What will "DLL Source Code" allow modders to do?

[Gort]

Apparently we will be getting the "DLL Source Code" which will allow modders to "produce modded DLLs".

What will this allow modders to actually do? What will become un-hardcoded that was previously hardcoded?

 

[Gedemon]

AI diplomacy, AI strategy, combat rules, spy and religion mechanism.

And surely a lot more, but that's the first to come in my mind.

 

[Ghonasiflaids]

Wait?????Really? When?

I can't wait!

 

[Gort]

This news sounds huge, then.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Things like two pantheons, more belief types, things that are otherwise impossible to do via LUA or XML.

Probably new graphic styles, new terrain types, Rise and Fall of Mankind (can't wait!) Nicely voiced and improved leader screens, hell of a lot of things.. at least, that's what I think it is.

DLL is pretty much like the release of an engine, it broadens up the abilities modders are otherwise unable to do via LUA and XML.

 

[markusbeutel]

Things like two pantheons, more belief types, things that are otherwise impossible to do via LUA or XML.

Probably new graphic styles, new terrain types, Rise and Fall of Mankind (can't wait!) Nicely voiced and improved leader screens, hell of a lot of things.. at least, that's what I think it is.

DLL is pretty much like the release of an engine, it broadens up the abilities modders are otherwise unable to do via LUA and XML.

Mainly AI rules and game mechanics, actually - teaching the AI how to play within the confines of new rules and systems and that sort of thing... Graphically there won't be anything new that we couldn't already add with existing tools, leader screens also are pretty much an impossibility based on their current complexity, with or without the .dll. I'm not sure what we'll be able to do with the audio - but as someone who has a degree in audio engineering, you'll be hard-pressed to get anything of quality on par with what Firaxis has released into the game. Best bet here is probably just swapping in and out music.

Basically, people can't be expecting FFH or Rise and Fall a month after release of the .dll. If anything, something on par with those 2 examples will take years to complete provided enough people make the switch to modding CIV V.

 

[Drawmeus]

What markus said. Lots of stuff opens up, but it is fantastically time consuming to do, taking relatively large teams including multiple programmers to have any real shot at doing a complete overhaul mod.