[Opinions wanted on an idea]

Just think of it as me hitting the donate button really hard. :)

 

If you care about something and it brings you great joy, you should be willing to give back.

 

People were talking about how the pay mods would encourage more large DLC type content. I got very excited about that.

 

If it truly is money that can make it happen, then I guess I'll dig in my wallet. I've thrown money at worse things.

[Opinions wanted on an idea]

Let me try this again. I'm afraid I worded it poorly and the topic got locked.

 

I want your OPINION on paying artists to contribute to a FREE mod.

 

What do you think of that idea?

 

To be clear:

 

I'm not offering anyone here a job.

I'm not trying to sell you anything.

I'm not trying to start a fight.

I just want to know what people think.

Yes this is legal.

Yes I have read my EULA and my Nexus Rules and TOS.

Yes this is happening and has happened.

No I have not paid an artist to contribute to a mod.

I may or may not consider it, depending on the opinions that people are gracious enough to share.

[Would you do a part of a mod for pay?]

It's legal. I checked. I'm not selling this hypothetical mod. I'm asking people to pay artists to create a large mod.

 

Our best mod authors make one great mod, get hired by a studio, and vanish. That doesn't bode well for the quality of our available mods. It would be nice to give them incentive to stick around or at least keep up the hobby in their off-time.

 

If this site wants to ban me for asking people's opinions (notice no kickstarter link), that doesn't bode well for this public forum for the free exchange of ideas.

[Would you do a part of a mod for pay?]

I want to create a mod by paying individual artists to do different parts of it (through crowd funding).

 

What do you think of that idea?

 

Would you build a dungeon or write a quest line for pay?

 

How much would you charge?

[Drawing a line under recent events and moving on]

In response to post #25025599. #25028149, #25035034, #25047559, #25047774, #25048554 are all replies on the same post.

Ariranha wrote: Why don't the publishers themselves pay the modders? After all, many people wouldn't even buy/play some games if it wasn't for the mods. At least the non-hyped gamers, who don't go preordering based on CGI and ads. The publishers profit with the modding community, so they could themselves pay the modders.

- OR -

The gamers could pay the modders as a whole, in advance.

An example on how this could be made: The publishers sell the game and a separate modding tool. Without the modding tool, the gamer wouldn't be able to use mods. The money for the game would go to the companies that made it and the money for the modding tool would go to a common fund for modders. The money on the fund would be shared, periodically, among the registered modders.

"But how would they share the money?" Each modder would receive a fixed amount for each "thumbs up" on its mod. After a certain amount of thumbs, the mod would be evaluated by the company that made the game. Based on this evaluation, the modder would receive a variable amount. Top modders would receive a third amount as a bonus.

"Oh, but this is highly subjective!" As all other criteria would be.

"Oh, but this would be too complex!" As all other paid system to modders would be.

Modders would receive for the good work, the donate button would still exist, the opportunity to release a free mod would still exist, Nexus would still exist, the gamer would still be able to choose to play with or without mods and pay in advance, no part involved in the relation would be treated unfairly.

MrBadboi wrote: Like many mods, they are pieces of art, many times out of passion. When it comes to adding money to the equation. It only complicates things. Like how money and family can complicate things and end up ruining relationships between each other. I'm sure many of us have experienced this.

It would end up dividing the community for those who would want others to pay for their work. No one likes change, I strongly believe things should stay the way they are. If individuals enjoyed a mod enough and consider the time and effort that went in to creating it. Let them self's decide how much they are willing to donate, if they wish to contribute at all financially.

If certain individual's create mods and expect to be paid. Your in the wrong community. Mods should loves of labor not profit.

Ghatto wrote: Pretty simple answer is that it's not a good return on investment.

Even with a well thought out hypothetical like you've provided, it's pretty clear to me that any form of free vs. paid mods would have a remarkable difference in community size. Simply, there'll be a much much lower number of modders and mod-users in any case where mods or mod tools are paid for. A community like here on the Nexus would be a shadow of its current self.

The only situation that will have the least impact is your first hypothetical: where mods and tools are still free, but the publisher pays some modders for whatever arbitrary reason. Since all participants have the same starting point, there's less barriers to entry. However they payments would have to be after the fact (after free mod publish) in order to avoid comparing the releases to licensed DLC and all the employment, and product qualification legalities that come with it. The only way I can think of how this would backfire badly is if the publisher decided to offset payments to modders by having an increased game purchase price (higher barrier to entry).

Vesuvius1745 wrote: You are missing a third option: DO NOTHING. The "system" has worked fine for over a decade without finances and pencil pushing brought into it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

But more than that, it's not about a better system, it's about a worse one. Steam was flooded with garbage mods the moment this went up. There were some good mods, but even those had to be stripped down to avoid using resources "borrowed" from others. People were literally paying for mods they can now get for free on the Nexus and which are of higher quality than the pay-for version. In an "open source" community where everybody "borrows" from everybody else, something like this is difficult to implement without killing the golden goose.

So again: the current system isn't broke, and has worked great for over 10 years going all the way back to Morrowind. If something is working great--you leave it alone.

MrBadboi wrote: As you explained, it only creates even more complications. I'm not against people who would like to earn some revenue from their work if possible, I'll state that.

But this who subject is very touchy, things should of been left alone from the start. When ever money gets involved everything ends up getting complicated. We could go in to a long debate about the subject but I' rather not haha..

If it works why change it, everything was fine before steam ever allowed such an option. It's created so much chaos and controversy over the matter. If Bethesda really wants to profit off talented modders. Let them make official DLC's of these mods, that's the only way i see this working, and the proper cuts going to any tools used. For copyright issues, pirating off others has always been around and always will be around, get use to it.

Creating even more DRM around the issue will just create more useless restrictions.

Vesuvius1745 wrote: If Bethesdsa REALLY gave a carp about modders, they'd contract the talented ones out to create DLC content for them. But of course they don't. They'd rather the modders do all the work, deal with all the headaches, while Bethesda got most of the money.

What do you guys think of a system like this?

<kink removed>

I think you were told not to post it in another thread AND in pm so you can say goodbye to your account. - Micalov.

The community can decide to donate directly to the artists to compensate them for their time.

Another question: How many people would make a single dungeon for $50?

[The end of the fight and a solution for all]

I just want to know if you think it's a good idea.

I'm not asking for your money.

I'm not asking for you to take a risk on this.

Kickstarter forces a $1 minimum pledge (so they can get a cut). I wanted to set it at a penny.

 

Let's say I've been modding TES for over a decade (which is true). Let's say that I graduated from the top of my class with a business degree from Harvard (which is not true). Let's say that I've been heavily involved in Tamriel Rebuilt, Silgrad Tower, and TES Renewal (which is true). And let's say that I am a model contributor to one of our sites top 10 mods (which is also true).

 

Do any of these things really add to the merit of the idea itself? No they add to the merit of me as a modder which is of no consequence.

 

The reason I made a new account to present this idea is that I don't want you to cloud your judgement of the idea based on your judegement of me as a person or modder.

 

Pretend that I as a person do not exist. I'm just some slob who had a good idea.

 

Do you think this idea in and of itself has merit?

[The end of the fight and a solution for all]

This profile was created (which you should have guessed by the name) for the sole purpose of promoting this idea. I am more than willing to invest my own money, but I want to see if this is something the community would want before I try to get it moving. That's why the focus is on the number of backers, not the dollar amount. I'm pulling together my talent now. I created the kickstarter to give something to pitch them.

[Drawing a line under recent events and moving on]

In response to post #24927344.

AccessionSoft wrote: Keep mods free and DLC separate. Here is the solution:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/accessionsoft/820112016?token=93ddc8ac

This company will allow individual mod authors and asset creators to generate income while keeping price tags off of small independently made mods. There will be full support, and no asset stealing tolerated. Skilled individuals can gain immediate income without risk. The free modding community will remain free and larger high quality additions will be generated quickly and frequently. This is the future of professional modding.

Stop fighting amongst yourselves. You are all important parts of the community.

[The end of the fight and a solution for all]

This is what needs your support to end the conflict over paid mods. This issue has created a rift between us but it has also created opportunity if we would embrace it. As a member of the community I would be extremely grateful of your support.

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/accessionsoft/820112016?token=93ddc8ac

 

I have seen all sides of the debate and I think this is the solution that can make everyone happy. It will keep mods free, increase the amount of DLC quality additions, and allow for independant artist to mod for a living. We can do this together, and the benefits will create a stronger and more supportive community.

[Drawing a line under recent events and moving on]

Keep mods free and DLC separate. Here is the solution:

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/accessionsoft/820112016?token=93ddc8ac

 

This company will allow individual mod authors and asset creators to generate income while keeping price tags off of small independently made mods. There will be full support, and no asset stealing tolerated. Skilled individuals can gain immediate income without risk. The free modding community will remain free and larger high quality additions will be generated quickly and frequently. This is the future of professional modding.