It's also worth pointing out that Frogboy emphasized low hanging fruit.  The easier, resource wise, a requested change is the more likely it will be to get implemented.  There is no budget/time for large scale overhaul.  

My list:

https://forums.elementalgame.com/441009/get;3329126

 Quoted below

These would be my things to fix for general usage (that's my interpretation of "a lot of impact"):

1. Issue: Maps, Effects, Stamps, Tiles crafted by the player in the in-game tools are not immediately available to the player in-game. For example I cannot save a new map and then go New Game and play it.
Solution: Easiest thing to do is a pop-up that informs the user he must restart the game after saving one of those. Alternatively put a descriptive text explaining that on each of the save screens.

2. Issue: The player is not able to create two maps in a row in the map maker. The first one is created just fine, but if a second one is created it will have no markers for tile modifiers or things like starting locations or monsters. The player must restart the game to create a new functional map. The issue also appears when loading maps one after another.
Solution: This just needs a straight up fix. It is terrible to have to restart the game every time I want to load a map or create more than one new one.

3. Issue: The tile design tool does not sort the name of the tiles alphabetically when a player is attempting to Load a tile. This makes it impossible to load any of the currently used tiles because there are hundreds and hundreds, and without any sorting it is not reasonable to go through it looking for one.
Solution: Sort the list of tiles alphabetically when attempting to load one, just like you do in the effects editor.

4. Issue: When using the /mods/ folder to install our mods, there is a large amount of issues that exist but it basically comes down to this: when attempting to overwrite core (installation) objects from the /mods/ folder, many of the object types have bugs or straight up does not work. For example I cannot overwrite a TechDef from the /mods/ folder at all. If I overwrite a <SpellDef> it still saves its <SpellResourceCost> tags. And so on (more info: https://forums.elementalgame.com/434780 ).
Solution: Each object type should be treated the same (this is what I call object sanity). Preferably completely overwriting the core object. Not having these overwrites from the /mods/ folder work in any consistent manner is extremely tiring, and EVERY modder that uses the /mods/ folder runs into issues with this.

5. Issue: A player has no direct way of knowing if a mod has been loaded into the game. He must observe the effects of it indirectly. for example I can change Relias name and I can see that with my eyes when selecting sovereign. But if the mod is just slightly more difficult to observe - changed AI values or a rare item drop - the player is in the dark whether the mod is installed properly or not.
Solution: When starting up the game, list all mod folders that are loaded from the /mods/ directory. Or list them while on the main menu. Or list them when loading a game after selecting New Game.

Minor, easy fix

6. Issue: When the player creates custom factions using the in-game interface, various PlayerAbilityType are saved in the resulting XML file containing nothing but the <DefaultValue>. For example I create a custom faction now and it will include <A_Additive_FoodPerGrain>25.0000</A_Additive_FoodPerGrain>. When the actual default value is later changed by mod or even by developer patch, the custom faction retains its old, saved defaultvalue.
Solution: Do not save the defaultvalues in the custom faction XML. The custom faction, lacking a number, will then get its actual defaultvalue from the right place (the PlayerAbilityType).

This one. It perpuzzles me to no end that it doesn't already work like this.

Right now my main complaint with modding (other than those things listed above) is that creating new Quests is painful!  The XML is cumbersome to figure out how it works and is flaky even when done correctly.  But I realize this would probably be a big fix so I'm not holding my breath.

I asked about these before in the Mod forum and was pretty much told that the way the game works now it either can't be done, or at least not with the results I wanted.  I've only dabbled with coding some stuff for FE, but these are some problems I've bumped up against;

1.  I'm not really a fan of how all encompassing Beastmaster is. 

Lets say I wanted to target an Albino Rock Spider, which is currently classified as Creature Type "Beast", with a spell

UnitType InternalName="AlbinoRockSpider">
<DisplayName>Albino Rock Spider</DisplayName>
<CreatureType>Beast</CreatureType>
<Class>Spider</Class>

 Normally you would use the line below in your ability to Tame/Target the "Beast"

<SpellTargetCreatureType>Beast</SpellTargetCreatureType>

I would like to be able to target the <Class> instead of the CreatureType.

This way I could create a spell/ability that would target Spiders and not the entire "Beast" creature types

2.  For Enemy units that don't have a Creature or Class type defined like "Syndicate", if they could be assigned one by recreating the unit in a Mod folder that would supersede the coremonsterunittypes file.  I think this kinda ties into HF's #4 above.

Umm...you do realize that ALL of the requests in this thread are going to require SOME coding to make work, right?  I even mention the wonky hard-coded-ness of this function in the first sentence.

 But it seems to me there are already both types of prereqs in existence in the game.  There just needs to be some xml put in place to accommodate the code.

In reply #6 (the one you quoted in reply #10), I mentioned that in SpellDef prereqs work like 'AND' and in AbilityBonusOption they work like 'OR'.  I'm not worried about IF/THEN.

OK adding my top 5 from the other thread:

1) The object sanity / inconsistencies.  The best option would be some kind of <overwrite>1</overwrite> tag or similar that lets us specify whether an object is to be replaced or updated.  It's better to have the option (to update) than to have it default to overwrite everything.  However... making it consistently overwrite everything would be better than what we have now.

2) Being able to mod the tech tree, and elementaldefs from the mod folder.  Ideally it should be possible to mod *everything* from the mod folder... but these 2 would be the first priority (from my point of view).  Specifically, from the mod folder, would be great to be able to:

- create a new TechDef object, or update/overwrite an existing one

- create a new TechTree object, or update/overwrite an existing one

- create a new TechCategory object, or update/overwrite an existing one

3) I'm going to steal one of yours here Frogboy, because it's pretty much what I had in mind but you explained it better than I would have in any case.  This one:

Yes please, I'll have one of those thanks!

4) As pointed out by HF, the file list in the Load screen of the tile editor (the Workshop?) is in a weird order (might be update date I think currently).   Sort it by alpha as suggested.  

5) I'd like to be able to put a <ModType>CityDefenseSummon</ModType> on non-city based improvements, i.e. Outposts and LimitedCapUnit Camps (i.e. Ogre Camp etc)... so that we can mod in a token defense force for them.

Wait I have a #6, another little one:

6) Being able to have a <Prereq> that is an <Improvement> for training a unit.   Can't do this currently.  So the idea would be that you can only train a particular UnitType (eg. Dragons) in city X if you have a particular Improvement built (eg. Dragon Breeding Center) in city X.  So something like this in UnitType definition:

<Prereq>
   <Type>Improvement</Type>
   <Attribute>DragonBreedingCenter</Attribute>
   <Target>City</Target>
</Prereq>

Great, thanks.

Derek - I highly recommend reply #15, that guy really knows his stuff.

Wow that was quick! 

Pretty sure that doesn't work as i'm 90% sure I tried it in the past, but i'll have another go tomorrow and update this post with the result.  Thanks.

Edit... ok tested this now because you got me curious.  Seems to be bugged.  Here's my test case:

1) Start test game using Altarian faction.  I checked I can I can build "Militia" straight from a newly settled city.

2) Added the following to <UnitType InternalName="Unit_Peasant_Altarian"> (i.e. the Altar "Militia").

<Prereq>
   <Type>BuildingRequirement</Type>
   <Attribute>TowerOfDominion</Attribute>
</Prereq>

FYI I added this directly in the Core file however from past experience I don't think it makes any difference whether you do it there or a mod folder.

3) Start test game using Altarian faction and settle city.  The "Militia" unit now does not appear as a trainable unit.  So the Prereq appears to have blocked it.. so far so good but....

4) Built a Tower Of Dominion, and advanced an extra turn after it was completed.

5) Check the list of trainable units, and Militia still doesn't appear... so it doesn't appear to have "unlocked" the unit once the Tower of Dominion was constructed.   That's what I am suggesting is the bug.

So seems it blocks training of the unit but doesn't unlock the unit once the improvement is built.  Now it's quite possible i've done something wrong or missed something... but i've tested this a lot and have never got it to work.

Happy to be proven wrong.   

Derek, can you post that prioritized list and calendar once you compile it? Even if you miss the target dates, we will know what is worked on next.

3 Things I'd like to see in the coming modding upgrades:

1) Formulas, such as If X do Y. This will allow modders, and most likely Stardock, to create some great many things.

2) Data pulling for everything. Last I tried, I couldn't pull the amount of gilder from the game, and so unable to interact with it. This will allow a greater variety of effects, such as "Reduce unrest by 5% of your gilder", instead of just "5 times your shards".

3) Allow introduction and changes of visible unit stats. This, most likely, is the biggest code-wise request and by far the least important. What I wish is for the same way we got 3 attack types (Slashing, Piercing, Blunt), I could remove them and put Magical instead with a different icon, as well as introduce a 5th resistance, as well as a damage type.

I'm aware that it's partly possible to do most of this, the issue is mostly the interface, not hidden variables.

I haven't had the time to mod lately, so I might be out of date.

Keep up the good work, stardock.

From my comments on the other thread:

1 - Fix what's broken. Fix the tags that don't work, the ones that work half of the time and the mod folder.

2 - Document. It does not have to be a fully detailed manual, but at least we need to know what tags we can use, when we can use them and which arguments they can have. I get amazed at how many tags there are hidden in the XML files. There are so many things we can do, but because they are hidden we don't know. And I wonder, how many tags can be used that we don't know just because there is not an "example" in the files?

Those two changes alone IMHO would greatly improve the "broken" feeling and change it to something complete and working.

From there, improve. So you can choose anything you wish for 3, 4 and 5