Export base content into mod/content packs

[Bork_3]

I’ve been fiddling with making my own mod now that we have the manager etc. It really does bother me and is a PITA that not all content is through the manager system. Namely, there’s things I want to modify. Some things I actually want to remove outright. Really it would be great if it could be largely separated and independent of most Cata updates. I know the mod manager thing was supposed to be the end-all last step in reaching the promised land for modding Cata, but I think there’s more that needs to be done for it to give greater control.

I propose that the vanilla content be divided into a number of packs. There’s a logical distribution of content that should be had, namely the most simple of materials, types, and resources should go in the first pack. IE raw materials, like everything from strings through ropes, metal chunks through steel lumps, plastic chunks, plastic bags, basic containers, etc etc etc. Towns and related spawns would be another base pack, and each special site with related monsters and special spawns would probably be another pack reliant on some stuff preceding packs (core resources and some towns stuff).

Maybe someone has a better idea of how to organize it. Either way, I really think this needs to be done, seeing as Whales is throwing thinly veiled insults regarding DDA being too content bloated, and everywhere I go people criticize DDA for similar reasons. If there’s things people don’t like, they can better separate them with a switch much like the “classic zombies” option that was added. Then it also makes things considerably easier for modders intending to have greater control over the content and game balance, and balance being the other biggest complaint I hear.

It’s a win win win.

[i2amroy]

Said content exportation is actually planned IIRC, it’s just that the mod manager is a fairly new thing and we haven’t gotten around to it yet.

[kevin.granade]

@Bork^3

I know the mod manager thing was supposed to be the end-all last step in reaching the promised land for modding Cata, but I think there’s more that needs to be done for it to give greater control.

Um, who said the current version of the mod manager was the last word in mod confugrability? As far as I’m concerned it’s a good first step. In the end I want mods and players to have an easy to use way to select what content is in or out based on both tags that get applied to everything, and by whitelists/blacklists on individual entities. Doing it per-file is ok for now, but it’s not flexible enough to do what either of us want.

@Bork^3

Either way, I really think this needs to be done, seeing as Whales is throwing thinly veiled insults regarding DDA being too content bloated, and everywhere I go people criticize DDA for similar reasons. If there’s things people don’t like, they can better separate them with a switch much like the “classic zombies” option that was added.

That’s pretty much the worst reason to do it. I’m not adding configurability for people to remove things that make them upset, I’m adding it so people can play the game they want to play. If there was a way to support the second group without supporting the first, I would, but there isn’t.

@Bork^3

Then it also makes things considerably easier for modders intending to have greater control over the content and game balance, and balance being the other biggest complaint I hear.

That’s something I can get behind, the easier it is to play around with game balance, the more likely it is that someone will do good stuff with it and contribute back.

@Bork^3

It’s a win win win.

I think we completely agree on what we want, just some differences in why and how