modding
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EFF wants to legalize tinkering with shuttered online games
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is seeking six exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, one of which may affect your enjoyment of video games and possibly MMOs at some point in the future. In a nutshell, the EFF wants to legalize tinkering with titles which have had their online functions terminated. "The fair use doctrine enables the manipulation and copying of software code in order to gain access to the ideas and functions embedded within it that are not protected by copyright, including server communication protocols," the EFF says. Unfortunately for MMO emulator fans, the petition doesn't apply to "persistent world" titles at present.
Endless Legend gets modding tools in new add-on
The team at Amplitude Studios is having a busy week, having just launched Dungeon of the Endless in full on Steam a few days ago. Now, it's offering a "Shades of Alteration" add-on for another game in its strategy series, Endless Legend. The free DLC adds a Halloween-themed quest to the 4X fantasy-strategy game called "A Tale from the Dark Season," which rewards players with an undiscolsed prize. The update also introduces modding tools to the game, allowing players to create and tweak a number of game elements to their content. Players will be able to add new faction traits, items, skills, city improvements, technology and quests to Endless Legend, as well as adding or changing resources, text and 2D assets in the strategy game using the new mod tools. Endless Legend launched on Steam in September after its near five-month stay on Early Access. The game's Classic Pack is available on PC or Mac for $35, whereas the $45 Emperor Pack adds bonus in-game items. [Image: Iceberg Interactive]
3DS mod adds smashing GameCube controller support
With the launch of the exceptional Super Smash Bros. for 3DS looming, some might still be miffed that the game won't support the Circle Pad Pro add-on. Though the game will make use of the new 3DS and 3DS XL's C-stick, some may want a separate controller entirely for optimized Smash Bros. usage. A new 3DS mod introduced late last week does just that, giving players the ability to play any 3DS game with a GameCube controller. The hardware hack is courtesy of dekuNukem, the same modder that delivered an automatic shiny Pokemon finder mod last year. According to the demonstration video seen after the break, those looking to dust off their GameCube controllers for the mod will spend roughly $12 for the parts needed, which include a handful of resistors, a circuit board and an LCD screen from a Nokia phone. The screen offers a visual aid so players can change button configurations from the controller itself. DekuNukem doesn't have a full detailed list of instructions for the mod yet, which results in an empty circuit board on the bottom side of your still-functional 3DS, but they are accepting a few send-in modification requests. [Image: dekuNukem, YouTube]
Xbook One is Microsoft's console in laptop form
While Nintendo has its 3DS and Sony has its PlayStation Vita to please gamers on the go, Microsoft stands alone as the only major competitor in the modern games industry without a portable device dedicated to gaming. And well, for modder Ed Zarick, that just won't do. Behold: The Xbook One. Combining the innards of an Xbox One with a 22-inch screen from a Vizio television and custom 3D printed parts, Zarick has turned Microsoft's newest home console into a portable device for mobile gaming. Well ... kind of. While certainly easier to lug around than a standard Xbox One and 22-inch TV, the Xbook One isn't a device you can use just anywhere; it still requires an outlet for power, and the Kinect is not integrated into the design. Still, the modding on display here is impressive, and we could easily imagine the Xbook One being a hit with LAN parties and the like. Also, it's just fun to say: Xbook. Xbook. You can check out Zarick's breakdown of the process at his website, and watch a video demonstration of the box after the break. If you want to get your own, you can order one straight from Zarick for the sum of $1,495, plus shipping.
Saints Row 4 SDK released, chaos expected to ensue
Developer Volition announced at PAX Prime that they have released the official software development kit (SDK) for Saints Row 4 on PC, allowing enthusiasts of virtual sandbox mayhem with the technical know-how to create ... pretty much whatever they want. This can only end well. Although Saints Row 4 was released in August of last year, Volition is keeping up support for the game with two projects, both due on January 27, 2015: Saints Row 4: Re-elected will port the base game and all the DLC released so far to Xbox One and PS4, while Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell is a standalone expansion that sends players literally into the bowels of Hell. [Image: Deep Silver]
SOE Live 2014: H1Z1 is a full-fledged survival experience
With an event like Zombie Prom, it was hard not to notice a certain undead theme at this year's SOE Live. That's all courtesy of the studio's upcoming apocalyptic survival game H1Z1. And thanks to plenty of panels, interviews, and the keynote, we learned even more about the game: The new sandbox is so much more than a zombie shooter; it's a full fledged survival experience. There were even opportunities for fans to nab some hands-on playtime. We had the chance to mix and mingle with Producer Steve George, Senior Game Designer Jimmy Whisenhunt, Art Director Bill Yeatts, Technical Director Tom Schenck, and Game Designer Adam Clegg to discuss where H1Z1 came from, where it is going, and how far it has gotten. Delve into the new air drops, the heat and temperature systems, and so much more. We've also embedded the full keynote panel for you.
The Daily Grind: Are MMO mods and emulators on their way out?
We don't talk about emulators on Massively often because we're forbidden to encourage illegal activities or link or name specific emulators save those rare few publicly sanctioned by studios (so please don't). In fact, we've written before that emulators are a frustrating topic for many of our writers since gamers pour boatloads of creativity and technical skill into both legal and illegal emulators for games dead and alive, creativity that we can't write about even when we'd like to. I can't be the only one who's wondered whether legit modders and underworld emulator coders are abandoning their craft in favor of more legal ventures, however. There might be more sunsetted MMOs, moddable UIs, and calls for "classic" game versions than ever, but the rise of low-risk crowdfunding, easy Steam greenlighting, and modular multiplayer titles that encourage customization makes me suspect that people who once modded shady MMO emulators or built interfaces for the masses are being lured away to work on something more legitimate or profitable or resume-worthy. What do you think? Are emulators and modding going out of fashion? (Please don't link to anything illegal!) Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Stick and Rudder: How complex is too complex for Star Citizen?
I've taken a little while to let Chris Roberts' recent flight model manifesto marinate. In that time, my opinion has run the gamut from "funk yeah, simulation!" to "hmm, I hope I'm able to enjoy this title" and back again. I waffled because as much as I'm salivating over Star Citizen and everything it represents, it's still one game out of dozens that I'm following. And as much as I'd like to, I can't realistically devote all of my free time to a single title!
Modder offers first-person tour of Grand Theft Auto 5
Having grown tired of committing felonies in the third-person, Grand Theft Auto 5 modder XBLToothPik crafted a script that adds a first-person perspective to Rockstar's latest crime-ridden sandbox. The results, which you can see above and in a second video below the break, are simultaneously disorienting and alluring. Clearly the game was never meant to be viewed from the eyes of its three protagonists, but with a few minor alterations this new perspective could become a viable option for players seeking a new outlook on life in Los Santos. Keep in mind, the footage presented here was created using the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto 5. The imminent PC release will undoubtedly spawn first-person modifications shortly after launch, and hopefully the more accessible platform will allow resourceful modders the freedom to clean up some of the clipping errors and odd perspective issues seen here. [Image: Rockstar Games]
New Elder Scrolls Online API changes affect UI mods; devs post an AMA
Modding and The Elder Scrolls series have long been a match made in gamer heaven, but ZeniMax's latest API changes to The Elder Scrolls Online has the fantasy MMO's modding community up in arms. In a nutshell, the new version of the API removes the ability to track what others are doing to your avatar. You'll still see various effects, but you'll no longer see which spell was cast. The impetus behind the changes seems to be to level the playing field between those using the standard UI and those using add-ons like Foundry Tactical Combat. [Thanks Andre!] [Update: Tipster Vinicius let us know that the ESO team has also posted a fresh Ask Me Anything on Reddit. The devs discuss beta wipes, load capacity, bug fixes, and more.]
Blizzard Arcade now free, custom StarCraft 2 maps accessible to all
Budding game developers and the modding community just got a big boost: Blizzard has made access to The Arcade in StarCraft 2 completely free for everyone. That means that customs maps and modes developed for StarCraft 2 (as well as Blizzard's other games: Starjeweled, Auir Chef, and Left 2 Die) can now be accessed by anyone, not just the players who already own the game and use the platform regularly. Blizzard is basically giving the community the tools to build their own games and enlarging the pool of potential players -- all for no fee whatsoever. Check out the details in the videos below, then grab the starter edition and let your creative juices flow.
Total War: Rome 2 mod tools now in open beta testing
In lieu of offering yet another downloadable content pack for Total War: Rome 2, developer Creative Assembly has opted to let fans roll their own units, factions and conflicts with the release of the Rome 2 Assembly Kit. Though still in the beta stages, the Assembly Kit is a full-featured suite of tools useful in modding the historical strategy game. According to publisher Sega, the Kit includes everything necessary to modify the game's existing assets, as well as import/export tools for pulling artwork, audio and character models into the game from third-party programs. The Kit also includes a swath of "example data" which should be useful for nascent modders. The best news, however, is that the Assembly Kit is available free of charge to anyone with a copy of Total War: Rome 2 and an Internet connection. Full details on the Kit and information on how to download the tools can be found on the Total War Wiki.
EA allowing official SimCity mods, imposing official restrictions
Modders have never really needed a developer or publisher's blessing to do their work, but EA and Maxis have, nine months post-release, begun to allow official mods for SimCity. There are some caveats to being an official mod however: according to a post on the SimCity blog, you can't modify any executable files (.exe, .dll, .so, etc), can't use copyrighted material, can't use material unbefitting of an E10+ rating, and cannot "jeopardize the integrity of the gameplay" or "affect the simulation for multiplayer games and multiplayer features." While the first three items on the above list could be described as "restrictive," it's the rules about "jeopardizing the integrity of the gameplay" that raise eyebrows. In March, Maxis General Manager Lucy Bradshaw tweeted that "the game was designed for [multiplayer]," and reiterated in a blog post that a single-player mode "didn't fit with our vision." So if the game was designed with multiplayer as an integral gameplay experience but mods can't affect the multiplayer simulation or "jeopardize" gameplay, this may be the most restrictive clause of all. EA also has the right to use, copy, modify and/or distribute an official mod without asking the creator's approval, without paying the creator, and without crediting the creator. So feel free to change the game, modders; just don't change it too much, and don't expect to get paid or credited.
CyanogenMod downloaded 10 million times as it begins to go legit
Though CyanogenMod has gotten plenty of ink lately for its Oppo N1 hookup and Google Play approval (and subsequent removal), it's still first and foremost a modding outfit. In fact it just crossed 10 million downloads of its custom Android ROMs, according to its latest stats. That marks a lot of folks wanting to re-skin their handsets, or give others like Samsung's Galaxy S (shown above) new life. That model, along with the Galaxy S II and S III were the most popular devices to mod, a reflection of their popularity and perhaps users' disdain for TouchWiz. It helps that you can now skip difficult command-line installs, thanks to OTA updates and new desktop and mobile apps. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to install CyanogenMod's Android 4.2.2 ROM on our Galaxy S -- a device officially unsupported since the Gingerbread era.
Tamriel Infinium: Marketing, modeling, and modding the Elder Scrolls Online
I knew Massively readers would have a lot to say regarding the release date for the Elder Scrolls Online and how it measures up against other upcoming MMOs, but I had no idea about the breadth of topics that would come up. We heard the old standard, that nothing will ever beat the two-ton gorilla, World of Warcraft. Other readers argued that other games releasing about the same time are so much better. But what I'm most interested in is in the deeper discussions about why one franchise would choose one date while another would choose to wait. And because I included the launch-day-announcement video, readers had an opportunity to give their input on the aesthetics of the game as well as the overall expected performance. These topics also sparked discussion on modding for ESO. I love all these topics and frankly couldn't settle on one to talk about this week. So I'm just going to hit on them all: marketing, modeling, and modding.
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Chaos Theory: A few useful mods for The Secret World
Do you use mods in The Secret World? This was a question I have actually asked friends and colleagues as the idea of corralling the best and most useful mods bounced around in my head for a while. The irony in that inquiry is that I, personally, do not use any addons for TSW; in fact, I tend not to use them for most any game. But I do hear people swear by them, so I thought finding the best ones used throughout the community would be a helpful service. And then I set the idea aside. You know how it is -- other things jump in the way or catch your attention screaming, "Look at me! Look at me!" So helpful mods have been on the back burner, bumped in favor of other more timely matters. And then suddenly it was the timely issue. You see, once I started trying to run scenarios, one of the mods that everyone keeps talking to me about suddenly became very relevant. (If you've ever tried to do a super-quick swap using the gear manager only to find that once you're in combat, one weapon didn't make the switch, leaving you without half of your skills, you can totally understand why). Once I started thinking about that, it led me to wondering about the other addons out there. And if I am wondering about them, chances are someone else is, too. So that makes now the perfect time to check out the various addpons that players use to make life smoother in TSW.
Xbox One's 500GB HDD swapped for bigger, faster drives, and tested for performance
The Xbox One arrives with a 500GB HDD built-in, and in contrast to the PlayStation 4's easily-accessed storage, it's not meant to be accessed or replaced by the user, ever. While we'll probably leave ours in place to keep from voiding the warranty or risk a ban from Xbox Live, a few folks have already cracked open the console to see what else will fit. iFixit noted during its teardown that there's an off-the-shelf 2.5-inch Samsung HDD inside connected via SATA II inside, and swapping that out isn't much of an issue. Brian Williams has already tried out the system with two alternate drives: a 500GB Samsung EVO SSD, and a Seagate 1TB hybrid SSHD. As you can see in his video (embedded after the break) boot time from off to the dashboard only improved slightly, with the SSD loading in 46.1 seconds compared to 50.5 stock. A test with Call of Duty: Ghosts revealed similar results, with the SSD loading up in 27 seconds and the hybrid drive close behind in 27.7, compared to 33.5 seconds stock. We'll need tests with more games to be sure, but so far it's not showing the improvements seen after swapping the PS4's hard drive out for speedier options. The folks at Tested report doing so improved level load times in Killzone: Shadow Fall from 60 seconds to 39 seconds. So, if it's not a ton faster, why would you want to take the chance of prying Microsoft's box open? To get more space. Brian's drives were simply copies of the original transferred by Clonezilla, but an individual named Juvenal1 has already worked out how to get the system to actually recognize and make use of drives bigger than 500GB. By copying files from your original drive and using their Linux-compatible tool to repartition the new HDD, you can be up and running with more capacity after just a reboot or two. Of course, this carries significant risks and we don't recommend it for most, as Microsoft's Albert Penello has already revealed support for external drives is coming in a future update, along with the ability to do crazy things like see how much storage you actually have left. Still, if you just need to live on the edge (or store every game released so far and record hours of clean Upload Studio clips) the instructions can be found here. Update: If you're interested in performing the upgrade, Brian Williams has followed with a video walkthrough for the process of properly formatting a larger hard drive, even if you're not familiar with using Linux.
2,000 hours later, Skyrim modder lands a job working on Destiny with Bungie
Having spent over 2,000 hours working on the enormous -- and enormously impressive -- Skyrim mod "Falskaar," Alexander Velicky was dead set on getting a design job in the game industry. " I set my sights on a professional design job pretty early, I lowered my head, charged forward, and rarely looked back," he said in a recent forum post. Though you might expect his Skyrim chops would land him at Bethesda Softworks, the studio behind the beloved first-person RPG, he's just accepted a job at Bungie Studios working on Destiny. Velicky spent much of the last four years working on modding, first getting his start in Bethesda Softworks' Fallout 3. When Skyrim launched in 2011, he continued working with Bethesda's modding tools, only this time he created a massive game with "20 - 30 hours" worth of exploration and questing -- he even recorded new voiceover work and a unique soundtrack. That whole cloth approach to modding assuredly helped land Velicky the new gig at Bungie, and it's not the first time we've seen as much. Armed Assault 3 modder Dean Hall created Day Z, which is now being published as a standalone project. Take that as a lesson, y'all: dreams do come true! At least if you work incredibly hard at them.
TUG prepares Survival Games servers
TUG's hardcore survival mode will get its first iteration of testing with the so-called "Survival Games" coming to the beta in January 2014. The team is preparing limited, focused matches on special servers to experiment, refine, and polish its PvP systems. The Survival Games servers are a prelude to TUG's survival mode in which players are thrown onto a map and challenged to be the last man or woman standing. In addition to straight-up combat, these maps contain enemy NPCs and crafting resources. The shrewd survivalist might be able to fashion a weapon or trap on the fly to help gain an edge. As players engage in the Survival Games, the TUG team will be changing the rules constantly and allowing players to implement their own mods in order to develop the best final product. "No name handles, no global chat, and dead is dead," the team described the servers. "Expect some serious trolling from us in these matches... FOR SCIENCE!"
Star Citizen developer introduces The Next Great Starship design competition
Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts and his development team Cloud Imperium Games announced a new design and modding competition, in which fans create their own starship for Star Citizen. Called "The Next Great Starship," the contest will award one team of three people with a $30,000 prize along with their winning entry being included in the game. Starship designers can register for the contest starting on October 31 until December 31. The first challenge tasks teams with "the making of a fully designed wave particle cannon," submitted via YouTube. The entries will be narrowed down to 16, leading into weekly episodes of The Next Great Starship, slated to air on the Robert Space Industries YouTube channel starting January 31, 2014. The final live competition between two remaining teams will commence on June 8, 2014 in Los Angeles.
