Mod
This article is regarding Red Faction
- This page is for discussing legitimate modifications. For mods classified as cheats, see Cheats
Mod is short for "modification". A modification is simply a part of the game that has been changed or customized.
Client-Side Mods
Client-Side mods are any modification that you may use alone with or without the server or other clients also having it.
They include HUDs, Models, Textures, and Skins.
HUDs: Heads up Displays include any text or images that are displayed on the players screen while they play. Includes such elements as health/armor displays, ammo in clip/ammo in reserve displays, time remaining, and reticles.
Models: Client-Side models refer to custom clutter objects, custom pickups, custom first person weapon models, custom player models, and custom vehicle models. Custom Clutter Objects could be called cheats if they are different sizes to the original or have different collisions for meshes and/or projectiles. Custom first person weapon models and custom player models are largly accepted as legitimate so long as they do not offer a distinct advantage such as brighter player skins and/or bigger player models.
Textures/Skins: Client-Side texture and/or skin modifications are most often considered cheats because they can make players, pickups, or places easier or harder to see than by default. Wallhacks can also be developed using only modified textures.
Client-Side cheat mods
When is a client-side modification considered a cheat? If the modification contains any one of the following, then it is a cheat:
- Longer or shorter animation times then the defaults
- Bigger or smaller third-person models then the defaults
- Brightskins
- Wallhacks
- Any table file edits whatsoever
- Louder or quieter sounds then the defaults
- Anything which gives you a distinct advantage or disadvantage over any other players for any reason
- Any files modified for the sole purpose to make them stand out more than normal (eg. replacing the player shadow texture with a red shadow texture or replacing the damage amp overlay texture with a full-bright one)
- Any files modified for the sole purpose to make debris (smoke trails, bullet impacts, etc.) less noticeable (eg. replacing the rocket smoke trail texture (smoketest.tga) with a fully transparent texture)
Server-Side Mods
Server-Side mods include any modifications that change the game without having a client download anything new to play.
Some modifications for Red Faction that can be done server-side are: weapon damages, projectile velocity, available pickups, Geo-Mod crater size, client entity type, client camera position, client weapon, and remaining time.
Conversion Mods
Conversion mods (command-line) are modifications that require a client & server to both download and run a modified version of the game. Conversion mods can be as simple as modified weapon fire rates or as complex as brand new gametypes with new objectives, maps and models.