As we know, FS 19 makes full use of the graphics capabilities of current game consoles. However, they do not have one of the strengths of PC gaming: mods outside of official Modhub. We asked Giants Software to enlighten us on the subject.
For starters, how does a moderator send you a mod?
Giants Software: "They send it via the ModHub on our website. Once a mod is submitted and reviewed by our services, we also check if it can work on consoles. If so, we also post it here. If there are any adjustments to be made for the consoles, we contact the creator of the mod and tell them what to fix, in case they want to get it released to the consoles. However, there are also cases where this is simply not possible. Like when we don't have the license or it contains its own scripts without which the mod cannot work. "
Once the mod arrives, who controls it? How many people work in this "jury"?
Giants: “Members of our quality assurance team review the submissions. The actual number will vary depending on what other tasks are needed, but about three people monitor the submissions. "
Do you have dedicated software tools to help you?
Giants: “We have some tools to check textures and mipmaps for example. And one to do a shader check for consoles. "
What are the limits, in terms of power, of game consoles? Why don't they accept scripts?
Giants: “The current generation consoles are already a few years old. In general, modders should keep an eye out for anything that consumes a lot of CPU, graphics, or RAM. There is also a maximum space on the console hard drive reserved for all mods combined. So even if your mod is released to consoles, if it is very large, users might think twice before downloading it and using the space provided.
External scripts cannot be used on consoles due to their unique architecture. It is a general guarantee to ensure the quality and stability of the whole system, which is impossible. It's different on a PC where the nature of the whole system allows you to install whatever you want and download it from the internet. At the risk of your computer. "
Do you have any technical recommendations (texture size, number of polygons for a vehicle, etc.) for modders to have the ability to view their map or tractor on PS4 and Xbox One?
Giants: “There is no real limit. It should always relate to the actual size of the model. We generally recommend that people take the original models from the base game as a reference. Compare your mod with something similar in the game for example. Check the number of polygons. If a tractor of a similar size has three times as many polygons, something is wrong. Or there may be something more complex about your mod that justifies the extra polygons.
This is something that we also always control in our vehicle developments. Always remember that players will be using more than one machine in the game and it all adds up. An incredibly detailed machine can run solo but have several in a multiplayer game and it might be difficult (if not impossible) for the system to handle all of these calculations. "
Interview by Bruno Giacobbé / Simulagri.fr - Thanks to the Giants Software team.