Modding is not in decline, it’s changing (like it always has)

I felt obliged to write this in response to a recent article in Develop Magazine, quoting New World Interactive director Jeremy Blum say saying modding was in “serious decline”.

Game modding scene ‘in serious decline’

by Craig Chapple

My problem with the article is simple:

Total Conversion mods =/= Modding scene.

Modding has (and I think always will be) the fertile ground beyond the edge of what was “is”. Like biology in general, modding gets its life wherever it can find it, and for as long I’ve been involved with computers I’ve watched it adapt and change.

“He explained that while a few years ago creating mods could anywhere from one-to-two years, it could now take upwards of six years to complete.”

The article touches me as either misinformed, or arrogant, in that it seems to assume that all mods are total conversions, or that the ultimate mod is a total conversion.

If we take DayZ for example, it’s not a total conversion of the ArmA2 game but more of a “derailing”. And in fact, the mods of the mod, such as DayZ Zero and many others, are arguably more popular today than the base mod.

Later Blum hits the mark with this comment, but I don’t think the journalist quite realizes what that means:

“I know that a lot of people right now are working on modding our game. Not full total conversion style, but … creating custom maps and maybe server mods and stuff like that. I think that that is going to be the more common thing that we’re going to see, people making these smaller mods of games.”

In danger of laboring a point, but this is exactly my point. A good example of a game that supports many small mods is Kerbal Space Program. Gloriously easy to mod as it doesn’t have a vast swathe of complex shaders, textures, and complex asset requirements. Not surprisingly, it has a shit-ton of mods. Also Sins of a Solar empire, Company of Heroes, Prison Architect, and of course Minecraft.

Take a look at steam workshop for the great bounty of mods available for any game that supports it.

Is a Total Conversion even a mod?

From the closing point of the article:

“If you make a total conversion modification, that’s pretty much the same as making a game”

This leaves me very confused. Not only do I think total conversions aren’t really a mod, but the article appears to agree. What this essentially means is that:

It is now harder to make total conversions of AAA games

Why is this? Again, the answer is buried between the lines in the article:

“…this could partially be due to the fact that a lot of game developers aren’t really selling tools with their games…”

So it’s really a circular argument. As less “AAA” games support modding, there are less total conversions of AAA games. But far from being in decline, I would argue that this change has actually caused a Cambrian-esque explosion of modding (and associated user-generated content) in other areas. The creative people tinkering, have moved to areas that support the tinkering.

Take Project Reality, long the mainstay of professional modding of the Battlefield series, cast aside when the DICE ditched modding as it was “too hard” for anyone to do but them, apparently.

Total Conversions require big teams and controlled vision

Without the employer vs employee relationship, I’m not sure any AAA game would really get finished. Who in working a AAA studio hasn’t rolled their eyes in a design meeting when the marketing director gets up and goes full-retard on the whiteboard (remember that ad-hoc multiplayer guys?).

With the right individuals at the top, motivating their team through both encouragement and a little bit of fear, helps get the job done. When people aren’t paid to work on a project - when they’re not motivated they don’t usually quit, they just stop working.

This has always been the case with modding - but now the impacts are worse because the games take longer. That’s why with DayZ I made myself “the guy” and all decisions (and all costs, failures, and responsibility) belonged ultimately to me.

Why do a total conversion when you can make a game

This is so obvious and out there I feel like it’s blind ignorance every time I see an article that doesn’t mention it.

Unity makes it easier than ever before to make a game. Source Engine. Many more. It’s easier than ever to get out there and make something. When AAA games stop providing the tools, but other games/options are available, what were modders going to do?

Professional Developers need to get over themselves

I’m smart enough to know there are far smarter people than me out there. Maybe they lack the connections or they are too busy curing cancer in their day job to get into games - but at night they mod my game, at night they do better than I do, and the next day they inspire me to make my game better.

Games like KSP and Project Zomboid embrace modding and have ended up hiring extremely talented people early in the games development.

Conclusion

Any apparent decline in total conversion mods does not mean the community is not smart enough to do it, it just means they’ve moved on to greener pastures.

I say I’m glad they did. Total conversions are tough and in my experience have involved a great deal of conflict internally. These days if you can hold a total conversion team together then you can probably do a kickstarter and hold a development team together.

If modding is “dead” then it’s seen more life in death than it did before anyway, you just have to know where to look.

So please, the next time you see a journalist use a sensationalist headline about the “decline of modding”, or some gaming executive say their engine is “too complex” - point them to this post.

And if they want to debate it with me..

Anytime

Anywhere