I think that the "illegal" thing might be pushing it there, it's more that they couldn't build in mod support because of the licensing issues. Probably because most license holders tend to get rather hands on in what's approved to go into the game with their IP in approving every iteration of things. It's why a lot of licensed games with mods tend to need 3rd party support for putting them into the game.
What is Frontier's point of view on the rise of mods?
- Thread starter tinywolf
- Start date
Probably find that the position of Frontier, given that JWE is not multiplayer , would simply be do what you want. Just don't expect support or help creating and installing them...
I.e if the mod breaks your game & save don't go crying to them to fix it.
If the mods were sold by third party developers without permission then that would be illegal and FD would put a stop to it.
I.e if the mod breaks your game & save don't go crying to them to fix it.
If the mods were sold by third party developers without permission then that would be illegal and FD would put a stop to it.
Does does anybody feel like mods could ruin the game completely in the future because it seems that with Dinosaurs being added thanks to mods not only would console players feel left out but also this could actually ruin new dinosaurs from actually coming into Jurassic world evolution in the future such as the therizinosaurus, what happens if therizinosaurus is added to the game in a Major DLC and nobody wants to buy it because they think "I got it so what do I need this DLC for in my mods collection on my PC".... You see what I'm getting at why would you want to pay money for something that you got in mod on P.C for free.
When it comes to mods, console players have always been left out... really, if they want or need mods that much they need to invest in a good PC and get the PC version. And unless the fan made dinosaurs are really, really well done (there are now and always will be limitations to what fans can do) it's hard to imagine people skipping the official stuff for the mod versions...
Especially when they can, then, have both of them.
It's only recently that consoles got mods without also modifying the console at the same time...
No it really won't. In just about every cross-platform title, playing on the PC provides massive modding and user customisation options (regardless of legality) that console players will never have access to. Unfortunately console players will always be left out, especially as PC hardware capabilities move far ahead of the current console generation.
When the original Zoo Tycoon 2 (Nov 2004) was released on the PC, from day 1 the modders we're re-purposing game assets to create completely new animals. People still bought the Endangered Species DLC a year later (Oct 2005), even though most of the featured animals already had mod-created versions. People still bought the African Adventures DLC in May 2006, again with more than half the animals already available in mod-form. People still bought Marine Mania (Oct 2006) and, even though user-made dinosaurs had been in the game for years, people still bought Extinct Animals (Oct 2007).
Modders love it when fresh DLC is released because it gives them fresh templates to make novel mods. And everyone else will buy the DLC because the new mods require them to work.
When the original Zoo Tycoon 2 (Nov 2004) was released on the PC, from day 1 the modders we're re-purposing game assets to create completely new animals. People still bought the Endangered Species DLC a year later (Oct 2005), even though most of the featured animals already had mod-created versions. People still bought the African Adventures DLC in May 2006, again with more than half the animals already available in mod-form. People still bought Marine Mania (Oct 2006) and, even though user-made dinosaurs had been in the game for years, people still bought Extinct Animals (Oct 2007).
Modders love it when fresh DLC is released because it gives them fresh templates to make novel mods. And everyone else will buy the DLC because the new mods require them to work.
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DLCs quite often add features that have previously been added by mods, for example the Skyrim DLC "heathfire" added player built houses yet plenty of mods already did that, that DLC sold very well.
The original jurassic park operation genesis still has players and still gets new mods nearly 17 years after release! modded games can get a huge extension in their usable life with mods.
You mean I can have more paleontologically accurate dinosaurs in my game? You mean the Acro will no longer look like a Rex Puppy? I've never really cared about "mods" before, but oh dear... this is very very tempting. Imagine, accurate looking dino's... dino's that are the right size... oh dear, oh dear, oh dearie me.
I can't speak for everyone, but I highly doubt that the inclusion of mods will limit my interest in getting additional DLC's. First, I doubt most people will use mods in their games. Yes, people will consider it. I for one, am very tempted by more accurate models, but understand that's a niche. Some people won't care to take the risk with mods. Others may be purists who believe in keeping their game pure and developer intended (this is how I am with Minecraft. I'm one of the few it feels like). Still others won't even know they exist. So, mods will likely not make a big difference to those players, and they will still be interested in DLC's.
Another thing to consider with mods is quality. Some mods are exceptional, but for the most part, mods tend to be lower quality then something created by a professional team. The janky animations, the existing dinosaur replacement, lack of sound files/introduction files, or lack of other quality of life features will simply make them less appealing than a well crafted dino pack. Therefore, people will continue to purchase DLC's when those DLC's have more features without the drawbacks of mods.
Lastly, I think it's important to consider the timing of mods. The game has been out for 1.5 years now. The player base is likely a huge fraction of what it was, and the return Frontier is expecting for future DLC's is likely diminishing. We don't know for sure, but it's possible that Frontier doesn't have an interest in providing additional DLC's. They could be getting ready to cut and shift to other projects. Modding in these cases, is actually a way for people to show their appreciation to Frontier by creating fan based content. It's actually a good thing.
I know that not everyone can appreciate mods. Even those who have a PC may not want mods (I will likely be one of those). I think it's still a valid statement to say that the unmodded game is just as fun as the modded game. As of this current moment, the mods really don't add much additional content to the game, and I am very happy to continue playing JWE without them. Mods don't really change my mind about this game, or about future DLC's
I had all kinds of mods for zoo tycoon 2. Still do actually I just don’t play anymore with the release of pz. I bought a pretty good laptop to play pz and pc but don’t really have the desire to flood it with mods. I have the console version of jwe. I’ve seen some mods for pz but imo it just creates a mess for example if a mod jaguar came out then two months later frontier has one I’d rather have frontier content.
I think that frontier probably knew it was bound to happen as they’ve been around for awhile. They would probably say get them at your own risk as they will not take responsibility for a game breaking mod. At the same whether your for it or against it some of the things modders create are very presentable and often times beautifully done. Most are very knowledgeable on the process also. As a player you look at frontiers lineup and you say pc is probably almost wrapped up. Jwe I think maybe 2 or 3 more dlc possibly. And obviously planet zoo is almost three months old. I could see if the games were finished and then the modding started but much too early for planet zoo imo. Zoo tycoon 2 needed mods as to where frontier has some beautifully done games. Me like I said I’ll stay away from the mods but people are always going to do it.
I can't post images, but google "MrTroodon" "Nexus" and "texture" and look at that gloriously sculpted carcharodontosaurid cranial anatomy replacing the "Rex Puppy".
I'm the developer of the mod tools. Frontier is not against modding, I have spoken with them myself regarding it. They do not however officially support it which makes complete sense, it takes a ton of work to support modding at the engine level without causing any issues and is simply something most modern studios wont spend time implementing.
Even Gamebryo, the engine Skyrim uses, has its mod scene built from user made mod tools instead of official ones.
Edit: regarding dangers like broken saves, The only mods that would be able to cause such issues is the mixed eras mod if you don't reapply it after an update which shouldn't come as a surprise.
Even Gamebryo, the engine Skyrim uses, has its mod scene built from user made mod tools instead of official ones.
Edit: regarding dangers like broken saves, The only mods that would be able to cause such issues is the mixed eras mod if you don't reapply it after an update which shouldn't come as a surprise.
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Broken saves in a park simulator aren't exactly game breaking