Wolfire Games Forums

Will it be possible to create an Oblivion sized world in Overgrowth, and have it filled with content, and still optimized?
Is this a goal in development? (Large, optimized worlds)

Is it possible to create custom user interfaces for a mod?

Is it possible to create custom weapon types, such as a usable sling that throws rocks, or a bow that can fire arrows?
Will the devs be including bows?

How easy is it to create custom scripts, and how much of the game is customizable through them?


If I was to attempt to make a total conversion mod, would this be possible?
(Conversion mod would include:
custom races - mice, otters, etc
custom weapon types - slings, javelins, etc
custom UI - user interface
custom menus to add RPG elements to the game, such as an inventory, character development, and skill trees
a huge, open world)

How much of the above is possible with access to the standard modding kit?

Large, optimized worlds - probably not.
So far, the levels we have seen (mostly just terrain sets) have been small, independent areas in which the player can fight, and loading a new level takes quite a bit of time. They're not small, but not huge either, and the loading times acceptable for a game where each level is a goal in itself can be much higher than for a game in which each level is supposed to be a part of the greater whole.

Custom UI is probably possible, but I don't think anyone has modded those yet. There isn't any in-game UI at the moment though, only the editor mode UI. The editor menus can be edited though and are done with CSS and the examples in there should be enough to do an inventory or skill tree or whatever menus. However, I don't know how one would call those menus from the scripts. It will most probably be opened for scripting eventually, even if it isn't scriptable yet.

The scripts controlling characters, character animation and weapons and AI are all visible and editable ATM.
Custom races are possible. Depending on how much they differ from the current races, you might need to make new animations, which would take lots of work.
Doings slings and arrows will be possible, but I don't think it's doable yet. Javelins might be, but when I tried making a button for throwing a weapon I didn't quite manage to do it. I'm not a good coder though.

Thanks a lot for the reply.

As for the levels taking a while to load - in one of the OG videos on Utube, it was mentioned that the game is in no way optimized yet, and that adding objects will quickly slow things down....

This will probably mean that with optimization will come the ability to have larger maps, and more objects onscreen.


Custom UI should be fine - I'm already proficient with CSS, as I'm a web developer... Scripting will be something tricky, though.


Animations I am prepared for, and I am aware they take lots of work...


I'm glad that the scripting is so accessible already, it will make it easier to learn how to do.

KraGeRzR wrote:Thanks a lot for the reply.

As for the levels taking a while to load - in one of the OG videos on Utube, it was mentioned that the game is in no way optimized yet, and that adding objects will quickly slow things down....

This will probably mean that with optimization will come the ability to have larger maps, and more objects onscreen.

Yes, the optimization will help. However, you should keep in mind that the game will be optimized for the needs of Overgrowth, most probably a level-based combat game (that's what Lugaru was, at least). Even the optimized loading times of that sort of game might be too slow for an open world type of game.

Yes, open world games are very taxing because of their size. Maybe you could take a road like Spyro the Dragon? Each area is a new level, but there isn't a single loading screen in the entire game. The portals show Spyro flying to a new area, and shows a little info about the gems and junk, but the loading happens in the background, and is so quick that we don't have any issues. Also their render system was very effective, but that was their optimization. Once Overgrowth is optimized, maybe that sort of an idea would work really well for you.