I’m currently working on a game, in which I want players to be able to create their own content and models. Is there a way to allow players to both create models in game and import models into the game from outside sources?

Creating models ingame is difficult, software for making 3D models often need need a lot of resources. Spore had one of the most innovative ways of making 3D models. Voxel games allow players to build with blocks and some games allow players to build with primitives.

As for importing just use the imported you already use to get your own models into the game.

Often the problem with modding isn't how to get the content into the game, it's how you get the new content working with the game. For this you need some kind of tool that assigns the proper values, IDs and properties to the object.

Lastly you need some kind of rules that prevents the player from breaking the game. Lot's of the people making models for your game will not be 3D modelers and won't know the limits. It is very probable that someone is going to make a high poly model that breaks the game.

One solution I can think of to fix many these problems is to make a "Open Engine" game. For example make the game using Unity then provide modders with the Unity file so they can easily mod the game.

This has it's own list of problems but would be interesting to see.

11 hours ago, Scouting Ninja said:

Creating models ingame is difficult, software for making 3D models often need need a lot of resources. Spore had one of the most innovative ways of making 3D models. Voxel games allow players to build with blocks and some games allow players to build with primitives.

As for importing just use the imported you already use to get your own models into the game.

 

Often the problem with modding isn't how to get the content into the game, it's how you get the new content working with the game. For this you need some kind of tool that assigns the proper values, IDs and properties to the object.

Lastly you need some kind of rules that prevents the player from breaking the game. Lot's of the people making models for your game will not be 3D modelers and won't know the limits. It is very probable that someone is going to make a high poly model that breaks the game.

 

One solution I can think of to fix many these problems is to make a "Open Engine" game. For example make the game using Unity then provide modders with the Unity file so they can easily mod the game.

This has it's own list of problems but would be interesting to see.

Thank you for the help! The "Open Engine" idea sounds very interesting. Using that method, would it be possible to allow players to host their own servers with their own mods, and then have other players join via the base or "vanilla" game, and download or load in the new modded content while joining? Or would it be absolutely necessary for the mod(s) to be downloaded separately prior to joining a modded server?

9 hours ago, Eraz said:

would it be possible to allow players to host their own servers with their own mods, and then have other players join via the base or "vanilla" game, and download or load in the new modded content while joining?

Unity has pack files. These files update any out of date files.

So if a modder makes changes to the vanilla game, the modder can just export a pack that all the players import and auto update the game.

Edit:

The pack files is intended for developers to sync workflow. Unreal also has it's version but Unity is a lighter engine, making it the better choice for a "Open Engine" game.

3 hours ago, Scouting Ninja said:

Unity has pack files. These files update any out of date files.

So if a modder makes changes to the vanilla game, the modder can just export a pack that all the players import and auto update the game.

Edit:

The pack files is intended for developers to sync workflow. Unreal also has it's version but Unity is a lighter engine, making it the better choice for a "Open Engine" game.

Thank you for the help, I’ll have to look into Unity’s pack files.

Content moderation is also a massive problem in multiplayer games. IIRC the Spore team invested significant resources in detecting and removing virtual genitalia...