BIS is making a big mistake for several reasons. The wonderful thing about being able to mod games is that it gives a large number of dedicated people a creative outlet that encourages them, with no formal training, to learn to add value. Where would Quake be today were it not for the many quality mods that keep the game alive? We would all have moved on to the next game.
I think this is really consistent with a general arrogance that I've seen with respect to the developers of this game. They seem to think that they are *the* experts on what's good and bad about gaming. They have very negative things to say about cheats. Ha, now that is a real joke. Were it not for cheats I would have given up on these games long ago. I have zero tolerance for a poorly designed level or bugs in a game that cause me to get stuck or bored with having to play one silly section of a game over and over. I build software for a living and I know when I see shoddy work. Poorly tested and poorly designed code shouldn't ruin my gaming experience and it doesn't because I have a solution. I cheat through the crappy part of a game and then turn the cheat off when I've gotten past the offending portion to where the work is of better quality. First thing I did with OFP, before buying the game, was learn how to use multiple saves and probably wouldn't have bought the game without that workaround. If I buy a game, I *will* play it absolutely any way that pleases me. I have nothing to prove, I'm just looking for entertainment.
If BIS doesn't want to release Oxygen to the masses fine, so release the key to the p3d file format and we'll build our own damn tools. And I hope they don't think they are qualified to sit in judgement over what is and what isn't an "acceptable" mod of a game. That's a question of art and I'd frankly be offended, and I think most of the modding community would be as well, if asked to submit work for approval before being allowed to mod a game. That would be arrogant.
Wise up BIS, you've done some good work but others can and will pass you by if you don't build a real following to create loyalty to this game. I hope you choose to encourage our interest.
