Which Game has the Best Modded Communities?
When judging whether or not a game deserves classic status, one of the criteria is usually how well loved it is. Games that retain dedicated fan bases years after their initial release can be said to have stood the test of time and be classic titles.
Some examples of that would include games like Super Mario Bros, Fortnite and the Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto franchises. For real money games, online poker is one that seems to enjoy perennial popularity.
Of course another way in which we can assess the claims of various games to be considered classics is in terms of mods. Games which attract focused modding communities have clearly captured the imaginations of gamers to a greater extent than the average title.
So what are the games that have the best modding communities?
What is Modding?
Before we go any further, it might be a good idea to clarify what is meant by the term ‘modding’ for those who are not familiar with it. Modding means changing software or hardware so that is does something different to the original function or is more closely tailored to the preferences of the person making the changes.
In gaming terms, the changes made by modding communities can range from slight tweaks to fix bugs or glitches in the game, to major overhauls that extend the life-span of the game or create something entirely new out of it. They are a key part of the gaming world now, but which games have attracted the most mods?
Fallout: New Vegas
High quality older games like this 2010 PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 title are prime ground for modding groups. That is because they still have many strong points but also weaknesses due to the passage of time that modders can get to grips with.
In the case of Fallout: New Vegas, fans love the immersive world-building and complex writing, but have been frustrated by the out-of-date graphics as well as by glitches in the play. Therefore mods have focused on creating new high definition texturing to bring the visuals up to date in comparison to more modern games.
Beyond that though, a team of particularly dedicated modders have created an entirely new campaign called Fallout: New California. This gives players fresh opponents and missions to complete as well as a totally new landscape. It shows how creative modding can be.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Given how passionate fans of this franchise are, it is not surprising that they have attracted modding communities. The one for the fifth installment has been particularly successful in extending its lifespan though.
Most of the mods have been to make the look and performance of the game better. They have made loading it before the start of play quicker than it was on release and have overhauled the graphics to photorealistic quality.
That has helped to prevent the game dating too badly.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
This game is one that we ranked among the best adventure games for Xbox and it was a very big seller from release. Despite that though, it did have some issues when it was originally launched back in 2015.
Color balance in the graphics and general bugs during the play were problems highlighted by many players. Then groups of modders got to work on addressing them.
It is not just a matter of those kinds of fixes though. They have made it possible to use the fast travel device from any in-game location and use the photo mode to take cool pictures.
Terraria
If you want an example of the sort of mod that enhances almost every aspect of the game then the one known as Calamity Mod for the Terraria game fits that bill. This game was written off by a lot of people on its release as a weaker copy of Minecraft in two dimensions.
That is a bit unfair, but there is no question that the mod improved the game. It added huge amounts of extra content, so players can get twice as much mileage out of it – at a minimum. It incorporated new weapons, enemies, levels of difficulty and biomes, as well as changing the music for the game.
Taken to this level, the act of modding a game becomes a genuinely creative one that produces its own separate and distinct product. It is definitely one of the finest examples of the activity and shows why these communities are so highly valued within the gaming world.
There are lots of games that have modded communities attached to them now. These are enthusiasts keen to sort out problems with games but also to use their understanding of gaming to make them better. We should all welcome that.
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