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EA DICE has no plans for Battlefield 3 mod tools

C

crimsonheadGCN

Banned
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTdTs7dNgbk&feature=player_embedded

http://www.bluesnews.com/s/123375/no-battlefield-3-mod-tools-planned

This Battlefield 3 video Q&A features GameStar's interview with EA/DICE's Patrick Söderlund talking abut Battlefield 3 (thanks GameSpy). One of the community questions they ask is about whether they plan to release mod tools with the game, to which Patrick says no: "Well as of now we're not going to make any modding tools, no." Here's his reply when asked why: "'Cause if you look at the Frostbite engine, and how complex it is, it's going to be very difficult for people to mod the game. Because of the nature of the set up of levels, the destruction, and all those things, it's quite tricky, so we think it's going to be too big of a challenge for people to make a mod."
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...what.

Maybe this will be one of those rare instances when "no plans" doesn't actually mean "we have no more development time for something like this".
 
Whining has been working pretty well on the internet lately (besides operation rainfall lollolol) so people should get started on that.
 
This is kind of a big 'fuck you' to the PC community, which is a shame considering all the good work they've done thus far. They really need to have some form of mod tools for the PC guys, the franchise history is steeped in mod projects. Hell just look at the desert combat guys forming Kaos who would eventually go on to create Homefront.

ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU DON'T WANT ANOTHER HOMEFRONT GAF?!

Despite the sarcastic conclusion to my post I'll reiterate the start was deadly serious. You need MOD tools DICE.
 
going to be very difficult for people to mod the game. Because of the nature of the set up of levels, the destruction, and all those things, it's quite tricky, so we think it's going to be too big of a challenge for people to make a mod.
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Well this should set your alarms off folks. Obvious PR bullshit that anyone even slightly knowledgable can see through. Translation: We don't want awesome mods like there are for Source games, UE games, past Battlefield games, and pretty much any at one point "too complex" engine that allows such, taking away from our DLC sales.

How hard it is, would not be their problem. They don't have to create stupidly easy to use tools if they didn't bother doing it for themselves (though they most likely have). Fixing up and releasing what they have would be more than enough. People make amazing things sometimes even without any mod tools, showing there are many with the will and the know how to get around any issues to do what they want. It's not like it would be an option on the main menu so that even the most casual gamer would expect to be able to use it profficiently in 5 minutes. It's a pathetic, transparent excuse. Mod support should be there, hard or not, so that people can maximise what they can do with and for it rather than encounter limitations they have to hack around, if even at all possible, every step of the way, without access to many of the features they would need.

Red Orchestra 2 and mods here we come.
ro2releasedate_medium.jpg
 
Bad Company did not have anything either. Regardless of development effort not shipping them seems like a modern EA business choice. Mod support is problematic for the centralized game and stat servers. Art asset support is terrible for the DLC model.

Although, it is easier to be a jerk and say console games don't have mods.
 
Heh.

PR2 using the FB2 engine would have been amazing. I really wonder what it comes down to. Is it EA refusing the promote mods thinking it might kill DLC? Or is it really that DICE simply doesnt have the time to package everything and give it to players.

As for the "difficulty" thing, I'm sure modders from around the world would rise to the challenge of using something like FB2. However complex and unfriendly it is.
 
This would probably go over better if they didn't come out with that absurd excuse. Be honest or say nothing beyond a categorical denial. Reminds me of when EA had Bioware come out and swear that they didn't mean to screw over Steam users during the Dragon Age 2 preorder promo.

Things have really changed since Desert Combat, sigh.
 
Dammit. Almost makes it not worth it for me to upgrade my PC.

epmode said:
This would probably go over better if they didn't come out with that absurd excuse. Be honest or say nothing beyond a categorical denial.

Things have really changed since Desert Combat, sigh.
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You didn't see any HONESTY in there? Anywhere?

Alextended said:
DLC sales.
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NAILED IT.
 
I've always hated the "our tools are too complex" argument. I'm sure they're too complex for me, but fuck, have you SEEN the stuff PC communities come up with?

More "we know what's best for you" bullshit.
 
legacyzero said:
Dammit. Almost makes it not worth it for me to upgrade my PC.
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battlefield 3 is just a ruse to rope in you ditsy AAA stargazers so you get bitten by the bug just as red orchestra 2 hits.
 
I'm guessing this is a case where EA doesn't see any additional potential revenue from mod tools, so they're not going to pay for DICE to make them.
 
"'Cause if you look at the Frostbite engine, and how complex it is, it's going to be very difficult for people to mod the game. Because of the nature of the set up of levels, the destruction, and all those things, it's quite tricky, so we think it's going to be too big of a challenge for people to make a mod."

Really? I'm not saying I could do it but I'm damn sure there is plenty of willing and capable people out there.
 
They have been saying this for like half a year now haven't they? EA wants their map pack money I guess... I mean they have already announced day one dlc.
 
Like others have said, this is old news. DICE has said early on that there are not any plans for modding support. However, if BF3 sells good enough and if the entire PC community demands it then something might happen.
 
"Cause if you look at the Frostbite engine, and how complex it is, it's going to be very difficult for people to mod the game. Because of the nature of the set up of levels, the destruction, and all those things, it's quite tricky, so we think it's going to be too big of a challenge for people to make a mod."
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bBWAHAHHAHAHA
 
This started with the Sims. Will Wright said they would release the editor for it (Edith). But it was a huge hit and EA forced him not to.

Thankfully, a former Maxis employee wrote a tool, and that sort of got third party/fan efforts at decoding the game going (which extended to later versions).
 
Eh, DICE has never been big on releasing mod tools, or making the game mod friendly.

So the hate is that they don't go through and take the time and effort to make mod tools (time=money) so that maybe someone will make a cool mod some day? But what if that cool mod hurts BF4?

Then there are already several engines out there that are mod friendly and do great documentation and try and make things usable.

Releasing mod tools/sdk is more than just packing another gig of files and a .exe along.

It's a huge cost and DICE/EA doesn't feel it's worth the money.

Mods/Total Conversions haven't been a big deal for the last 7 years or so.
 
D3adend said:
Eh, DICE has never been big on releasing mod tools, or making the game mod friendly.

So the hate is that they don't go through and take the time and effort to make mod tools (time=money) so that maybe someone will make a cool mod some day? But what if that cool mod hurts BF4?

Then there are already several engines out there that are mod friendly and do great documentation and try and make things usable.

Releasing mod tools/sdk is more than just packing another gig of files and a .exe along.

It's a huge cost and DICE/EA doesn't feel it's worth the money.

Mods/Total Conversions haven't been a big deal for the last 7 years or so.
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i feel like this post needs bullet points and an official watermark.
 
D3adend said:
Eh, DICE has never been big on releasing mod tools, or making the game mod friendly.

So the hate is that they don't go through and take the time and effort to make mod tools (time=money) so that maybe someone will make a cool mod some day? But what if that cool mod hurts BF4?

Then there are already several engines out there that are mod friendly and do great documentation and try and make things usable.

Releasing mod tools/sdk is more than just packing another gig of files and a .exe along.

It's a huge cost and DICE/EA doesn't feel it's worth the money.

Mods/Total Conversions haven't been a big deal for the last 7 years or so.
Click to expand...

What?
 
Arnie said:
This is kind of a big 'fuck you' to the PC community, which is a shame considering all the good work they've done thus far. They really need to have some form of mod tools for the PC guys, the franchise history is steeped in mod projects. Hell just look at the desert combat guys forming Kaos who would eventually go on to create Homefront.
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I am not being sarcastic, what are these mods you speak of?

I guess this decision makes sense. This is the first game in this engine which they are still finalizing. Their priority right now is building tools that support the actual game developers and not tools that support the modding community. Most likely they will release mod tools when they have nailed the basics.
 
godhandiscen said:
I am not being sarcastic, what are these mods you speak of?

I guess this decision makes sense. This is the first game in this engine which they are still finalizing. It make absolute sense that their priority is in building tools that support the actual game developers and not tools that support the modding community. Most likely they will release mod tools when they have nailed the basics.
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desert combat says hi
 
D3adend said:
Eh, DICE has never been big on releasing mod tools, or making the game mod friendly.

So the hate is that they don't go through and take the time and effort to make mod tools (time=money) so that maybe someone will make a cool mod some day? But what if that cool mod hurts BF4?

Then there are already several engines out there that are mod friendly and do great documentation and try and make things usable.

Releasing mod tools/sdk is more than just packing another gig of files and a .exe along.

It's a huge cost and DICE/EA doesn't feel it's worth the money.

Mods/Total Conversions haven't been a big deal for the last 7 years or so.
Click to expand...

this post gave me kidney stones
 
Saying it will be "too hard" is a pretty ignorant viewpoint of the modding community. On the front page of this very site is a stunning GTA4 mod which transforms the game from a putrid mess into something nearing photo-realism. Then there was also the Crysis Xzero shaders which were completely written from scratch by one guy (I think he even works at Crytek now, could be wrong). Never under-estimate what smart individuals can do, even with completely alien engines.
 
back in the day werent mods made in spite of the company? carmack/ quake engine just spoiled us in the late 90s with its official tools (and by association valve)
 
D3adend said:
Eh, DICE has never been big on releasing mod tools, or making the game mod friendly.

So the hate is that they don't go through and take the time and effort to make mod tools (time=money) so that maybe someone will make a cool mod some day? But what if that cool mod hurts BF4?

Then there are already several engines out there that are mod friendly and do great documentation and try and make things usable.

Releasing mod tools/sdk is more than just packing another gig of files and a .exe along.

It's a huge cost and DICE/EA doesn't feel it's worth the money.

Mods/Total Conversions haven't been a big deal for the last 7 years or so.
Click to expand...

EynMv.jpg
 
They could do the same as Crytek and give them the developer tools with the 360/PS3 features removed.

I actually think that main issue is that they use Enlighten. Nearly everything in CE3 is internally created (including the physics engine), so there aren't any licensing issues. I could be wrong about that though.
 
I like how its possible for Bethesda to release tools for every one of their games, Crytek for their games, Valve with theirs but apparently its too difficult for DICE. Shoot, even Treyarch is releasing them for BLOPS.
 
LovingSteam said:
I like how its possible for Bethesda to release tools for every one of their games, Crytek for their games, Valve with theirs but apparently its too difficult for DICE. Shoot, even Treyarch is releasing them for BLOPS.
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Once they're done nickel and diming folks with shitbag DLC map packs we might see them get released. Until they're done that though, they'll stick by this "too hard" line.
 
LovingSteam said:
I like how its possible for Bethesda to release tools for every one of their games, Crytek for their games, Valve with theirs but apparently its too difficult for DICE. Shoot, even Treyarch is releasing them for BLOPS.
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Well to be fair, the Bethesda mod community would actually be a real danger to Bethesda if they didn't get their mod tools.
 
LovingSteam said:
I like how its possible for Bethesda to release tools for every one of their games, Crytek for their games, Valve with theirs but apparently its too difficult for DICE. Shoot, even Treyarch is releasing them for BLOPS.
Click to expand...
All of those games are releasing on engines that are modified versions of engines with over 6 years in the market right? Isn't Frostbyte 2.0 completely new from the way it handles geometry to allow destruction, to the way it works with shaders to implement DX11 effects?
 
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