Mod Requirements Proposal

[themayor897]

Hi Nexus Staff/Community:

As a very frequent user of Nexus, I've started to notice that the "Requirements" section of a mod's description page is not completely sufficient for many mod authors and users. I think there are a few ways it could be expanded to include more information and be a more intelligent system overall. I've outlined what I think could be improved upon below.

 

1. Translations

 

Currently, translations are listed under two places: the "Translations" section and "Mods Requiring this file." If I spoke a language different than the mod was posted in, I would definitely look in the translation section for it. I (and many other users I know) like to check the "mods requiring this file" in case there are fixes or conflict resolution patches people have posted. Popular mods tend to have a lot of translations and a lot of patches, making this section crowded in some cases - taking translations out, and leaving them in a place that makes sense and is easily accessible for those who need them, would make a huge difference.

2. Optional Requirements

Many mod authors have certain files or features that require another mod, but the base file doesn't need those requirements for it to work. Authors can add notes for each requirement, but these notes are not visible when a user goes to download a file and the requirements are listed. A feature to add an optional requirement, and could simply show an asterisk next to a file in the popup after clicking download or something like that, would be a welcome addition in my opinion.

3. Requirement "Categories"

I would really love to be able to look at mods requiring a file and see them separated into categories, or if that isn't possible, have their categories listed next to them. Specifically: Conflict Resolution Patches, Bug Fixes, Add-Ons, and something like "fuctionality" (i.e. things that require SkyUI, JContainers, FISSES, etc. for Skyrim). The system would make it much easier for users to find what they are looking for, and ensure a user's mod list is as compatible as possible.

 

 

As I wrote this, I also thought about the option of adding a separate drop-down for "mods requiring this file" called something like "Fixes, Patches, and Add-Ons" or something so users are more likely to look through it and get necessary patches etc.

 

Thank you for your time to read this, and thank you to Nexus for having this open forum for suggestions. I look forward to feedback and discussion on this topic :) Thanks again!

[blueraga]

I agree with this proposal and in fact have my own two cents pertaining to Point 2:

 

A clearer optional requirements section would also be beneficial to many users who have ended up downloading files they never needed to in the first place due to confusion. Many users' ISPs cap their download rates after reaching a certain quota, or end up charging them extra.

[Pickysaurus]

Hey mayor,

 

We've actually already discussed ways we can make these more useful internally. While not as granular as what you're suggesting I believe we'll be able to come up with something.

 

My hope is that we will be able to transition to per-file requirements (rather than per mod page) and you can specify an exact file from another mod page. However, this would be a fairly large project because it would including adjusting a lot of the user controls and backend data to be more robust.

 

This would also need to be catered for in mod managers, you'll notice Vortex already has a dependency system like that but it currently doesn't include optional requirements:

 

 

TLDR: We want to improve this system at some point, I'm just not sure when we'll get to it.

[themayor897]

Awesome, thanks Picky! So glad to hear that.