, are you good at writing code?

[Moskeeto]

Originally Posted by Six_Ten

Ideas are a dime-a-dozen. What can you do? Have you made any maps, models, are you good at writing code?

Very true. And yes, you can do almost anything with the SDK. Rising Storm is actually being developed with the SDK and it's got a lot of different content.

[JCoquillon]

Creating a mod is a long and complex task, but one that is incredibly rewarding if you stick at it.

If you have limited/no experience then your best bet is probably to join an existing mod team.

That way you get to learn the ropes, gain experience, all with the support of seasoned developers.

What background do you have in technical areas related to modding?

The SDK will allow you to bring together the content created into a mod - but you will to use 3D tools to make new models (characters, vehicles, weapons, environmental art), 2D tools to create textures and artwork, sound software for music and sounds and to edit recorded voices and weapons etc. This is all before we even get onto coding and the like...

One of the biggest mistakes new mods make is to try and run before they can walk. Grand ideas, huge scope, big promises, some initial interesting artwork that never gets beyond the renders of some 3d untextured weapon models.

Plan big, but think in smaller simpler and more achievable steps.

[Harb]

What's the idea?

Pretty much the same as JC posted above, here are a few tips for starting out. Posted these in the 40k mod thread but they apply to any new large mod starting out. Simple stuff really

In the short term get a website up and theme going. A TC of this magnitude will require a serious amount of work as you'll be changing an awful lot. You're going to need something early on to attract potential developers as skilled people aren't likely to sign up for MODs that claim they'll be the best MOD ever but have unrealistic goals and a lack of focus. A lot of the moding talent within the RO community is already tied to an existing project or aren't interested in joining a lengthy project so you'll need to attract people from further afield and they might not have heard of Red Orchestra. Figure out how to realistically attract these people. You'll need them.

You're also going to need a core group of people who are willing to hang in there for the next two or three years depending on how much you intend to achieve. You'll be surprised how many people come and go from a mod over it's life span but there will always be a core group who drive the project towards completion. Make sure you pick the right ones. A lot of people will claim to offer you a lot but end up offering little, always check their previous work and try and pick people who have worked on completed MODs. The last thing you want are people who jump from MOD to MOD month after month as you'll just be wasting your time. That's not to say don't pick up inexperienced people just make sure you've got a good balance.

Start small, the biggest danger is to overreach, especially if many of the members are new to moding and if it's a learning process and many things will take twice as long as they should and mistakes will be made. So don't plan to make a MOD that'll end all MODs as it will end up uncompleted and a waste of time. Plan small and achievable goals. You can always build on the foundations once you hit first release. So look at your original plans and strip them right back, cut out anything that isn't completely needed to make a playable beta stage. If you've planned 15 weapons per side cut this back to 4 or so. This can be applied to everything.

This is where good planning and management come into it, you're going to need to be on people all the time, set them markers to hit and make sure they hit them. There will be a lot of chasing people to complete things and it'll eat a lot of your free time.

[Cpt-Praxius]

Originally Posted by JCoquillon

Creating a mod is a long and complex task, but one that is incredibly rewarding if you stick at it.

If you have limited/no experience then your best bet is probably to join an existing mod team.

That way you get to learn the ropes, gain experience, all with the support of seasoned developers.

What background do you have in technical areas related to modding?

The SDK will allow you to bring together the content created into a mod - but you will to use 3D tools to make new models (characters, vehicles, weapons, environmental art), 2D tools to create textures and artwork, sound software for music and sounds and to edit recorded voices and weapons etc. This is all before we even get onto coding and the like...

One of the biggest mistakes new mods make is to try and run before they can walk. Grand ideas, huge scope, big promises, some initial interesting artwork that never gets beyond the renders of some 3d untextured weapon models.

Plan big, but think in smaller simpler and more achievable steps.

That's why I decided to roll back to the start for myself and just work on some weapon models.... when I get a few of those under my belt, I may get back onto my map I started.... after that.... who knows?

But I'm not about to jump right into a full out Mod..... as the last time I did any development for a mod or game was back in 2004 & my graphic design/photography/signage job(s) since then have taken a lot of my time up and need to refresh myself.

I already have a couple of great ideas for mods that I've been playing with since 2004, but the amount of time one needs to spend on a mod, as well as the devotion you need to the project & the people you work with.... is almost a second job.

And if you don't treat it like a second job, you won't see the completion of your mod any time soon, if ever.

If your team doesn't feel like things are progressing decently, or there's no real direction.... they won't stick around for long.

[flak4223]

I'm just one guy with limited money, tools, and no experience in any fields related to modding. Also, I don't think its possible for me to join a modding group because I don't have the resources to pick up and move and I don't think there are any where I live. I know this is going to be a huge project so I am going to take it really slow and also try and use it to learn. Maybe I could get my friend to help me but he would be doing most of the art related things.

[Extension7]

You don't have to actually be near a modding team to join one, that's why we have the internetz Teams use SVNs and other file sharing sites to help keep everyone uptodate on their work.

I think you should try to get some experience in the fields of coding level design and content creation before you try to tackle a huge project like your on your own.

JCoquillon is right, try to join a team, or find people who can guide you a bit.

EDIT: Here's Susi's guide to modding, it's really good.

http://forums.tripwireinteractive.co...ad.php?t=49851