Mod Submission Survey - Likes and dislikes Thread

I'm sure similar questions have been raised before, but it's good to hear what visitors and modders on ModDB think of things.

1. What do you dislike seeing in a mod's media pages (images and videos)?
2. What do you like seeing in a mod's Feature page?
3. What interests you most in a mod's News page? What's the best thing to see on a News submission?
4. What's the worst thing to see on a News submission?
5. As open ended as this question may be, what do you think is most important for a mod to have (what makes you want to download it)?

1. Stolen media from other sources without permission or credit
2. Actual fact and reasonable editor opinion rather than hype of the same features i've seen in good games in the mid-90s
3. Release, release
4. Warez, concept art (solely producing art for news promotion for hits is a bad habit), unskinned ak47s, zombies, html resized huge images, flash.
5. Sense, maturity, fun and actual direction. If the mod isn't run by an idiot, and the idea isn't idiotic and the production values and effort aren't idiot level then it may get a download from me

Edited by: leilei

1. Bland generic filler. If the image or video doesn't tell me something to make the mod stand out, why bother clogging up the profile with it?
2. See above.
3. Releases are obviously best, but failing that something that shows real progress. "We're still alive, honest!" news is a waste of space - show me what's new since your last news.
4. Combine all of the above and you have the sort of news post that makes me want to ignore that mod forever.
5. Focus. I like mods that really know what their main goal is, and are capable of cutting excess features out of their design in order to really nail their main focus. All the mods I am following are mods where I can sum up why they interest me in one sentence - if I don't get that strong sense of direction I'm not interested. To be honest that goes for commercial studios too

Also, don't forget correct spelling, use of correct grammar and a reasonably mature attitude in all.

Gibberstein wrote: 5. Focus. I like mods that really know what their main goal is, and are capable of cutting excess features out of their design in order to really nail their main focus. All the mods I am following are mods where I can sum up why they interest me in one sentence - if I don't get that strong sense of direction I'm not interested. To be honest that goes for commercial studios too

Great point. Could you name some of the mods you're following?

1. We're alive. Or this is my drawing of something.
2. Reviews
3. Some amazing picture that simply says its different. Or at least something written to make me look more at the mod.
4. Posters, or "Hey, check our awesome game. But you have to dig around in our messed up homepage to know anything! By that time, you'll find we don't have anything!!1"
5. Simplicity. I want a relatively small file size (I don't like to over a GB unless its worth it), and when I load it up I don't want any crazy error messages, and I want everything code-wise to work properly. I can't tell you how many times I've found sooo many mods with glitchy menus, bugged gameplay, and start-up errors with every time you load it up.
If a mod gives me trouble when I first load it up, its gone.

Ninjadave wrote: 1. We're alive. Or this is my drawing of something.
2. Reviews
3. Some amazing picture that simply says its different. Or at least something written to make me look more at the mod.
4. Posters, or "Hey, check our awesome game. But you have to dig around in our messed up homepage to know anything! By that time, you'll find we don't have anything!!1"
5. Simplicity. I want a relatively small file size (I don't like to over a GB unless its worth it), and when I load it up I don't want any crazy error messages, and I want everything code-wise to work properly. I can't tell you how many times I've found sooo many mods with glitchy menus, bugged gameplay, and start-up errors with every time you load it up.
If a mod gives me trouble when I first load it up, its gone.

agreed

Ninjadave wrote: If a mod gives me trouble when I first load it up, its gone.

Ken oath, it's the little things that need the most polish and if they can't get the menus right (to use your example) then it doesn't really make a good first impression.

1. What do you dislike seeing in a mod's media pages (images and videos)?
Concept art and/or renders of mundane items like pickaxes and machetes. What does it prove? "This is our token melee weapon. Behold! It is just like every other game's token melee weapon." Or "To prove we're still working on the mod, here is a render of a crowbar. Look I even skinned it for you."

2. What do you like seeing in a mod's Feature page?
Organisation, paragraphs, correct spelling and grammar.

3. What interests you most in a mod's News page? What's the best thing to see on a News submission?
Proper proof that they're getting shit done: videos of gameplay/weapons/characters implemented in-game, music samples, etc.

4. What's the worst thing to see on a News submission?
Unskinned weapon renders. Especially the obligatory two-guns-crossed-over-each-other scene. Especially if they're OICWs. How many mods have OICWs in them? Approximately all of them.

5. As open ended as this question may be, what do you think is most important for a mod to have (what makes you want to download it)?
Well of course it has to appeal to what I want in a game. For me it's a good single-player experience. Other than that it has to be finished. I don't want to have to be continually downloading revisions of a single-player mod.

Edited by: PlayerCharacter

(thanks for rewriting the questions!)

PlayerCharacter wrote: 1. What do you dislike seeing in a mod's media pages (images and videos)?
Concept art and/or renders of mundane items like pickaxes and machetes. What does it prove? "This is our token melee weapon. Behold!

I couldn't agree more. That's a pet peev for me.

PlayerCharacter wrote: 2. What do you like seeing in a mod's Feature page?
Organisation, paragraphs, correct spelling and grammar.

It's so insane to me how many people say this about submissions that are supposed to be professional; not just mods, but things like resumes submitted to people in the game industry. I just can't believe that many people overlook their work and care so little. I can't HELP but try and have good organization, spelling, and grammar.

PlayerCharacter wrote: 5. What do you think is most important for a mod to have (what makes you want to download it)?
I don't want to have to be continually downloading revisions of a single-player mod.

Good point.

Theres another one for simplicity. Honestly, If I go to download a mod and theres a "Required" patch download (All 6 of them) to play online or such, I instantly drop it.

Ninjadave wrote: Theres another one for simplicity. Honestly, If I go to download a mod and theres a "Required" patch download (All 6 of them) to play online or such, I instantly drop it.

So you're saying mods shouldn't release patches?

Ninjadave wrote: Theres another one for simplicity. Honestly, If I go to download a mod and theres a "Required" patch download (All 6 of them) to play online or such, I instantly drop it.

I actually disagree with this, depending on the gametype.

For games with on-going competitive gameplay where patches fix multiplayer issues (*coughCounterStrikecough*) I never hold that against a mod.

For gamestypes that are static content, however (most anything that is single player), I absolutely agree that issuing multiple patches just indicates inadequate attention to QA during development.

Docm30 wrote:

Ninjadave wrote: Theres another one for simplicity. Honestly, If I go to download a mod and theres a "Required" patch download (All 6 of them) to play online or such, I instantly drop it.

So you're saying mods shouldn't release patches?

not 30 cumulative patches

the mod team should(after a few patches) make an up-to-date Full Install including them all.
Sometimes the patches aren't that big but Convenience is the key!

EDIT:
1. Dislike it when their isn't anything there yet they say they are nearing release.
2. Something captivating and the need-to-know information
3. Proof of a Mods progression
4. something saying like "Releasing Mod Soon!" seriously, that puts unsung pressure on and if their is a problem with uploading the installer, you somehow forget or don't keep to the release date, it makes people just lose faith in the mod, just have one news submission when the mod is uploaded so people don't have that wait to something that you may not even stick to in the end.
5. Signs of hope and dedication, a mod team that have something to start with and have a good past, it's annoying how so many people use the excuse "Can't carry on due to real life problems" that means...what exactly? You feel down and fed up so stop a mod? GF left you? some other stupid reason, or can the person never just admit that he/she doesn't want to continue the mod or help with progression any longer? Sometimes it's genuine but what really can put you off from a mod completely? surely not the things I've mentioned because modding is a useful distraction from those things!..if the excuse is that the person has 'school work' then why the hell did you even attempt?..surely the person must know that they would be getting a lot of coursework or revision(hahahaha...yea...revision, thats a laugh).

Edited by: Lucífer

at leased every 10 patches make a super patch that superkicks the others in the testies

MadKill40 wrote: the mod team should(after a few patches) make an up-to-date Full Install including them all.

Yep, that's the ticket.

MadKill40 wrote: ... surely not the things I've mentioned because modding is a useful distraction from those things!

hehehe

Well making a mod is simply harder than it looks. People don't take into account things like game testing (yeilding bad results), optimization, or simply don't realize how long it takes to make a working, beautiful, fun, and complete map.
But even though it's disappointing for gamers, it's nothing we should berate people for. Sometimes you can never know unless you try. But what should be done is to certainly try and, not discourage, but warn people about how much work and how time consuming making a game is.

Edited by: Erilis

leilei wrote:

Docm30 wrote:

Ninjadave wrote: Theres another one for simplicity. Honestly, If I go to download a mod and theres a "Required" patch download (All 6 of them) to play online or such, I instantly drop it.

So you're saying mods shouldn't release patches?

not 30 cumulative patches

Thats what I meant to say. =/

seeing an ak47 model renderer or some shit for the 123823645639535 time ... worst media ever.
Seriously guys, if you have nothing more to show then a few weapon models, don't show anything at all.

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good input guys. useful stuff here.

Yeah this is really useful. Now as far as the unskinned model renders, I understand they're annoying to see, but I thought the point of modDB was for it to kind of be a developers diary. Modeling does take quite a bit of time, especially if its an original model. Should progress like that not be posted? Like, should the only news be:

Day 1 Project Announced!
(ridiculous gap)
Day 354 Mod Released!

and that's it? I mean, coming from a dev standpoint, that's kinda rough, considering there's several iterations the game goes through. Our project is in Alpha, should i even bother reporting on our playtesting/movies/screens? Or should I hold off til Beta? Not really trying to argue, I'm actually really curious.

People don't read diaries to hear about the person's toothpaste or navel fluff. They want the bits they don't already know about.

Generally, I find we're either too busy trying to make progress to waste time writing a public development diary, or we're progressing too quick to bother trying to keep one up to date.

Well ok Dev. Diary was a bad phrase. But I mean, I put up updates with new weapons models and sketches for crits. Its not like we can put the code up for everyone to review and comment on. I hardly think custom game models is toothpaste or navel fluff. Well maybe navel fluff...

Why not put the code up for everyone to review and comment on?

It's a surprise on the kind of things other people find and help you with, getting another perspective ESPECIALLY on code is always a good thing, and open source never hurt anyone.

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Ark

Jkupo wrote: Well ok Dev. Diary was a bad phrase. But I mean, I put up updates with new weapons models and sketches for crits. Its not like we can put the code up for everyone to review and comment on. I hardly think custom game models is toothpaste or navel fluff. Well maybe navel fluff...

It is when it's the same old untextured Ak-47, week in, week out :p