[eniojr]

I'm not doing this just for myself, but for the entire Duke Nukem franchise fanbase. I'm not doing this out of pride, but because I truly believe this has a chance of working.

The idea is this...

There's no point in dwelling on it and saying that Gearbox and Randy Pitchford are this or that. That won't bring Duke back! This has been going on for years, and there's no new content for Duke.

In practice, Randy still holds the rights to create games for the franchise.

The longer the fanbase remains stuck in this resentment, the worse it will get. It's more or less like Einstein himself said: an idiot is someone who always persists in the same idea or behavior that doesn't solve problems.

And that's what I've seen for years... And I think that has to change.

What I'm proposing here is a smart plan to bring Duke back.

Everyone is waiting for a new game in the franchise, but unfortunately, that won't happen, firstly because Gearbox isn't planning a new game anytime soon. Second, even if Randy agreed to this, it would take years, and we'd be waiting like clowns for years.

My solution is this...

To revive the Duke Nukem franchise, there's no point in creating a new game or even waiting for an animated series, so forget about that Adi Shankar guy. This Adi will only make the Duke fanbase look foolish.

After all, what the fanbase really wants is to play, not watch.

In other words, he's not the solution! Don't expect anything from him.

There's also no point in waiting for Duke to appear as a supporting character in GTA 6 as an announcer. We don't want to just listen to Duke talk; we want to play with him as the protagonist.

I have a possible solution, but it will require overcoming all this resentment toward Gearbox and Randy. There's no point in acting tough or insulting the guy; nothing will happen, and we'd just be acting like idiots without a strategy.

Worse still, he could decide to do something worse to Duke. So, no bullies.

In other words, pride will have to be sacrificed for this to happen.

The idea is simply that some representative of the Duke Nukem fanbase would ask, not like a needy puppy begging its owner, but politely and respectfully, to Randy himself and his team...

to create some software that would allow the creation of mods for Duke Nukem Forever.

This isn't guaranteed, but it could work. There's no way, we have to take the risk.

The two main figures I can think of would be George Broussard himself or Scott Miller as representatives, not just as the original creators, but as formal representatives.

I don't know of anyone else who could represent the entire franchise fanbase to make this kind of request directly to Geabox or Take Two.

I think that's the only way to convince those people!

What we need is to convince Gearbox to do something that benefits the Duke fanbase. If we could use software that allowed us to modify various things in DNF, Duke could come back with a bang. Not through a new game, but through the fanbase itself.

DNF could return, but this time with mods as the main focus! It would be interesting if DLC were included for mods, as there would be more content to work on and modify.

If DNF was improved and fixed through mods, I wouldn't have any problem playing DNF again.

This would encourage more people to buy DNF. Gearbox would benefit from this, of course, but the biggest winner would be the fanbase, which would have the freedom to modify and improve DNF.

Duke Nukem would be free again. Think about it!!!

This way, Duke Nukem would no longer be held hostage by Gearbox if it allowed the fanbase to more easily create their own creations. If Gearbox is afraid to make new content for the franchise, then at least let the fans do it! That's the idea I'm presenting here.

Let's be realistic, a new game isn't happening anytime soon!

There's no point in just waiting for Gearbox to do something or Adi to do something.

Simply modding Duke Nukem 3D won't bring Duke back; it will just leave him stuck in the past.

There's no way around it; the fanbase itself needs to do something about this. At least I'm making this humble proposal because I truly believe something can still be done.

I still believe the community can do something about this.

No bullying, no condemnation, but in an intelligent and polite way.

We're not Duke Nukem, but we want him back. So we have to act accordingly.

This time I'm not asking for a new game, but just for Gearbox to allow DNF to be modded, as is currently the case with Duke Nukem 3D.

If this idea could be passed on to a community representative or even the original creators, who knows, maybe it could work?

I won't give up as easily as some here in the community have.

Duke can't be stuck in the past anymore.

[UltravoxSapphire]

DUKE4 DRINKING CHALLENGE: Take a shot every time you read an ignorant take from Enio written in yellow.

Pictured: Liver Failure

[dnskill]

Duke is back in WoT, and he's clapping Lara Croft's cheeks.

[Dr.Panico]

dnskill, on 12 July 2025 - 06:37 PM, said:

Duke is back in WoT, and he's clapping Lara Croft's cheeks.

They did it! They finally fulfilled a long time dream of many Duke fans!

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[Lunick]

I can't believe you wrote all that to beg for modding tools for DNF. Why on earth would modding tools for a 14 year old game save the franchise?

[Dr.Panico]

Doesn't DNF already have some modding tools to some extent?

Considering that Futuretime and a few others did mods for it...

[duke64nukem]

Have you been under a rock lately? Go to DNF 2011 section or DNF 2001.. Website below.

DNF Maps

[eniojr]

Quote

Have you been under a rock lately? Go to DNF 2011 section or DNF 2001.. Website below.

Ok, I really didn't knew about that site. That's new for me.

But I was talking about something more advanced than that. A complete set of editor tools that Gearbox used to make the levels, models, scripts, etc. The source code too (to allow changes in scripts, adding new weapons, enemies, etc).

Like what was possible for DN3D through Eduke32.

That would allow for a more profound change in the game, not in just use the things DNF already has.

It's not just about making maps, but to kind of remake DNF using official editor software.

I mean, doing something like Alien Armageddon for DNF. Something that really could allow that kind of change to the game, through a mod.

Not to just correct bugs or some limitations... But to, though mods, transform DNF into something people were really waiting for years.

That's what I meant.

Quote

I can't believe you wrote all that to beg for modding tools for DNF. Why on earth would modding tools for a 14 year old game save the franchise?

Because that's the most advanced and modern Duke Nukem game we have for now, in terms of graphics, geometry and features.

If we really want Duke Nukem to come back, it should be through the most modern game available. Duke Nukem 3D is old, while DNF is new.

If we can make DNF more palatable through mods, Duke will not be more a hostage, he will be free through the fanbase creations.

At least the Duke of DNF.

I'd like to see mods for DNF like those created for Duke Nukem 3D, like AA, Legacy, AMC, Kickass and many others.

That is what I'm talking about. Or even an entire recreation of DNF in a way of what should have been...

Ok, I know about Duke Nukem Forever Restoration Project and I really like that... but this could also be made in the final DNF version.

In reviving DNF. The way DNF deserved to be.


To finish, what keeps old franchises alive today is the creation of mods. Skyrim, for example, is old, but is still very well alive because of the big community of modders.

We should revive DNF through mods, that is what I always thought since DNF was released.

Duke Nukem 3D is dated. But DNF can still be improved and explored further.

DNF could be transformed through mods into something visually palatable for today's standards, while Duke Nukem 3D simply can't.

[duke64nukem]

I don't know how much you looked into that site. But there are mods (from me too) that do much more than just some small tinkering. We already have a level editor, if you can't tell by some of those posts... I and others have also replaced some weapons to a degree before also. And have done some custom scripting. I also make my own 3d models for the levels (or importing). However, there is still a leash on the grand scheme, and can't reach "Eduke 32" levels totally.

In terms of level editing, I don't think you've tried any of the levels or the mods that are available (sounds like it). Did you try Enhanced version? Did you try any of the custom SP levels/campaigns yet?

The only thing we need is the source code, everything else is sort of in place. But that would end the puzzle we're looking at in DNF. Good luck asking Randy for the src code. If anyone gets him to respond to such. The source code is the only thing that would be needed.

[eniojr]

Quote

I don't know how much you looked into that site. But there are mods (from me too) that do much more than just some small tinkering. We already have a level editor, if you can't tell by some of those posts... I and others have also replaced some weapons to a degree before also. And have done some custom scripting. I also make my own 3d models for the levels (or importing). However, there is still a leash on the grand scheme, and can't reach "Eduke 32" levels totally.

In terms of level editing, I don't think you've tried any of the levels or the mods that are available (sounds like it). Did you try Enhanced version? Did you try any of the custom SP levels/campaigns yet?

The only thing we need is the source code, everything else is sort of in place. But that would end the puzzle we're looking at in DNF. Good luck asking Randy for the src code. If anyone gets him to respond to such. The source code is the only thing that would be needed.

The enhanced edition is better than the original version of the game... But I still think DNF needs a great modification. There were many criticism about the way Duke behave in the game. You were also forced to see some scripts, unlike Duke Nukem 3D.

Combat in the game was also not great, for what was expected.

It's not just the bugs, to me that's a minor problem. The problem is that the levels should have had more things to do, more things to interact, I expected more from this game from all the years I waited for it.

What I expected for DNF was Duke Nukem 3D in steroids, but that wasn't the case. Overall DNF is ok, but that's it. Unlike DNF, Unreal 2 amazed me much more.

I haven't thought much about the source code, because I thought a good software was good enough for the job. But yes, someone have to talk Randy about releasing the source code.

With that, making mods, with a dedicated editor, would be possible.

I can't talk to Randy because I'm nobody to him. This must be made by some big figure, like George or Scott. Someone powerful enough to represent the fanbase community as a whole. That was the idea.

Only mods can save DNF and with that, who knows, Duke could return for a while.

As I said, if Gearbox can't make a new Duke Nukem game, at least must allow the creation of mods. Someone have to convince them.

All this hatred against Geabox without a plan won't work and won't bring Duke back. Period!

I'm not defending Geabox, but I'm suggesting that we have to think about a smart plan to free Duke. That's it.

Also...

I can't do nothing if there are people that think that I'm being ignorant here. I'm just doing this because Duke Nukem was one of the first franchises I really liked and I care about this franchise much.

Ignorance is all this hatred and conformism without a plan or idea to change all this situation. That is ignorance.

I might look ignorant, but at least I'm trying something to save this franchise, ignoring all this hatred.

[Phobos]

No offense but why even bother with dnf? There's so much other stuff out there. The original duke3d might be outdated but it still has many unexplored modding capabilities. If that's not enough how about duke related mods for non duke nukem games? Or hell you can even create your own game or engine (if the pre existing ones doesn't fulfill your needs). There are many free resources online nowadays to get started. If the IP holders really cared they would've done something by now.

[duke64nukem]

I don't think I've been hateful at you or called you ignorant lol. I like the optimism even.

All I'm saying is... It sounds like you haven't really played any of the custom sp levels or campaigns (Doom64 campaign). There are multiple SP levels: Dukenstein, Wolfenstein, A Sega genesis port, and few more too. We already have the official level editor, it's called Duke's Enormous Tool. We already have the ability to do much of what you're saying. I doubt you have played all of those, based on your response. The players in the Duke community that did play them seemed to really enjoy them. I love DNF11, but I don't think mods/levels for DNF11 will actually "save" Duke. As there is already the ability to do so, and the interest is very low. Even yourself haven't played them.

So the idea that mods for DNF11 will save Duke Nukem is a likely incorrect. You are also not the only person who has thought of or tried something similar to this. I mean I'd love it if someone could convince Randy to release the src code. I could do tons with it. Mods will definitely help the game some and gather a few outside interests (low). But I have my doubts that its going to take over as a big focus like DN3D. The src code will just open it a bit more. You can already adjust all the scripts and recompile them in reimpo or enhanced. Everything you're saying is doable. There is a few specific things we can't do yet without the src code. But it would help a ton.

Anyways, I don't want to down your idea. Just saying my thoughts.