Mod
- This page is for discussing legitimate modifications. Cheats will not be covered here.
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 largely accepted as legitimate so long as they do not offer you a distinct advantage.
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.
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 than the defaults
- Bigger or smaller third-person models than the defaults
- Third-person player or weapon skins that are more noticeable than the defaults
- Any method to make ordinarily opaque level geometry fully or semi-transparent
- .tbl file edits
- Louder or quieter sounds then the defaults
- Any method to make debris (smoke trails, projectile impact VFX, etc.) less noticeable
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.