This Is How You Support Modders

[Apollo13]

Squad does a pretty good job supporting mods and modders.  Bethesda just released the Creation Tool their developers use so that modders can mod Fallout 4.  Awesome!

Fallout 4 Creation Tool

Companies, such as Squad, Bethesda, and others recognize that keeping their game current keeps it relevant via modding.  Relevancy translates to sales and extended game life.  An extended game life means the player will most likely buy the next iteration and recommend it to their friends to do so.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Apollo13

[RainDreamer]

The creation tool is another piece of software that they have to spend time to develop for free and must moderately acessible for end users of various levels of coding knowledge. It is quite an undertaking, one I think mod-friendly games should have, but I understand if smaller studio can't do such things.

[Stone Blue]

38 minutes ago, RainDreamer said:

The creation tool is another piece of software that they have to spend time to develop for free and must moderately acessible for end users of various levels of coding knowledge. It is quite an undertaking, one I think mod-friendly games should have, but I understand if smaller studio can't do such things.

Yes, you have a good, valid point, however, as Apollo13 stated, its basically an investment in their own future.... Plus, by doing this early on, I'm sure that it helps form that company's reputation 10-fold, over implementing it later on, after they become the Bethesda/MS Studios that we see now...

Not to mention, Squad is already a huge step ahead of most small indy companies: Their first debut game is HUGE!.... Look how many big name gaming awards that KSP has been mentioned or nominated for already... If they play it right, they wont be the one-hit-wonder of the gaming world... And I think one step in that direction would be as Apollo13 suggests...

Edited April 27, 2016 by Stone Blue

[pincushionman]

Keep in mind, much of what are required for KSP modding are in fact the Unity tools, which are already available.

[cantab]

Oh, the GECK came out for FO4? Neat. But I'm pretty sure it's already had a very strong modding community.

As for KSP, I'd say that while Squad haven't been specifically helpful towards modders, they haven't been actively obstructive either. That I think is the best approach for most game developers, and probably the approach most take. Squad had enough to do making the core game after all.

[Camacha]

On 27/04/2016 at 1:41 PM, RainDreamer said:

The creation tool is another piece of software that they have to spend time to develop for free and must moderately acessible for end users of various levels of coding knowledge. It is quite an undertaking, one I think mod-friendly games should have, but I understand if smaller studio can't do such things.

It appears it is the tool the team used to create Fallout, so there is very little extra development to be done.

[Dispatcher]

On April 27, 2016 at 4:27 AM, Apollo13 said:

... Relevancy translates to sales and extended game life.  An extended game life means the player will most likely buy the next iteration and recommend it to their friends to do so.

Kind of like the Unreal franchise (and to a lesser degree other games, inc. the Marathon series and other games which made their editors available).