Would it even be possible to make a mod that enables animations in multiplayer?

[Netsurfer733]

This isn't a 'request' per se, since I know there's a place for that, but I really and genuinely want to know, since I'm dying to play this game in multiplayer...

Would it even be possible to make a mod that enables animations in multiplayer?

I understand why they turned it off by default, but it's not at all a casual-friendly decision to not even be able see your units move or attack. People want to see what they can do first before 'speeding up' a game that they don't understand nearly as much as they otherwise would have if they could see their units do what they do first, at least. All of this on top of how it's just a more asthetically pleasing situation to play with animations on. You can see one of the multiple threads of those upset about this here http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87822

Reasoning aside then, would it be possible to enable animations for multiplayer? My girlfriend thinks I should get a refund for the copy I bought her because she refuses to play it like this (and I'm not going to play my first game of multiplayer without her).

What do you guys think? Easy fix? Impossible? Or somewhere in between?

 

[Elite]

I think this sounds like a request, despite you saying it's not, but anyway, I myself would love to see a mod that adds animations into multiplayer.

 

[Netsurfer733]

If I know it's possible then I'll request it--hard XD

 

[Kruelgor]

I'm thinking it's probably not possible because it could cause out of sync issues unless all the participating players were on the same modded version, but if some genius modder can manage to pull it off then that would be great.

 

[warpstorm]

I don't think it would be possible since he controlling code for combat animations is likely in the engine.

 

[Netsurfer733]

I'm thinking it's probably not possible because it could cause out of sync issues unless all the participating players were on the same modded version, but if some genius modder can manage to pull it off then that would be great.

I can't see why this is a problem-I thought in order to play multiplayer with mods, every person would need to have those mods anyway, no?

@warpstorm: ...you mean to say that modders can't access the engine's coding for their mods? At all? I thought every game could be modded theoretically down to its deepest levels?

 

[Elite]

Any game created, can be modded by anyone, so long as they have proper knowledge and tools, and the tools usually find themselves on Google before long.

 

[Netsurfer733]

That's what I thought!

So...how many folks out there will actually be taking cracks at modding the game?

 

[snarko]

While any game can be modded in any way you like if you don't have access to the source code it's very difficult. Also, the exe may quite likely be illegal to mod in many countries.

What warpstorm meant with the engine is the graphics engine. For civ 4 firaxis released the source code to a large part of the game but not the graphics engine. Probably couldn't, since they didn't code it themselves. This time they've coded their own engine but I don't know how much (if any) will be in the code they release.

AFAIK they haven't released that code yet, so we don't know what can or cannot be done. After the code is released it'll take people a while to look through it and learn how things are working. (There's many ways to do the same thing.) Then, maybe, someone will try to mod what you're asking for. Assuming it's possible.

 

[James009]

No reason this shouldn't be possible, especially for combat (as it's just a visual representation or simulation of the results). However, we'll have to wait until they release the mod tools. For example, I really don't know how to implement my XML codes without the ModBuddy thingy doing the mod file for me.

 

[Louis XXIV]

I wonder if this is an XML thing. If not, it won't be until they release the code (which I believe they will be, but I could be wrong).

 

[am138]

Would it not be more viable to push for Firaxis themselves to enable it as an option in multiplayer matches?

 

[Netsurfer733]

Would it not be more viable to push for Firaxis themselves to enable it as an option in multiplayer matches?

Possibly true, am, but I'd love it to be sooner rather than later (backups like these mods help for that). And thank you to whoever spoke about the graphical thing--that seems to be one of the best tidbits to offer this thread.

Now that the mod tools are out, however, I ask you all again now that we know better (and because I'm still waiting for them to be an option before I bring my family along):

Can the animations be modded back into multiplayer with the released mod tools?