I’ve just looked over the most recent devblog and although he talks about modding he doesn’t mention a “module system.”
“There seems to be some concern in the community that the modding and plugin potential will be lessened compared to 3, but the opposite is true: all kinds of awesome stuff will now be possible such as custom item functionality, modded vehicle types, custom game modes, etc.”
Although he doesn’t go into detail on how this will be achieved, I don’t think it’s due to a “module system.” Most if not all of this was possible in Unturned 3 without the module system, and I’m sure it could be possible in Unturned 4 without a module system.
Unturned 4 wont be more open source, in fact even less than 3 since we don’t get a community module and since we also can not reverse engineer it anymore. Yes, it will be more open to modding but not more open source.
Your response was top notch on explaining the concept, yet you do not hold any sources as @Kr4ken pointed out, even going as far as quoting the latest devblog where modding was specifically addressed.
Beyond that, and even though I don’t know much about it, I feel the same way as @Trojaner, 4.x doesn’t seem like it will be as good as 3.x due to not being able to reverse engineer the game.
Sure, Unreal is a engine used by many for a long time already and one where you can do loads of stuff with, but I honestly don’t remember a popular Unreal engine game with a popular and highly diverse modding community with top notch mods for said games.
Still, if your modules thing is indeed true and as “seemingly easy” as you say it, being it having ingame access to clicking for install and play within 5 minutes of download and installation, then sure a community mod will suffice the objective of Battle Royale in Unturned.
While Nelson’s stance on modules currently is a bit hazy, he has directly said that he is working on a more polished, streamlined modding API for 4.0. So at the very least, making good old mods for the Workshop (or Epic Launcher equivalent) will be a lot more robust for those who have the knowledge. This means that even if this module thing doesn’t work out, modding in general will become less of a hassle as long as you know what you’re doing.
(I’ve avoided using the term “easier” as you obviously still need to learn how to mod properly, as well as put in sufficient effort and time into it. That will not ever change.)