Editing Video game modding (section)

==Types==
===Total conversion===<!-- This section is linked from [[First-person shooter]] -->
{{main|List of video games derived from mods}}
A ''total conversion'' is a mod of an existing game that replaces virtually all of the artistic assets in the original game, and sometimes core aspects of gameplay.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/galleryoftheday/13909-8-of-the-Best-Total-Conversion-Mods-of-All-Time|title=8 of the Coolest Total Conversion Mods Ever Made|work=The Escapist|access-date=2017-07-19|archive-date=2020-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121205708/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/galleryoftheday/13909-8-of-the-Best-Total-Conversion-Mods-of-All-Time}}</ref> Total conversions can result in a completely different [[video game genres|genre]] from the original.

The ''Half-Life'' modding community splintered across the different total conversions available, often modding for a particular total conversion rather than ''Half-Life'' in general.<ref name=":2" /> Examples of famous total conversions include ''[[Counter-Strike (video game)|Counter-Strike]]'' (1999), whose developers were hired by [[Valve Corporation|Valve]] to turn it into a commercial product,<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/10/best-total-conversion-mods/|title=Best total conversion mods|last=Donnelly|first=Joe|date=2017-02-10|journal=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-19}}</ref> ''[[Defense of the Ancients]]'' (2003), which was the first [[Multiplayer online battle arena|MOBA]] to have sponsored tournaments,<ref name=":0" /> and ''[[Garry's Mod]]'' (2006), for which fans created thousands of game modes over its decade-long development.<ref name=":1" />

Many popular total conversions are later turned into standalone games, replacing any remaining original assets to allow for commercial sale without [[copyright infringement]]. Some of these mods are even approved for sale despite using the [[Intellectual property|IP]] of the original game, such as ''[[Black Mesa (video game)|Black Mesa]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-11-20-valve-gives-black-mesa-permission-to-be-a-commercial-product|title=Valve gives Black Mesa permission to be a commercial product|last=Matulef|first=Jeffrey|date=2013-11-20|website=Eurogamer|language=en-UK|access-date=2017-07-19}}</ref>

===Overhaul===
An ''overhaul'' mod significantly changes an entire game's graphics and gameplay, usually with the intent to improve on the original, but not going as far as being a completely different experience. This can also include adding revised dialog and music.

Examples of overhaul mods include ''[[Deus Ex (video game)|Deus Ex]]: Revision'', which was given permission from publisher [[Square Enix]] to release on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] alongside the original game,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/13/9521011/deus-ex-revision-mod-release-steam|title=A massive overhaul for the original Deus Ex is now available on Steam|last=Robertson|first=Adi|date=2015-10-13|website=The Verge|access-date=2017-07-19}}</ref> and ''[[Grand Theft Auto V|GTA 5]] Redux'', which not only improves the original game's textures, but also adds a new weather system, visual effects, and adjusts the wanted system, weapons, and vehicle handling.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/that-gorgeous-gta-5-graphics-overhaul-mod-is-final/1100-6443721/|title=That Gorgeous GTA 5 Graphics Overhaul Mod Is Finally Available|last=Pereira|first=Chris|date=2016-09-20|website=GameSpot|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-19}}</ref>

===Randomizer===
Randomizers are a type of user mod, typically atop games of the 8-bit and 16-bit generations, that keep the fundamental gameplay but randomize elements of the game to make it more of a challenge. Randomizers came out of the [[speedrunning]] community which had exhausted the challenge of racing through the game with one of the earliest being for ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' around 2015. In the ''Zelda'' randomizer, the mod moved the location of the dungeons, the layout of these dungeons, and the location of enemies in a random but procedurally generated manner (similar to [[roguelikes]]) based on a numerical seed, so that speedrunners would have to overcome these new changes.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://kotaku.com/what-happens-when-you-randomize-the-legend-of-zelda-1758777271 | title = What Happens When You Randomize The Legend Of Zelda | first = John | last = Harris | date = February 2, 2016 | access-date = December 7, 2019 | work = [[Kotaku]]}}</ref> Their popularity grew as randomizer playthroughs were popular with streaming media.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/12/how-randomizers-are-breathing-new-life-into-old-games/ | title = How "randomizers" are breathing new life into old games | first = Scott | last = White | date = December 3, 2019 | access-date = December 7, 2019 | work = [[Ars Technica]]}}</ref> Some games have offered official randomizer modes in the game itself, such as ''[[Cassette Beasts]]'' in 2023,<ref name="RPGFan review">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Des |date=2023-04-26 |title=''Cassette Beasts'' Review |url=https://www.rpgfan.com/review/cassette-beasts/ |access-date=2023-04-30 |website=RPG Fan |language=en-US}}</ref> or in [[downloadable content]], including ''[[Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night]]'' in 2020,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/bloodstained-zangetsu-randomizer-mode-release-news|title=Bloodstained Adds a New Character and Randomizer Mode, But Switch Players Have to Wait|last=Van Allen|first=Eric|date=4 May 2020|work=US Gamer|access-date=25 September 2021|archive-date=25 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925180150/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/bloodstained-zangetsu-randomizer-mode-release-news}}</ref> and ''[[Axiom Verge]]'' in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/axiom-verge-just-got-a-surprise-randomizer-mode/|last=Prescott|first=Shaun|date=14 January 2021|work=PC Gamer|title=Axiom Verge just got a surprise Randomizer mode}}</ref>

===Add-on===
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2011}}
An ''add-on'' or ''addon'' is a typically small mod which adds to the original content of a specific game. In most cases, an add-on will add one particular element to a game, such as a new weapon in a shooting game, a new unit or map in a strategy game, a new vehicle or track in a racing game, items in a game like ''[[Minecraft]]'' or ''[[Terraria]]'', or additional content in simulation games (such as new pilotable airplanes, e.g., the [[Airbus A330]] or [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner]]). An example of a mod that adds functionality to augment or enhance a players experience is ComputerCraft, a [[Minecraft modding|Minecraft mod]] that adds programmable computers and robots to allow the player to automate tasks in-game. This can be accomplished without changing any of the original game's existing content. Many games are flexible and allow this, however that is not always the case. Some add-ons occasionally have to replace in-game content, due to the nature of a peculiar game engine. It may be the case, for example, that in a game which does not give a player the option to choose their character, modders wishing to add another player model will simply have to overwrite the old one. A famous example of this type of mod can be found for the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series wherein modders may use downloadable tools to replace content (such as models) in the game's directory. The ''[[Left 4 Dead]]'' series can also be modded with individual add-ons which are stored in a {{Not a typo|.VPK}} format, so that a player may choose to activate a given mod or not.

===Unofficial patch===
An ''[[unofficial patch]]'' can be a mod of an existing game that fixes [[Software bug|bugs]] not fixed by an official patch or that unlocks content present in the released game's files but is inaccessible in official gameplay. Such patches are usually created by members of the game's fan base when the original developer is unwilling or unable to supply the functionality officially. ''[[Jazz Jackrabbit 2]]'' has an unofficial patch which adds and fixes many of its features.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jazz2online.com/jcf/showthread.php?t=19489|access-date=15 March 2014 |title=JJ2+ (last updated October 30, 2013) |date=2013-11-01}}</ref> One effect of this type of mod is that hidden or partially deleted content can be revealed. An example is the [[Hot Coffee mod|''Hot Coffee'' mod]] for ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'', which unlocks a sexually explicit minigame.<ref name="auto">{{cite journal|last1=Sotamaa|first1=Olli|title=On modder labour, commodification of play, and mod competitions|journal=[[First Monday (journal)|First Monday]]|date=3 September 2007|volume=12|issue=9|doi=10.5210/fm.v12i9.2006|doi-access=free}}</ref> The [[ESRB]] changed the rating of ''GTA:SA'' from ''Mature'' (M) to ''Adults Only'' (AO).<ref name="RerateToAORating">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/news/6129500.html | title = San Andreas rated AO, Take-Two suspends production | work = [[GameSpot]] | publisher=[[CNET Networks]] | access-date = July 1, 2006 | date = 2005-12-14}}</ref> In the fourth quarter of 2005, Rockstar released a "clean" version of the game with the "Hot Coffee" scenes removed (''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' 1.01), allowing the rating of the game to be reverted to its original ''Mature'' rating.<ref name="RevertToMRating">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6152490.html |title=FTC Hot Coffee ruling scalds, but doesn't burn Take-Two |work=[[GameSpot]] |publisher=CNET Networks |access-date=July 1, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060708231006/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6152490.html |archive-date=July 8, 2006 |date=2006-06-08}}</ref> In May 2006, a similar event occurred with ''[[Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]''.<ref name="auto"/>

===Art mod===
An ''art mod'' is a mod that is created for artistic effect. Art mods are most frequently associated with [[video game art]]. However, modified games that retain their playability and are subject to more extensive mods (i.e. closer to total conversions) may also be classified as [[art game]]s.<ref name=cannon>Cannon, Rebecca. "Meltdown" from ''Videogames and Art'' (Clarke, Andy and Grethe Mitchell, eds.). Bristol: Intellect Books. Pp.40-42. 2007. {{ISBN|978-1-84150-142-0}}</ref> Art mods are usually designed to subvert the original game experience. One example is the ''Velvet-Strike'' mod for ''Counter Strike'' in which the players spray-paint anti-violence messages in multiplayer games as a form of [[performance art]]. Another example is Robert Nideffer's ''Tomb Raider I and II'' patches which were designed to subvert the unofficial ''[[Tomb Raider (1996 video game)#Nude Raider|Nude Raider]]'' patch of the late 1990s by altering Lara Croft's sexual orientation.<ref name="stalker">{{Cite thesis |last=Stalker |first=Phillipa Jane |date=2006-11-15 |title=Gaming in art: A case study of two examples of the artistic appropriation of computer games and the mapping of historical trajectories of "Art Games" versus mainstream computer games |url=http://ljudmila.org/~selectparks/dl/PippaStalker_GamingInArt.pdf |degree=MSc |language=en}}</ref> The origins of the art mod can be traced to the classic 1983 mod ''Castle Smurfenstein'' (a humorous subversion of ''[[Castle Wolfenstein]]'' which replaces the Nazi guards with [[Smurfs]]).<ref>{{citation |last=Bogacs |first=Hannes |url=https://www.academia.edu/2317114 |title=Game Mods: Design, Theory and Criticism |publisher=[[Vienna University of Technology|Vienna University of Technology - Design and Assessment of Technologies Institute]]|date=February 2008}}</ref> The very first art mod, however, is generally considered to be [[Iimura Takahiko]]'s 1993 ''AIUEOUNN Six Features'' (a modification of Sony's "System G").<ref name=cannon/><ref name=stalker/>

=== Support continuation by mod ===
After EA lost its license with [[Major League Baseball]] and [[End-of-life (product)|ended support]] for ''[[MVP Baseball 2005]]'', the game's modding community has continued to support it by releasing updated roster lists and graphics every year, along with creating alternative baseball leagues (e.g. MVP Caribe, a total conversion) in the game.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-12-22 |title=Nine Years Later, Latin America's Leagues Keep MVP Baseball Alive |url=https://kotaku.com/nine-years-later-latin-americas-leagues-keep-mvp-base-1488236659 |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Kotaku |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mvp-baseball-2005-mod-community-mlb-video-games/ |title='MVP Baseball … 2015'? How the Best Baseball Video Game Ever Has Refused to Retire for 10 Years |date=April 14, 2015 |first=Ben |last=Lindbergh |publisher=[[Grantland.com]] |quote=Another factor in MVP's favor: The game allows greater access to its innards than most titles. [...] 2K's failure to match MVP's approval rating despite several years of running unopposed on the PC market, made MVP the go-to game for modders even as it lost its looks relative to 2K and The Show. The community's support peaked from 2005 through the first PC edition of 2K in 2009, tailed off for a time, and then ramped up again once Take-Two abandoned the PC market in 2013 and canceled 2K entirely last year. A decade of EA development made MVP the best baseball game on the PC market in 2005, and a decade of amateur development has helped it keep that title in 2015.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Open Source Breathes New Life Into 'MVP Baseball 2005' Video Game |url=http://info.protecode.com/bid/74171/Open-Source-Breathes-New-Life-Into-MVP-Baseball-2005-Video-Game|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131164345/http://info.protecode.com/bid/74171/Open-Source-Breathes-New-Life-Into-MVP-Baseball-2005-Video-Game |archive-date=2016-01-31 }}</ref>

''[[IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover]]'', released in 2011, received mixed reviews due to bugs and other issues. Modders fixed the game over time and received [[source code]] access, which led to an official re-release under the name ''IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover BLITZ Edition''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/mods-saved-a-game-so-theyre-now-an-official-product-1823409264|title=Mods Saved A Game, So They're Now An Official Product|author=Luke Plunkett|date=2018-02-28|publisher=[[kotaku.com]]}}</ref>

Following the closure of [[Ion Storm]] the source code to ''[[Daikatana]]'' was released to a select group of modders by [[John Romero]], leading the version 1.3 patch, which also ported the game to [[MacOS]], [[Linux]] and [[FreeBSD]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Dawe | first=Liam | date=2016-07-20 | title=You can play controversial FPS 'Daikatana' on Linux now, thanks to a fan patch endorsed by John Romero | url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2016/07/you-can-play-controversial-fps-daikatana-on-linux-now-thanks-to-a-fan-patch-endorsed-by-john-romero/ | website=GamingOnLinux | access-date=2023-02-09}}</ref>

Some online video games are made playable after their discontinuation by modders.  Examples include [[BattleForge]], [[Need for Speed: World]], and [[The Crew (video game)|The Crew]].

===User interface mod===
A [[user interface]] mod changes parts of how players interact with the game,<ref name="auto4"/> and commonly, mods to the UI reveal information that the player or modder believes is helpful in playing the game.<ref name="auto6"/>

===Mod packs===
Mod packs are groups of mods put into one package for download, often with an auto-installer. A mod pack's purpose is to make it easier for the player to install and manage multiple mods.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://glosbe.com/en/en/modpack|title=modpack - definition - English |website=Glosbe |access-date=2 October 2017}}</ref> Mod packs may be created with the purpose of making the original game more accessible to new players or to make the game more challenging for veteran players.