c186# LAMENT OF AN OBSESSIVE GAME MODIFIER

[MarkG]

<A href="/misc/column/186_mod.shtml" target="_top">186# LAMENT OF AN OBSESSIVE GAME MODIFIER</a>
<i>A hymn to modification</i>

by John Bytheway

[Avenoct]

All of my possible comments equal one thing: "Ditto"

-Smack

[faded glory]

Excellent JBTW , I appreciate your help in the CTP-PBEM and CTP- General forums. You've made my gaming expierence a bit easier.

A warm thanks to you my fried

[TCO]

I thought the comment to the effect of "rules inconsistencies appear to be a result of later rushed development" was interesting.

I think a rules-based system may be a bit more cumbersome in terms of lines of code. But it is likely to be pay off. Not just in player mods. But in the play-balanceing that the designers do while creating the game.

[Buck Birdseed]

Dammit! I know I should have submitted my own column on a similar topic earlier!

Anyway, well put. Your CtP experiences practically mirror my SMAC ones, except that game was deficient in the editing department and I never really got going with it. Same with StarCraft, really- I thought the editor was brilliant but the kind of mod I'd want to make was simply not possible. No, the games I've edited the most (except civ2) have been racing games and first person shooters, Micro Machines 2, Duke Nukem 3D and most recently Unreal Tournament, where I spent several months making a "Coffee Table of The Devil" level. Those three editing tools I consider to be the best ones, for their particular purposes.

[Father Beast]

A salute to you for having spent all that time making mods!

I have to agree that this adds seriously to the longevity of the game. I myself spend almost as much time making rules modifications and playing under them to see how it works out, as I do trying various ways of playing under the standard rules.

[dainbramaged13]

I have ctp, and wil be interested in playing your mod/scenario whenever it comes out, assuming that is before civ3, becuase iam running out of fun in civ2 and ctp (the only two civ-games i have) right in time for civ3... but its still cut short a month :-D anyway, put it up on apolyton and PM or email me when it comes out, and at least one person will enjoy your hard work.

[JonahFalcon]

Huh?

Civ III's system requirements are too high? What, are you running a Tandy from 1986?