Mod Support Wishlist

[:1]Basically a wishlist specifically for mod-support features.
I'll post some more later from the original threads (unless someone beats me to it) which were originally really meant to be simply to rally people around the cause of getting mod support in.|||Documentation on functions and such, especially in stuff like BPs. Also Docs on modeling procedures and such specific to teh format you are using(like using helpers for muzzles in SC1/FA)
Mike|||Documentation on textures, including what kind of DDS compression they are using, and what the different values do in the Albedo, NormalTS, and SpecTeam.
The ability to add shaders to the game via the mods folder, and for the game to automatically recompile the shaders when it loads to prevent users from having to start with /purgecache.
The ability to mount to the root directory.
The ability to write a basic text file to store information for mods that need to record information between games instead of having to write to game.prefs which is risky.
Automatic mod distribution in online games.|||more fine-grained access to what is in the engine, or alternatively; leaving more code in Lua for modders to poke at.|||1. There is a lot to be said about Warcraft III or Starcraft and the design of their editors in the RTS genre. There is even more to be said about the Starcraft II editor. It really should be the model any world editor is built around if not for having such a low barrier to new designers.
2. Sketchup/Blender support. Think about wha'ts free, what everyone has access to, what is easy to use and try to include those tools or concepts.
For what it's worth...|||Maybe GPG should try to make KnC a HL2 or Unreal for RTS games?
As an engine that modders and semi-professionals can make new games from, and either GPG will come to an arrangement to include the mod in future versions of the game for their own profit, or the modder can license the engine and release his game seperately.|||In lobby transfer of mods is definitely high on my wish list. This is probably the most lethal thing that was missing in SupCom/FA to make modding take off. With it, you could make a custom mod game and people would ask you what the mod did, and they could get it without dropping out of the game.
Being able to mount the root directory would be great for making full conversions and custom campaigns. I would also make custom AIs considerably more user friendly and make things such as custom lobby functions not auto-desynch.
Since I have traditionally been a weapon maker/unit modder, I have a slight wish for more of the functions and variables to be made available in lua (think changing projectile lifetimes on the fly). I would love to see more of the limitations go away, but that is probably an impossible wish.
Having a format, or specs that can be used to make exporters, that is compatible with available free modeling programs would help get more modelers going I think. Having to buy professional modding tools to make models hurts people coming in and making their own units. It is too much money to put out for such a limited activity. Milkshape et al, are great modeling programs that have helped people learn how to model. I personally think being able to use them is part of what has helped first person shooter modding expand so easily. Oh and same comments on map making.
One idea for map making, have a custom map maker that takes a page from a game called Aquaria. If your editor can take basic shapes and then auto tessellate between them, then you can make some pretty nifty levels quickly and easily. I do realize this would by harder for 3D, but this is a wishlist.
Last one for the time being, an updated particle editor. Yeah, definitely, this one.