Modding UDK Final Game

[Wyldhunt]

I'm looking into how we might be able to create a UDK game that would be moddable post release via the players so that they could build their own levels and such and be able to import them into the game.

As far as I know, there isn't any native functions to, say, check for an external model resource and load it into the game. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

With that in mind, I am trying to think of ways that I might be able to integrate functions like this via DLL Bind. The complexity of allowing the importation of custom content, and then placing/replacing existing content in a final game seems very daunting at the moment, so I've decided to see if anyone has any ideas about which functions would be needed in a DLL to pull all of this off. It would probably require a custom editor for the player so that the DLL could inject their final build...

If I manage to make something work, I'll release it to the community. I'm just looking for brainstorming help at the moment.

Any ideas?

[Blade[UG]]

I don't know what the EULA says about these sort of things, but you could potentially just package up the development stuff, rather than cooking your entire game, and then people could use the udk editor.

[Wyldhunt]

I considered that, and discussed it with the fine people at Epic. They said that it would be fine as long as no modders made any profit off of their mods. If they did, then they'd need to buy a license.

My issue with that is: We plan to make profit with our game. Releasing the entire package would open the entire game and scripts as a free for all.
I need to be able to control which aspects the players can alter. Mostly models, maps, and particle effects. Maybe some limited scripting influences. I can create an editor for the players. I can create a DLL that does whatever I decide is the best way to handle it...
Just not sure what the best way would be.

Right now, the best idea that I have is to make an editor that will allow mapping and placing meshes and such. When the mod gets 'saved' it will export all of the important info into a database. I noticed that someone was kind enough to make a DLL for that already and release it. I can script some functions that will pull mesh/texture names and locations and such from the database to spawn when the level loads. I plan to have a "Mods" folder with a collection of subfolders for models/textures/particles/etc so that whatever name and type the database pulls, it'll know where to look.

I haven't played with Unrealscript enough yet to know the extent of its limitations. I'm used to C++. So, if anyone has any ideas on what might work better, or ideas on useful functions that I could script into a DLL so that I don't kick myself later when I realize that the UDK doesn't have X Function that I need to spawn at specific locations or something, I'd appreciate the help.

P.S. Blade, that is one of the best sigs I've seen in a long time. Lol

[toxicFork]

Renegade X made a map editor, so you could ask them for hints