2018 in review and 2019 in the view

[easywolf]

Great job!! Great website! And Vortex is amazing! Would love to see a standardized menu for ever mod that says if it's ok to install mid playthrough, correct load order, but that's probably hard to do with so many possibiliities.

[hype1]

Really interesting, I enjoyed reading it :-)

Queueing downloads and modpacks sound interesting.

I joined in December 2011, right after Skyrim came out. My god, so much has changed since then.

 

I love the whole modding community here, of course there are a few trolls but overall this is the most helpful and friendly community I have ever been part of.

[TerrorFox1234]

You didn't forget me :')

[Vanguarde2017]

I am eager to see this ModPack functionality. I would love to simply press one button and download another users modlist to try out, with Vortex installing all the mods one after another in the correct order.

 

Mod creators must get proper credit and be allowed to opt-out of the system. Mod creators who opt-in should be rewarded financially. Making it easier to bulk install mods will benefit everyone.

 

I am getting seriously tired of digging around for mods and installing complex systems. I have three boys now and I don't have the time anymore! lol

Edited March 17, 2019 by Vanguarde2017

[Vanguarde2017]

I am hoping by starting now the ModPack feature will be the "killer app" of the NexusMods by the time the sequel to Skyrim is out, in 2022 or 2023 after everyone has mostly forgotten about Fallout 76 ;)

[Vanguarde2017]

In response to post #67933741.

TheGreatFalro wrote:

Great thoughts as always Dark!

 

Interesting to see you're thinking about mod packs. My two cents is that authors should be able to opt-out of such a system if they so wish. But I know you'll find a solution that works for everyone!

I agree with opt-out, but in order to push the ModPack feature and make it legitimate again modders who choose to opt-in should be rewarded in some way financially.

[Thandal]

 

I agree with opt-out, but in order to push the ModPack feature and make it legitimate again modders who choose to opt-in should be rewarded in some way financially.

 

Careful. Promising any form of payment for modding is a clear no-no, and a good way to get slapped with a "cease and desist" letter from game publishers' lawyers. Note that the Nexus "Donation Points" system relies on strictly voluntary contributions from players.

[tekmage]

I've been here a while. This is truly the best modding website on the planet. Congrats and thanks to everyone involved.

[hammersmcp]

Always good to know how things are going and where things are going next. Thanks. :)

[MarchinBunny]

In response to post #67937096. #67941336, #67941861, #67942656, #67944211, #67955146, #67968296, #68010096, #68052361, #68058036, #68058226, #68059571 are all replies on the same post.

Madcat221 wrote: I am really hoping that "Mod Pack" is a poorly chosen term for this, because "Mod Pack" means, to me as a modder, "Loose collection of mods accumulated often without concern for permissions, credit, compatibility, or upkeep".

Arthmoor wrote: This ^

I can't tell for sure if it's just bad terminology being used or if you mean actual real mod packs. That needs to be one of the first things that gets clarified.

Zaldiir wrote: This is partially covered in the third paragraph of that section:
"It has caused some controversy in the past due to various reasons, including it taking downloads away from mod authors, the worry it would increase false support issues for mod authors caused by bad mod packs and because others who have attempted to do this have basically created a "mod piracy" platform that completely ignores (and breaks) copyright laws because they did not have permission to distribute the mods contained in the mod packs. Whatever we come up with will ensure none of these are a realistic issue."

Sacremas wrote: Not entirely sure if it's even possible, but instead of an actual collection of mods to download like these usually are, how about a profile of mods to download into Vortex, you activate the profile and Vortex automagically downloads/updates the mods in the profile, with notifications and instructions if anything needs to be done manually, and a pre-set load order included? That way individual author pages still gets the individual download counts, and users not quite ready to start picking things on their own (the main thing I hear from my friends and in youtube comments alike on why they don't use mods) will still get a done install out of it.

jaydawg55 wrote: If what Dark0ne means by "Mod Pack" is offering a single archive for download and installation that includes the primary mod and all its mod dependencies or options in a single plugin, with an installation menu like some FOMODs have, that (1) would be more convenient than multiple downloads/installs and (2) would greatly help users like me stay within the 255 plugin limit. By the time I obtain all the mods that fix game problems for my favorite Bethesda products, I don't have a lot of plugin slots available for quests, new locations, or new characters. Since we can't directly fix game engine design, maybe this is a way to optimize mod design.

This could and should be done in a collaborative way. It seems that as some games "mature" more modders get together to combine their work into larger compilations. Fallout New Vegas seems to have a lot of these partly because the game has been around a long time and partly because it has a lower plugin count (135ish?). Done right, this could work out well for everyone.

Assuming the collaboration/permissions issue gets fixed, then the next question (to me) is who does the work of compiling the package? And related to that question, how would conflicts be resolved? I keep thinking of other questions, so I will stop now.

I admire Dark0ne's ambition. It looks to me like a way he is looking for a way to compete with Creation Club with a free (as in no charge), better quality alternative. I wish Bethesda well, but I also like the idea. Also, you guys have enough standing in this community to influence the direction of this idea.

Tannin42 wrote: Hmm, I don't feel like it's unclear:

> Mod packs are, quite simply, a system whereby a user's mod profile is turned into a "mod pack" in such a way that they, or another user, can download that mod pack and all the mods contained (or referenced) in the pack will be installed in the exact same way, in the exact same order, as the original profile.

and

> It has caused some controversy ... taking downloads away from mod authors, ... increase false support issues for mod authors ... created a "mod piracy" platform ... ignores (and breaks) copyright laws .... !!! Whatever we come up with will ensure none of these are a realistic issue. !!!

So it says, pretty clearly: No, it's not going to take away downloads, not "pirate" mods that haven't been given permission to redistribute, not ignore copyrights.

Don't focus just on the label and what it means to you/how it's been used by others in the past but on how Dark0ne described the system.

RoyBatterian wrote: As long as it's opt-in I don't particularly care.

Arthmoor wrote: The thing is, it's quite unclear because you have people who came away with the impression that it means "Mod Pack" in every familiar definition of the term. Meaning a single package of a ton of mods.

If "Mod List" was the intended outcome, then the article should have made that clear.

One makes the site no better than ModDrop, the other makes it no different from the Steam Workshop. The difference is huge.

Nimboss wrote: I feel like Madcat221 about “Mod Packs”

Mod Packs is not a good choice of naming since it is part of “The Ultimate” Mod Pack™ © group known for hastily slamming together stuff without care for copyright or moral or sense how things work under the hood of modding and release this in one big file as a must have to get focus on how great they are themselves. Seldom or mostly never knowing how stuff works for the game they so boldly pretend they mastered.

A much more cleaner and descriptive terminology would be one of three (could be more) suggestions :

1. Mod Recipe, like in cooking. A workflow and details of ingredients to success to create a great dish.

2. Mod Formula, like in describe proportions in chemical mixtures creating a successful drink, paint, concrete or paint remover fluid.

3. Mod Prescription, like the ones you get after consulting a doctor. Distinct detailed instructions what you should do and how many pills of this and that and when you should take them to success to feel good.

“Mod Packs” is a term mostly connected with bad things and trying to reclaim the term for something else more appropriate I have a hard time to see how it would succeed.

Timmster wrote: I think the best thing to call them that doesn't have negative or misleading connotations would be "Mod Profiles", as it sounds like they intend for them to just be mod profiles.

From

"a system whereby a user's mod profile is turned into a "mod pack" in such a way that they, or another user, can download that mod pack and all the mods contained (or referenced) in the pack will be installed in the exact same way, in the exact same order, as the original profile"

and

"because others who have attempted to do this have basically created a "mod piracy" platform that completely ignores (and breaks) copyright laws because they did not have permission to distribute the mods contained in the mod packs. Whatever we come up with will ensure none of these are a realistic issue"

that they intend for the end result to function like mod packs, but for the process to involve no actual packed archives of mods as has previously been the norm. With Vortex's Profile system the most viable method to accomplish this is it to have a file created and exported by Vortex that when imported tells Vortex to download a list of mods from Nexus Mods , install them, then activate and deploy them according to the included profile in exactly the same way Vortex currently does when we switch between our own mod profiles. If you already had mods installed you'd have to activate them afterwards with the new profile active profile. This way you would have your old mod profiles and the "mod pack" profile and can switch between and modify them as you like.

DaedalusMachina007 wrote: Well to toot my own horn: Daedalus Mega ModPak
Created March of 2018.

So Nexus, where's my royalty cheque? ;)

I'm ok with any/all of my 'ModPak' mods being included in other mod packs. I believe that a true modder should be ok with the open spirit of collaboration, communication, SHARING code/data/assets, and realizing that none of us can really exist without stuff to mod. I do find it a bit hypocritical that mod authors actually have the gall to claim 'copyright' on their mods in such a way that prevents free redistribution/sharing.

That said, I get that I'm in the minority in my feelings on this. It has happened with the various 'karters' that make ample money from unauthorized plagiarized reselling of translated games in cartridge form. It seems to continue with those who have an unabashed disgusting habit of open and willfull plagiarism. Did none of these dorks ever hear of 'proper attribution' at all?

Mod authors (IMHO) should be far less concerned with redistribution/modification/alteration of their mods and more concerned with proper attribution/credit for the work they've done. I feel that those on Nexus (and elsewhere) who violate the basic 'give credit you dork' rule should be blacklisted by the modding community itself.

I still feel the DP (Donation Points) system that Nexus hyped up for so long has been nothing more than a way for scammers/VPNers/etc to use bot networks to passively download files and artificially boost DP to purchase Steam keys to resell on the grey market (and thus enable money laundering and all the filth that accompanies it). Few systems are foolproof but I feel that Patreon links (for those who want to include them) would've been a better idea than DP. I am happy for the charitable contribution aspect of DP but I feel it is a band-aid more than an actual solution.

Dark0ne wrote:

I still feel the DP (Donation Points) system that Nexus hyped up for so long has been nothing more than a way for scammers/VPNers/etc to use bot networks to passively download files and artificially boost DP to purchase Steam keys to resell on the grey market (and thus enable money laundering and all the filth that accompanies it).

There are plenty of people who have commented on this very post who can vouch for the system.

In order to scam the system someone would need to make around 10,000 accounts on the site, switch between every single one of them when downloading and ensuring they're all on different IP addresses. For their efforts, they'd get about $10. At that point, (1) we'd notice it, as it would be seriously alarming behaviour picked up by us. It wouldn't even pass through the manual check we do when paying out each month and (2) the amount of time and effort required would yield utterly negligible results.

And Patreon links are already allowed. They have been for a couple of years now.

I don't really understand the need to get hung up over the wording. Even the Minecraft modding community still uses the term "mod pack" even though it works in the exact same manner as a steam workshop list. The mods are not directly included in the packs themselves and have not been for a very long time.