Modding tools for Sim City 2013

[ctp133 3]

could Maya, Blender or hexagon be use to make buildings for sim city 2013 if so what file format and max number of polygons or verts

[Ocram's Razr 963]

This is completely unknown at this point. All we do know is that there will be no custom content at release but GlassBox is highly extensible and modifiable.

--Ocram

  Edited October 10, 2012 by OcramSeattle  

[Screwballl 196]

the interview here:

http://www.gameinfor...spx?PageIndex=2

says:

Is there an element of user-created content and sharing in city customization?

We’re not committing to any of that at this time, but we know that is part of Maxis. In SimCity 4, a lot of those tools were released pretty much a year after launch. So, definitely on our minds, but I can’t promise that we’re delivering on any of that right now.

They basically said the same thing at the launch of SC4 too, but it may be possible they will lock out mods... no way to know for sure.

  Edited October 10, 2012 by Screwballl  

[Karybdis 34]

Pfft. That's a generic legal answer that it's unknown. :-P

We will mod it. It uses the same package format. There's enough talented people around that whatever locks they put on content should be reversed very quickly unless something is coded into the executable to specifically block it (Unlikely, but you never know). Reverse engineering will take a while, then tool building will take a while.

You will be able to design building parts in Maya, Blender, or whatever format that modding teams make a tool for. Also Maxis will almost inevitably make a tool as well.

[plasticboy 36]

Even of they are to allow mods and CC, I can't quite wrap my head around how it all would function in the multiplayer environment, where global economy depends on everyone having the same capabilities.

  Edited October 11, 2012 by plasticboy  

[Ocram's Razr 963]

Plugins like recolors/reskins and new buildings with cloned features/statistics would be the first things to be allowed, new resources are possible with Glass Box but Origin might dislike that. Hacks would almost certainly be out.

--Ocram

[BurroDiablo 222]

could Maya, Blender or hexagon be use to make buildings for sim city 2013 if so what file format and max number of polygons or verts

You would ideally keep your buildings as low poly as possible, using normal maps to add in detail. Of course, you could always build something high poly and bake the normals for low poly.

[CarrotCake07 3]

I think that modding will start after a few weeks, maybe a few months. But I don't really think that the modding will start directly after release.

[CXLMachine 17]

I would bet that all modding would be done by them and presented as DLC. Only if online fails will they possibly open the game to modding by users. but once they allow that, their DLC would be undesirable. -End Game- for them and theyll admit defeat. Maybe thats 3 years down the road

well of course all modding wont be buildings necessarily

  Edited October 12, 2012 by CXLMachine  

[AnnihilatorX 1]

Even of they are to allow mods and CC, I can't quite wrap my head around how it all would function in the multiplayer environment, where global economy depends on everyone having the same capabilities.

Surely they just have to disable scoreboard and their effect to the global market for modded regions

  Edited October 13, 2012 by AnnihilatorX  

[Thetford 22]

I'm thinking of something of a two speed mods.

First are just new models and retextures of existing buildings, using the same existing properties. Like the tilesets.

And second is more complicated which allows game affecting mods, just that the world affects you, but you don't affect the world.

I can also see them putting out something similar to The Sims 3 Create a World, possibly with limits or spawners of how much resourxes you can place in a world.