I don't like this "denigration" mindset of "if it's not listed, then it's being made less or it's crushing mods" instead of thinking "Someone actually took the time to make a very comprehensive spotlight to almost all mods", so please, change this mindset immediately and start thinking more positively. If a mod is not listed here, i'm sure that doesn't mean it won't ever be listed here and that Captain Trek will keep this excellent guide as updated as possible.
As for the guide itself, while i don't agree with 100% of what it says, it is an excellent piece of work and a huge help new people, hell, it's even been helpful to me even thought i know a lot of the mods already. So congrats on getting this massive piece of work!
First of all, I want to say that I'm truly not trying to insult you, Captain Trek. I've even recommended this guide to someone on my mod thread who didn't want to learn about rebalanced combat and specifically wanted vanilla-balanced mods. I am not saying its not useful and that there wasn't a substantial amount of effort put into it:
I don't really want to relearn the game, as it seems almost everything from weapon names to ship hulls is changed
*snip* if you are looking for just another vanilla experience with different ships and weapons, this mod is probably not for you. I will likely release some kind of balanced ship and weapon/faction pack at some point in the future, but there is a lot to get through first.
In the meantime, if that is what you are looking for, there are lots and lots of high quality faction mods out there that are very vanilla-friendly. There is also a guide on the modding sub-forum that attempts to categorize them by how close to vanilla standards they are.
However, see the main page of the guide:
Isn't this all just your opinion?
Frankly? Yes. With something like this it's sort of inevitable. However, my goal is simply to provide both a starting point and broad, convenient overviews of what to expect out of each mod so you can plan out a better modded experience for yourself. This guide is not and should not be treated as gospel regarding what mods to use or in what combinations. Though I've attempted to craft a strong gameplay experience with each modlist, my suggestions are as valid as anyone else's.
Despite this thoughtful disclaimer, a guide like this is
inherently biased because it is someone's opinion. Whether the intention to do this is there or not, the end result of something like this is that it
does discourage players from choosing a mod not seen as "approved" by being on the list. This, quite frankly, is just human nature. It is easier to follow a list rather than figure things out on your own, so people will most likely just stick to the list. You are essentially making up their mind for them rather than promoting them to experiment and learn all this on their own. I could name so many games with modding communities that have taken severe damage by "promoting" established mods over new ones...
Trek has a point here, as the author of one of the aforementioned up and coming mods, I agree that any "mod crushing" and "denigration" this post causes is in most cases likely justified (looking at the shelves of low effort portrait packs here...). While I agree with my pin suggestion being a little unnecessary, I think that some claims should be substantiated.
I am sure this is not your intention, but this comment is very elitist in nature. The amount of effort put into a mod doesn't make it worthy or not worthy. I mean, heck, if effort were the thing that gets a mod on the list then the 8 years I've put into my mod should be enough right? Nope, it's out of scope as a TC. So, yes, in a sense this guide does hurt the exposure and denigrates all TCs (And IP mods) - I just happen to be the only TC even available at the moment.
But to be clear, even if this guide said "Archean Order is the best mod in the community, please play it right now!!" I still wouldn't be in favor of a sticky due to the above reasons.
Also, having a "Not Recommended" category is not great... It doesn't matter if this is due to technical reasons or not. You are assuming the user even
stops to read the description to find out why. Not being on the list in and of itself will discourage users from trying out the mod, you don't have to explicitly give names on top of it.
Imagine, for a moment, a new and inexperienced modder wants to make a mod. He/she does and releases it. Less people will even give the mod a chance because its not on the "curated list" of community mods. A new mod shouldn't have to fight for a chance in this way- that should happen naturally if the work is quality, and even if its not at first the feedback from people trying it out when searching through mods makes it better. You may think "I will stay on top of this and make sure all mods are mentioned, described, etc, etc" but there is no guarantee that you will even be around on the forums forever. So, once the list is "finalized" when you leave, any new mods while you aren't around will not get the chance they deserve.
TLDR: I appreciate the effort put forth, but its not a matter of "thinking positive" its a matter of the actual effect of the guide whether intended or not. It will by its very nature hurt any mod not on the list.