The reason there probably won't be any modding tools :(

[hardcore_gamer]

Or at least not a level editor. I know some were hoping that Doom Eternal would at some point get more powerful modding tools or even a traditional level editor unlike Doom 2016's snapmap. However, there is a simple reason this won't happen: Doom Eternal isn't actually being made with a conventional level editor. I can't remember the exact source, but not too long ago I remember reading/hearing that all of the levels in Doom Eternal are being made in Modo (a third party 3D modeling tool similar to Maya/Max) and then basically just imported wholesale into the game.

 

This means that Id can't give us a proper level editor, because they themselves aren't even really using one either. I believe Rage used a mixed workflow where both Modo and a traditional editor were used, where as with Doom 2016 and onward they just started using Modo for pretty much all of their level design. For this reason there probably won't ever be any conventional level editors for us guys to use for Doom Eternal or any future Doom/Id game for that matter :(

[nrofl]

That is kind of sad. I was kind of hoping for one because it looks so cool. Even though I would have no idea how to use it anyway.

[Duke of Pathoris]

So it seems. I think they use it for "baking" texture maps and the like into the level. It seems the choice for highly optimised games now.

[SaladBadger]

I'm confused. It's not like ordinary people are completely incapable of owning modeling packages (they are pretty expensive though...), and blender exists and while it might not be perfect, it is reasonably featured. If anything it might make the work of exposing modding easier since there's less to have to do with the importing tool, so possibly more time can be spent making it work better. No need to write UI, mesh editing features, and so on since they're already done for you.

 

As always I assume the big limiting factor is the expensive baking process the engine uses.

[Duke of Pathoris]

17 minutes ago, SaladBadger said:

I'm confused. It's not like ordinary people are completely incapable of owning modeling packages (they are pretty expensive though...)

Most likely, the only way to import the maps would be allowing a lot of access to the source which doesn't seem to be something Bethesda would like.

[DooM_RO]

Marty said in a recent interview that they would really like to add modding to Doom and that they are working on making the game moddable again but they can't promise modding will be available for Doom Eternal.

 

 

[Taurus Daggerknight]

Yeah, pretty sure they said that they might try to steer the project in that direction eventually, but that right now their core focus is just on releasing a good game. Which ...sounds fair to me honestly. I would rather they release something super polished and fun over a buggy mess whose focus was on being a toolbox instead of a solid shooter. I can't think of many games post-2000 that really straddled the line between "open toolkit" and "bug free solid base game" that so well, so... yeah, I'd say just be patient and see what happens. 

 

Take heart on one point; the parent company (Bethesda/ Zenimax) have historically favored modding in the past with the Elder Scrolls and most of their Fallout titles. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Fallout 76 the first one to explicitly not feature mod kits (due to it being an online only game)? Might not be a guarantee that they'll push iD back towards being mod friendly, but it does spell some hope. 

[whatup876]

This would not be a good solution but i thought if it was possible for id to bring back SnapMap, improve it a bit, add Eternal assets and make the feature mod friendly so there's some DE modding, even if it's not really the base game.

 

Oh and make Snap a seperate download/file of course.

 

Also, how would this compare to Doom 3 and its modding? because i don't remember much about its dev cycle, engine and modding.

[snapshot]

Having done some Doom 3 modding I'd say D3 modding is reasonably easy, you have traditional bsp mapping, and easy to read & use scripting languages. It's clear that the devs set-up their engine so that different aspects can be easily modded via custom .script, .def, and .gui files, and also provided built-in GUI, Decl and Map editors in the game. Also since the lighting is fully dynamic, no light pre-calculation or baking is needed so d-mapping your map doesn't take a lot of time depending on how large and complex it is.

 

It would be cool if DE gets similar mod support and lets people re-use the game's existing assets (much like Doom 3) so they don't have to worry about making their own, kind of like SnapMap but more powerful? I'd get it just for that.

Edited April 3, 2019 by tempdecal.wad : sounded like I was speaking about DE

[Caffeine Freak]

16 hours ago, DooM_RO said:

Marty said in a recent interview that they would really like to add modding to Doom and that they are working on making the game moddable again but they can't promise modding will be available for Doom Eternal.

 

 

 

I remember his specific wording being that they had made technical decisions some time in the past that made it difficult for them to give players proper modding tools, but that they were beginning to make changes that would open the window to modding opportunities in a more traditional way.

 

I assumed, as @SaladBadger speculates, that it has to do with the expensive texture baking process they introduced back in id Tech 5. I actually remember this being a specific reason that either Marty or maybe Robert Duffy gave in the Reddit AMA for lack of proper modding tools in Doom 2016.

 

 

@hardcore_gamer They were still using idStudio for Doom 2016, as evidenced by this slide from their 2016 Siggraph:

 

 

[whatup876]

Whether or not DE gets proper modding, i hope it's still easy for some people to rip assets from the game and use it for classic Doom mods like with D4D, D4T, MetaDoom and the rest.

 

So, in "some way", there's still some Eternal related modding adventures.