Comments - Argyll

Yeah, I can't wait to try Depth. Just picked it up on sale... now waiting to get home to my PC and try it. Alex and team have been working on it for a long time so it's nice to see their efforts pay off!

Awesome, looking forward to seeing you in game!

Also, the video published on the site in the wrong format. Watch it here: Youtube.com

We are working on more open maps, along with porting over the mod's maps (many of which are available). You should try the new one included in the latest update: Peak. It's especially fun on Push mode.

Yeah, be thankful we have the Canadians at all! :D

15 minutes after this was posted, I suddenly wondered how this project was doing... came to modDB and this update was here!

Yeah, this is long before release. At the time I was 17, now I am turning 24 next week haha...

Thanks for uploading this piece of history Petrick ;D

We were one of the few mods interviewed on the show to actually release!

The issues largely stem from inexperience at the leadership level.

They didn't even want to update the Source version since winning the MOTY almost two years ago (of which the current leadership did not contribute to, but reaped all the benefits from).

They simply need to keep working on what the mod is designed to be - that's what the fans are looking for - rather than try to re-build from scratch on Orange Box with a fraction of the talent and experience that the current version was built from.

I've been telling them this as 'Senior Advisor' for years. But they chose to ban me from the community rather than allow me to help it grow.

Insurgency's loss is RnL's gain!

Fantastic looking map Mike!

For those who are having troubles playing the mod after downloading and installing the client:

That is the old version. The latest version is available for free on Steam.

*tear*

Thanks to all who voted for Insurgency! It's nice to see years of hard work and building all from scratch to pay off in this way. :)

Congrats to all other mods too!

Beta 2 released: http://www.insmod.net

There are vehicles in the screenshots because they are props in the levels.

And guaranteed there will be bugs when INS releases. But the less amount of bugs there are, the better experience you will have when playing... thus, the probability of you continuing to play and support the mod will likely go up.

No vehicles. In the first release anyways...

Hey guys,

The site works thunderraiden. There are even four URLs that you can use:

Insurgencymod.net
Insmod.net
Theinsurgency.net
Insurgencymod.com

The Forums have not been reopened to the public for the time being. Once they do, that will be a sign that bigger things are coming.

The fact that we are hiring two positions in Public Relations and Video Editing should be taken as a good thing... That means that we will soon need that sort of support, and where is that support needed most?

Thanks for all of your concern, we really appreciate our fanbase... but you guys must try to be a little more understanding at our situation. We are not professionals. We all have day jobs that pay the bills. If working on INS were all of the staff's full-time paying jobs... then Insurgency would have been out months ago. But, unfortunately it takes some time to get to where we want to be.

The public release will still be 'beta' status. Mods are confusing when it comes to this. Because when you release to the general public, it should be relatively bug-free and have the core gameplay features. Mods always call it a 'beta' because it indicates a work in progress. A while back we wanted to release a preliminary 'demo' of like one level and just the basic features. But, we kind of thought that this is pointless, since people will automatically assume that it was the 'finished product.' So, when the first release of Insurgency is out there for you guys, it will be just the core gameplay features, that is polished up to a certain degree.

We will continue to add to it and refine, which is where your guys' input comes into play. Don't expect perfection the first time. We are working towards making it as close to 'perfect' as we possibly can, but that still won't be anywhere near it. So, when that day finally arrives and you can all download INS, take it with a grain of salt. Keep in the back of your minds that it will not be what we have ultimately envisioned, but is what we are working towards. Even if you don't want to offer vocal support and you may not like it, but all we ask is that you continue to give it more chances as we continue to update it.

Again, thanks for your interest! It is appreciated.

;D

And if you have not already found out, we resolved the domain issues with www.insurgencymod.net -- it works again.

Not too bad, considering the top two are remakes of already successful games :)

FallenAngels,

I understand your frustration, but from our perspective (developing mods) it is wiser to release a bug filled version that updates frequently to just a few people. If we released what we have to the masses, nobody would play. Why? Because first of all their first impression will probably turn them off because of crashes and other bugs. Secondly, with the amount of updating we have, people would hardly be able to keep up.

It's better to internally release to a private team of testers to make sure that the masses will have fewer problems.

I'm sorry to say, but you don't really have much of an idea at how gaming/mod making works. However, I know you're a fan and I know what it's like to be there... however, I've also played crap that could've had potential if a little more time and effort was put into things and it would have been much better in the long run.

If I have a chance, I'll try it out. I know how to beta test ;)

This article is also in the present issue (#260) of Computer Gaming World.

Kind of odd to see myself in the very first gaming magazine I ever bought :D

Very interesting point of debate.

I don't think money will drive mod devs to do bigger and better things necessarily. We already have a tendency to do that, without the cash. Even if a mod did have financial income... the most likely case that would be is through distribution and/or advertising sponsors.

Everyone's inspiration to make a mod is different. Personally, when I started it was all about making the 'perfect game' that I have in my mind. That hasn't changed, but of course I make changes to accomodate to the fanbase, since not everyone thinks along the same lines as I do, and I want to be able to play along with several others!

Another major reason for many developers is to break into the gaming industry. Did all actors suddenly walk onto the set and get paid millions? Most likely they started out on their elementary school stage; doing it because they love it and had a vision of progression to ultimately get paid for what they love. For game devs I think it's no different. They start out playing games, and then get inspired to maybe at first change things a little, then add new stuff. Then they get bigger and bolder ideas and perhaps want to completely change the game around into something new.

This is where most people fail. They start up a mod, have all these great ideas, but get brought down somewhere. Is it a lack of people supporting your idea? Is it a lack of skill? Is it a lack of a concrete or feasible vision? It could be either one of those, or a multitude, or something completely different. But what it isn't, is a lack of finances.

You don't need money to publicize your mod or idea. You have websites like this one to support you at no cost.

As your mod grows, there definitely is more demand. This is mostly in resources and time coming from other people. Yes, you could take the route of gaining your own web server and paying for that, but there are cost-free alternatives.

If you're getting tons of hits, maybe you see that you can get some cash from advertising. But what would you do with that cash? It wouldn't be enough to pay the mod developers. There are simply too many and short-lived members to make any sort of pocket change.

The potential that I see for making some somewhat serious cash for mods is in the distribution. You may be able to make a deal with a major file hosting network to provide it only to their subscribers, which maybe you can gain a little dough from. This would downright **** fans off. It's just a mod. We've been playing mods for years, for the cost of just purchasing the game. If it honestly can deliver something worth paying for, then it shouldn't be a mod at all -- it should be on the store shelves.

I think that the best goal that a mod team can set and strive for is producing the best damn mod that they can produce with sheer will power, time, and talent. This can demonstrate not only their individual skills, but their ability to work as a team on a long-term project. If you can overcome the challenges of collaborating with a multi-national team of developers to deliver a quality product, I think that should at the very least turn some heads in the industry.

If you look at who has actually come from the mod community to the industry, the majority from what I know has been directly hired by a development company. This is changing though. Look at Tripwire, they were a mod team and formed into a studio to produce a retail game based on their mod experience. Who else has done this? The guys behind Natural Selection, Unknown Worlds (2-man team according to their website), kind of have kept themselves quiet, but I'm no insider into the NS community.

What is in common with TWI and UW? They both received money towards the later stages of development. Red Orchestra won the Make Something Unreal Contest and received an engine license and some cash. That is definitely helpful when forming a studio, especially without any publishing support at the beginning (that I know of). Unknown Worlds had their Constellation donation service and also it appears that they have done some contract work. They have a business plan and engine license ready, but they are looking for investors.

Red Orchestra: Ostfront is on the way to the consumer hard-drives. The Unknown Worlds project is... unknown to consumers. Both though seem to have self-sustained themselves while in development of their products. What is this to be a lesson for current mods in development? Should they take the same approach of producing a proven mod, then self-sustaining themselves financially until they get something establshed and then approach investors or a big-name publisher? Or, should they take a new approach: 1) Create your proven mod, 2) Develop a business plan, development team, and concept for a new retail product, and 3) Approach a publisher right out of the gate for funding in order to initiate full production?

The first method, that has been followed, is somewhat logical and a natural decision because mod developers don't necessarily have the industry business experience or knowledge, but they do know how to make a quality game. The second method I would think is something that might have the potential to work... but then I don't know what the publishers think.

The best option for individuals looking to break into the industry is to do some talented work for a prominent mod. This gives you something nice for your resume and portfolio. This is the most common, and I've even personally helped one INS level designer get hired by GRIN, who are developing the PC version of Ghost Recon 3, and works on the MP levels. His work for INS directly got him the job, and I was the one who tipped him off at the opportunity!

So, in conclusion (finally), if you are an individual who wants to make some cash from developing: join a good mod, produce some good work, and apply. If a team has the vision of breaking into the industry together, as a studio working on your own game, then you will need some money. Is your mod the right place to gain the finances? Of course... but it is how which is the ultimate question -- one of which is still requiring some definite answers.

Grr... Such a long post that I'm sure many people won't read through ;) But I can't help but wonder. Maybe the journalist in me will do a little bit of investigating into the topic of going pro from being a mod. You deserve a beer if you've endured this 'comment.'

The website is back online :)

The website is back up.

Yes, you can use physics objects to barricade. I frequently use school desks to barricade myself in a classroom :)

The mod that achieved 3rd place for best upcoming has just released a major update!

See: Moddb.com and Insmod.net

:D Sorry, had to pimp!

They are all crouching. Prone position is when you lay down on the ground.

It's called a tracer.

The insurgents outside of the school 'liberated' a SAW and turned it against the Marines.

They are the default HL2 sparks. And of course, they look much better in-game than in screenshots.

You can't vote anymore... the awards are over and we came 3rd for Best Upcoming Mod. Thanks to all that voted by the way! :D