Sorry to see more great mods removed

[genolune]

 

I ask questions of mod authors but I'm not like "Put your mod back up, now!". Some of my questions get ignored. Oh well.

 

By that you mean PM them?

 

I never did that and never would do that.

 

Yes, but it's usually questions like, will you be putting this mod back up because I have screenshots I was going to submit or will you update a mod now that this dlc is out. I don't think I've ever asked someone to put something back up unless I was contributing something just so we are clear. I'm talking about messaging mod authors for any reason. I always ask a question because it's open ended and leaves the decision in the mod author's hands. I don't make demands. And if people say no, I'm fine with that and thank them for even bothering to give me attention and I never follow up on an ignored question. I wait for the mod author. I'll continue to do such in the future.

 

Being a mod author myself, so long as it isn't overwhelming, I like when people pm me with testimonials or advice on how to get better. It helps me improve my craft so to speak. Users allow me to find bugs or new features to add that I wouldn't have spotted or thought about.

[cossayos]

 

 

Yes, but it's usually questions like, will you be putting this mod back up because I have screenshots I was going to submit or will you update a mod now that this dlc is out.

 

 

Imagine everyone doing that. Or even a dozen. Can you imagine how tiresome that must be for the ones receiving all these messages?

 

I only post in the post sections of the particular mod. Problems and questions alike.

[genolune]

I do put stuff there, but only pm once in awhile for stuff like permissions, higher priority stuff or in the case of the screenshot it was because it was hidden. I'll take that as advice though. For example, today I messaged a modder (not going to call out names since this is all behind the scenes stuff) with a low/no priority request for a Working Joe uniform for Gen 2 Synths. They said they don't do requests and that's that. What I should have done was post in the comment section like you said. That would have been the more polite way. Other than that, I'm pretty quiet with most of my activity being on the forums.

[crawe1x]

Wonder if you have an idea of how many mods don't even make it to the public simply because the makers do them for themselves and not others. I support this community wholeheartedly, but I do not support the idea that mod makers are/should make mods for users, and this comes from someone that has been an user for 4-5 years before even attempting a mod. So no, Some care about users being upset about mods, most don't. If they didn't very little mods would get out and see publishing light.

 

Yes, I understand absolutely. As I already said above, I am one of those mod creators - over a decade of modding purely for myself (not for Beth games but for the TW games). When I started, I was young, single, and had a full head of hair. Now I'm not so young, married with three kids, and totally bald. :tongue: That's how long I've been modding.

 

Nor am I saying that mod authors should make mods specifically for users. However, by definition, the moment you put a mod into the public domain, you are to all intents or purposes creating a customer base of sorts. The currency isn't monetary (Nexus donations aside). Rather the currency is based on endorsements, kudos, recognition, and general praise. Nor am I claiming that you, personally, are fixated by these things. These sorts of things matter to some authors more than others. But seriously, are you telling me that if you put a huge amount of work into a mod, then released it on this site, and no one bothered to download it or even comment on it... Are you telling me you'd be absolutely fine with that? C'mon... And if so, then why bother going to the trouble of releasing the mod in the first place? Why not just keep it for your own enjoyment.

 

Some modders claim they release a mod because they did it for themselves and thought it might be useful for others. That may be true of smaller mods - quick edits in xEdit, etc. But no one sinks 100 hours into a mod just to be helpful. Modding is hugely enjoyable, but it is also extremely frustrating and at times downright boring/tedious when you're fiddling around with a hundred different database records at 3am. To do this just to be helpful would be verging on the masochistic.

 

As far as I can tell, most modders make mods for one of three reasons: (i) Personal enjoyment (ii) Public recognition (iii) The need to be part of a community (which includes the desire to get user feedback and inspire further ideas). If only the first of these applies, then the mod probably won't get released. But if either of the other two reasons are present, then - assuming the author is happy with his work - he will probably release the mod. Nor is there anything wrong with these motivations. They're perfectly natural and human.

 

The result, however, is that the relationship between a mod author and a mod user is symbiotic. The author who treats his users with respect and dedication - and from what I've seen, you are a good example of this - is going to thrive and establish an excellent reputation.

 

Now if you're right and most mod authors really don't give a f**k about the users, then well, what's the point of this community? And why would anyone want to join such a community? In addition, how can modders expect sympathy when some scumbag steals their mod? Personally, I don't think this is the case... At least I hope not. :confused:

Edited December 17, 2016 by crawe1x

[genolune]

Does giving back to the community count as number 3? I'm working on my skills to enhance the game for others and to give back to other mod authors for allowing me to use their mods. For example, I'm working on making the Institute a working settlement. I don't even care about the Institute as I think they suck. haha. I'm doing it because I saw something that someone was talking about and thought, that would make sense as the Director you could have crafting stations and whatnot. After it's all ironed out, I'm going to play the Brotherhood just out of vengeance.

 

Will I benefit from these skills and mods that I make? Sure, but I primarily do it to learn skills and give back to others who have made all the tutorials, resources, etc. I figure it's the least I can do.

[crawe1x]

Does giving back to the community count as number 3?

 

Yes, in my opinion, very much so. It's that sort of positive attitude that makes this community so vibrant. I mean, if you didn't care about the community, then you wouldn't release your mod, right? Instead, you would just do it for your own enjoyment so as to learn new skills and then keep it for yourself.

 

My point, however, is that the community is not a two-tier system made up of mighty mod authors and a bunch of parasitic scumbag users greedily devouring any scraps that fall off the table. It's someone like you who makes this community work so well, irrespective of whether you release your mod. I mean, you're active on these forums and on the mod comments pages, and what you write always strikes me as being reasonable and constructive. I don't think that sort of thing should be taken for granted, but unfortunately it often is. If it was just about releasing mods, the Nexus might as well scrap the comments pages, the forums, the private messaging, etc. and just have a download page (which is what happens on some other mod sites).

 

Sure, there are a lot of annoying and entitled users. For all I know, maybe I'm seen as one of them. :unsure: Others are just new to the site and don't understand the 'local' conventions. Maybe their wording is a little clumsy or gauche. No harm intended. In addition, there are some outright scumbags and thieves. There will always be spoilers like that.

 

But all that aside, I'm not sure it's wise for mod authors to get too high-handed and dismissive towards users, no matter how tempting. Doing that will just lead to a very cold and ugly community.

 

Check out this page: http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/58635/?

 

Here's a new mod author developing what looks like an amazing new weapon mod. I'm really looking forward to it. Look at all the praise and recognition he's receiving. Now imagine if he'd released these images and no one had bothered to comment. I think for new mod authors in particular, supportive users are absolutely key. Otherwise, you're working in a vacuum, which makes for an immensely lonely existence.

Edited December 18, 2016 by crawe1x

[genolune]

Yeah I guess that's true. I want to help others see their ideas realized too. If I see new settlements pop up, I make sure to send the settlement guide their way just in case since I know how problematic it can be to be on your own with something as complicated as the Creation Kit. Plus, I like the creativity here. Every day I see a mod where I'm like "I would never have thought of that" or "I want that in my game".

[crawe1x]

@genolune: And by the way, turning the Institute into a working settlement sounds like a pretty cool idea. After a year of playing this game, I've barely got around to touching the Institute. The furthest I've ever gotten in the main mission is entering the Institute and meeting the old-man Shaun. Then some little thing bothers me about my playthrough and I end up starting all over again. Talk about OCD gaming. :D But one of these days, I will get to the end, in which case a mod like yours would be a very nice addition.

Edited December 18, 2016 by crawe1x

[gofftiddums]

This is really sad. I've only just logged on to the forum in a long while, and I had no idea this was going down :sad:

 

I feel that it is too much of an extreme to punish the good and especially dedicated members of the community, just because of the thievery of a few. These kinds of problems will always exist, as with the internet in general being a cesspit; respect should be paid to the creators and it should be moderated properly. If removal is the way some modders have chosen to handle it, then okay. It's a real shame.

 

Would it be unreasonable for me to request a copy of SparrowPrince's WET? I mean, since I've endorsed and downloaded it many times in the past. I'm pretty sure that the last version I downloaded wasn't the latest. I guess it would be better if I send a message to the author directly.

Edited December 18, 2016 by gofftiddums

[cossayos]

This is really sad. I've only just logged on to the forum in a long while, and I had no idea this was going down :sad:

 

I feel that it is too much of an extreme to punish the good and especially dedicated members of the community, just because of the thievery of a few.

 

There's an amount of trolling going on also. On a level I haven't seen with any other game, and I have been a member since Morrowind when I still did a few mods myself. People blaming all their problems on certain mods, people communicating a sense of entitlement I haven't seen before, the whole lot.

 

Now add to this the abysmall way Beth handled their mod feature and the amount of thievery going on, and I get why modders get pissed and remove their stuff. I'm not angry at them but at all the people running their mouth in a non constructive way as soon as they stumble into any kind of trouble. Most of them not even observing the basics when it comes to installing mods and acting all surprised why their game crashes or does unwanted things.