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Because several PN's reached me (why me I really don't know) for further informations, also reading this ot that post I see a lack of knowledge at some people for understanding what is going on.
So please let me allow to bring some light in the lack of knowledge and to explain some missunderstandings and also clearing informations with the 6 basic points + conclusion now:
1.) Reason why no full modding possibilitiy as until Med2TW existing
Ca told in the interview at German PC games 2/2010 at pre release of NTW as general answer of this question in content:
"Modding is us important, we love Mods, but we have not the resources and time to invest 3 months work to make it ... and our own tools we do not share, because they are ours"!
This means, they have not the money to work 3 months on it and to give them (for free) to us, and their own tools they do not share.
2.) Situation after release of ETW
Because CA told in the statements before release of ETW something totally other, remember for example only the term of "it will be the most modable TW Game..." with a look on the real situaton after release, the statements of CA from before release can only be rated as a lie!
Since ETW all TW games are far lesser modable as until Med2! Yes, modding is still possible, but not the half of that what was in the past possible, one of many examples is the point "new campaign maps" which are impossible to make by Mod ...!
The impudence of it all was too, that there were some hidden things told by CA here and there in term of what we want, the game could be modded and CA is not responsible for tools to make mods .... Well! First: What the hack shall this "the most modable TW game" when not the half is possible of that at the last TW game (Med2TW), Second: Remember that CA gave for free am unpacker as modding tool for Med2TW, something stillmissing until today for ETW and NTW!
The anger in the community rised up like a rocket and becomes sometimes, sorry to say, as true and reasoned it is in the core like a mad boar / wild pig behaviour too, which also not helpfull. So the community itself should also look a little bit on its own too....
Beside the point modding, the game ETW itself was "over buggy" because the AI went mad and here again CA made the next mistake:
Still knowing what is the reason and working like mad to fix it with long time missing success and a bunch of new problems in the interim, they made sometimes worse statements that give a view on us like we fans are all stupid and do not know that the game is in a crappy situation. Everything will be fine and is still good .... Sure, we all believe on fairy tales which were told us by Keiron Bridges for example!
The Bloggs of Mike Simpson, Chief of CA, made after more than 6 months told first time the truth and this was not only much too late, in comparsion to the earlier statements of Keiron Bridges everyone must be felt fooled if only a little bit believed in his words!
Not blaming Mr. Brdges now, because it is his job to do what he did or better what was told to do, but the complete imformations policies of CA was only a lousy bunch of trash ... until today!
Everyone can get in trouble and can have suddenly a bunch of problems with a new game, but it is more wisely to tell the truth in term "we have problems with the Ai because ... but we work hard on it"! This point Ca missed clear and because missing this, they caused much unnecessary anger!
3.) Reaction of the community at TWC, TWZ and Yuku
As told, the anger of the community was huge of the named reasons. Beside mad statements of some members, only to named as ridiculous, the anger itself was more than reasoned and also the sometimes mad reactions can be sometmes excuseable!
In Dozens of threads, polls and petitions elswhere and with thousends of post the community start to please for full modding possibilities (keyword = modding tools, but tools is a wrong term, because possibilitiy is correct).
Not all members shared this wish, becoming more and more a demand because not intrested in mods anywhere, that must be told too. Also, to be honest, the clear majority of all TW players do not use Mods or even do know of Mods or are afraid to install one or whatever reason not using Mods! But this does not mean the wish of Mods comes from an unimportant minority!
Because totally ignored by CA with any serious word about this question for nearly a year (see statement at point 1, dated 11 monts after elease of ETW!), the anger rised more, because becoming ignored by the other side will make things more worse and people become thought to be fooled!
In the interim the community itself developed some tools to work as modding on what is until now only possible and this is in comparsion to the past possibilities only ridiculous! Also there is a standstill since months and any further success from the community is very unlikely without help and support of CA!
For a really understanding why people are missing "full modding", you must have played for yourself RTW or Med2TW in Vanilla in comparsion to a (good) Mod of it! The differences are in sum mostly gigantic! There are some Mods existing, which make nearly a complete new game out of it and most noteable, they are for free always ... made out of the community for the community, including real support if problems!
4.) Steam, DLC, NTW
During this mad situation the suddenly announcement of NTW was not taken with hurray! No where, because seeing the current situation with ETW at this time it was hard to understand that at the next title would be worked, when the current title is still a big construction site! Ca explained in a huge statement that they don't abandone ETW now and it was the truth so long what CA told at least, but on first hand not understandable and that CA was forced to make the statement shows clear that something went again wrong with informations policies....
So NTW being at least planned in origin as "normal" Addon and was not possible to make so, it came as "stand alone" on the market, which is not more or less than a normal Addon which does not need a main game to run (as f.e. in comparsion the Addon Kingdoms needs the basic game Med2RW to run). but this matter is until now inside the community a term of dispute how to rate it really! Guilty about it is CA too, because any explaining to make it clear is still missing by them ... where we land again at the lack of informations from the developer and when looking on the bunch of worthless statements given in interim, welll ....!
The reasons of why a "stand alone (addon)" are severals, mostly technical reasons, f.e. uncompatibility of the AI at both .... but also other reasons too.
Beside the still running and existing anger about the bugs and the missing modding possibilities is an other anger about Steam and DLC existing! Steam is in itself a good thing when correct done with better conditions. But the need to be online for SP too or the Auto Updates which can only be switched off under Stream settings (what does not really work, btw...) and not as in other Steam games in the game menue itself implemented and working well (one example is tropico 3) and at least the conditions at Steam itself are the reason (try to make a resoned complaint of any game at Steam when there bought and you will have "much fun" to get your right as customer as many examples of also other games than TW Games show!) are only some serious points of critic against Steam!
The DLC is totally new since ETW and a source of anger too, because it is for many a broken taboo! We can discuss about this like mad, beacuase mostly shopuld it partof basic game or not. But another point is the always not killable named thing, that DLC is the reason for restricted modding. Sorry, this is bullcrap, because Modders can still do the same as the DLC stuff and if this modding is a competition, why is this still allowed to make and not also restricted?
One finally and noteable point at NTW must here be told too, because many people didn't get this!
In contrast to ETW has CA never told anything about modding possibilities at NTW! So to blame them here is ... well, not correct in term of lieing and so on, because only when something told is untrue it could be a lie and if nothing is at all told about, then ... !
On the other hand they announced before NTW a unit editor. But this "thing" is not only still missing since release, we do not hava a single further information what this editor is, can and will be able to make, beside the point that we did not have a single information if and when it will come! A really bad example of a lousy informations policies!
5.) Shogun 2 TW
Now is the next title, real title is announced and again we have a comparable situation as 9 months ago at ETW! The current game is still under construction, because it is not really bug fixed and not completely delivered (where is the unit editor?)!
But there is a suddenly and not really explainable changed situation in the community now:
Because being Shogun 2, many people being in anger about ETW and NTW forget more or less their anger and are impressed and happy ... clear to say, only impressed and happy because it is called Shogun 2 without any further information about the game itself! This is also a ridiculous prejudgement which is done here, because what the hack proved in the moment that it will be a glorious TW title? Nothing beside hopes and a gloryfied view and remembering back at Shogun 1 (if ever played) or loving Samurai stuff!
Not all people are pleased about Shogun 2, some because they wished Rome 2, others because don't like any Asia stuff at all like Samurais etc. This is again a ridiculous prejudgement without further informations proofed and wllowed to make statements it will be crap ...
Beside this is a 3. group which is still in anger about CA because modding situation and so on, also of other reasons as Steam etc. This group (and here I'm personally part of) told clear:
no full modding = no Shogun 2 will be bought by us, no matter how awesome or not the game itself is.
Other players still ignore TW games in their anger since ETW or NTW or generally because hating Steam.
The maybe sad thing is that this group has a strong core, but melt in comparsion to the situation before announcement of Shogun 2 ... this is in the eyes of some people maybe a sign that CA is winning with ignorance at the point modding .... maybe true, maybe not!
6.) Modding = competition for the developers / publishers?
This question is also again and again made and answered with a "Yes"! But this is not true and sorry, only harsh to name as bullcrap!
There is only one "maybe possible case" where it smells for it and this is the stand alone NTW!
Just after announcement of ETW and during the pre release time some serious people still started seriously to discuss and making pre plannings about a Napoleon Mod based on ETW. To be honest, this plannings and discussions etc. were surely not unread / ignored by Sega / CA and if this Mod had become great (most possible to become of course), it had could been of course a competition to NTW game! But as we all know, this Mod landed in the trash as many other planned Mods, because impossible to make with the restricted modding!
But beside this one single case is not an other case known, where it only smells a little bit for competition! Also and finally it must be said, that it does not matter if people play Vanilla, Mods or creating Mods in financial reasons, because what has to be done first? All have to buy the game itself!
Conclusion
It is still unknown how modding will be at Shogun 2 as about 90 - 95% of the game is still unknown too!
Modding is important and even not the majority is using mods, modding is also for the developer and publisher important too of several reasons! To name as examples: place of innovations, place of improvements, place of giving long time motivation (look or think only seriously about how many still play Med2 or RTW with Mods in comparsion of how many do still with ETW / NTW in pure Vanilla) and so Mods are also a reason why people still buy and play TW games and why this serie is still a success! Sure, many buy f.e. Med2 now too, because seing it for 5 Euro at the Discounter....
But this pillar of the succes for the series was since ETW beaten by Sega / CA with the unnecessary restricted modding possibilities and many of the above named things and points made the core of TW players in majority angry! This is no good base for any partnership when one of both is in anger about the other or maybe both are in anger against each other...!
Sure, money rules the world and the in point 1.) named financial reasons for missing modding possibilities can be true and I have personally no real doubt about it, to be honest.
But a pleased fan core is also something worth ... worth in financial matters too and a new more pleased fan base is hard to create by making the old one angry, if this should only a little bit a thought behind! So with the current situation Sega / ca do, sorry to say it harsh, p**sing on their own leg finally with the current situation.
Sure, the game sells, maybe good or good enough in the moment, but in long time view it will have negative results for them, not now, but in future!
There is a proposal and poll made about giving full modding for money if the only real reason of not making it has a financial backround. The community is splitted about it at least, mosty because it should be a course to give it for free, what is of course true!
Also looking on other developers and publishers, bigger and smaller as Sega / CA, they still improve modding support and so on, not doing restricting it as Sega / CA did and everything of course for free!
On the other hand things change and if it will be really the only solution to get back full modding by paying for it, well ... we can sit here and demand with pointless beacuase again ignored petition number 739 for it ... or going to accept it slowly ... even much unpopular it is. A decision between plague and cholera is a good comparsion about it ....
Of course, there are other peoples too who do not have any / any real intrest in Mods / Modding, other who agree with restricted modding as finally again others ignore all TW titles from ETW on.
However, I hope this very long post will now clear things more and more I hope, it will help to understand each other better here in the TWC community. Nothing is more worse and mostly ridiculous and sad as when the fan core itself gets in a civil war without accepting other opinions in a gently behaviour, a human gently behaviour!
Sincerely
Mandelus
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