16 replies to this topic

[Der Alte]

Hi everyone

I've been wondering for quite a long time what the BfME-modding world would look like if all modders shared all their stuff with each other and
put it all together in sort of a great "pot" where everyone can get what he needs to bring his dreams to life .
This idea may seem a bit revolutionary, but that's exactly what it should be .

I know there are some generous personalities in the community yet who leave some of their stuff to others and I do truly esteem that - but just imagine:
if really everybody (or let's say nearly everybody) offered his work and maybe uploaded it on a special website, we could establish kind of a "Middle-Earth-archive" and mods could release much faster .
It's certainly clear that modding culture lives on competition, but to my mind it's really a waste of time when e.g. every mod creates it's own Rohan royal guard model while there are already about 20 existing models of that kind which are more than perfect. Furthermore I'm sure there will ALWAYS be a new unit, a new hero or anything to do so don't worry there will never be lack of work .
And please don't think I'm just a lazy modder (ok maybe a bit ), but sometimes it really bugs me that there's still so much work to do although many others have done all this already.
It's as well sad to see amazing and talented modders who can never finish their mod because it simply takes too long.

Of course there might be some nasty guys trying to abuse it, but honestly:

It won't hurt anyone when there are more high quality mods around . Moreover it just needs several rules on the website to prevent it from abuse
(e.g. only people who uploaded something can also download other stuff) and someone who supervises everything.

The idea has been developing in my head for a long time as I said and I thought why not come out with it now - I hope I could elate at least some of you - please tell me what do you think about all that.
I know it would be quite a profound change and we're all modding for honor and reputation,
but isn't it enough appreciation to work just to make someone else happy by sharing with him ? (damn you know what I mean )
I think it's really worth thinking about it.
Therefore I believe if it really becomes a large "movement" we could probably achieve a great progress of BfME-modding.



PS: Dont know whether this is the ideal forum for this, just thought it fits here best although it also refers to BfME 1

[Mathijs]

Yeah, let's have tons of the same mods!

[Der Alte]

Well if all those mods would then look perfectly why not ?
No honestly you're right that's the problem with all that - but it would be poor if mods would only differ visually wouldnt it ?

[m@tt]

There are various units and heroes that people can download from the main site, plus you can get permission to use other mod material from the modders, so having such a pot would only lead to a ton of mods with the same content asking to get hosted etc, its bad enough when people ask to be hosted when the only new thing is Nertea and TDP's downloadable units.

[Lauri]

And we all like to become greater skinners, modelers, ect...
That's easier when you don't just take others work
And if you are, say in a mod, and your leaders wants you to make a Royal Guard...
You make it, and the leader says "Nah, well use *NAMES* instead, it's much better"....
And, requests might also appear from greedy bastards...
"Lolz, you the one make Royal Guard, ja? You make me Theoden and Eomer, and we have deal, ja?"
So there are alot of nono-options on this, and some of that is... Some of us might go on with modding and eventually making games as a job, but that would be less visible if we just took others work...

It is a great idea for newer mods, early mods, even thought we wouldn't host a mod with tons of downloaded models\skins... It's a way to get started It's also good for the coders who can't get modelers\skinners, and rely on donations...
But it is much more fun when all mods have different art, right?
And there are also us who wouldn't use the feature, and just use our own skills, such as myself... Even I don't download any of Nert's great fiefdom units, I made my own, who I don't think look near as good... But I didn't want units that loads of others have.... But then again, that's also got something to do with our imagination... Me and Nert don't have the same imagination of those units... yet he had some influence on me
So, that leads to another thing... The models on that archive would mostly consist of tons of the same in-movie units, like 5 faramirs, 6 gondor soldiers, ect... And a few of the others, non-movie units... And what would it be? Well, 80% chooses the best faramir, and 20% the next best, but he's an armored Faramir, not ranger... When you see screenshots of a new mod, it's just screenshots you've seen before on a different map...

Also, personally I can't stand just coding... I always have to make models and skins in between, and code some in between that again... And then some AI...
Even thought it's just a dream, I'm against it... The mods with the same art would most likely turn up very similiar in gameplay IMO... Atleast new mods, where modders don't know too much about modding...
IMO, modding is about getting better in what you can do... If you decrease your worklist by half 'cause there's models to get, you get only half of what you could've gotten when your done... It's fair for coders, who don't model nor skin.... But they should get a team, or rather join a team...

[Nertea]

It would look like the EaW community. There would be perhaps 2 mods worth looking at, and everything would use the same graphics. It's rather evident in the number of mods that use my stuff - if it is available, people will use it instead of evolving.

[Lauri]

great... that last sentence was just my post in short

[lycan]

I have a dream!
Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.

Martin Luther King Jr.

erm i personally would hate the same stuff used in mods i would rather see different stuff.

[jimiojoe]

and what about conversion mods??
include star wars with bfme with pirates of the caribbean with harry potter??

try thinking through your ideas mate - people don't like to work hard in their work and then let just anyone just go and use it willynilly taking credit for it.

plus each mod IS unique, there may be several of the same unit, but i doubt they'll be the same still in regards to stats and powers



sounds to me like a new modder who can't be bothered and wants all of rhovanion's work early =P

[m@tt]

He's not a new modder, he's been around for a while. Modeller/Skinner I think.

In the case of the Carribean mods it would have been a good idea, seeing as one was cancelled, and by taking their work the other could have cut down on a lot of the art assets to be done. But now they're both dead :(

[Juissi]

sounds to me like a new modder who can't be bothered and wants all of rhovanion's work early =P

I see the =P at the end of sentence but this guy is certainly no new guy and knows how to skin and model
http://forums.revora...showtopic=35584

[Lauri]

jimiojoe... watch your tounge who said that everyone HAS to upload ALL their stuff to this archive? None....
Who the hell would upload something they made from Star Wars if there are no Star Wars mods? Or if there's only one, why not just offer the model to it? Harry Potter? There's only one mod... offer them the thing instead of going through that archive

He doesn't even sound like a new modder who want's RA's stuff... Re-read his post and you'll understand... It's very mature
Der Alte is a great modeler\skinner who's been around for a while...

[Dain Ironfoot]

No. There's too many samey mods already.

[jimiojoe]

jimiojoe... watch your tounge

i wasn';t being rude, just saying what it sounds like.

who said that everyone HAS to upload ALL their stuff to this archive? None....

neither did i. but thats the general idea he is putting forward

Who the hell would upload something they made from Star Wars if there are no Star Wars mods? Or if there's only one, why not just offer the model to it? Harry Potter? There's only one mod... offer them the thing instead of going through that archive

my point exactly XD - merging all mods would be insane and have no individuality or theme

Der Alte is a great modeler\skinner who's been around for a while...

okay then fair enough i didnt know, thats just what it sounded like to me

Edited by jimiojoe, 10 February 2008 - 02:30 PM.

[Lauri]

hehe, btw... with "Watch your tounge" I was being sarcastic, or rather unserious

my point exactly XD - merging all mods would be insane and have no individuality or theme

but there not many TC's... most mods are about the happenings of LotR, and Middle-Earth... That's why adding SW and HP models are rather useless, unlike Middle-Earth models are wanted.. I don't like the idea though

[jimiojoe]

hehe, btw... with "Watch your tounge" I was being sarcastic, or rather unserious

my point exactly XD - merging all mods would be insane and have no individuality or theme

but there not many TC's... most mods are about the happenings of LotR, and Middle-Earth... That's why adding SW and HP models are rather useless, unlike Middle-Earth models are wanted.. I don't like the idea though

your right i agree

[Sûlherokhh]

Anybody who wants to do it is already doing it. Anybody downloading free models and/or making use of the tutorials should seriously consider contributing himself.

But i am 'just' a coder of course, so the only thing i can (and do) provide is 'teaching', by answering posts or by making tutorials. But that is hardly unique material. Everybody does something different with that.

Personally, i wouldn't simply download any models. I'd rather work with a team of excellent or aspiring artist, or get to learning the stuff myself. But i have nothing whatsoever against sharing material. Only don't ever steal or disfigure.