Introduce Community Content Packs

[Xerxes-17 10]

Hello Everyone.

Now as I'm sure you're all aware. While Bohemia make an excellent game, the thing that keeps their titles going well beyond others is mostly due to the massive amount of high quality content produced by the community. Here are a few examples:

Red Hammer Studios BMD 2 Pack

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=9767&highlight=BMD2

A Superb content addon with maximum quality and accuracy.

Legislator's GLT FLC (FLIR & Countermeasures)

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=11091&highlight=MI24

This addon adds the new OA FLIR system to a number of A2 units.

Not only content, but things that are honest fixes

Ricnues's Mi24 Lock range fix.

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=10901&highlight=MI24

Makes the Mi24 useful!

Robalo_AS's grenadier fix

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8618

Allows grenadiers to hit the broad side of a barn!

I'm sure everyone also knows about ZuesAi and the radical difference it makes on troop survivability over default.

Now, I'm sure you're wondering “why bother? If someone wants these they can download it themselves.†While this is true, I feel that if BI release it in a pack, it means that both modders and BI devs do not need to redo work that has already been done (FLIR mod) or fix things already fixed (Mi24 fix), potentially freeing up dev time for other projects. This also has the benefit of increasing the community's “common content†that everyone has, so mission makers and server admits don't have to worry as much about “will a player have this item?â€

Thank you for reading. :)

[Fox '09 14]

FPDR

no

some things mentioned above are there for balance, you know.

[Xerxes-17 10]

Such as?

[Fox '09 14]

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=10901&highlight=MI24

as for the grenadier fix, i'm not too sure, they always seem to hit me even if i dont run any mod, so i wouldn't want them even better with it

[Defunkt 431]

You don't have to spend a whole lot of time here to see this idea come up time and again, nor to understand why it wouldn't be in BI's interests to do so. There are already far too many people who find it convenient to equate BI's support for modding with BI expecting the community to finish the game for them, if they considered such facets of the game vitally in need of change they'd just make those edits themselves (and may yet) rather than provide the bashers with ammunition.

[Xerxes-17 10]

Stuff

Balance? So tell me' date=' why can an mi-8 detect a tank at several km distance while a Mi24 can barely see it at 800m? Also, if it is for balance, why is the AH1 not similarly afflicted?

Stuff

I can see what you mean here.

[McArcher 0]

Hello Everyone.

Not only content, but things that are honest fixes

Ricnues's Mi24 Lock range fix.

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=10901&highlight=MI24

does it fix glass in cabin?

[Xerxes-17 10]

As in the armor value or the visual effects? In either case, no change.

[Murklor 10]

Shouldnt community content packs actually be the work of the community? There's little point in BIS doing it - unless its included in patches its not going to be more played.

It would be better if someone created a general community mod to merge all the small mods and maintain quality control over it, plus contact with developers (obviously they'd have to give consent). It would include "fixes", additional maps, additional vehicles and so on, but not gameplay altering mods (for example no "realism" mod that alter every charactaristics of every stock weapon in the game).

[Big Dawg KS 6]

This sounds like a half-baked idea.

If there's something that needs fixing, it needs to be fixed in a patch by BIS, not some "community content pack"... (nasty sounding phrase). There's no problem with BIS referencing community work for fixing their own content, but simply incorporating community work is unprofessional IMO.

[Alpha-Kilo 36]

I think the idea of community content packs is very good. I don't expect BIS to get involved, though. Your idea reminds me of The D.'s thread. Have you considered to co-operate with him?

The biggest problems with community content are probably keeping track with the numerous updates and avoiding incompatibility issues.

[Inkompetent 0]

There's no problem with BIS referencing community work for fixing their own content, but simply incorporating community work is unprofessional IMO.

And this is how BIS usually work in my experience. They may incorporate smaller fixes by the community, but any larger works they do actually buy as far as I know, not to screw their fanbase by stealing the addons just because they can.

[PuFu 4600]

And this is how BIS usually work in my experience. They may incorporate smaller fixes by the community, but any larger works they do actually buy as far as I know, not to screw their fanbase by stealing the addons just because they can.

That is true.

One thing though. They can't actually incorporate addons by stealing those. All A2 projects that i make (or at least the meshes, code, scripts whatever) without using MLODs are my property, and no ones else can use them without risking a lawsuit...