DarkRadiant vs OpenMW-CS
DarkRadiant
darkradiant.net
OpenMW-CS
openmw.orgSide by side
| Figure | DarkRadiant | OpenMW-CS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Modding Tools | 8.0 (#5) | 8.5 (#3) |
| Editing tools | Feature highlights include a media browser, surface, patch and light inspectors, layers, grouping, and selection sets. | The manual covers file, world, mechanics, character, and asset tables, plus record filters and a cell view. |
| Intended users | The project's stated goal is to provide the fan-mission community with an editor for creating The Dark Mod missions. | The user manual is intended as both an introduction and a reference for the application, including for people familiar with Morrowind modding. |
| Purpose | DarkRadiant is an open-source level editor for Doom 3 and The Dark Mod. | OpenMW-CS is an editor that allows users to edit or create mods or original games. |
| Support | The project directs users to The Dark Mod forums for discussion and its bugtracker for reporting issues. | The FAQ directs users with problems using compatible mods to Discord, IRC, or the forums for help. |
Plans
In their own words
DarkRadiant
DarkRadiant is a free, open-source level editor for Doom 3 and The Dark Mod, with additional listed support for The Dark Mod 2.0, Quake 4, Quake 3, and XreaL. Its workspace includes a media browser, inspectors for surfaces, patches, and lights, plus layers, grouping, and selection sets. Model and material tools include a particle editor with real-time preview, model scaling, model and skin browsers, and UV editing. It imports classic Quake and idTech map formats and exports to Doom 3, Quake 4, and Quake 3 formats. Plugins for The Dark Mod cover Stim/Response, objectives, difficulty, and conversations, alongside AI and Readable tools. A Python script interface is available, and preferences can specify fs_game for working with other Doom 3 modifications. DarkRadiant runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, although the FAQ says macOS builds are not fully tested. The editor does not install game resources; users must point it to a supported game before editing maps.
OpenMW-CS
OpenMW-CS is a free editor for making or changing mods and creating original games. Its editing tools cover files, world and mechanics data, characters, and assets, with record filters and a cell view. The editor supports plugin and script editing, mod packaging, and ESM, ESP, .omwgame, and .omwaddon formats. The project says OpenMW can run original games made with OpenMW-CS; those games do not require Morrowind. Playing Morrowind does require a legally owned copy, because OpenMW does not include its content or assets. Official releases are listed for Windows, macOS, and Linux, alongside distribution channels including Windows Chocolatey, Linux distribution repositories, and Flathub. The manual is intended as both an introduction and a reference, including for people familiar with Morrowind modding, but cautions that OpenMW-CS remains in development and the manual does not cover its shortcomings. Mods requiring MWSE, MGE XE, or MCP are incompatible because those tools modify the original Morrowind executable. The source code is released under the GNU General Public License version 3.