A Modder’s Guidelines for Moddable Game Development

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dc.contributor.advisorFinn, Patrick
dc.contributor.advisorAycock, John
dc.contributor.authorCrémer, Loïc
dc.contributor.committeememberMaurer, Frank
dc.contributor.committeememberClyde, Jerremie
dc.date2024-06
dc.date.accessioned2024-05-08T16:04:11Z
dc.date.available2024-05-08T16:04:11Z
dc.date.issued2024-04-19
dc.description.abstractThe act of unofficially modifying a video game known as modding may convey a range of benefits to its host game, including an expanded sales lifetime and a vision of what a game may have looked like had developers made different choices, among others. In this thesis, I make a case for this beneficial nature of modding and develop a set of guidelines for developing moddable games with the aim of shifting industry perspectives towards the practice, which tend to be mixed, toward a more positive outlook and help mod-encouraging studios provide a better modding experience to their users. This set is built on four pillars, each representing a stage in the development of a moddable game: Designing a moddable game, creating robust tools, writing effective documentation, and supporting the community. I created these guidelines using data collected from an autobiographical design study, wherein I became a modder myself and built modifications for three video games: Nintendo’s Pokémon FireRed Version, Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Defiant Development’s Hand of Fate 2. After writing the set, I then created a proof-of-concept tool in line with two of its principles to demonstrate what an idealized modding tool based on my research might look like. These guidelines outline what makes a game more moddable, what makes a good modding tool, and how best to support a moddable game after launch. It is my intention that this thesis demystifies the process of creating moddable games and that the lessons learned in this project can prove useful to modders, researchers, and professional developers alike.
dc.identifier.citationCrémer, L. (2024). A modder’s guidelines for moddable game development (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1880/118701
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/43543
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectMod
dc.subjectModding
dc.subjectGuidelines
dc.subjectGame Design
dc.subjectVideo Games
dc.subjectGame Studies
dc.subjectROM Hack
dc.subjectPokémon
dc.subjectHand of Fate
dc.subjectThe Elder Scrolls
dc.subjectSkyrim
dc.subjectTool Design
dc.subjectDocumentation
dc.subjectCommunity Support
dc.subjectBenefits of Modding
dc.subjectAccessibility
dc.subjectInclusion
dc.subjectAutobiographical Design
dc.subjectFirst-Person Research
dc.subjectModdable Game Design
dc.subjectIdealized Tool
dc.subjectProof-of-Concept
dc.subjectMod Distribution
dc.subjectModder Compensation
dc.subjectUser Generated Content
dc.subjectOpen Game License (OGL)
dc.subject.classificationComputer Science
dc.titleA Modder’s Guidelines for Moddable Game Development
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineComputational Media Design
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudentI do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.
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