Modification
From FSDB
A modification or mod is the term used to describe the alteration of a game by the end user. The process of creating a modification is called modding, and the people that do this are called modders.
There are several types of modification, each dependant on the original game and the desired product, however all are characterised by the fact that the engine of the game itself is not modified. Rather, a modification attempts to utilise methods by which content can be added or altered within the limits of the game engine. The reason this restriction exists is that the source code required to modify the engine is not generally available, and modifying and redistributing a non-free program through reverse engineering is illegal in most countries.
The concept of a modification is similar to an expansion pack, although created by independent developers for free in their spare time, rather than by paid employees of a large company. The distinction is sometimes blurred, and some successful modifications (such as Red Alert: A Path Beyond for Command & Conquer: Renegade) have received additional support from the game developers. Furthermore, some modifications (most notably Counter-Strike for Half-Life) have become expansions or even standalone games officially endorsed and released by the game developer.
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Types of modification
Partial conversion
Partial conversions are modifications that alter the game without completely changing it. They are comparable to expansion packs in that they do not attempt to modify the game to the point that its gameplay is significantly changed. Most of the time, this is limited to adding weapons or units to the game, although some modifications go further by adding additional maps or playable factions. In all cases a partial conversion is still recognisably the same game as the one it modifies.
An enhancement modification, a type of partial conversion, is one that takes the original game and makes it a little different by making small changes, while still following the original concept. Usually the public is more involved in the project since enhancement modifications are made with game balancing in mind, which might cause conflicts between modders and the community supporting the modification over what is considered balanced or appropriate to the modification.
Fallout Studios hosts several partial conversion and enhancement modifications, such as European Conflict, The End of Days and C&C Generals: Situation Zero.
Total conversion
Total conversions or TCs are modifications that alter the game completely, leaving very little if any of the original content intact. Usually these modifications include new storylines, new playable sides, new weaponry and sometimes also a completely new game objective. Characteristic of total conversions is that they look, feel and play like a new game, not like the game they were based on.
Fallout Studios hosts some total conversion modifications, such as CORE: Conflict Omega and Advanced Warfare.
Motivations for modding
A common reason people make modifications is because they are unsatisfied with the gameplay or think that the game lacks something that they believe could remedy. Another reason is wanting to create a new game, but not possessing the resources or time to create a full-fledged game with completely new content. Creating a modification instead reduces the burden by already providing a finished starting point from which changes can be made to suit the needs of the modder.
Another reason, though less oriented by creativity, is bypassing censorship applied to the game which is not present in other localised versions of the game (such as is common in Germany). To this end there is a large contingent of modders who will create a blood patch to enable the original graphics to be used by gamers who have a censored version of the game. A similar though more controversial change is the nude patch, which replaces characters in the game with nude versions.
Modifications are also made to allow players to play old games on a new game engine. A minor example is Generals Classic, which allows the original Generals to be played using the enhancements found in its expansion, Zero Hour. A more significant change is made in Generals: Condition Red, where Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is redeveloped in the SAGE engine.
Attitudes to modding
Most serious modifications are only created to enhance the experience of a game and to prolong its replay value, however still many people do not know about modifications or think of them rather negatively. Usually negative attitudes to modding are a result of a misunderstanding of what modifications are and what they are capable of, and generally stem from the assumption that every modification is necessarily one that gives one player an advantage over others. Within modding circles this is invariably referred to as hacking or cheating and is greatly frowned upon by modders and players alike.
Another common problem in modding is usually that of concerned parents, who often know little about the games their children play but see the kinds of things games and modifications may result in on the news. Usually however the news covers only the more extreme or controversial cases like nude patches or game-related violence, and entirely misses the 99% of modifications that are well-made and sometimes are even of a quality similar to the game itself.
Several modifications are either designed with humorous intent, such as Crazy mod or CnCHolland, both for Zero Hour. Sometimes modders get unexpected results from an experimental addition their project, these are often posted in the Funny modding moments thread.
