Arrogance in Mod Descriptions?

[Sjogga]

I want to know exactly what it is I'm downloading, and as such I want as much information written in the description as possible. The hard-sell technique usually fails pretty hard on this and I tend to stay away from those mods as they often fail meet my expectations.

[volnaiskra]

I believe the Golden rule of descriptions is that they should benefit the users first, and the author second.

 

One of the beautiful things about Skyrim modding and the nexus is how community-oriented it is. People go to great lengths to help each other out, offer guidance, share the fruits of their labours, etc. It's a very selfless and communal atmosphere, which is why the nexus is such a wonderful place.

 

So, in that spirit, your descriptions should concentrate on the users' needs ahead of your own. That is, keep it clear, honest, well structured, and succinct.

 

If I've just been browsing dozens of mods, I'm not going to have much patience for mod descriptions that make it hard for me to judge and understand them. If I have to waste time reading through a whole bunch of hyperbolic fluff or self-congratulory rantings, I'm gonna get annoyed. That stuff doesn't help users one bit, so they're going to lose trust and respect for you and your mod if you subject them to it. Don't give me marketing bulls***, give me the facts. And give them to me upfront.

 

However, if you ARE respectful to your users by being succinct, honest and factual, then I don't mind a bit of showboating. I don't mind if you praise your mod, or even compare it to other mods. You could even make explicit comparisons to my mod to show why yours is better and I wouldn't mind.... As long as it's true, you do it respectfully, and that it's clear you care about users getting the best experience, and not just your own ego.

[slainia]

Turns me off completely, the same with over-using bbb codes. They're useful, but if every other line is a new color & font size, it just seems flashy more than anything.

Actually, the same goes with 'testimonials.' they don't work for me in infomercials, they're not likely to here - l have no way of knowing what the context was for said comment, or the relationship between the person leaving it and the author of the mod. Too gimmicky for me. This is just my impression whenever l see mods that use these features, but it's also possible that if they were used *carefully* it wouldn't bother me as much.

[thefalkonmj]

"I don't build in order to have clients. I have clients in order to build." Ayn Rand (from the fountainhead)

 

>>>My goal in modding is to make others use my mods and hence I care about downloads

 

I have no problems with arrogance or making a hard sell in your description, but the mod should sell itself. Create mods so that they can be helpful to the community and improve Skyrim!

[slainia]

"I don't build in order to have clients. I have clients in order to build." Ayn Rand (from the fountainhead)

 

>>>My goal in modding is to make others use my mods and hence I care about downloads

 

I have no problems with arrogance or making a hard sell in your description, but the mod should sell itself. Create mods so that they can be helpful to the community and improve Skyrim!

 

the way i look at it, it should either be done this way or for yourself, to the point where you feel its well done and improves YOUR enjoyment. When that's the case, chances are more likely that other people would agree.

Personally, I hate the idea of over-selling the mod and having people come back to me saying I mislead them or let them down. I want my mod to be enjoyed, not downloaded by people that won't like it.