This game series has been heavily altered, from graphics, scripting up to music. Solid followers of the game have introduced a number of game alterations that made the game all the more interesting.  The initial mod for the game included tiny fixes and patches on the gameplay. This includes weapon enhancement and introduction of new foes. Later on, modders became more ambitious thus giving rise to an entirely different version of the game that is completely different from the original Quake game.

Team Fortress
The very first and perhaps most successful game mod released for Quake is the Team Fortress. Dubbed as the ultimate game mod, Team Fortress introduced a game play called as ‘Capture the Flag’, along with a player class system. Each class has its own set of restrictions when it comes to the selection of armors and weapons available to a certain player. Players in each class are also granted with unique abilities, like for example the Soldier class is given a well-rounded grenade and weapon selection, moderate speed and medium armor. The new game play introduced by Team Fortress allowed the defense tactics to be shifted to a new direction.  For over many years now, Team Fortress still is the most played game mod for Quake.

Three Wave Capture Flag (CTF)

Authored by Dave Kirsh, also known as ‘Zoid’, Three Wave Capture the Flag is yet another well-known game mod for the game Quake. Unlike the Team Fortress, which is a total conversion, CTF is only made to be a partial conversion of the game. It consists of power ups, new game rules, new game maps, and a new weapon known as the grappling hook. Thanks to Team Fortress, Capture the Flag became a staple game mode in many multi-player games that were launched after Quake.

Small fixes and game patches have been created by Quake fans, most of which included the use of custom maps. Though the game has been released years back, new custom maps are still being created up to this day, and the majority is easily playable by simply loading the maps to the original Quake game. There are thousands of custom game maps that have been created for almost all types of game plays but most of them are made for death match and single player genres.

But what benefits can a gamer get from modding a game? First of all, modifying existing PC games means you need to come up with a new concept or design to improve the game. Therefore, it is believed that this will provide modders educational benefits. Through modding, gamers can boost their creativity and can also hone their programming skills. Modding a game provides the best learning platform for the creative gamers. Creating a mod is not as easy as one think. In fact, a lot of the mods introduced in the market fail to attract attention in the phlebotomy training classes. Some exists but no one seems to know it was ever created. When modding a game, you have to allow your imagination to run wild. You need to know what kind of modification will appeal to players.

Another advantage of game modding is enjoying good profit earnings. Team Fortress is known as the most successful game mod ever created. It raked in millions and even gave rise to a new game genre. Talented game modders have the chance to be recruited by big game developing companies, particularly those that have successfully done total conversions. While they say that modding a game is fairly easy, doing it successfully requires talent. So, if you release a game mod of a popular game that became an instant hit in the gaming community then you will surely grab the attention of the company or the developer who made the original game. If your mod is that great, it might be included in the original game’s expansion packs, and if that happens, you will surely be compensated for your work.

Being a game modder also allows one to showcase not just their creativity but also their programming skills. This in turn will allow them to build a good career in software development. This can also serve as a stepping stone for those who want to become professional game software developers.

If you want to introduce more challenges in the original UT game, there are a number of game mods that has been released and can be easily downloaded online. Some of which include the following:

UShock

This is an experimental game level-viewer which can be used for all Unreal and UT game series. This game mod is capable of displaying everything by using a simple OpenGL renderer. It also loads various game packages, such as static-meshes and textures. If you want to view a game level, you just have to find the directory of the Unreal Tournament Game, press Run and your desired level will pop up in a GUI-window.

Doorways Mutator

Inspired by the PortalGun game mode made for Unreal Tournament 2004, this mutator mod replaced the Impact Hammer (from the original game) with a Doorway Controller. The controller is designed to allow players to place doorways around the game’s map. These doorways basically serve as teleporters.

Relics

This is yet another known mod for UT games. It is designed to introduce new items to the original game which allow players to take advantage of various effects when they obtain them. Relics has introduced game effects such as Defense (which reduces damage created by weapons), Redemption (allow the holding player to teleport to another area when the health meter reaches zero), Regeneration (increases the health of the player by ten points), and Speed (which provide a boost of speed to the holding player).

The various game mods released for Unreal Tournament games are top contributing factors to its undying popularity. Up to this day, dedicated UT fan communities continue to supply modifications for the game.

Players are prompted to choose whether they want to be on Blue team or Red team. Game objectives vary from map controlling to flag capturing. It is also possible to choose another game mode in Team Fortress where players will have to deliver payload to the base of the enemy while the opposing team will be tasked to defend, or both teams will have to race each other as they deliver the payload.

Following the success of Team Fortress, various versions of the original mod came to being. The extreme popularity of Team Fortress turned it into a new genre in which loyal followers of the original mod created a slew of mod versions for different games, which include the following:

• Team Fortress Classic – This is a great mod for the popular game, Half-life. The mod was created in April 1999 but until today there are still gamers using this mod up to this day.
• AdminOP – Drunken Fool created this Team Fortress Classic modification in 2002. This mod introduces new elements in the game thus turning into an entirely different gaming experience. Later, the mod was extended to alter Team Fortress 2, and SourceOP was born.
• Quake 3 Fortress (Q3F) – This mod had a solid initial following when it was originally developed in 2001. In 2005, Q3F is developed further into Enemy Territory Fortress and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory.
• MegaTF – This is a popular mod for Team Fortress which feature enhancements like laser drones, airMirvs, and proximity mines to each class.
• Quake 4 Fortress – This game mod features the fast-paced action of Team Fortress’ original game. It was first created as a mod for the game Doom 3 but because it lacks network support the modders just move on to developing Quake 4 instead.

Undoubtedly, Team Fortress is the ultimate game mod ever created and introduced. In fact, up to this day, it still attracts attention in the gaming community. Even modern gamers find Team Fortress interesting so this just goes to show how successful this game mod has become..

One thing noobs should know about game mods is that they are not meant to be used as a standalone software application. This means that in order to be able to use the mods, the player need to have the original release of the PC game. They will have to run the game mod using the original game release. Game mods normally include new functions or game elements, such as weapons, enemies, levels, game modes, music and story. Moreover, game mods are typically created to take place in exquisite locations, but like the original game release, mods can be played as single- or multi-player.

Types of Game Mods that Noobs Should Know

Mods come in three general forms. Mods created to introduce new content to an underlying game or the original game is referred to as partial conversions. Meanwhile, mods that are made to come up with an entirely new game are called total conversions. Mods designed to simply fix game bugs are referred to as unofficial patches. A good example of a successful total conversion mod is the Team Fortress. This mod was a total conversion from the original hit game, Quake. Due to its great success, Team Fortress 2 was developed and released.

Mods Are Made to Enhance the Gaming Platform

Game mods are made to create additional interest in the game and to make it more challenging. Since PC games are open to changes or modifications, this gives modern gamers the opportunity to alter the function of the game with ease. Truth is, you do not have to be a professional software developer in order to create a mod of an original game. Distribution of mods is also fairly easy thanks to the internet. The World Wide Web offers a budget-friendly medium to distribute game mods, which is a significant factor to the commercial success of PC games, like the mod for Counter Strike, for instance.

Simple Steps to Modify A PC Game

Modding a game does not require newbies to learn about software development. In fact, it is possible to do a simple mod of a game with little or no programming needed.  Here is an easy modding how-to steps for noobs.

• Find the game folder and look for common file types that you want to modify or replace.
• Alter the .ini file using any type of text editor available, like notepad, for instance. Though it is also possible to alter certain .cfg and .dat files, if you happen to see funny symbols do not pursue with the modification.
• To modify image files (i.e. .bmp, .jpeg, .jpg, .png), you can use paint or photoshop.
• If you want to alter the music used in the original game, all you have to do is to replace the audio files from the game. These audio files are used to provide the game’s soundtrack or sound effects.