Are modder artists?

[CynicalSolenoid]

I would say yes, modders are artists.

 

Some are fine artists that work with visual aspects of the game, others are performance artists that work with game play.

 

Are all of them good artists? Well, that's open to personal opinion. I studied art history in college and think some historical pieces are horrible. Some are, literally, gross. And I don't like them - to me, they are bad art. But they are still art.

 

Modders that tweak existing content, making it better, worse or just different are also artists. After all, one of the best known pieces of art was a signed, mass produced urinal.

[Ironman5000]

Modding is absolutely an art, and this is coming from someone who has studied and excelled in the field (not professionally though due to economical circumstances...yeah it's a factor :rolleyes: ). Any form of creative work, whether it be appealing or not is art even it only appeals to the individual who composed it.

 

However I find some artists take it as a deluded form of entitlement and that their intelligence is superior, I have witnessed this attitude with a few modders but they don't tend to last long here :tongue: . The stronger artists/modders are those with a greater understanding of the community who will strive to seek feedback and accept critique to understand the consensus to improve their work, not just post something and say "Here is my glorious work, bask in the awesomeness of it's beauty and bow before me".

 

Art is a passion, a way to express yourself through creative means - this is clearly evident with many authors on the nexus who create uniquely inspired mods. Art has also been historically used to influence society, here that idea is converted to improve gameplay - to view the game in a new light and see how it can be improved.

 

You see art all around without actually seeing it :biggrin:

[Tidus44]

There isn't a definition for "art" or "artist" that everyone would agree upon and thus "art" becomes what an individual decides is art or not. It is a personal decision and I have no interest in swaying anyone's opinion, I am just expressing my own.

 

I do not deny that modders are imaginative and creative and have talent nor do I deny that they create something that may be aesthetically pleasing, but I am not so sure they all are artists or that they all create art.

 

The definition of art and artist are so vague and wide spread that simply because someone creates or does something, it can be (and often is) called art and the individual an artist. To me, this takes away from those individual(s) who work to master their chosen art form and who have developed their talent. It isn't about numbers or time or occupation, but in the study and practice to develop.

For example, I look at the work of Yousuf Karsh as art done by an artist. But I can work a camera and have taken some nice pictures myself. So am I an artist and my pictures art? To me the answer is no, I am just someone who dabbles in an art form and who has some limited skill and luck in creating a nice picture.

 

Again, I do not deny that modders are creative, imaginative and have talent, but I am not completely acceptable to the idea they are all artists or that they all create art.

[DeadMansFist849]

I'd say some are, because if I just made a quick fix for a bug then I would not see it as art. However, I don't see much difference between these "my first retexture" mods and, say, a first painting.

[HeyYou]

I'd say some are, because if I just made a quick fix for a bug then I would not see it as art. However, I don't see much difference between these "my first retexture" mods and, say, a first painting.

 

So, if not artists, then, mechanics? :)

[Ihoe]

As games are considered to be art,

 

would you call modder artists?

 

That's fairly dependent on a mod's form.

I don't consider myself an artist but I'm a wannabe and a Deviant-art long timer, at least I've researched in this matter enough to understand art actually means "nothing". art is driven by passion and affection and not all mods smell of that. when a mod asks for endorsements, it loses it's status as art for asking a form of material appreciation. I just love those who mod and only ask for credits. that's just me typing down out of emotion, therefore this post is a form of art.(!)

 

Platitude aside, Tweak mods, Realism mods and the alike get a Strong No from me. I'm not making a contradiction. :D

 

..."my first retexture" mods... first painting...

That's like drawing a mustache on the Mona Lisa, taking a picture and calling it your art o_O

Edited January 22, 2013 by Ihoe

[DeadMansFist849]

I'd say some are, because if I just made a quick fix for a bug then I would not see it as art. However, I don't see much difference between these "my first retexture" mods and, say, a first painting.

 

So, if not artists, then, mechanics? :)

 

Yes, pretty much.

[Lanceor]

Yes. Regardless of the mod, it will require some degree of imagination.

 

Whether it's armour, weapons, dungeon design or story-telling, the modder has to use his or her creativity to create something unique and enjoyable. That to me defines modding as an art.

[FMod]

As games are considered to be art,

would you call modder artists?

It's an open debate on whether games are art.

I think games can be art - but then I see solid arguments behind both sides of the story.

 

Creating a professional training simulator, for instance, is considered engineering, not art. Then what about VBS1 and VBS2, infantry combat simulators used for training by militaries and private military contractors, but sharing the engine and a lot of the process with OFP and ArmA games? I intentionally used high-end games here which deserve every possible praise.

 

Then there's a whole other kind of games: casino games. Specifically slot machines; modern video slots have significant elements of a video game, but are they art? By the legal definition, even this post is "art", so that one is not relevant. I think we all can agree that by and large casino slots don't deserve to be called art.

 

So games can be art. The story part of a game, particularly. And the visuals and a lot else; but not the gameplay, generally.

 

Modding can be art or not. Nehrim is art. Adding any questline, location, etc is art. Cheating yourself a +500 sword is not. A serious gameplay overhaul, while demanding a lot of effort and skill, is still not art. None of my mods uploaded here are art.