mod.io is a new open API for cross-platform Steam Workshop-like mod support

I suppose as a gamer you don't have to do anything with this, just hoping more developers will support and use it?

Quoting: CaenthI suppose as a gamer you don't have to do anything with this, just hoping more developers will support and use it?

As a gamer you don't do anything, no. It's up to game developers to integrate it if they wish.

This sounds sweet for gamers.

Sounds really cool. Hopefully people will start using it.

Quotethey even have plugins ready for GameMaker, Lumberyard, Unreal Engine and Unity.

As far as I can tell the plugins aren't actually ready yet. The Unity one says coming soon and the others all say something like "we require an Unreal Engine plugin. Interested in building one? We'd love to hear from you".

Quoting: chipgwSounds really cool. Hopefully people will start using it.

Quotethey even have plugins ready for GameMaker, Lumberyard, Unreal Engine and Unity.

As far as I can tell the plugins aren't actually ready yet. The Unity one says coming soon and the others all say something like "we require an Unreal Engine plugin. Interested in building one? We'd love to hear from you".

My bad, blame the lack of coffee, adjusted the text.

I looked through their API and SDKs a bit, looks mostly aimed towards higher-level mods - texture packs, localization, models, scripts, etc. Though their built-in virus scanning with VirusTotal is nice for the lower-level ones.
They do seem to lack a robust system for version dependencies as well as inter-mod dependencies too.

Really happy to see someone working on providing a reference for how to do mod handling though, this does tend to end up far too big of a mess usually.


Last edited by Ananace on 15 May 2018 at 6:27 pm UTC

Wait... being an indie dev you now need to implement a modular integration for multiple workshops if you want to support e.g. mod.io and Steam? And mods from one system won't work with the other because of different packaging? I get the target audience is software that doesn't release on Steam at all but let's face it: most of games sooner or later does. Especially games from independent studios because these need money more than AAA molochs. Other than that, seems great for open source.

P.s. I get how people don't like gaming services getting "centralised" around Steam but it's often due to having a wrong idea. It's like saying PC is centralised around Windows.

Quoting: cprnI get the target audience is software that doesn't release on Steam at all but let's face it: most of games sooner or later does.

And they can still keep using mod.io, unless they absolutely need Steam Workshop for the Steam client integration. I don't really care if the game provides their own mod manager using some other service.

Quoting: Guest

Quoting: cprn....
P.s. I get how people don't like gaming services getting "centralised" around Steam but it's often due to having a wrong idea. It's like saying PC is centralised around Windows.

How's this for ya: monopolized

It's rather condescending to think that you, above anyone who disagrees with you, have the "right" idea.

The wrong idea of thinking Valve invented workshops because they wanted to take over the world in one way or another. They didn't. It was released for developers because they saw it working for Half-Life and wanted the same thing for their games without the effort of implementing the whole thing from scratch. Same goes for updates, multiplayer and input layers. The "according to facts" idea is usually the right one.

Also, it's far from monopoly. You can implement a different solution - that's exactly what mod.io does. All I'm saying is hating on Valve makes no sense here and it won't make life easier for developers. The opposite. All Steam service layers exist because of this sole reason - devs wanted it easier.

Quoting: tuubi

Quoting: cprnI get the target audience is software that doesn't release on Steam at all but let's face it: most of games sooner or later does.

And they can still keep using mod.io, unless they absolutely need Steam Workshop for the Steam client integration. I don't really care if the game provides their own mod manager using some other service.

Yeah, but that's for as long as there aren't many. It kind of reminds an xkcd strip about standards. The one where they say:

Quote- Hey, there are 13 competing standards for this!
- You're right! That's awful! We should make our own that will merge all the good solutions and leave out the bad ones to make life easier for everyone around!

...

- Hey, there are 14 competing standards for this!

When each solution has its own problems and many different games use many different solutions for the same thing it's very hard to make anything consistent and inconsistencies are what frustrates the end user. That's how e.g. Microsoft and Adobe stole big chunks of their markets.

Quoting: cprn

Quoting: tuubi

Quoting: cprnI get the target audience is software that doesn't release on Steam at all but let's face it: most of games sooner or later does.

And they can still keep using mod.io, unless they absolutely need Steam Workshop for the Steam client integration. I don't really care if the game provides their own mod manager using some other service.

Yeah, but that's for as long as there aren't many. It kind of reminds an xkcd strip about standards. The one where they say:

Quote- Hey, there are 13 competing standards for this!
- You're right! That's awful! We should make our own that will merge all the good solutions and leave out the bad ones to make life easier for everyone around!

...

- Hey, there are 14 competing standards for this!

When each solution has its own problems and many different games use many different solutions for the same thing it's very hard to make anything consistent and inconsistencies are what frustrates the end user. That's how e.g. Microsoft and Adobe stole big chunks of their markets.

You'd have a point if Steam Workshop was a standard. And if games had any consistency in their UI designs.

Quoting: cprnYeah, but that's for as long as there aren't many. It kind of reminds an xkcd strip about standards. The one where they say:

Quote- Hey, there are 13 competing standards for this!
- You're right! That's awful! We should make our own that will merge all the good solutions and leave out the bad ones to make life easier for everyone around!

...

- Hey, there are 14 competing standards for this!

When each solution has its own problems and many different games use many different solutions for the same thing it's very hard to make anything consistent and inconsistencies are what frustrates the end user. That's how e.g. Microsoft and Adobe stole big chunks of their markets.

You don't need a standard for mod integration though.
Just like you don't need a standard for e.g. main menus. A game just needs a working solution so that you don't have to search for mods on multiple websites etc.. It would be completely fine if each game would have it's own workshop like mod integration, this just makes it so that developer don't have to spend resources on developing (and hosting?) their own method.
Ideally the average end user shouldn't even realize which mod integration the game is using (unless they need to register an account and can use that account for mod integration across multiple games).

Quoting: tuubiYou'd have a point if Steam Workshop was a standard. And if games had any consistency in their UI designs.

Well, yeah, current state of affairs is not ideal. Well, who knows, maybe mod.io will become a de facto "standard" and Valve will switch. ;)

Quoting: LakortaYou don't need a standard for mod integration though.
Just like you don't need a standard for e.g. main menus. A game just needs a working solution so that you don't have to search for mods on multiple websites etc.. It would be completely fine if each game would have it's own workshop like mod integration, this just makes it so that developer don't have to spend resources on developing (and hosting?) their own method.
Ideally the average end user shouldn't even realize which mod integration the game is using (unless they need to register an account and can use that account for mod integration across multiple games).

Yes and no. If you use something that is supposed to be general (like mod.io) and then release to a specific platform with its specific solution (like Steam and Workshop), the existing user base is used to that UI and the way of looking for mods, etc. - they'll look in Workshop first, then complain, then maybe look somewhere else. Just like they ignore most of the dedicated forum pages and use Steam's Discussions instead. Sooner or later you end up supporting two solutions.

It would be an awesome solution if mod.io would auto-release all the mods for you on Steam Workshop as well (assuming you've enabled it in some config).


Last edited by cprn on 17 May 2018 at 9:01 pm UTC

Quoting: cprnYes and no. If you use something that is supposed to be general (like mod.io) and then release to a specific platform with its specific solution (like Steam and Workshop), the existing user base is used to that UI and the way of looking for mods, etc. - they'll look in Workshop first, then complain, then maybe look somewhere else. Just like they ignore most of the dedicated forum pages and use Steam's Discussions instead. Sooner or later you end up supporting two solutions.

That is true.
I may be wrong but I think there are more games having mods outside Steam Workshop (e.g. ModDB or Nexusmods) than there are games that are using Steam Workshop. And, if I understood that right, mod.io's mod support will be integrated inside the game unlike third party (web)sites (this includes Steam Workshop). There are also ingame Steam Workshop integrations which may also be different from game to game (these are rare to see though).

Well, I guess we will see how it comes out. I'm rooting for them, don't get me wrong. I'm just not envy of all the extra work some people will end up doing if it gets popular. I didn't get how it's in-game, I think it opens the browser... wouldn't be the first time I'm wrong, though. :)

Hey everyone, sorry for posting so late - appreciate the support in here. I'm happy to answer any questions about the service - but our aim is to make as open a modding platform as possible. We've got some way to go to do that, but a good example of this is the open source game 0 A.D. which uses the mod.io API in an entirely anonymous way to power their modding solution: https://0ad.mod.io/

They recently ticked over 5000 downloads which was awesome to see. If there are game developers here keen to chat - hit me up!