Battlefield mod?

Protector one · 07-23-2009, 05:47 AM

Have you ever done a Battlefield 2 or 2142 mod? I'm thinking of doing one soon, and was wondering if you got any pointers on where to start or what to be mindful of.
I know I should just search the modDB forums for these informations, but I just like (and trust) this forum's participants.

Protector one · 08-01-2009, 08:47 AM

I think I may have greatly overestimated the modding of games in general.
All of the mods I inspected recently, only do modifications that fall in the following two categories:

- Adding or changing of assets. This includes entire new levels, HUD changes, light sources, etc.;
- Changing variables defined in config files. This ranges from world variables such as gravity, to weapon characteristics.

A lot can be achieved through these modifications, but I'm looking for a game that lets me change or add game logic. Something that seems to be missing from mods for both the Call of Duty and Battlefield series. (I am correct in my assumption that these games don't allow this, right?)
My findings have put my mod on an indefinite hiatus, even though I hadn't even started working on it...

Just to make things clear, an example of adding game logic would be to alter the effect of hitting targets with bullets in an FPS, to something like... spawning random objects above the targets' heads, instead of simply destroying the target.

Protector one · 08-03-2009, 04:57 AM

Even though no one is replying to this thread, I think I'll just keep posting some of my findings here, so when archeologists dig up this site a hundred thousand years from now (after the robot wars), they'll hopefully learn how to get started on making a kick-ass mod.

So. Adding game logic. As far as I know, doing this for Battlefield 2 or 2142 is pretty much impossible. (Well, for lowly consumers anyway...)
Some games where this is possible, are those from the Unreal series. (And by extension games that run on the Unreal engine? Don't know. Must investigate.) The games in the Unreal series support a high-level programming language, UnrealScript, that allow you to easily extend the game's features. Exactly what I want. (Just for the wrong game!

)

As for my own personal modding adventure, I'm still contemplating whether to create a mod for another game (which would probably be Unreal Tournament), or abandon the idea altogether. I really want it in the Battlefield-world, though...

Protector one · 08-03-2009, 06:11 AM

I think I might have been mistaken about Battlefield's mod-(un)friendliness after all! Hurray!
It seems Battlefield 2 is extendable through Python scripts (omg delicious)! Look here for some unofficial documentation of the BF2 Python API: http://www.tacticalgamer.com/wiki/in...BF2_Python_Doc
Also, this wiki entry is a good place to start reading if your interested in BF scripting: http://bf2.fun-o-matic.org/index.php/Big_Picture

Looks like I've got some reading to do... I'll report back soon.

(This could be. SO. AWESOME.

)

dzeligman · 08-03-2009, 10:41 AM

I think the source engine allows a lot of changes.

Protector one · 08-03-2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dzeligman

I think the source engine allows a lot of changes.

Yes, I think you are correct. It seems it supports a scripting language called EventScript, similar to how UnrealScript exists for Unreal Engine games.
I'm personally sticking with Battlefield though, simply because the vanilla BF game is more suited to my mod than, say, Half-Life or Team Fortress 2. I don't want to mod elements when they already are exactly the way I want them to be in another game.

Protector one · 08-09-2009, 09:58 AM

Little update on my modding adventure.
I've set up a simple mod that can print some messages inside the game, and the code itself can be reloaded from within the game using a chat command. This setup allows me to quickly change and evaluate my code without having to restart the entire game (nifty!). See this page for instructions on this: http://bf2tech.org/index.php/Cookboo...les_at_runtime
(Note that it might be possible to reload scripts in-game via the console command 'pythonHost.reinitialize' as well, but I haven't gotten this to work myself.)

Unfortunately, I'm (again) getting the impression that my intended goal is impossible still. To be a little less vague, it involves dynamically changing the loadout (i.e. class and weapon) and soldier skin of players, two things that both appear to be impossible to do from a script. Sigh.

ddelisle · 08-09-2009, 02:11 PM

That's a tough one to pull off Protector one. I played BF2 and 2142 for years and pretty much stuck to the maps that were included in the games and expansions, or that were later added by EA. Not that I sought out mods, I just kept jumping on the more populated servers, whatever map worked for me.

I would like to have modeled a few stages myself, based on Black Hawk Down or some of the more popular SOCOM maps, but it would have been tough to implement I imagine. Maybe contacting DICE to offer a map they can distribute? No idea how this can be done, but I wish you the best of luck!

Oops, you mean like a different game altogether from BF2? My bad.

Protector one · 08-09-2009, 11:51 PM

No I was talking about BF2, actually! I just considered some other games throughout this thread. :P
I've only been playing the standard and expansion pack maps until now as well. And what I'm looking for isn't a map, but rather one or two functions that let me change soldier loadout through a script.
I doubt contacting DICE over this could help. Both games are pretty old and even if they weren't, I doubt they would just go implement every silly little feature the modders come asking about.

Unless the features I need are already in there, of course...

Protector one · 08-11-2009, 08:07 AM

Status report.
I have been experimenting with changing weapons mid-game, but have been largely unsuccessful. The general concensus on the boards and fora are that changing weapons live (i.e. without respawning) is impossible. I'm starting to believe they are right...
Another concept I'm having trouble grasping, is the server-/client-side modding discrepancy. I can't find good sources describing what exactly is and isn't possible in either type of mod. Furthermore, it seems the Battlefield games have different levels of moddability depending on whether the server it runs on is dedicated or not. Confusing matter, indeed.