Again I'll quote Mr. Marin Klima from ALTAR:

Well, give him this quote from the modding community:

"Please look into it! New models for this game would rock"

Maybe sigget could provide us with a "simple" model-editor, his and fnurgs modelviewer was pretty advanced before the official tools arrived. A simple possibility to change the existing models would be enough, one wouldn't need to add new Mesh-points or something, editing the provided stuff would be enough. For a start.

Hm, the guys over at http://ufo.myexp.de/ released their model tools and map maker. (hint, Altar, hint!) Best of all: They are making a freeware game and haven't even finished that thing yet ! They had 50000 downloads of their demo. Seems an open structure (gamewise and company-wise) attracts people. I wonder if some producers and developers could learn something from this....

Yes, they'd most likely learn how to lose profit and code all over the place

Seriously though, there's a big difference between folks trying to make a living and staying legal with it and doing a free project over a period of many years. There are many more rules to follow.

I can accept that Altar wouldn't want to pay $30K for something. I wouldn't want to pay that for a license. But, I reject the implication that Altar is not responsible.

Other messages from Altar have indicated that a model editor would be impossible for one programmer to make, but that a conversion tool would be a simple task.

Altar is ultimately responsible for their game.

If a conversion tool is a simple task, and Altar can't legally make the tool, then Altar should get Kret, sigget, or some outside programmer to make the tool. That outside programmer could become a beta-tester for Altar, and many people are willing to beta-test for free, or would be willing to beta-test for a free copy of the Aftershock game that has been announced.

Altar would feed the volunteer the specifications of their proprietary format with ideas of how and what needs to be converted and to what it should be converted.

I believe that Altar should take whatever steps are necessary so that there is a public domain conversion tool that converts from the Altar format to a freeware model editor and back, before Aftershock is released. Then the public domain conversion tool could be included with the Aftershock game, and could hopefully be used retroactively with UFO:AM as well.

Then Aftershock and Aftermath would both have model editing capabilities. Altar is responsible to make their games highly modable because even on their old forum, Altar representatives agree that modding is where the future is.

They could also have had a conversion tool making contest. There are ways, if there is a will and enough imagination. I'm sure that if Altar were to take the necessary steps to get the ball rolling that they would find even better ways of pulling it off.

Bump to Lurker's post. The model-file looks extremely simple to me, and i'm no programmer. If there really was an interest to release an useful tool, there surely would be ways. Even without writing plugins or buying multi-million-dollar-tools. Fulby showed us that with enough time and will one can edit simple models even by hand. For advanced models this still would work, but the needed time ......

Whether the task is easy or hard, I do believe that Altar should lead the way and make sure that there is something available in the public domain when they are done with Aftershock, so that Model Editing can be done with Aftershock.

Martin talks about a Format Converter. If that's what is needed, then Altar should see that it gets done, one way or the other. Or if a plugin is needed or whatever is needed, they just need to find a way to make sure that the right tool makes it into the Public Domain and onto the CD when it comes time for us to buy Aftershock.

That's my opinion. The people at Altar should find a way to work around the obstacle.

So you want ALTAR to make, or have someone make a tool that converts the models into some other game's format? That is something they can't really do, and thus fans have to do it on their own accord. I wish ALTAR would try really hard to get some sort of plugin released as well, but they are hard at work with the new game, and thus I doubt we'll see it. It would give us something new while waiting for Aftershock though...

Exactly!

Yes, if fans have to do it of their own accord, then Altar should step up to the plate and make sure that the fans have more 'accord' or incentive to do the project.

Altar could promise a job to the programmer that delivers, create a contest with a nice prize, or make the 'winner' an honorary beta-tester with direct access to Altar, or some such.

In other threads that I can no longer find, Martin makes the creation of his Format Converter sound easy. Now all Martin needs to do is give someone the incentive to develop this wonderful Public Domain tool that Martin says will solve all our problems.

Altar needs to exercise some imagination and some initiative and get the ball rolling, find a way to work around the obstacle and provide enough incentive for someone to follow through.

I'd like to see this resolved by the time Aftershock comes out, but as Slaughter indicates, if they could get it in place sooner, great! Then we would have more to do with UFO:AM while we wait for Aftershock.

I see no point in releasing such a tool for Aftermath when Aftershock get out. Most modders will probably mod Aftershock instead, and thus that's the game they should make it for. So either they have to release something for Aftermath soon, or something for Aftershock (or that work with both games) when Aftershock is released.

Hm, Xcom 1 was (and is!) still being modded and used by the community even when TFTD was released. I hope UFO AM will not turn over and "play dead" just because of the sequel. I still want to help Strahd with his Stargate TC or do my own mech/warhammer40k TC....

Btw, there was that cool savegameditor that could "convert" Xcom1 soldiers in Xcom2 aquanauts, nice!

Depends on how good and different Aftershock is I suppose...

i'm sorry to say...but i will only be playing aftershock...if its better than af......only reasons are that...i just need those extra function...and i belivethat the stargate mod can be made for the new game.....