Editing: The Very Basics
What is editing?
Put very simply, editing an existing retail game means you can use what's included with the game (art and programming assets) and modify them to your own liking. One example would be to create your own version of UNATCO HQ where all the rooms are in different places. This is a very simplistic example, of course, and depending on how technically proficient and persistant you are you could concievably create a whole new game. People do this, in fact, and have been doing so for years.
Types of Editing
There are quite a few different things you can mess with as far as Deus Ex goes, as long as you've got the right software and motivation. We've listed a few below.
Textures
All the 3D elements you see in the game world of Deus Ex are basically comprised of wireframe shapes that have two dimensional pieces of art 'wrapped' around them. These flat pieces of art, called textures, are typically made in separate programs like Paintshop or Photoshop and then imported using UnrealEd. The engine itself can give textures funky properties like making them translucent, or wavy, or much more.
Meshes
All the items, weapons, creatures, and people in Deus Ex are made up of 3D wireframe models, or meshes. These meshes were all created by ION Storm using a program called Lightwave and imported using the files that come in the SDK. However, users should note that Lightwave is an extremely expensive professional modeling program, and should look instead to a much cheaper application called Milkshape. This program is only $20 US and is apparently a great solution for community modelers.
Skins
Much in the same way that textures are flat pieces of art wrapped around wireframe world geometry, skins are flat pieces of art wrapped around meshes. These are what turn the item/people models into real looking things. And just like textures, applications like Paintshop or Photoshop are what you'll need to make them.
Coding
Ooh, so you're interested in making a new multiplayer game type or possibly finally creating that cool gun you've never seen anyone put in their game? Well, then, you need to learn how to code. And in order to do that, you'd better look somewhere else, because this beginner's site is NOT going to be able to teach you this :) Take a look at our 'Other Resources On The Net' page for a bunch of good coding links.
Maps/Missions
Ah, maps... the game worlds that we run around inside of and play pretend. Deus Ex is neat because you can take two different approaches here... you can either buckle down and put in the phat hours that it takes to craft a well-done Deus Ex singleplayer mission, or you can spend slightly less time and make multiplayer maps. Either way, you'll be making geometry, aligning textures, placing actors, and scripting conversations (ok, only in singleplayer) until the cows come home. If you have the SDK then you've got UnrealEd (the map editor), and ConEdit (the conversation editor)... now all you need is twenty free hours a day and an IQ of five thousand!
Definitions
SDK
Software Development Kit... a fancy word for 'Tools', and is the term that people like to use when referring to the stuff that ION has provided us so that we can make our own Deus Ex assets.
Texture
A flat piece of art that is wrapped by the game around models or level walls, in order to make it look like something.
Map
The world you see and run around in during the game.
Mesh
A three-dimensional object in game... can be your weapon, or other player, monsters, or wall decorations.
Tools
Programs that users can utilize to make their own stuff.
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