State of Modding Address 2018

Greetings all! I hope you have been enjoying NEXT so far - this has been the greatest change to the game so far with the inclusion of full-on multiplayer features and all the rest that follow behind that (a VERY significant quantity of new content).

I would like to introduce house represen-, I mean-

It’s been a busy past few days - we’ve spent a lot of time figuring things out: everything from researching/datamining all the new content and changes that have arrived with the game, everything from testing the new early mods that have come out to see how they work with multiplayer, and the creation of a new community hub open for all modders! Let’s get to the specifics:

* At the moment, MBINCompiler is rapidly receiving updates and is quickly catching up to cover most of the major MBIN files in the game archives. A short note for those new to modding: MBIN files are serialized structures used by the game for most of its configurations from the universe seed down to what how painful your lasher plant is. In order to receive the most cutting-edge update for MBINCompiler, come over to our Discord and check our *#mod-mbin* channel! Links to the Discord are found on the right sidebar!

* GLOBALS, the mysterious all-changing, all-encompassing variables that have the most significant influence over the game, have been now completely named for the first time ever! No more unknown variables for those looking to tweak their experience! Did Hello Games throw us a bone?! This occurrence benefits modding alone specifically! They gotta have ninjas everywhere, man! NINJAS! I mean, seriously, some time ago I was talking about procedural technology and now they have it in-game. They GOTTA have some mind-reading ninjas, man!

* NMSDK and Model Viewer support is not yet ready - as a result, introducing original content such as new assets into the game is not yet possible through this method. There have been significant changes to the format of object scenes and geometry and we are still attempting to get MBINC fully ready before we do a deep-dive on this section! That said, some custom scenes may already be possible - just not with non-vanilla assets!

* Some early mods have been tested and known to work with multiplayer - to what extent is not yet known. We can confirm that all connected peers in a single party do send all sorts of client information to each other and does NOT rely on the host to replicate everyone else’s action. It’s definite peer-to-peer multiplayer, ladies and gentlemen! We can confirm some modded elements can be sent over the network and some are not on a case by case basis from mod disparity or some data simply having no use to be sent in the first place. (i.e. stuff that doesn’t move)

* Based on our earlier statement, we are hoping to design a Code of Ethics for modding. We are not intending anyone to strictly follow this Code, but are simply hoping most responsible modders will appeal and live up to in spirit of this to this in order minimize the potential impact of modding towards the vanilla multiplayer experience. This also relies entirely on how much we know about multiplayer which is, quite frankly, also based on how much mods we can eventually support given most current mods will only focus on tweaks or changes to existing content. We are heavily discussing this issue within but as we are always radar-shooting in the dark, it is difficult to even see what the future of modding is with all the new multiplayer features. It sure is certainly the wild west for now!

* We are currently attempting to achieve contact with Hello Games. We will have more information about this should it progress. :)

We would also like to announce the founding of a **Modding Hub**. Just like our folks at the Galactic Hub, the purpose of the Modding Hub is to be an exclusive gathering for players of all backgrounds - which kind of makes it inclusive, rather than exclusive, no?

The goal of the Modding Hub is to not only have players online to play with while having mods on, but also a great platform for testing mods and their effects on the peer-to-peer multiplayer! Do you want to see players and animals floating mid-air or watch others’ multitools destroy entire forests in a single keypress? Come join us and figure out what’s up!

The Modding Hub’s newly claimed planets can be found in a pinned message over at our Discord at *#the-modding-hub* channel! We are still picking a good final candidate to settle, but we already have one winning votes!

In accordance to our prior discussion with mods and their influence on multiplayer, **please inform us if you have experienced griefing or game instability/crashing that you believe may have been introduced by other players’ mods, while you are playing unmodded.** This will greatly help us form up our earlier-discussed Code of Ethics while we pursue a means to self-police this sort of incidence before then.

That said, you’re very unlikely to experience any kind of griefing playing alone, or with friends instead of randoms. 

We will update with more information as it arises! Thank you all, fellow travelers, and keep traveling - and modding! As a reminder, most of our activities are centralized on our Discord server, linked to on the right sidebar, so please join us!