I've been thinking about modding and perusing the modDB site a fair bit recently, and I see a huge amount of mods around that seem to add MORE GUNS! MORE AMMO! MORE GORE!. Now dont get me wrong, this is all well and good, I mean who doesn't like explosions and big weapons? I know I do. Thing is, I personally think that if your going to add a new weapon unit model or whatever to a mod, there should be a reason, and even better - an originalilty factor. I've seen sooooo many Zombie mods for various engines. It's ridiculous, WHY? just stop it! there's enough allready (Here I would just like to say that I DO NOT include Dead Epidemic in these zombie mods as it has seriously unique features such as single player campaign and allies that you can order and other stuff, even if the plot seems a little cliche to me). Theres so many creative people on here, but they dont seem to be using the creative side of thier brain. Maybe its the technological barrier of creating a mod that is engaging there technical brain too much.
At this point I would just like to say, there ARE LOADS of really unique mods being developed and that have allready been realeased by some really amazing people, so I am NOT saying that everyone here is some kind of non creative robot. I'm just saying that some people seem to be wasting huge amounts of time re-creating something that has already been made a hundred times. Sure normally people will add something slightly different to it, but most of the time its just a duplicate of something else with a very slight tweak.
Anyway rant over. Comments? go on you know you want to flame the heck out of me right now, do it! thats what this blog's here for.
I can't believe this blogpost doesn't have any comments.
I think you're bang on. A majority of games keep on reinventing the wheel (making yet another MP5, or another M1 Abraham tank), and they expect this to really excite their fans. Well why should it, everyone else is doing the exact same thing.
I'm not suggesting that a mod should steal another mods models. What I am suggesting is that if you're finding yourself making the exact same models as someone else, you should either re-purpose your mod, or join with another mod.
However, I do stand by the view that new weapons and the like can add to a mod; but they have to be created under the proper scope of the project. For this to happen a team needs leadership, in the form of project management.
It's just a pity that so many fledgling mods start out doing the exact same thing as a score of other new mods, only to get disheartened that no-one is excited about their mod. The horrible thing is they probably have some genuinely good ideas, they just are tackling it in the wrong way.
Sorry to double post. I'd just like to say, Midiprefix that your main idea got me thinking. So, I wrote up a quick blog post on the most basic ways to avoid this problem. If you have any other ideas, I'd love to hear them.
Moddb.com
Hi there guys.
I'm currently working on a mod myself, and I feel I have share my thoughts on this. I would like to start off that IMO i cannot understand why guns should be a reason for anyone to get excited about a mod. It's basically like getting excited over some good looking maps of a mod and judging the mod by it instead of lookingat the mod ina whole. The way a modder could be looking at guns, atleast thats how im looking at it, is not just the weapons themselves, It's what kind of weapon fits the mod, and even more so, what mod are we talking about? If we're talkng about a warfare mod, then guns are going to be very cliche and it's going to be really hard thninking up new ones, or ways to use them differently. As for my own mod, I have a selection of weapons that we're gonna be working on, some cliche like the mp5 oters I havent seen much in other games like the c7a1. To me having these weapons will give the mod its own feel and look. And that to me is far more important then the actual weapon itself. Just load up some games who use the same weapons, and I'm sure that in each game, the whole feel will be different, even with the same gun, it being the sound thats different, or just the overall look.
Part one
In the end All i think is that yes, be creative, and try to have a good reason for the weapons being there, and even try and come up with your ownb weapons. On the other hand. What does it really matter, You can have a ****** mod with excellent guns, it's the overal impression of a mod when you play it that matters to me. But yeah on the other hand, it's just something we have to deal with, that there are tons of mods that are being developed by people who aren't so proffesional as others.
It's just so typical of people wanting to make a game finding out that what they want cannot be done, or they dont have the knowledge to lead some people to get it finished, or they loose interest themselves. It's all human nature, as is it to just copy stuff, thinking they're original, just because they're excited while doing it.
I think this blogg is quite good, and weapons do deserve allot more attention. But I rather have a mod that feels complete and has weapons that are nice although already used tons of times before, than a mod where theres allot of weapons made up that make up for a ****** gameplay, or arent coded properly or whatnot.
I gues all im saying is that I don't think mod's should have a fan base around what kinds of weapons its going to use.
part two / couldnt fit into one post sorry