5 replies to this topic

[weandi]

The idea was to make what is referred to as Modpacks, which are packs of mods that work together, since this is mostly trial and error Its fairly easy. Anyone can submit one aswell, and i can make it as a self installer. I do have NBI install creator, and depending on how difficult the install is, the program can be setup to install everything as it actually needs to be, rather than deciphering half of what the creators write. From either bad english or horrible translation, this can make a lot of peoples lives easier. All credit will of course goto the mod creators, and their staff and collaberators. Just a thought.

 

If you actually think this is a good idea, please leave me some feedback, id love to hear other thoughts in this area.

[dangman4ever]

Not a bad idea but not necessarily a good idea either: three problems I can think of off the top of my head:

1) Creator permissions. You still need the permission of the mod creator if your mod pack actually include any of their work or assets. 

2) Compatibility issues down the line. Say you do create one good modpack. However, there's always a chance that one of those mods in the modpack gets a new update that might break that compatibility.

3) Delayed access to latest content. Anyone using your mod pack would have wait till whenever you're free to update the modpack with the latest updates for a certain mod. 

[blaze1514]

Well the first problem is always there. The other two however can be fixed by only using mods that are finished and most likely updated fully. Lets use Some Guys mods for example... If we were going to do a NVB pack we would wait until his NVB III is out of beta and he is happy enough to move on from it. That way there would be no surprise updates (although If i remember right you have to install the 3 mods separately or there are compatibility issues, but the point should get across).

[dangman4ever]

Well the first problem is always there. The other two however can be fixed by only using mods that are finished and most likely updated fully. Lets use Some Guys mods for example... If we were going to do a NVB pack we would wait until his NVB III is out of beta and he is happy enough to move on from it. That way there would be no surprise updates (although If i remember right you have to install the 3 mods separately or there are compatibility issues, but the point should get across).

Someguy did in fact release a few updates for NVBI and NVBII years after their initial release that often included new content. 

[blaze1514]

Yes... That means that if we did a mod pack, then we wouldn't have to worry for a few years. 

 

There are things like this already (the YUP Patch, MMU+, etc...). I however think this would be done better as a GEMS style collection than a collection of mod packs.

[bben46]

It's been suggested many times in the past.

 

Are you going to make one of these compilations? If so, are you prepared to support it for several years? Because if people use your modpack and you don't maintain it properly they will be unhappy with you.

 

Now getting author permissions is not as easy as you think. most authors actually want REAL credit for their work - not just a mention in the credits of the mod - which doesn't count toward their own download count - but toward yours. Just saying I give full credit to Joe Shmoe for this mod is like saying I took Joe's work and now I get the credit. Many authors will just refuse.

 

Then - if there is a bug that shows up in one of the mods in the future - Will you be willing to redo the modpack? If not it will die a very noisy death as the users trash you for not supporting it.  Otherwise, you will be responsible for incorporating any and all changes - experience shows that you will be releasing a new version about once a week or more. Are you willing to spend the time and effort doing that? And you are updating just once in a while how many are going to stick with it?

 

Now how about size - just how big do you allow this modpack to be? There is a point that it becomes just too big to work with. If it takes over an hour to download on a normal connection - just how many times are you willing to spend the time to upload, then download your compilation to check that it is working? The answer I typically get is you will split it - and now you are responsible for two uploads, and two downloads each time there is a change.

 

What if someone wants to use a mod that is not compatible with one of the mods in your pack? Do you make a new modpack just for them? or are they SOL?

 

How about someone that doesn't want one of the mods - is there a way to disable just one without scrapping the entire thing?

 

Then someone wants a mod that is not in the pack - and the load order is all wrong. They have a choice - not use that new mod, or scrap the pack and redownload each and every mod and reinstall them and work with the mod order to get things to work again.

 

There are lists of mods along with a known working load order already. They are rarely maintained beyond two or three updates because the owner gets frustrated and abandons them. The frustration comes from stuff like:  "Can you add this mod pleeese???" and,  "I don't want this mod it sux. If you take it out I will download your compilation  - if you don't do what I want then I will not endorse your mod."