Abandoned Mods

[QT31415]

This may be touchy but I'll ask.

 

Can you work on a mod that is abandoned? If you try multiple times to contact the modder and get no reply, can you use their work or add onto it? (give credit of course)

[DragonbornArcher]

i'd still try to get their approval first, just to be safe

[gsmanners]

If you have to ask, then the answer is more than likely no. Why you'd want to take someone else's work and claim it, though, I don't know. It's not that hard to learn to mod, and usually just the idea of a mod is enough to spark ideas of your own.

[daventry]

There are a few Mods that need Updates and even though i cant Mod while some Proudly say its Easy to Mod (Its Not), i would think that someone could Update the Mod, then say for the Update to work, you must use the Original Mod aswell.

 

You could still leave a PM to the Original Modder and say ive Update your Mod, take it and i shall Delete My Update Immediately.

Edited December 18, 2012 by daventry

[stars2heaven]

The answer is always no unless specific instructions are given on that authors mod page that allows for the work to be used. It is more acceptable to do what daventry said, though that is not always a very good way to go about it.

[Deleted3507349User]

You can, however, mod a mod (as long as you don't upload any of the resources from the original mod). That's no different than modding the game itself. The key is that anything you upload must either be yours or used with permission.

[daventry]

But thats the problem you see, the Person who created the Mod left the Forum, hence we cant get Permission from Him/Her, thats why the OP is asking if you Could make an Update to the Mod while you must still use the Original Mod until the Original Person returns and takes the Update to Fix his/her Own Mod.

 

If i could Mod, i would do it. Update the Broken Mod and tell the OP in PM to take my fix and Update his/her Mod when they one day return to the Nexus again.

 

I can understand the OP created the Mod from Many Hours through blood and sweat, but sometimes a Mod does need an Update when you can obviously see the OP has been gone from the Forum for 6 or 8 Months.

Edited December 18, 2012 by daventry

[acidzebra]

Permissions are not "yes unless explicitly no", permissions are "no unless explicitly yes". It sucks that a mod is broken, but you have to respect the rights of modders, few as they are.

 

I'm adding this blurb to the permission notes of every mod of mine, just in case I ever lose interest in Skyrim or move on or whatever:

 

Modder's will: If I ever disappear and fail to respond to three consecutive pms or mails over a period of three months, all rights to this mod revert to the nexus community and you may all do as you see fit - update it, delete it, fix it, change it, republish it, go nuts.

 

Not that my mods are impressive enough that I think people will want to update them after I go (which will happen eventually) but it's nice to have such a thing in place just in case.

 

But unless something like that is in place and the default permission is set on the mod (which is "you have to ask before...") - no reply means no.

Edited December 18, 2012 by acidzebra

[daventry]

Its silly to tell People No Permission to Update my Mod when you detect Flaws, i mean why Re-create the Same Mod (if its good or stupid) just to fix a Tiny Glitch.

 

Theres No Rule to make an Update and tell the OP i fixed a Tiny Problem, even i sit with a few Half Made Mods that i would Love to Update as a Patch and tell the OP here you go.

Edited December 18, 2012 by daventry

[acidzebra]

Upload permission (to other sites), conversion permission (to other games), modification permission (making changes), asset use permission (taking bits and pieces). These are the permissions which get set on a mod, and they default to no, no, not without permission, not without permission. They are set like that for a reason. If a modder chooses to change those, that is his or her prerogative.

 

If those permissions are left as the default, you are free to fix or alter whatever mod to your heart's content for personal use, but you can't plonk it on the nexus, end of story.

 

I'm all for the nexus adding some kind of "modder's will/abandon contingency" option, but that should not be a default setting, and that should not retroactively apply to all mods made before it was put in place.

Edited December 18, 2012 by acidzebra