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Mods / Re: [0.7a] Citadel v0.8.3 - On Hiatus [2/18/2016]
« on: December 21, 2018, 02:19:27 PM »
Fair. I think I'm just reading this more harshly than it was intended.
That said, I don't think it's a bad thing for someone to do the grunt work of bringing something up to speed as long as they're transparent about when they aren't willing to continue updating it. If the mod is an old favorite, then maybe there's someone else willing to take up the torch and continue refining/polishing it. And if nobody does right away, at least that gives the next person coming along a better starting point -- or they can make the choice to go back to the last "authoritative" update and start from scratch.
I'm just not seeing how this is a mutually exclusive arrangement. If the updater does a terrible job, it's not like the mod was playable beforehand. Not much to lose as long as they don't wipe out the original files or something. But maybe I'm missing something.
This is probably good advice for most people, but here's the thing: I am not an artist and I have no intention of developing that skillset. And it ain't just an execution thing -- my sense of visual aesthetics is a terrifying thing to behold. Like if Frank Frazetta tried to draw manga with nothing but neon crayons and black velvet.
However, I really enjoy tweaking and refining systems to help them do what they do better (I'm a writer/editor by trade. Go figure.), so not having to worry about the art side of things helps me a ton.
I might just take you up on that. Thanks.
Edit: Let me put it this way: When you're teaching writing, starting someone off with a writing prompt and a blank page is only one way of approaching it (and not always the best). Some people respond better to, say, taking a prewritten paragraph and telling them to write what they think should come next, or giving them a completed short story and asking "how would you write this?" Are you getting original content? No, but you're not asking for that, are you? You're asking for them to start critically thinking about the content and using that as a starting point for their own creative work.
This isn't a one-to-one metaphor, obviously, but that's kinda how I'm looking at this.
That said, I don't think it's a bad thing for someone to do the grunt work of bringing something up to speed as long as they're transparent about when they aren't willing to continue updating it. If the mod is an old favorite, then maybe there's someone else willing to take up the torch and continue refining/polishing it. And if nobody does right away, at least that gives the next person coming along a better starting point -- or they can make the choice to go back to the last "authoritative" update and start from scratch.
I'm just not seeing how this is a mutually exclusive arrangement. If the updater does a terrible job, it's not like the mod was playable beforehand. Not much to lose as long as they don't wipe out the original files or something. But maybe I'm missing something.
You know where is a great place to start? With an original idea. Make something of your own instead of riding on the coattails of an existing mod. You'll learn more, you'll make better work, and you'll be more invested in what you produce. People might not like your idea, and your idea might genuinely be bad, but creative learning processes involve making a lot of terrible things on the way to making something good. And making stuff is inherently fun, even if it sucks.
This is probably good advice for most people, but here's the thing: I am not an artist and I have no intention of developing that skillset. And it ain't just an execution thing -- my sense of visual aesthetics is a terrifying thing to behold. Like if Frank Frazetta tried to draw manga with nothing but neon crayons and black velvet.
However, I really enjoy tweaking and refining systems to help them do what they do better (I'm a writer/editor by trade. Go figure.), so not having to worry about the art side of things helps me a ton.
If you pop by the Discord, I'll happily answer modding questions. You can ask Nia, Vayra, or anybody else I've helped out with their mods. And you can look at the community resources I've put up there, like the blank AI Core and Blueprint backdrop pack (which, now that I mention it, really ought to go up in the relevant forum, too). Unlike Cyan Leader or the now-banned Lopunny Zen, I've put my money where my mouth is; if I think something should exist, I put work into it rather than filling up the forum and my post history with 'somebody should do this!' posts.
I might just take you up on that. Thanks.
Edit: Let me put it this way: When you're teaching writing, starting someone off with a writing prompt and a blank page is only one way of approaching it (and not always the best). Some people respond better to, say, taking a prewritten paragraph and telling them to write what they think should come next, or giving them a completed short story and asking "how would you write this?" Are you getting original content? No, but you're not asking for that, are you? You're asking for them to start critically thinking about the content and using that as a starting point for their own creative work.
This isn't a one-to-one metaphor, obviously, but that's kinda how I'm looking at this.
Do you plan to change the potential thresholds/costs for improving individual or faction-specific ships down the road? With as unique as each hull ends up being, and the quirks unique to each faction, it that seems like an area that's ripe for more expansion and tweaking once you're ready for it. Like I imagine tricking out decommissioned and pirate ships could be dirt cheap to help further encourage using those ships, and it'd be pretty flavorful for a junk-scrounging scallywag to be able to eke out extra performance on a budget.
