EGOSOFT and the modding community

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Bernd
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EGOSOFT and the modding community

Post by Bernd » Wed, 29. Dec 10, 15:47

Hello everybody,

Since some people from the modding and scripting community have recently asked us about our policy towards modding and what we do to support it, I would like to state a few things:

Egosoft has always encouraged modding. Over the years some modders have contacted me personally and asked for help in all kinds of areas. Sometimes it was legal advice, sometimes technical support, sometimes we were asked to help distribution and promotion. I and others in the company have always tried to help where we could. I am really sorry that some modders feel that we have treated some of you differently from others. That is definitely not our intention.

What our intention definitely is, is to:
  • - promote your mods to the community through all means that make sense for the mod and that you want (mention in X-News, mention on the website front page, facebook or twitter etc.)
    - help in hosting your mod if traffic volume allows (and traffic volume allows for quite a lot these days)
    - provide technical support where time allows (answering questions and providing documentation and tools)


If some people have made more use of this than others, then it's because some people get in touch with me and others here at the office more actively. If I don't know about the release of your mod, then I can't support it.

So for the future: Please let ME personally know where we can help you. Tell me about your projects, tell me what we can do to support them! To this end, please email me at bernd @ egosoft.com!

Have a wonderful new year and much fun with our past and future games!

-Bernd

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em3e3
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Post by em3e3 » Thu, 30. Dec 10, 06:21

Thanks Bernd!
8^)

Online Complex Calculators - X3:TC • X3:R • X2
Online Ship Compurator - X3:TC

mark_a_condren
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Post by mark_a_condren » Thu, 30. Dec 10, 06:43

Thanks for the post and clarification, not that it has been a concern of mine, but nice to get it from the horses mouth (no I’m not calling you a horse).

The amount of assistance and allowed ‘modding’ of Egosoft games still makes me scratch my head in awe.

I’m sure we will all get much more fun from Egosofts’ current and future games.

Happy new year to all at Egosoft and on the forums.


MarCon

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TrixX
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Post by TrixX » Thu, 30. Dec 10, 16:20

Thankyou very much for this. Not many developers support their communities as much as this and I for one appreciate it greatly.

I'm looking forward to the future of X Modding :D
"If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original."
Sir Ken Robinson

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Alee Enn
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Post by Alee Enn » Fri, 31. Dec 10, 16:58

I hope it wasn't my thread & posts (or mini rant) that prompted this thread from Bernd, if it was (or I was part of the cause), then I offer my most humble apologies.

and Happy New Year to all at Egosoft, thank-you for the X series, I look forward to TNBT.
Formerly "Alien Tech Inc."

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EmperorJon
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Post by EmperorJon » Mon, 3. Jan 11, 12:14

Just seen this thread. Thanks Bernd.

I may send an email to promote my AL Plugin if it ever reaches a point where it's got missions and such... I think joining and fighting in the military is something many Xers have been waiting for! Possibly. :P
______
I'm Jon. I'm mostly not around any more. If you want to talk, please message me! It's cool.
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TEKing66
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Post by TEKing66 » Wed, 5. Jan 11, 06:55

Yes I must say that Egosoft is probably one of the most proactive companies where modding and the community is concerned. It is refreshing to know that such a company exists. Egosoft has had my respect since the late nineties, Geez has it been that long. And they have stood true to the support of their games and the community all the while. Not many companies are able to do that these days. I say "Hats off to Egosoft", well done Ladies and Gentlemen.

Thank you Bernd, Thank you very much.
My mods for X3TC & X3AP

Been with the X-series from the beginning. If it happens in the X_Universe I've been there done that several times over.

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apricotslice
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Post by apricotslice » Fri, 28. Jan 11, 12:23

@Berndt

Please read the thread called "size of the community and the sense of modding", http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=295419

There is some good comments being made in here that Egosoft needs to start thinking about.

In particular, when you can release source code for TC to enable those with programming skills to start working on improving some aspects that are hardcoded but have never been fixed. At some point, the game will reach a stage when revenues are negligable, and at that time, releasing the source code will give the game a whole new life. Just someone being able to write a save game editor would be a huge step forward.

The other issue I want to bring to your attention is the signing of scripts. At some point, I beleive you should remove the policy of "balance" from the signing requirements, and allow any stable and well used script to be signed, for release in packs other than the bonus pack.

This would bring a lot of the best scripting work into the vanilla game for people who dont want a "modified tag".

At some point, isnt it better to encourage the modding community through active support and validating what we do ? Signing scripts is the ultimate validation. Where scripts make playing more fun, and the player chooses them, why cant they be available to the "not modified" community, especially as requests for this get made constantly.

For example, my scripts fill holes in the game that cause frustration factor, so people use them to make game playing less frustrating and more fun. Yet my scripts are considered significantly unbalancing and will never be signed within the current guidelines. At some point, what does that matter ? Player fun is the only bottom line and as long as players continue to have fun, the game will thrive.

Anyway, I hope you are reading the above thread, as the future of the game is being discussed by those who are most likely to give it a future.

Acer777
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plz help me

Post by Acer777 » Mon, 8. Aug 11, 17:51

i would very much like to make my own mods, but noting big. im playing X3TC and have alot of knowledge of visual basic and some knowledge of the script editor. i want to make my own pirate clan with an A.I. but how do i do something like that. thx for your support :wink:
Strangers have the best candy :)

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ezra-r
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Post by ezra-r » Fri, 23. Dec 11, 17:21

Always great to see this kind of support.

Thumbs up and best of luck for the new game

scuanor
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Post by scuanor » Thu, 8. Mar 12, 03:36

Apricotslice wrote:
"At some point, the game will reach a stage when revenues are negligable,
and at that time, releasing the source code will give the game a whole new life.
Just someone being able to write a save game editor would be a huge step
forward."

That would be quite the big thing for a developerstudio that ceated such a big
franchise. Usually, such happens very very long after a game is "dead" already.
Examples: Doom, Quake, Homeworld, Descent 2, just to name a few.

And just to make a saved game editor? That's like releasing the blueprint for
THE next generation tank only to use its cannon to whack a Pinjata faster
than anybody else can.

Apricotslice wrote also:
"At some point, isnt it better to encourage the modding community through
active support and validating what we do ? Signing scripts is the ultimate
validation. "

How would it be a validation, if -Everything- that simply works gets signed?
Not to mention that, if we want Validation for our work as modder, we
should strive to make our mods as good as possible so many people well
download and use them. If an artist paints a picture, hanging it on a wall in a
gallery doesn't do anything, people have to come and look at it.

Bernd Wrote:
"Please let ME personally know where we can help you."

I think, what -really- would help many many modders and users alike would be
an Official ( as in made and provided by the developer ) tool to extract and pack
the game's archives properly. People develop those tools anyways, which the
devloper tolerates, but why not actively support it ( within limits of course )

phantomrock2
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Post by phantomrock2 » Wed, 18. Dec 13, 03:29

OMG now I see I am not the only one... boy did I ever think I was alone but now I see I am not. There a lot of MODS here that would make things have more sense to it. I am not the one to say it doesn't as it stands but there are some very defeatist aspects going on. This better Apricot? :wink:



apricotslice wrote:@Berndt

Please read the thread called "size of the community and the sense of modding", http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=295419

There is some good comments being made in here that Egosoft needs to start thinking about.

In particular, when you can release source code for TC to enable those with programming skills to start working on improving some aspects that are hardcoded but have never been fixed. At some point, the game will reach a stage when revenues are negligable, and at that time, releasing the source code will give the game a whole new life. Just someone being able to write a save game editor would be a huge step forward.


The other issue I want to bring to your attention is the signing of scripts. At some point, I beleive you should remove the policy of "balance" from the signing requirements, and allow any stable and well used script to be signed, for release in packs other than the bonus pack.

This would bring a lot of the best scripting work into the vanilla game for people who dont want a "modified tag".

At some point, isnt it better to encourage the modding community through active support and validating what we do ? Signing scripts is the ultimate validation. Where scripts make playing more fun, and the player chooses them, why cant they be available to the "not modified" community, especially as requests for this get made constantly.

For example, my scripts fill holes in the game that cause frustration factor, so people use them to make game playing less frustrating and more fun. Yet my scripts are considered significantly unbalancing and will never be signed within the current guidelines. At some point, what does that matter ? Player fun is the only bottom line and as long as players continue to have fun, the game will thrive.

Anyway, I hope you are reading the above thread, as the future of the game is being discussed by those who are most likely to give it a future.
[" thank you "]

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