Baz's Mod
| Baz's Mod | |
|---|---|
 Loading screen from the mod, using art by Roger Harris | |
| Developer(s) | Dann Boeing ("Baz") |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Baz's Mod is a 2009 video game mod for the 1999 real-time strategy game LEGO Rock Raiders. It was developed by "Baz", a user on the LEGO game modding website Rock Raiders United, between late 2008 and mid-2009. The mod makes many adjustments to gameplay and features longer and more challenging levels than the original game, including eight new levels. It was originally released in July 2009; an updated version was released in September 2011. It is the first "overhaul" mod for LEGO Rock Raiders and one of the earliest known mods for a LEGO video game.
Gameplay
Baz's Mod features the same gameplay as the original LEGO Rock Raiders, though with many changes to increase its length and difficulty. The mod uses the same base twenty-five missions as the original game, but all of them have been edited to feature more hidden caverns, higher Energy Crystal collection goals, and an increased number of Monsters and dangers; the mission order has also been changed. The eight training missions have been replaced with new missions (bringing the total up to thirty-three), and the separate training missions menu now instead features bonus versions of these eight missions with different environments and much higher difficulty. Some of the mod's gameplay adjustments fix balancing issues and apparent oversights in the original; for example, Monsters take less damage from weapons and can no longer be destroyed in one shot, the Granite Grinder can drill Hard Rock much faster, and all mining lasers require far less shots to destroy walls. Some changes add new features; most notably, the Small and Large Mobile Laser Cutters are able to drive across lava, and the Tunnel Transport (which was inaccessible in the original game) is usable and can carry some small vehicles.[1]
Development and release
Video game mod creator Dann Boeing, known on the website Rock Raiders United as "Baz",[2] started developing a mod for LEGO Rock Raiders in December 2008.[3] Boeing wanted to "bring the game to its full potential" by making it more challenging for an older audience and improving aspects that were considered less fun.[1] The game's files were edited using modding tools that were being developed by members of Rock Raiders United at the time (LEGO Rock Raiders modding had only started earlier in 2008).[3][4] All of the original twenty-five levels were redesigned and expanded; once the available modding tools became advanced enough, Boeing also created eight new levels to replace the game's tutorial levels, and programmed new objectives for all the levels.[1][3] Numerous alterations were made to gameplay and entities, and a few of the game's cut elements were also added back, such as the Tunnel Transport and an early Rock Raider design that more closely resembled the Rock Raiders character Sparks. The game's interface was redesigned to have a darker and rusty look, building on a "grunge" mod originally created by user Drageon.[1]
Boeing released the initial version of Baz's Mod on July 29, 2009,[5] two days before the first anniversary of Rock Raiders United.[4] After taking a break to focus on modding projects for other games,[5] he started working on an update to fix any issues. The new update, version 1.5 was released on September 15, 2011. It made additional improvements to the mod's level design and fixed a number of bugs, including two levels that were initially impossible to complete.[1]
The 2023 game Manic Miners, an unofficial remake of LEGO Rock Raiders, features all thirty-three missions from Baz's Mod as one of its four campaigns.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Baz (September 17, 2011). "Baz's Mod V1.5". Rock Raiders United. Archived from the original on 2016-10-31.
- ↑ "DannBo". Steam Community. Archived from the original on 2024-07-07.
I've made a number of custom maps & modifications for the original Star Wars Battlefront II, Rock Raiders, Team Fortress 2, & Left 4 Dead 2 under the usernames Dann Boeing, Baz, and DannBo.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Baz (December 15, 2008). "Heys". Rock Raiders United (Zetaboards forum post). Archived from the original on 2024-07-07 – via Tapatalk.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cyrem (September 10, 2009). "The History of Rock Raiders United". Rock Raiders United. Archived from the original on 2019-01-18.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Baz (September 9, 2009). "Baz's Mod (Old Topic)". Rock Raiders United. Archived from the original on 2017-12-03.
- ↑ Baraklava (7 April 2023). "The Remastered campaign is almost done, and Baz's mod is joining the party. How does 58 new levels sound?". Reddit. Archived from the original on 2024-07-09.
External links
- Baz's Mod topic and download at Rock Raiders United
