226 réponses à ce sujet

[AmstradHero]

Sarielle wrote...

DarthParametric wrote...

AmstradHero wrote...

what would make you start using them and playing them? What can modders do to make their work more appealing and convince you to download it?

Just out of curiosity, why is this important? A mod's worth isn't related to how many people download it. And making changes specifically to increase your download count seems an odd play to me.

Well...it's not directly related, no, but I can see why people who put a ton of time and effort into a mod for others want...you know...other people to use it.

That doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

That's more what I'm getting at.  I don't intend to make vast sweeping changes to The Shattered War simply to increase its popularity.  The people who have responded to this thread thus far represent only a small percentage of the potential PC player base, so just like any opinion represented on these forums, it may not represent a majority consensus.

However, there appear to be three common concerns raised thus far:
1) That mods will not be of sufficient quality in terms of story, visuals and audio.
2) That mods will break the game or otherwise introduce bugs
3) That mods will take vast liberties with the game's lore.

Of course, there is the issue of getting appropriate publicity for a mod so that players know about it, but that's another issue entirely and opens up a very large can of worms - particularly when we're talking about BioWare's social site.

Many appear to be turned off simply by the word "mod", because they are worried about these three issues. Based on the viewcount of Shattered War's project page and videos, people aren't even following the links in my sig to check it out - are these issues the reason?

How can I as a modder encourage them to check it out, or to try out Alley of Murders or other mods like Dark Times, Ser Gilmore, BGR, Carrion Birds, etc, etc ? That's the issue I'm trying to solve here. I'm trying to understand the worries or concerns of potential players so that I can allay those fears.

From my perspective, I won't release something that I'm not happy with, and I'll get a great deal of satisfaction from releasing any mod I work on, but ultimately I am trying to entertain players.  If they don't even download it or are too scared of playing any mods to try it, then how can I judge the success of my work? A failure of publicity is not the same thing as a failure of design. The latter is all up to me as a creator, but the former is something that I need to deal with by consulting my (potential) audience.

[Challseus]

Just to add on to what AmstradHero has stated, not all people who make mods or playable modules are *just* doing it for fun, or for the satisfaction, or whatever. Some, like me, actually want to do this for a living, and therefore are thinking of their current project as a spring board to potentially something even bigger. At the very least, it's something very nice to put into a portfolio. I pretty much got my current job (software engineer) based off work I did on my first 2 NWN modules.

So from my perspective, the more people that play my game, the better. Feedback on how I can improve my craft is what I crave most, and cleary I will get more of that if more people DL it to begin with.

As for actually getting your mod noticed on this site, well, yeah, that's another thread (haven't we already had like 7 of them over the past year? :innocent:). Man, I miss NWVault...

[LadyVaJedi]

I don't use mods because I play on the ps3.

[Thandal N'Lyman]

Challseus wrote...

Just to add on to what AmstradHero has stated, not all people who make mods or playable modules are *just* doing it for fun, or for the satisfaction, or whatever. Some, like me, actually want to do this for a living, and therefore are thinking of their current project as a spring board to potentially something even bigger. At the very least, it's something very nice to put into a portfolio. I pretty much got my current job (software engineer) based off work I did on my first 2 NWN modules.

So from my perspective, the more people that play my game, the better. Feedback on how I can improve my craft is what I crave most, and cleary I will get more of that if more people DL it to begin with.

As for actually getting your mod noticed on this site, well, yeah, that's another thread (haven't we already had like 7 of them over the past year? :innocent:). Man, I miss NWVault...

@Challseus;  (Are you the same Challseus who authored "Rose of Eternity"?  Great add-on adventure!)

Anyway, for the functional equivalent of the NWNVault for Dragon Age, see: www.dragonagenexus.com

Enjoy!

Modifié par Thandal NLyman, 14 décembre 2010 - 03:56 .

[skippy17]

I am a noob at pc gaming, i know alot about the hardware of computers (built my own) but little about the software. The reason i do not play with mods is:

1. No idea where to get mods

2. No idea where to put in the games files in order to make them work accordingly.



Those are my two only reasons why i do not play with mods.

[ladydesire]

@skippy17: Ironically, those two issues were something that Bioware was aware of when A)designing the Social Site (Projects is the mod download area here) and designing the DAUpdater utility and the dazip mod packaging format. Bioware wanted installing mods to be as easy as possible, and they wanted to make it as easy as possible for mod makers and the potential mod users to find each other; they also wanted to make finding information on various aspects of mod making to be easily accessible, so they put the toolset's wiki here for us to use and expand as well.

[Blastback]

Well, I like the idea of having at least one vanilla playthorugh, that is simply the game that Bioware made. My worry about mods is that they may somehow distract or take away from Bioware's vision. But hey, I'm perfectly willing to give them a try and I enjoy some.

[XTR3M3]

I, for one, am VERY happy this is mod-able. Vanilla appreciation being what it is, Bioware made a beautiful world and UGLY people, weapons and armor. The weapons were REALLY bad. It looked like a 12 year old forged them out of junk metal from the scrap yard. The ones that people are making now are graceful and interesting. As for faces...mods like Dragon Age Redesigned by Dracomies is SO much better and easier on the eyes. If I want to look at ugly people, real life has an abundance of those...this is fantasy so I am glad I have the option not to have all my characters be ugly.

[Proleric]

Perhaps some of the concerns expressed by players so far could be addressed by an FAQ on mods, stickied in this forum.

Simple questions like where to find them and install them can easily be answered. We can reassure people that mods are low risk, and suggest simple rules-of-thumb for assessing quality / value / lore.

I'd be happy to draft something for comment in this forum if people think it's a good idea.

I've toyed with the idea of mod certification, e.g. Certified Compatible and/or Ferelden-Friendly, but I doubt whether the take-up would be sufficient.

We have an outline plan for a much more sophisticated version of the Community Index, to address the shortcomings of this social site. That may happen one day, but it will require a significant commitment from the community, certainly more effort than I can personally spare right now.

So on balance an FAQ might be the best we can do immediately.

What do people think?

Modifié par Proleric1, 15 décembre 2010 - 08:34 .

[Andferne]

Purple Lady wrote...
For beginners with mods, I recommend checking the link in my sig.

Awesome!
Thank you for putting that together. I've played through DA a number of times and have now been contemplating giving several Mods a try to 'spice' things up.

[Ferretinabun]

Proleric1 wrote...

Perhaps some of the concerns expressed by players so far could be addressed by an FAQ on mods, stickied in this forum.

Simple questions like where to find them and install them can easily be answered. We can reassure people that mods are low risk, and suggest simple rules-of-thumb for assessing quality / value / lore.

I'd be happy to draft something for comment in this forum if people think it's a good idea.

I've toyed with the idea of mod certification, e.g. Certified Compatible and/or Ferelden-Friendly, but I doubt whether the take-up would be sufficient.

We have an outline plan for a much more sophisticated version of the Community Index, to address the shortcomings of this social site. That may happen one day, but it will require a significant commitment from the community, certainly more effort than I can personally spare right now.

So on balance an FAQ might be the best we can do immediately.

What do people think?

I for one think that'd be a brilliant idea. A complete dummies guide would be good for me!

[Challseus]

Thandal NLyman wrote...

Challseus wrote...

Just to add on to what AmstradHero has stated, not all people who make mods or playable modules are *just* doing it for fun, or for the satisfaction, or whatever. Some, like me, actually want to do this for a living, and therefore are thinking of their current project as a spring board to potentially something even bigger. At the very least, it's something very nice to put into a portfolio. I pretty much got my current job (software engineer) based off work I did on my first 2 NWN modules.

So from my perspective, the more people that play my game, the better. Feedback on how I can improve my craft is what I crave most, and cleary I will get more of that if more people DL it to begin with.

As for actually getting your mod noticed on this site, well, yeah, that's another thread (haven't we already had like 7 of them over the past year? :innocent:). Man, I miss NWVault...

@Challseus;  (Are you the same Challseus who authored "Rose of Eternity"?  Great add-on adventure!)

Anyway, for the functional equivalent of the NWNVault for Dragon Age, see: www.dragonagenexus.com

Enjoy!

Yep, same Challseus. Working on the next Rose of Eternity game using the Dragon Age engine right now, as a matter of fact.

As for Dragon Age Nexus, I admit I wasn't too keen on it when it first popped up, but that was mostly because I had so much faith in this site. That was a year ago...

...Now, it's looking pretty good, as at the very least, it gets a lot of traffic. I still like NWVault better, but it's the next best thing it seems.

EDIT - Proleric, that seems like a great idea.

Modifié par Challseus, 16 décembre 2010 - 03:23 .

[AmstradHero]

I'd second the idea that sort of "Introduction to installing and using Dragon Age mods" would be fantastic for players. I imagine it would add a lot for many people just to get that basic introduction information so they are put off by mods or worried that they will have some negative effect on their game.

[Thandal N'Lyman]

Glaucon wrote...

A FAQ would be very useful, especially if it's designed to address the specifics of alleviating fears.

So... Something like this?

Using DA Mods for Dummies:

[Others may have different tips, but I think with these you can get enough of the basics to figure out what you're doing.]

[Edited to add this link: "Good DA Mods (Opinions)".]

While mods for Dragon Age  are fairly easy to use, one thing that is not immediately clear to new players is that  they come in a variety of file types.  This set of tips is designed to get you started, but it presumes you already have an understanding of standard PC activities (downloading, installing, etc.) and the Windows folder- and file-structure naming conventions and use (saving, copying etc.)

The main types are:

a.  ".zip", ".rar", ".7z", etc.  Compressed files or collections of files.  Most mods are distributed in one of these compressed forms.  You'll need the appropriate utility, (e.g. "WinRAR") to unpack them before being able to use them.

b.  ".dazip"  A specially structured collection of files that the built-in "DAUpdater.exe" program knows how to handle. (See more below.) Otherwise identical to a ".zip".

c.  ".override" A file containing multiple components (often created or changed by another installed mod) that must be installed and configured by the DAO-Modmanager (DAMM) utility. (See more below.)

1.  Any mod that's packaged as a ".dazip" can be installed with the built-in "DAUpdater.exe" program, or with either of the two "manager" utilities: DAO_Modmanager (DAMM), or DA Modder (DAM). These two "managers" help with the housekeeping chores associated with some specific mod file-types. (These are not all, or even the majority, of DA mods. Most fall into the next category.)

2.  Anything that says "place in your override folder" does not need to be "installed". Simply place it in the folder named "override" located under ".../[user's documents]/Bioware/Dragon Age/Packages/Core..."

3.  The settings for almost any mod that is designed to work during the Character Creation phase to change the way a brand new PC looks at the start of the game ("More Hairstyles", "CC Tints and Tones", etc.) must be merged into the "chargenmorphcfg.xml" file. This CAN  be done manually, but TerraEx's CharGenMorph Compiler utility makes it much easier.

4. Some mods don't react well to some of the DLC. The best known conflicts are with Leliana's Song  and Witch Hunt. Recommendation is to disable (uncheck) these two on the "Installed Content" menu unless actually playing them.

5. Many (most?) mods that ADD ITEMS to your inventory will fail with a BRAND NEW game until after you've made your first save. So Disable them, Start a New Game, play until able to Save, then Re-Enable them.

6. Not all mods work and play well with others. Be sure to make a Named Save before  installing a new one. And always presume that a new problem is due to the mod you just added, conflicting with the mod you most like!

Happy (Modded) Gaming!

Modifié par Thandal NLyman, 16 décembre 2010 - 07:04 .

[Mercedes-Benz]

Because it makes the games feel "fake".

[Zy-El]

Mercedes-Benz wrote...
Because it makes the games feel "fake".

This is a fantasy role-playing game.  In what ways does it feel "real" to you?  Elves, Dwarves, Dragons - yeah, very real!!    (i'm laughing with you, not at you)

After playing the game 20+ play-throughs, it is refreshing that mods can change the playing experience by introducing more challenge to the game or even something as minor as aesthetic changes (ie face, hair, clothing, armor, weapons).  These mods are *free* and the player has to strain only to figure out how to install them.  Use at your own discretion and preference.  If you don't like a mod, you can always un-install it.  Costs you nothing (but time) to try it.

[DraconisCombine]

Ive played quite a number of mods packs form Dragon nexus and was pleasantly surprised.Modules should not break the main game.Alley of murders is a nice add on.Others not so much.I tend to shy away from packs that make me pretty much invincible(like , oh i dont know, fire resistance anyone?).

Dragon Age does have the potential to be a good long standing series for Bioware.

[Proleric]

Thandal NLyman wrote...

Glaucon wrote...

A FAQ would be very useful, especially if it's designed to address the specifics of alleviating fears.

So... Something like this?...

Thanks for taking on the task of drafting something.

We may find that we need a new thread for this discussion, but I'll make a few suggestions here and see how we get on.

Given the general tone of this thread, I'd assume that the reader is nervous or neutral about mods.

So, I'd start by saying what mods are, what's in it for players (hours of new gameplay, enhanced experience, etc), where to get them (Community Index, DANexus links), why it's low-risk, and something about assessing quality / value / lore from the comments.

To split hairs, perhaps, I'd put the official Bioware .dazip format ahead of the others, and reword the bits about overrides and conflict (a) to allay fears ( to emphasise compatibility best practice © to explain how to uninstall (including those mods which abuse packages override).

My personal preference would be to take out references to specific mods, e.g. recommendations, known conflicts etc. simply because everyone has an opinion so it's hard to be balanced in an FAQ which should reflect a community-wide view. I'm not even sure about the community-made "manager" utilities, but that's probably just my ignorance.

Just my two cents. What do other people think?

[Alcanazar]

I've used a number of modifications but the last ones made the game unplayable. Alister disappeared, characters transitioned into limbo areas or characters could not be created. I just reinstalled the game for the third time two weeks ago and I still can't get even Bioware DLC back.



As for custom modules, I haven't tried running any since last winter. I could only find two or three anyway. Given my experience with the toolset I gave that up entirely to save my sanity.



I'm seriously thinking about going back to Neverwinter Nights II.

[Darkhour]

Alcanazar wrote...

I've used a number of modifications but the last ones made the game unplayable. Alister disappeared, characters transitioned into limbo areas or characters could not be created. I just reinstalled the game for the third time two weeks ago and I still can't get even Bioware DLC back.

As for custom modules, I haven't tried running any since last winter. I could only find two or three anyway. Given my experience with the toolset I gave that up entirely to save my sanity.

I'm seriously thinking about going back to Neverwinter Nights II.

That's why I'm apprehensive about mods.  I don;t know the technical skill of the modders and don't really trust them.  Not only could a mod destablize the game, but couldn't hacker install trojans, worms, etc. in the mod files?

I was considering using as mod to make Leliana attractive.  She looks like a evil Chucky doll sometimes.

Modifié par Darkhour, 18 décembre 2010 - 03:09 .