Wow, the spreadsheet that auto generates the game XML looks fantastic. This is pretty much the game I've always been waiting for as a modder. I can't wait to getmy hands on this stuff. I also can't wait to see what comes out of the modding community. There should be some wild stuff.

That said, I hope they wait as long as possible to release the modding stuff in beta. With Smart Exception automatically sending in crash reports, I can see what a nightmare it could be if there was a lot of mods being run. Plus, as much as I'd like to mod this game, I do NOT want to do it when everyting about the game is in this much flux. You'd just have to keep redoing your mods over and over and over. No thanks.

I hope Brad and company at least hold off until Beta 3 is looking solid and most of the stability issues have been dealt with and the core of the game is stable. Once they get to the tweak and polish stage, I think that's a much better time to turn loose the modders.

Surely Stardock isn't going to lean on the non modders for determining when the tool is going to be released? I appreciate your expertise on the subject, and what you think we can and can't do without the tool, but seriously, wouldn't your energies be better spent opining on parts of the game you know about instead of trying to pull a phase or date out of your ass and forcing it on the modding community?

And btw, not having access to these tools only serves to make the process a tad bit more tedious. We are not currently barred from anything simply because we don't have a spreadsheet that generates xml. The tool would simply make things easier on us; lack of access to the tool is not excluding any capability from us. Please note that when you say "Beta 3" and such, because the only thing you are accomplishing is making things more difficult for us.

It's my sense, HF, that EFE has a much tighter design space to match Kael's vision.  Releasing the design tools early means that the original vision is clouded upon release.  You're an excellent, thoughtful mod designer, Heavenfall, and I love and appreciate your work.  I'd be happy to let YOU have the mod tools.  I just don't think that a general release to the user community is smart; there's too much potential for gameplay breaking mods to be out there.  Yes, I know you don't have to use mods, and you can have the original Kael/Jon experience.  But with as much riding on the release of EFE as there is, I think the supporting mods for the game should be carefully thought out before release, instead of a free-for-all.

Awesome.