| Introduction: |
| In
the long history of computer gaming, there have been folks
who liked what they saw in a game, but had ideas to make
it better. Eventually, many games began to ship with the
editors and programming tools necessary to modify and
enhance the game in almost any way the author saw fit.
These new modification programs, or "Mods," have
come along way from the original Total Conversions and
Mods for Doom. We now have mods like Counter-Strike,
Rocket Arena, and so on, that basically turn the core game
into a whole new one. One game, in particular, that is
very Mod friendly is Red Storm's Rogue Spear and its
add-on, Urban Operations. We were lucky enough to get a
chance to speak with 'The Rooster', one of the more
prolific Modders in the Rogue Spear community, about his
experiences with modding Rogue Spear. The interview reads
as follows. |
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Interview By: Brian Rubin
First off, for those reading this not knowing who you are, could you
give us a little information about who you are and what you do for the
Rogue Spear community?
My long and complicated online handle is Serellan aka “The Rooster.”
I have been playing Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear since the spring of
1999. I have made a variety of mods for Rogue Spear, Urban Operations,
and Covert Operations Essentials, and I maintain a small website for the
mods, The Rooster’s Nest (http://www.serellan.com).
Additionally, I am a staff member at Pie’s Tactics (http://www.piestactics.com),
where I run a forum dedicated to mods. Occasionally I also write game
reviews for The Wargamer (http://www.wargamer.com).
Currently I am working with ARMM (http://armm.rainbowsix.net),
makers of the hugely popular NATO series of weapons mods, on the newest
version of NATO3.
Offline, I am Christian Allen, a 24-year-old computer tech and former
Marine living in Alaska. My hobbies besides modding include shooting,
Airsoft, Battletech, camping, and of course spending time with my
beautiful wife of 5 years, Angie. I am currently planning to move to
Phoenix, AZ this fall to attend college, where I will major in Computer
Game Design.
When did you first begin to make mods for Rogue Spear, and why did
you begin to make them?
I started in November of 1999, after Rogue Spear first came out. When I
used to play the original Rainbow Six, there was a mod available that
allowed one team to play as terrorists, and I always had fun with this.
After Rogue Spear came out, I started searching for a mod like this, but
no one had made one. After a while I decided to sit down and figure it
out for myself. With some help from Mother.May.I and Rodion (other
modders), I got started.
You’ve made a wide variety of mods for RS, including weapons, maps,
missions, skins, and so on. Which, out of all of these mods, presents
you with the biggest challenge, and why?
My most difficult mod was Mission Pack: Deadly Protocol. This was a
compilation of several of my older mods, reworked into a pack similar to
the Urban Operations expansion pack. It had skins, a single player
campaign, re-textured maps, new sounds; the whole nine yards. I think I
spent about 150 hours on this one, not including the time I had spent
making the original mods. The difficult thing was in the details. Every
time I thought it was done, a small bug or feature I didn’t like would
pop up. It was also very difficult to come up with an interesting yet
believable story line for the campaign.
When creating a mod, what are some of the philosophies you stick to
in order to make it work well within the game, as well as some do’s
and don’ts?
My main philosophy is that if I don’t want it, I don’t make it. I
don’t try to make things that I think will be popular, or to try to be
the first to do a certain trick. If I don’t plan to use it, I am not
going to make it. Also, pay attention to the details. It is the details
that make or break a mod. If you notice some small bug or error, don’t
write it off. Take the time to fix it, because other people WILL notice
it. Lastly, beta test, beta test, beta test, and then beta test some
more. Get a small group of good people to do your testing for you.
Don’t release it until you have tested it to death. One thing that
gives me an advantage in modding is that I generally work alone. I
don’t have to consult with anyone to make a change, I don’t have to
wait for someone else to do his or her part, and I don’t have to deal
with anyone else. It makes it much easier when you can complete the
whole modding process (besides beta testing) yourself.
What do you think the presence of Mods does for the popularity and/or
longevity for a game such as Rogue Spear?
I think it can make or break a game. Look at Half-Life. Counter Strike
is the most popular game on the net right now, and it is a mod for
Half-Life. Sierra even repackaged Half-Life to sell it with Counter
Strike included. This means more money, more support, more word of
mouth, more life. I really believe that the lack of options we have in
modding Rogue Spear has contributed to it’s limited following. While
there are a lot of us out there trying to do things with Rogue Spear,
the lack of new maps (new geometry, instead of just modifying original
maps) has turned many people off. Even though it is a great game, if you
play a lot, eventually you start to get burned out on the maps. Luckily,
Red Storm has taken steps to remedy this, and they should be releasing
the map tools soon. This process was slowed by Ubisoft’s buyout, but I
am hopeful it will be done soon.
When creating a mod, what are the steps you usually go through to
bring it to light, from conception to completion?
For me, the actual modding process is usually the shortest. I will
decide that what I want a mod to do, then I will start finding out if it
is possible. Once I do, and I have gathered the necessary resources
(textures, stats, etc.), I basically lock myself into my computer room
until it is done (no, this does not make my wife happy). After that, the
long process of beta testing begins. I have learned the hard (and
sometimes embarrassing) way that this is the most important part of any
mod process. I use my group of LAN friends to test it out, trying
different install options, making sure the instructions are clear, and
so on. For my Nato3 weapons add-on, I spent a week making the mod, and a
month after that beta testing and refining it.
Finally, do you have any advice for any budding mod makers out there
who want to get their feet wet in the mod making world?
First off, I don’t recommend deciding to become a modder without first
deciding what you want to do. I see too many people say “I want to mod
stuff, what should I do?” Wait until you think of something that you
would like to play. After that, cruise the forums. They are the best way
to learn information. There are also several great tutorials out there,
read them. Lastly, stick with it. Once you start a project, finish it.
It is very rewarding when you get that first email from someone thanking
you for the work that you have done.
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