Ramseus' post about what you need for a good mod team above is spot on.  In addition, make up the general rules for your mod before hand, what is and is not acceptable behavior, who controls what, who makes the last decision, and how you will do your work.  Having these things decided, agreed upon, and documented saves headaches down the line.

Back on topic.  C++ is a good language to learn, but it probably won't help you as a modder.  When Dice/EA release a game they don't release the C++ source code, or even any API's for it, so you won't actually be programming anything.  That being said, with BF2, they did expose the game to some amount of programmatic control through the use of the python language.  It would make sense that they would continue this if they did release a BF3, since it allows the game to be much more flexible in the hands of a python coder.  So if you're interested in modding a potential BF3, learn python.  If you want to write your own game, learn C++.

There, you're now $.02 richer.

blender? will take a look see what it exports to..

I just found out that Blender can export to 3dsmax. This is even better, I can still model with Blender, but I just export it, then import it into Gmax, where I proceed to export it to the BF2 editor.

If anyone is interested in Blender:

www.blender.org

knock yourself out, its free and stuff.

Blender also has its own game engine, if I might add. The most recent release can use bump maps and rigid body physics. I've made a few crappy games with it for fun, but if you want to do anything fancy, get used to the language Python.

Nooblike as it sounds, now that I have a Mod editor for BF2, what langauge do I need to learn, and what "people " (skinner, mapper, etc.)  do I need to make a mod happen?

I think you a mistaken.............. DICE is gonna relesae 2 boster packs (mini expanshion packs) not a new battlefield.

Thanks alot! I'll be downloading both shortly. My dreams were crushed when I found out Blender wouldn't work, Now I'm all excited again! XD

http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax

You may also want to download the Battlefield 2 GMax tools so you can export the models you make and import them into the Battlefield 2 editor.

http://www.ea.com/official/battlefield/ … nloads.jsp

Download the "GMax Tools (1.8MB)".

the modellers could use Gmax (free but I don't recommend)

Is it really free? I recently started to learn about all of this mod stuff, and I've hit a roadblock of my learning. The 3d Modeling and Animation program I have is a free one called Blender. Its a wonderful program, but it can't export max files or anything like that.

It would be wonderful to find out I can still mod without paying big bucks for some fancy software.

I think a good team would be something like:
1 team leader (can also be lead modeller, skinner, mapper, etc.)
5-7 modellers (easiest people to find)
3 skinners (hah, that sounds almost impossible)
1-5 mappers (fan made maps could help to lower the number of mappers on staff, so possibly just 1, and after a good number of maps is achieved 0-2 mappers)
3+ coders
1 2d specialist (HUD's, menus, whatnot)
1-2 sound guys (almost useless for generic modern era mods though)
1 propoganda creator (videos, banners, speeches...)
1 webmaster (who could also do any other job)
X researchers (really depends on type of mod ie. wwii - 2-3, gulf war - 0-1)
1-2 PR guys (to avoid legal ties *cough*, find out what people think/want, advertise)
50-100 beta testers (once in beta stage, clans make good test groups)

the modellers could use Gmax (free but I don't recommend), Autodesk 3DS Max (gmax's big brother), Alias Maya (really high end, really expensive), Zbrush (great for "organic" modelling), possibly Newtek Lightwave. There are others but they either suck or are too much for mod modelling.

the skinners could use the GIMP (free prog, but hard to use), or Photoshop (at least one person needs photoshop as it is the only prog [I think] that has the NVidia plugins to create .dds images - what bf2 uses for skins). Skinners should have a 3d program too (gmax only if they're a masochist)

the mappers use the bf2 editor, plain and simple. They can create map plans in paint.

the coders require nothing more than notepad and the bf2 editor

2d guy will need the same as skinners

sound folks need bf2 sound tools, and audacity or adobe audition (for sound editing/recording, audacity is free). They also need to be able to either steal sounds or record them with a good microphone.

anyone doing videos should have adobe premier, but you can use windows movie maker (although if you I will put a curse on you, movie maker sucks and you can spot a movie maker video a mile away)

the webmaster will need either gimp or photoshop. Also for coding the website he'll use either notepad or macomedia dreamweaver

the researchers need a web browser, time, brains, and possibly books (which requires only a library card)

pr guys only need a web browser

beta testers need bf2

Heh, I just realized that I've done all of these things before at one scale or another. Anyways starting a new mod can be suicide. Gaining attention in the begginning is super hard with all the big mods like DCon, FH, POE, and Surreal. Basically, to get a mod started you need to have, or be, a modeller. If you don't get a skinner some time soon after starting up your mod, that might be death right then and there. If you don't get a coder some time down the line, someone on the team will have to learn how to import models, but gameplay may end up sucking. If you never get a mapper, you may yet live. Webmasters, progandists, pr guys, sound guys, 2d guys, et cetera aren't necessary but they are the only way to create a truly great mod, and the only way to generate hype. Like I said I have nothing better to do than type stuff that means nothing and likely makes no sense..... everytime I type python i always put a "G" on the end by accident.

http://tutorials.moddb.com/

try that I think most of your questions may be learnt there GL dude