Modding has been part of the gaming world from very early days of the genre. Some of the first games to be modded were on the early consoles that allowed players to create brand new levels and share them with others who were using the internet.
If you’ve never heard of game modding before, here’s everything you need to know about it.
What Are Game Mods?
Game mods are a shortened form of game modifications. They’re changes that have been made to a base game that players can make, share and use on the game. These modifications can be for anything on the game.
Game mods have been a valuable part of the gaming community for a long time. There are forums for games that allow players to discuss and share mods freely. Some games even allow mods to appear within startup screens or within the game menus. For instance, Civilization IV had official mods that were created by players within the game menu.
In the recent Command & Conquer Remaster game, players can use an in-game search tool to discover new maps, levels and missions that can be played.
However, some mods are less official and require a little more knowledge of coding or at least copying files into a game file on a computer.
What Types Of Game Mods Are There?
There are several different types of game mods available. Here’s a list of some of the examples of game mods that are available. Some mods can fit into more than one category.
Skins/Design/Appearance
The first option is one that allows players to change the way they look or add in new styles that the player can use. This can be something as simple as changing the colors of a character’s clothes or changing how the enemy looks. They can also make improvements to the graphics of the game, making them more up to date.
These are some of the simplest mods that are about but they can really add enhancements to games that make them look more appealing. Therefore, players can enjoy the worlds in which they play much better.
Some systems, like Digitalax will even make these skin designs more appealing. Players will be able to buy one-off items designed by digital artists/fashion designers. These types of mods are also known as NFTs as the player has ownership and control over the item. They can use the item in-game and sell it on later on if they would like.
Improving Game Mechanics
There are times when games are released and they have errors or glitches in them. Some modders focus on fixing these errors and releasing them as a mod to other players. This is one of the best mods out there as it can make gameplay so much more enjoyable if you don’t have to worry about a game breaking because of a small development error.
This mod is sometimes combined with others, like skin designs.
New Content
New content can cover lots of different elements within a game. Some new content might include new maps for multiplayer or single player games. Or it might include new characters, items or features within the game. This can allow for gameplay to last longer.
Sometimes these mods are added to the base game because the developers like them so much.
Adding Franchises
There are times when games add completely new franchises into the base game to give fans of those franchises a chance to interact with them. A classic example of this would be Star Trek and Star Wars who have appeared in numerous different games through mods being developed. Or Pokemon that has appeared in the hit-game Minecraft.
Adding franchises can be a little risky as some franchise owners can take offense at the use of their franchise without authorization.
Changing Features
Jagged Alliance 2 was released with some simple limitations. The squads players could control were limited to six and there were some balancing issues. But modders quickly changed some items on the game to make the squad count more and added in new content. This soon became an official release that was distributed later on as a game.
There are also other games that have done this. For instance, there are Minecraft mods that allow you to wear hats and Sims 4 mods that allow the player to experience more real-life scenarios.
You can also look at the Sheriff mod on Among Us. This changes the roles of some of the players and allows for a different style of game. There are also ways that players can earn money through the Sheriff mod when they’re playing through ESPA, the first indie and mod casual esports environment, allowing players to engage in esports battles and go from amateur to pro.
Are Mods Costly?
No, mods are not costly. They are provided free to players through forums and sometimes official channels. It is up to the player to find and use the mods. Some game developers also encourage mods because it allows the lifespan of the game to be significantly increased. Game streaming service Steam even has some discussion boards within game areas that allow for mod swapping.
All mods are developed by enthusiasts who love the games they play, have great ideas and the skills to complete them. However, they do put in dozens if not hundreds of hours into these mods and deserved to be recognized for their hard work. Without their involvement, some games would not have the appeal that they do.
If you’re looking to support someone who has developed a mod you can see if they have a Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee account and see if you can contribute to that. Or you can watch them on streaming channels like Twitch and YouTube. Watching the adverts on these platforms can help build their advertising revenue.
There are also new environments where mods are now starting to be recognized. It is helping developers of these game additions to be financially rewarded for their contributions. One of the systems that is making this happen is Digitalax.
Why Are Mods So Important?
Mods are a vital part of the gaming experience nowadays. If there is something about a game you don’t like or think that a game can be improved by a certain aspect, then there is probably a mod for that.
Game developers have realized the benefits of mods to their gaming community. The more mods available for their games, the more players will play their game. As a result, they can keep games for a lot longer and this reduces the need to develop new games. For instance, developers behind Stellaris haven’t needed to release a new version of the game officially. They use a combination of mods, new updates,, and DLCs to keep their gaming community alive.
Just recently, they revamped the game. In the past, without mods keeping a game going, the lifespan of the game could have been two or three years. Now it has been nearly five years and the game and the community is going strong.
Another example of this is Stardew Valley. Their modding community has added numerous features to the game. The game developer has even included some of these features into an update released later on. However, the simple game has been going since 2016 and shows no sign of losing popularity.
Modding helps these games stay fresh by improving the entire experience of the user. This is important because a happy gamer is going to stick around.
Conclusion
Modding is the process of changing the games by adding or modifying game files that change the appearance, adding new content, or fixing glitches. Game modding has been around since the first games were released, with Doom being the first game that officially had the resources available to make modding easy for fans.
Suppose you’re thinking of abandoning a game because you don’t like something about it. Then perhaps you should consider seeing if there is a mod available that can sort that feature out. Generally, if you’ve thought of something, then there is going to be a mod for it. And as mods are not paid for, it won’t cost you a thing, and the experience of the game can be so much better.
If you’re looking to develop your own mods, this can be a great starting step into game development. It can help you build a brand name or portfolio that has social proof to help you get a job or start your own game studio as other modders have done so.
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