This is the site feedback/questions section

[GenericDownloaderX]

Please forgive my ignorance as this is really the first time I have used these forums seriously, if at all, so I hope I am not whipping the proverbial dead horse or some other faux-pas.

 

I am curious to know if there is any systematic effort underway to reorganize the formidable number of files into more specific categories so as to eliminate the ghastly 1,000+ category counts and so cut down on time spent searching through files which are irrelevant. A lot of items are oft found in categories which are counter-intuitive or one would expect them to be else where but for whatever reason they have ended up in another category.

 

Perhaps worst of all, these huge category counts can discourage many people from using this database, which is never a good thing. It can reduce enjoyment of games which kills visit counts to this database as a consequence. I, for example, would have scrapped F03 years ago (and so never come back here) if I had not found the CFWR mod. However, I doubt that everyone who comes here looking for the mods to keep the game worthwhile (OR equally relevant, the fixes to vanilla features which annoy players about the regular game) is going to tolerate the 300+ pages of files I had to look through before I found CFWR. If you cut down the counts, you probably would find more repeat visitors which will improve the Nexus' standing with its benefactors.

 

Perhaps, if such is not already the case, all uploads should be submitted to Nexus and it be up to Nexus to define the category best suited for the module?

 

A few categories which might be useful to include and so clean out a large number of existing categories might be as follows:

 

1.) Incomplete Models: This category would be for modders who create a mesh which, for whatever reason, is incomplete. By having a specific category, modders now don't have to dig through the 2000 weapons to find out about a gun mesh which is great save for its want of texturing. Indeed, these files which often have a "I made this but can't finish it so feel free to take on the task" in the description may now actually get finished more often!

 

2.) Modder Resources: I have found dozens of wonderful resource kits which have been lovingly made but are buried amidst mountains of other files. Imagine the time modders could save and spend making more mods that will bring prestige to the Nexus if they didn't have to comb through every category to find these files which have the perfect texture or mesh for their own modules

 

3.) Subdivisions of the Weapon Category such as "Non-Replacer," "Vanilla Retexture," or "Major Weapon Pack (For those truly big packages like CFWR and 20th-century firearms)" : You could probably cut the Weapon category in half if you separated the retextures of vanilla weapons from the truly new weapons

 

4. Probably one of the messiest categories is clothing, armour, and accessories like hair and body-art. With so many body-replacers and specialized outfits, lots of good clothes and the like are very difficult to sort out. I think it would be very helpful if the particularly popular body-replacers like type-3 given their own categories and all files related to that replacer (like new clothes, retextures of old clothes, and tatoos) be kept there. That way, instead of having 200 Type-3 dependent files mixed up with hundreds of others, users of the Type-3 need only look at one place for all the pretty accessories they want.

 

5.) Buildings would do well to be split into Modified Player Homes (all mods which involve a major overhaul of the reward houses for the Power of Atom Quest), New Player Homes (new cells created to substitute for these houses, like the Daniel's Family Vault), New World Locations (Entirely new cells added to the world like DC Interiors which are primarily intended to expand gameplay and experience, not provide a home/base), and Modified World Locations (tweaking an existing vanilla cell to improve it in some meaningful way, like adding a bridge in Megaton to speed up travel to Moira's or fortifying Canterbury Commons against critter attack.)

 

Thank You for your time and for this great site which I hope will continue to be the best Module Website I have ever seen in 15 years of serious gaming.

Edited February 14, 2011 by GenericDownloaderX

[bben46]

You need to look into the tag search function. And start tagging those mods that are not properly tagged.

[GenericDownloaderX]

You need to look into the tag search function. And start tagging those mods that are not properly tagged.

 

It is good to know that there is a function like that.

 

However, that does not eliminate the issue that not all categories are clear and obvious and some are a fair bit too general. For example, just what the heck is "Default: I Forgot to Set This" supposed to include?

 

My main objective is to slim down the categories so they are less imposing for visitors. The idea is to make things tidier for the casual visitor, who represents a major portion of site visitors, not just for the experienced person who knows all the technical tags and so on. After all, to use the tag system, a person really needs to know what they are looking for in the first place, and they may not suspect or know about many mods because they don't have the imagination to think that a modder could do it. For example, I did not think there could be mods like Animated Prostitution or refilling empty bottles at sinks because I didn't think Bethesda would be so generous as to make a game which could be so heavily rescripted without compromising the core files. A lot of games have been discouraging module use (MW2 doesn't even have a console anymore) by limiting what can be done to them without major rewrites of the core code. Not all players are going to know just how creative your module contributors are unless you give them a better understanding of the diversity of mods by expanding the categories to show that diversity.

 

Nevertheless, this is only my suggestion and I shall not press the matter further. If you feel it is not a practical suggestion, for whatever reason, I shall not be upset or offended. Even if it is confusing at times, it still remains much better than most module resources and for that, I am grateful.

[Thandal]

... However, that does not eliminate the issue that not all categories are clear and obvious and some are a fair bit too general. For example, just what the heck is "Default: I Forgot to Set This" supposed to include?

It is exactly what it says: The author/uploader forgot to set ANY category, so it's assigned to the "Default".

 

What you're asking is really that modders do a better job of describing/assigning their work to the "proper" categories. But as has been discussed many times in other threads, what's "proper" for one might not be for another, even when pertaining to the same mod. And expecting all authors to agree with ANYONE is pointless.

 

Key words, tags, categories. These are all aids to finding what you want. But in a strictly voluntary environment, unlikely to ever be "the answer". Suggestions for new categories are always welcomed, but don't take it personally if they aren't implemented. And they are almost impossible to apply to the already existing materials. Too labour-intensive. (Not the clicking, the deciding...)

 

My advice for searching is: "Learn to use all the tools available".

My advice for helping is: "Go on a tagging spree!"

Edited February 15, 2011 by Thandal
typos.

[Fatalmasterpiece]

Had a thought, maybe rating should add to your AP, so people have more incentive to rate files they download, or articles they read. I see the tracker keeps tabs on how many things you have rated, but that number seems to be pointless right now.

[Pushkatu]

Had a thought, maybe rating should add to your AP, so people have more incentive to rate files they download, or articles they read. I see the tracker keeps tabs on how many things you have rated, but that number seems to be pointless right now.

 

It's not realy pointless. You can find a lot of files that you've downloaded in the past. Of course it doesn't help as much as the download history helps, but it's still there and you can consult it in times of need, if other ways to find a file have failed.

Edited February 19, 2011 by Pushkatu

[ub3rman123]

Had a thought, maybe rating should add to your AP, so people have more incentive to rate files they download, or articles they read. I see the tracker keeps tabs on how many things you have rated, but that number seems to be pointless right now.

 

 

If it gives you AP for just rating, I don't think it would work well. You'd see a lot more 'rating faeries' who would just give out endorsements to get their AP up.

[CamonnaTong]

Had a thought, maybe rating should add to your AP, so people have more incentive to rate files they download, or articles they read. I see the tracker keeps tabs on how many things you have rated, but that number seems to be pointless right now.

 

 

If it gives you AP for just rating, I don't think it would work well. You'd see a lot more 'rating faeries' who would just give out endorsements to get their AP up.

 

 

Definitly true, maybe a cap to were you can get a limited amount of AP from it, or something.

 

 

I do have a problem though. I tried to add you ub3rman123 but it adds two of you. I do the same with others doesn't add two. Staff how do I fix this problem? Or would you be able to fix it as it might be a problem with the site, thank you, Camonna Tong.

 

 

Edit: Fixed it seems I had to keep adding you and removing you and finally it worked.But is adding two of myself with others. Why is this?

[Fatalmasterpiece]

But keep in mind you still have to download the file and wait however long. I think its a few hours before you can rate it. Then they would still have to wait through the download ad video... So there really can't be ratings faeries since they would have to go through all that just to give a bogus endorsement. If anything it would just get more people to remember and have incentive to endorse.

[Surazal]

I have found some issues with the forum when using Internet Explorer 9...

 

On the Forums

Drop down menu does not work properly

If I click on my name, the menu flashes up and then I am taken to my profile page.

 

If I switch to compatibility mode the drop down menus work.

 

On the Files

Nothing happens when you click the notification areas (ie you don't get the list of new notifications.

 

If I switch to compatibility mode, the notification icons work properly, but there are some minor formatting issues such as the text box having a white border.

 

I hope this information is useful.