I am not sure if mods that edit the actual game (new skins, etc) will happen or be allowed. I am not exactly sure what Blizzard's policy is on this for WoW, but I never hear about any mods that give new skins or anything. In any case they would only appear for the player using the mods, all other players would see the texture they are replacing. The modding community is mostly focused on editing the UI to make it more user friendly, add new features or just have it look cooler. I expect this will be the focus of SWTOR modding as well.
server side mods no, client side mod yes. Look at
http://mods.mandalorians.de/system/news.php) Star Wars Galaxies, and other mods for MMOs get posted here.
Mod Release Guidelines v1.2
The following are simple guidelines one should follow when releasing a modification. If a mod release doesn't follow some or all of them, moderators reserve the right to remove or reuse them without comment. In addition, only modifications that follow these rules will get a chance to be featured in the Downloads Section of ModSource.
1. The name of your modification should be distinctive and should already give people an idea on what the modification is about. Do not just name the .zip file like an included file that has been modded or a name that doesn't say anything about what the mod does.
2. The mod should be packed in an archive of a common file type, like .zip or .rar. Installation programs are also welcome, but always remember the currently allowed maximal filesize as seen in the attachment section of your post. The archive file should be named in the format MODNAME_VERSION.SUBVERSION.*. Be careful not to use any spaces or special characters.
3. In the archive, the mod files have to use the very same subfolder structure as used in the SWG root directory (if your mod includes .dds files, you would have to include a folder called Texture in your archive, for example).
4. Any external files including Readme files, Documentation, Installers/Uninstallers, Screenshots, Optional files, Temporary files etc. that you may need should be extracted/installed into the Mods\Modname (where Modname is the actual name of your modification) subfolder inside your main Star Wars Galaxies directory (file structure example for the default installation: C:\Program Files\StarWarsGalaxies\Mods\Modname\).
5. The root of the archive should contain a Folder called Mods\Modname\ that should contain a readme file in plain text .html format with an explanation of what exactly the mod does, installation/uninstallation instructions, a list of included files and folders, a version history with eventual changes and possibly more. An archive with a sample readme file is attached to this post so you can download it to use as a template. Use this template for all your releases, as a unified readme structure can avoid lots of confusion.
The readme file should be named in the format readme_MODNAME_VERSION.txt.
The Mods folder should also contain anything else that you wish to include in the mod that isn't the mod itself (for example Documentation, installation/uninstallation files and information, screenshots, etc.)
6. If you are including an Installer that creates Windows Start Menu shortcuts (for Uninstallers, Re-installers, Links to readmes and the likes), make sure to use the folder ModSource Mods\Modname\ in the main Windows Start Menu as default. Allowing a choice if and where to install the shortcuts is highly recommended.
7. Create a thread in the Releases Forum. The title of the thread should be the exact full title of the Modification including the current version number.
8. Quote the readme file in the first post of the thread you release the Mod in using the code or quote tag. Example:
Sample Mod Name 1.2
Modification for SWG (tested with Chapter X, Game Update Y)
by Creator's Name
@ ModSource
http://mods.mandalorians.de)
------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION
II. INSTALLATION
III. UNINSTALLATION
IV. VERSION HISTORY
V. INCLUDED FILES
VI. KNOWN ISSUES
VII. MISCELLANEOUS
VIII. CREDITS
------------------------------------
I. INTRODUCTION
A little intoduction with basic information about the modification.
------------------------------------
II. INSTALLATION
First, you have to uninstall any previous conflicting Mods that you
may have used. Otherwise there may be serious compatibility issues.
To install this mod, use an archiving utility such as Winzip, ExtractNow!
or WinRAR to extract the files from this ZIP or RAR archive to your main
SWG directory (usually C:\Program Files\Star Wars Galaxies).
Make sure to uninstall any old or incompatible versions of mods first
(see section III. of this readme for instructions on how to do it).
Start the game and enjoy!
Note: This mod will put folders with some files in the game directory
that will be used instead of the files in the game. No actual SWG game
files will be overwritten. You can only run part of the files or all of
them at once for the full experience. Read section three on which files
do what. Feel free to simply rename or delete the files you do not wish
to use from the appropriate folder of your SWG directory.
------------------------------------
III. UNINSTALLATION
To uninstall the mod, simply remove the files/folders that you extracted
at the installation of the Mod from your SWG directory.
Keep this readme file inside the SWG Folder in case you forget which
files have been installed with which mod and see section V. of this
readme for details on files included with this mod.
------------------------------------
IV. VERSION HISTORY
Version 1.2 (Released MONTH DAY, YEAR)
- Fixed this and that
- Changed whatever
- Added something
Version 1.0 (Released MONTH DAY, YEAR)
- initial release
------------------------------------
V. INCLUDED FILES
The following files have been included in this archive:
\Mods Folder for optional files like Readme, Documentation, Installer/Uninstaller, etc.
Readme_Sample*.txt Sample Readme file
\sample non-existing sample folder for non-existing sample files
*.* Non-existing sample files that change nothing
------------------------------------
VI. KNOWN ISSUES
- No issues are currently known.
------------------------------------
VII. MISCELLANEOUS
Write whatever doesn't fit into the other sections.
------------------------------------
VIII. CREDITS
Thanks go out to all the modders out there that have actively or
passively contributed to this mod!
Special thanks to the people at ModSource - YOUR source for SWG
modding stuff (mods.mandalorians.de) for initially hosting this mod.
------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: The author(s) of these files do not accept any
responsibility for anything related to them. Use at your own risk!
Please ask the respective author(s) for permission if you want to
use these files for anything else.
9. Attach the archive that contains your modification to the first post in your forum thread. To do this, you have to be creating/editing your post. Underneath the Message box, there is an Attachment box. Click the Browse button and select the location of the archive that contains the modification you would like to release. Click on the Post Thread or Save Thread button to post the thread. This will create the post and automatically upload the file, if everything is in order.
10. The mod shall not exceed the maximum allowed file size, otherwise the attachment will not be posted.
If it does anyways, upload it to an external host and link it in the main post.
Note that a mod that has been posted only as an external link and not as an attachment may not be added to the download section, as there are issues with linking external files.
11. If you would like to release a new version of the same modification, edit the main post of your previous thread, including the thread title and the quote of the readme file. Replace the old attachment with the new archive or repost the new archive in a reply to the main post.
12. If releasing any mods that include customization of wearables, think of other races and genders than just human male. Most mods released to date are done only for males, thus can't be used when playing a female character. Include a female version and versions for other races if possible.
13. Add any files you use or encounter during the creation of your mod to the Star Wars Galaxies File System.
These are the guidelines from this particular website for making a client side mod for Star Wars Galaxies. We do not have the guidelines for Star Wars: The Old Republic, yet, but they might be similar.