Learning Modding

[Crazy Cossack]

(1) Are there any manuals or tutorials on getting started with modding?
(2) Can I base my mod on FAF? That is, FAF would be the start of a new mod and I would change that by hooking (destructive and non-destructive).

As a first step, for learning, I would change parameters of units and build-permissions (what can be built in each factory at each level). Initially, I would not necessarily be trying to build a good, playable mod at first try, but just making changes for the purposes of learning to mod FAF.

What kind of mod to make? In my opinion, a good mod needs a theory and a theme. Of course, it needs good theory and theme. By "theory and theme" I mean something that gives the mod a consistent set of design ideas, good balance and sets it apart from FAF and the other official mods. Nomads is an example. The theme by the maker(s) was to add a new faction. The theory was that the new faction needed new build, unit, weapon and performance characteristics which would set it apart from FAF and other mods and which would still be balanced.

I have some theories but it's too early to mention them in detail. But I will ask some questions. Would people like to see these in a mod?

(a) Start with a considerably nerfed ACU? (Ideas: Less HP and slower walking but have upgrades to improve these capabilities).
(b) LABs stay useful longer in opening.
(c) Only land and sea factories can make engies, not air factories.
(d) Air and navy, factories and units, more expensive.
(e) Ground AA weaker to account for item (d).
(f) Bots faster over broken ground and able to climb steeper hills than wheeled and tracked vehicles. (Salems won't get these buffs.)
(g) T2 Hover units lighter (less HP).
(h) Wheeled and tracked vehicles faster over flat and open terrain.
(i) Nerf veterancy upgrades for ACU and Experimentals.
(j) Less percentage from wreck reclaims.

Just a few ideas. Don't know if I could code them (when I learn).

[Franck83]

Hey crazy cossack, welcome in the FAF crafting section

1. Join discord, you will access to the modding section with a lot of useful informations (ask a moderator)
2. True. lua modding on supcom can do crazy things. Really flexible.

About your mod ideas :
- Changing parameters on units and build-permission is easy to do. Just take a look at existent mods that do it. All mod dev is about learning what other modders did and apply these on other situations.
- you can go in the mod ideas section on discord FAF to share your ideas. This can bring you interesting feedback.

About the mod you wanna do, some tips :
- balance mod are a sensitive subject. Nobody really agree on this side.
- creative modding, with original game mechanics can have its own small but nice audience.

About keeping motivation during the mod dev :
- dev a mod that you love. Don't expect grabbing a lot of motivation from the community. You will have some support and help, but the main motivation should come from you.
- Have fun on coding. Result is important but if you take pleasure just on coding you can reach amazing results with time.

[Uveso]

Hello Crazy Cossack,

you already asked 5 years ago for help in this topic: (Basic Modding Help):
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=3300

A year later (Some Basic Mod questions):
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7569

So what have you done the last 4 years ?

Btw, what about modding a new AI ?
Take a look here:
viewtopic.php?f=88&t=16381

Maybe you are interested in updating/balancing already finished mods:
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=16578
(Naval mod that really needs some love)

And why not become a part of the FAF developer team?
These issues are open in the FAF project and are waiting for you:
https://github.com/FAForever/fa/issues

There are many places where you can learn coding and where we need you

[Crazy Cossack]

Thanks for comments.

1. Will join Discord soon.
2. Need to learn more about lua.
3. Changing parameters on units and build-permissions is a good place to start but of course that is just a parameter mod or balance mod.
4. My mod would also need something extra that gave it uniqeness, obviously.
5. I know modding can be thankless but fun for its own sake.

(a) I did do some basic FAF or (supcom) modding 5 years ago but I think I lost the files... or maybe I can find them again.
(b) I've forgotten a bit although I never knew much to begin with.
(c) Last 4 years has been other projects for me and then playing and modding Cossacks 3 when it came out.
However, Cossacks 3 used very messy object pascal scripts and destructive hooking by files.
Every release totally broke my mod and I had to fix it again by file-comparing whole files
And C3 was a really buggy game made on an old engine from another game. Sad really, so I gave up and came back to FAF.

(d) I am interested in AI but I am not smart enough to mod AI at the deep level with learning algorithms and genetic algorithms. Scripted AI is pretty boring and places badly.

In summary, I am getting back into Supcom / FAF. Nobody else has made an RTS that is anywhere near the technical excellence and play complexity of Supcom / FAF.