Modding 2k13

[agiles2303]

Just by the eye test 2k11, 2k12, and soon to be 2k13 all look relatively similar on the surface. I also noticed that REDitor works with files from 2k11 and 2k12 (and 2k10 if I recall correctly). I would assume it to mean that the structure of the file data is relatively similar across all three titles if one program can manage data across them. If that is truly the case...

Is the assumption by the serious modders (specifically the UBR contributors)...
1. REDitor should work for NBA 2K13 as is?
2. All of the courts, cyber faces, jerseys, shoes, etc from the UBR files would be compatible in 2k13?

[Leftos]

No, and we can't know. REditor didn't work with 2K12 rosters day 1. It took months before we had a 2K12 compatible version. Nor have we had previous years' files work on a new version, AFAIK.

Although previous knowledge of file structure can serve as a base to decode the newer versions of the files, slight changes from year to year can take a lot of time to decode, in order to create the proper tools.

Any change to the Cyberface, Court, Jersey, Shoe, etc format would mean we would need people to decode the files a new, and build the proper tools for them. Granted, if the changes are small, rather than big, we should have those tools sooner than later.

There's a minute chance that some files will have the exact same format if VC didn't care about improving/changing its format and landed on one that works for some of its files in 2K12, so we may be able to use some files as is. My money ain't on that happening.

REditor working as is is the longest shot of your whole post. Rosters are changed a lot every year. Last year it was Abilities and changed/new/removed ratings, as well as create a legend, and so much more stuff that could've changed. This year we definitely know we'll have to decode signature skills, and whatever else information VC has put into the roster.

If I had to venture a guess, I don't see the art format changing a lot, neither do I see it not changing at all. People more knowledgable on NBA 2K's history could help with this, and whether there was a year we had tools from the previous one that worked fine day 1. So my guess is we won't be able to use last year's files, nor last year's tools, but that we should get new ones pretty soon, as long as the people that worked on them haven't given up.

As for rosters? It'll take some time before Vlad and the team decode the changes in this year's saves, so this makes it quite some time before REditor comes out. The usual schedule of a first release near December seems to me like the most likely thing to happen.

[agiles2303]

Thanks Leftos, I have a mod concept that I think would be a ton of fun and at some point once (if) REDitor (and the other necessary tools) become available for 2k13. I would like to do a chat with you and other serious contributors so we can make this concept come to life. I'm rather confident it's a concept everyone will get behind.

[Leftos]

Any reason you're not going public with your concept? I've already posted my first idea for a tool for 2K13. Community feedback is key. If you want to PM me, fine, but I don't see why you wouldn't want the rest of the NLSC to know.

I'm pretty sure Vlad will be here to work on REditor for 2K13. It's a job for him, a source of income, and one of the most useful tools we have each year, so I doubt he's given up.

I can't however speak for the guys making the decompressors and mod tools. They're not part of NLSC (AFAIK), so they could've given up on the whole thing already and we'd be left with no tools, since they're all closed-code, with no reverse engineering tutorials anywhere to be found, or some kind of source code. There are people here at NLSC (including me) who could try to decode the art files ourselves, but it would take a whole lot more time than what it'd take if we had some guidelines, and even more than what it'd take the guys that made last year's tools.

Not to give VC any ideas, but they could've just disabled loading of decompressed files, which would require the tool makers to find the exact settings with which the files are compressed, besides decompressing them. And trust me, figuring out compression would take a whole lot more time than decompression.

Right now, we can't be sure whether art files will be the same, whether they'll be different, how different they'll be, and how long it will take for tools to get developed.

Don't get your hopes up on an NBA 2K13 REditor coming soon though. The amount of work required for it is exuberant.