Civ V Mod tools: no scripting or programming language needed

[Thyrwyn]

The last sentence from GameKudos:

Mod tools in Civ V require no scripting or programming language, and the game has a system to upload, browse, and download mods.

discuss.

 

[The_J]

The title made me just "OMG ", because it sounded that no scripting/programming would be possible, not that it's not required.

But well...modding in civ4 also doesn't require programming/scripting, a XML editor itself also doesn't have anything to do with it, and the same for creating new 3D models.
Would not make sense to program/script in the stand alone map making program too.

-> this sentence does not mean anything.

 

[Thyrwyn]

Fixed

I don't see how you come to that conclusion. Was knowing Python, XML, and C++ of no value to modders in Civ IV?

 

[Grey Fox]

It says that the MOD TOOLS doesn't require it, not that mods won't be able to use scripts, etc.

 

[Thyrwyn]

No - it says that none are required. I get that it only applies to the included Mod Tools...but that is still tools, plural. It also increases my suspicion that civs and units (at least) will be fairly modular.

I can't help but think that this will be good news for many would be modders.

 

[Tylerryan79]

If the tools they release are user friendly (seems they may be), and require little to no skill(unknown), everyone watch out for my craptastic mods flooding the ingame browser!!

 

[Grey Fox]

@Thyrwyn: Exactly, it says tools, not mods.

 

[Gre_Magus]

I'm imagining something like the Civ2 unit and map editor. Ideally there would be an interface that allowed you to make changes to any of the XML in an intuitive and streamlined manner. Rather than having to cut and paste XML into several files to create a new unit, there would be an "add unit button" with fields for all the relevant elements and attributes. It wouldn't let you do anything that you couldn't do editing the XML, but it would make it more streamlined and approachable.

 

[Ahriman]

Possibly a custom-built thing like the Starcraft editor, where it had dialogue boxes where you could alter unit stats.

 

[_random_]

Something like the Civ3 Editor alongside a more powerful modding interface like Civ4's would be ideal for helping beginners and enabling the advanced.

 

[PieceOfMind]

It would be quite odd if modding tools required scripting knowledge or programming language. Is this really coming as a surprise?

 

[Riot_Starter]

The title made me just "OMG ", because it sounded that no scripting/programming would be possible, not that it's not required.

But well...modding in civ4 also doesn't require programming/scripting, a XML editor itself also doesn't have anything to do with it, and the same for creating new 3D models.
Would not make sense to program/script in the stand alone map making program too.

-> this sentence does not mean anything.

I had to quote this for emphasis. Something not being required does not mean that something does not exist. A silly example would be: "Computer gaming does not require a dedicated graphics card." Sure, some games might not require it but those do not need good graphics(think of this like XML in Civ 4). If you want to play something a little better (more complex mods) then you should get yourself a graphics card (come scripting/programming knowledge). This does not mean that graphics cards are worthless in terms of gaming. To come full circle, scripting/programming may not be required, but if you want to do awesome stuff, I would start learning .

 

[Sam_Yeager]

More to point - where's the information on modding in general? I seem to recall reading that all would become clear with respect to creating mods at E3.

 

[Minor Annoyance]

It would be quite odd if modding tools required scripting knowledge or programming language. Is this really coming as a surprise?

I would say that scripting knowledge or a programming language is it's own tool, and they are talking about a program that is it's own modding tool.

 

[PieceOfMind]

More to point - where's the information on modding in general? I seem to recall reading that all would become clear with respect to creating mods at E3.

Where'd you read that? How modding will work is on the top of the list of what I want to know about civ5.

 

[Sam_Yeager]

Where'd you read that? How modding will work is on the top of the list of what I want to know about civ5.

TBH I thought I read it somewhere in the modding thread or 2k_greg's thread. However perhaps someone was speculating and I misinterpreted what they wrote.

 

[Earthling]

-> this sentence does not mean anything.

Correct. It's essentially implying they maybe do have a more extensive map/unit editor, and tools for graphics perhaps, to insert minor changes into the game. However, major mods are still impossible without scripting and programming knowledge, it's literally impossible. Average Joe can't just type into his computer "I want the game to do this, design a fantasy world with orcs and elves etc..." and it'll invent the game and graphics for him.

 

[deanej]

That's assuming we even have the capability to do that. The focus with civ5 seems to be modding for the common man. Modding for the computer geeks that want to make their own game with civ5 doesn't seem to have been a consideration.

 

[CommanderZ]

I hope they release the core DLL source code like they did for Civ IV.

 

[2K Greg]

That's assuming we even have the capability to do that. The focus with civ5 seems to be modding for the common man. Modding for the computer geeks that want to make their own game with civ5 doesn't seem to have been a consideration.

This is most definitely not true. You can have both.