Mark your work as a modders resource.

[giskarduk]

Hello all

 

I would like to ask those mesh makers and texturers out there to mark their work as mod makers resources if they wish it to be used in other peoples work. There are many fine examples of models and textures out there that sit in crates outside of the sewer or get added to the same old imperial city stores when they could be worn by NPCs in Quests or become standard kit available from custom guilds.

 

I personally avoid using any work that is not marked as a modders resource in the docs because I dislike waiting for a rely forever because the mod maker vanished without a trace. If they had marked their work as a resource, the problem is solved before it becomes a problem. I do break this rule from time to time for people i believe are still around but its rare.

 

I am the creator of the Cyrodiil Upgrade. I am constantly looking to add back the missing detail to Cyrodiil, creating clans that should have existed, making guilds what they really should have been all along and to do it I need lore based meshes and textures or items that fit the bill.

 

These items may be just something you knocked out in 5 minutes, for example i saw some dwemer glasses today online, a pretty boring mod for most but to me, they are ideal stuff for an armour maker banging away on his anvil, add IBsens Ghosts voice to it and you have a very cool and realistic character that the glasses become an important part of and really enhance the scene.

 

If mods like those and others where marked as modders resources by the people that made them, people like me could totally revamp your game by combining them to create brand new features in our mods as described above.

 

Modders like me can create entire Valenwood cities out of your work and make it look convincing. EG take a look at this, This is Arenthia, a city i made for the Elder Council Mod. Everything you see is modders resources made by other people. Combined by me to make the city look and feel totally unique.

 

http://www.novazone.karoo.net/temp/Arenthia01.jpg

 

I am currently Kvatchifying it to add the rich detail im well know for in my mods, the modders that named their stuff modders resources did their job, now ive built the city, i can do mine and the end result will be a city you will love visiting.

 

But without the modders resources, that screenshot above would look like chorrol or anvil.

 

So you see, your work, no matter how small or unusual is important to some of us, give us permission to use it in your readmes and just stand back whilst we creates worlds with it that will amaze you.

 

And never think your work is not good enough or too bugged, we can use it, fix it, make it better and even send you the fixes back if you want us too. Ive done that before several times.

 

Thanks for listening.

 

Modding is as much about sharing as it is about making.

 

Giskard

[LHammonds]

And my reply to this is to keep on top of mods being released daily and checking to make sure they:

 

1. Have a readme file

2. Have a permissions section

 

Not all modders will grant re-use but as you know, many do not explicity say it is ok to re-use even when they do not mind. This is one of the reasons why I created a readme generator...to help authors crank out readme files that have most of the bases covered rather quickly and in a professional manner too.

 

So, the only way to really make sure mods being released include permissions is by asking the current authors to update their mods if they are missing this information and point them to my Readme Generator tool if they need some help creating one.

 

LHammonds

[giskarduk]

Just a side note to this.

 

I did a search for Modders Resources in the Oblivion Armour and Weapons catagory. Only 4 pages of material showed up as resources and most of those came from the same 2 people.

 

Nicoroshi (whos work im am not yet familar with)

And Ghogiel, whos work I am rapidly becoming familiar with.

 

Due to the lack of credit reading players do these days, you may see 2 traders turning up in Arenthia with names like Nicoroshi or Ghogiel selling stuff those two make. Its something i am thinking about, adding dialog to name the armour or weapon makers in a game context is another.

 

These two will be joining Razorwing and Siikas in my personal hall of fame for those who make a lot of useful modders resources and say so in their docs. The Necromancer uses Razorwings stuff heavily and Siikas stuff is turning up all over the place in my mods. People do not always notice im using a different tile site for the necromancer towers and tombs or that the rabbit kicking their asses near bravil doesnt actually come with the game by default.

 

But they all allow me to do things that where not possible and it all starts with giving permission to use things in the docs.

 

Giskard

[Vagrant0]

And what you fail to understand is that some people don't want their work re-used without someone coming to them and explaining what it will be used for. Some people are just selfish that way, and that is entirely their decision, and they likely have some reason behind it.

 

One reason is because when people use the resources others have offered, it diminishes the uniqueness of the original work. Take Braided Armor for example. On its own, it's your typical armor/weapon mod, adds a set that looks cool to a shop. However this mod has been re-used in other mods countless times so it's possible to have 5-6 different versions of the same exact item, with the same exact stats, just because you have 6 quest/area mods which happen to make use of it. Hashhashin armor is almost getting to the same point, because people like how it looks. People eventually forget about the mod which just adds the armor, and forget those who made that resource because there is no longer a reason to look.

 

Another reason is because it is something they planned to do more with in the future, and don't want anyone else doing their idea before they do. Or they simply felt that using that item in a store somewhere was all that was needed since those items were really only designed to be used by the player or companions (tail items).

 

In addition to that, there are people who don't look at the conditions of use for the resource, and either don't credit the author, or modify the files against the authors wishes. Some resources even come with conditions prohibiting the re-distribution of those files, forcing people to download the original mod in order to use those resources.

 

If someone really wants to see their work used properly, one of their best options would be to either seek out large mod projects which might want to use their work, offer it to COBL (if it looks like it fits with the rest of the world), or just sit on it till someone asks to use it. There is nothing saying that you can't use a non-resource for a project, you just have to ask to use it, and be willing to accept a "no". Most modders are willing to let their work be used when asked, but are reluctant to release it as a resource so that it can be used by anyone for anything.

[giskarduk]

Vagrant0

 

Yes ive been burned a few times my self, i didnt fail to consider any of that, in fact its never left my mind. Me being a mod maker too and all.

 

But i found most modders are perfectly ok about sharing their work, they just fail to say so in their docs.

 

Its to those I am talking today.

Not the others, their mods, their choices, no complaints from me.

 

Giskard

[tyreil829]

i dont use other peoples mods in my own mods but in my mod Bravil The Nercomancers Fortress and all other mods i will make ( CS mods at the moment im trying to learn blender and it isnt going well) if i have to use another mod for my own i always ask permisson even if the mod is a modders sourse for the city mod i asked Blue Shift Solo if i can use his Nercomancer Armour for the Guards thats it so far the rest i can do on my own

 

but my point is try your best not to use other peoples mods in your work even thoughts that dont mind its like stealing really

 

Psycho

[LHammonds]

I did a search for Modders Resources in the Oblivion Armour and Weapons catagory. Only 4 pages of material showed up as resources and most of those came from the same 2 people.

Well, you are missing out on a LOT.

 

A normal or advanced search with "resource" in the name yields 12 pages of mods.

 

A tag search for mods tagged with "Modder's Resource" yields 30 pages of mods.

 

Don't rely on a mod's name to include "Modders Resource"

 

Some of my examples:

• Buddah Statues
  
• Daedric Trap Weapons
  
• Dark Tower Shields
  
• Fishy Stick Resource
  
• Hellbent Sword
  
• Kynareth Armory
  
• Riddic.k's Saber Claws
  
• Stargate Ori Staff
  

LHammonds

[tyreil829]

or look though mods with out the seach and look frist you might find the same result hat Conan has posted

 

Psycho

[giskarduk]

LHammonds the tag search idea is very helpful, thanks for suggesting it.

 

Still, you have to admit, 12 pages of resources (and i bet not all are available to use) is a little pathetic considering how many mods are hosted here. I bet that figure would go up by 50 pages if everybody that wanted to share said so in the readme.

 

We all do it, fail to say these things, even i fail to specifically say these things but ive started using only modders resources so i can say all my mods are modders resources and they are, so far. I just fired off an email to cyro about the ordinator armour and asked if he considered it a modders resource and if he does, i'll add that to TEC too.

 

I already added 3 sets of lore based armour to the mod today, my needs are very specific in this area.

 

That means everything in TEC will be a modders resource. I have said as much about all my mods but i really need to get off my ass and release some resource packs sometime like others have done instead of letting them find it burried in my own work.

 

I actually started making a Modders Resource Compilation for my mods, thats what all the MRC folders are for, really needs organizing better but one day that may become an ESM file with a BSA archive other modders can set as a required master.

 

But im waffling, back to work on TEC 1.8.

 

Thanks again for the search tip, it does help a lot :)

 

Giskard

[LHammonds]

LHammonds the tag search idea is very helpful, thanks for suggesting it.

 

Still, you have to admit, 12 pages of resources (and i bet not all are available to use) is a little pathetic considering how many mods are hosted here. I bet that figure would go up by 50 pages if everybody that wanted to share said so in the readme.

I do not think you read my entire post. The 12-page example was searching for filenames with "resource" in the name. That search didn't find any of my mods that I specified as modder's resources because it is erroneous to search based on just on filenames. As you said, that information is located (if anywhere) in the readme or description or even the mod comments. All mods that have the "Modder's Resource" tag is almost certainly a modder's resource...a VERY accurate search system that allows for very detailed searches.

 

The tag search is only helpful if authors and members that have reviewed the mod have suggested (voted / selected) the search tags that are appropriate for that mod...I personally have tagged 7,753 files (according to my profile). I see that you have tagged some files as well but we still need many more files tagged to help improve the usefulness...tagging of all files uploaded each day as well as tagging those that have been here a long time.

 

When people ask me how they can help TESNexus, I tell them about the ability to create and attach their own screenshots to mods that do not have any of their own as well as reviewing the contents of the mods to set the search tags. This cannot be done by one person and it is a tremendous help to the site and its members.

 

LHammonds