Why do you mod/make addons?

[[frl]myke 14]

We see often interviews with famous modders and addonmakers and i really enjoy reading them and also those people have the attention well deserved.

But IMHO there are a lot modders and addonmakers out there (like myself (i know i'm selfish, no need to point it)) that are not at that level but also delivers excellent work. I also think those modders/addonmakers are the majority of the community. Only a few can be excellent and therefor famous for good reason. And of course everyone likes to read about them.

But in this thread i would like to hear the voices of addonmakers/modders that maybe aren't at a level yet to get so much focus.

So, please introduce yourself. Why do you mod/make addons (or scripts or missions)? What is your motivation to do what you do? What does it give to you? Who would you name as your personal idol and why? If you could change something in the community (excluding the game itself and all issues directly related to it), what would it be and why?

Please, i'm sure the answers will include some controverse points. Please do respect those points as personal opinions and do not comment them in a way that could be considered offensive.

I'm curious what comes up here. Let it come.

[dmarkwick 261]

Quite simply, I make addons to amuse & please myself :) different things are important to different people, and for me a sense of battlefield history and long range indications of trouble amuse and entertain me :)

IMO if you ain't doing it for yourself, you'll end up angry at things, and resentful. I've seen such behavior several times with high profile addon makers becoming angry and precious about their work. I'm not saying addon makers shouldn't try and maintain high professional standards, I'm just saying addon makers should do it primarily for themselves and take ideas and critisisms as food for thought only.

So, I make large smoke & fire effects.

I also like small environmental touches and odd little ideas that prove useful. Flies help you find bodies in long grass. Invisible doughnuts help you to hide from the AI without being a magical cheat. Trees come looming through the fog gradually and don't pop into existence against the sky. Little things like that :)

Edited April 27, 2011 by DMarkwick

[Zipper5 74]

Personally, it's the learning experience that keeps me going. I love being able to create new content for a game I already love as well, and with BIS' games the tools at your disposal make the barrier to entry not overly difficult.

And man, over the time I've been modding for BIS' games, I've learned a hell of a lot. I look back on my older work and facepalm at stupid mistakes or bad optimization. :D

[Gunter Severloh 4051]

Hey guys, Nice topic, I like the idea.

Question,

would I qualify as a modder if I had built a mod but the mod is just a compilation of 120+, and as of late

my latest version 202 Total Mods w/ Optional Tweaks all in one mod?

It is my own creation, or does qualifing as a modder have to actually have built something from scratch?

[Zipper5 74]

I'd say that no matter if it's a compilation, you've made a mod, therefore you are a modder. FFUR for OFP is a mod, after all. Obviously there's many different degrees of modding.

[Evil_Echo 11]

Myke;1906209']We see often interviews with famous modders and addonmakers and i really enjoy reading them and also those people have the attention well deserved.

...

But in this thread i would like to hear the voices of addonmakers/modders that maybe aren't at a level yet to get so much focus.

Whatever....

• Please introduce yourself.
  
  National Honors Society commended student' date=' ranked in top 0.1% in science. Degrees in Computer Science and Physics. Served in US Army - 98G. 24+ years as a programmer/systems administor/security officer at a DoE weapons laboratory in support of the Defense Nuclear Technologies program. Enjoy a good day of benchrest shooting followed by lots of sushi.
  
  
  [/indent']
  
  
• Why make mods?
  
  
  Writing good code is almost an art form. ArmA was a fairly decent platform for combat simulation. Extending it's capabilities into new areas was an interesting technical challenge.
  
  

  
  

• What is your motivation?
  
  
  Frankly, I could do better than what was already out there. With a few notable exceptions, a lot of mods for ArmA were inaccurate, poorly coded, and lacked acceptable levels of technical support.
  
  

  
  

• What does it give to you?
  
  
  Knowing that some people appreciated quality work was all the satisfaction ever needed.
  
  

  
  

• Who would you name as your personal idol and why?
  
  
  Idols - none. Owe a debt of gratitude to many mentors along the years who taught me all I know now. I pay that debt forward by helping others learn.
  
  

  
  

• If you could change something in the community, what would it be and why?
  
  
  Have commented on the problems in the ArmA community for quite some time. It'd be better to just search and re-read those thoughts vs re-ignite the fights of the past. Eventually found the situation beyond repair and moved on to better projects.
  
  

  
  

Edited April 27, 2011 by Evil_Echo

[Fox '09 14]

• Why make mods?
  

It's a hobby. I am interested in bringing something real to a virtual world for others, and what I bring is simply my own interests. It's a great learning experience if you want to go into the field of being a game, program, or graphics design. I like giving, it's nice to see others see joy over your hard work. In a game it's a direct connection, you see it the minute after you release something.

• What is your motivation?
  

As stated previously, the reactions. I really like seeing people thankful that I create content for them to use. It's rewarding, especially after months of work. Improving my skills is also a main factor. I can't count how many times I've redone something and it comes out better and more efficient. Criticism plays a big part in that. Accepting it at times can be difficult but you got to swallow the pill. It's still my call in the end but I at least recognize it.

• What does it give to you?
  

Happiness. I live with depression , it's something that I value highly. The positive feedback makes my day really. Addon making also takes up a good deal of my day which I would probably spend sleeping or watching cat videos on youtube.

• Who would you name as your personal idol and why?
  

I don't really model myself after anyone, nor do I admire a single person. I look up to anyone who is humble, honest, fair, and knowledgeable.

• If you could change something in the community, what would it be and why?
  

I'm rather happy with the community, aside from those who only post "gimme gimme gimme" any chance they can. Although I doubt that can be changed. I would like to change the community to understand that modders need serious assistance, not those who ask so they can get their hands on something.

Almost turned into a rant :)

cheers

(format stolen from sickboy, ty)

[Defunkt 431]

Ten years ago I dreamed of a game like ArmA2 without ever really expecting to see it.

The vanilla game is simply amazing to me but I see so much unfulfilled potential (and BIS have provided us with countless hooks) I am driven to flesh that out.

[mr burns 132]

Well yeah, mostly like others already said.

It´s a productive way to fight boredom, and just like lego, it somehow satisfies my playing needs (even the fiddling part when smth. doesn´t work as intended).

The freedom of changing something in a game that doesn´t suit you too well is also a very fulfilling thing - be it custom skins for your favourite flight simulator or racing game, or even minecraft - it adds alot to the value of a game when you can identify yourself with it in some way.

And that´s only the simple 2d part. There´s so much awesomeness in modding that it´s hard to understand where all this bs about "the age of mods is over" comes from, or who would believe in it..

Mods always win.

[slatts 1978]

after getting my first OFP addon, i said to myself i would love to do make them, and make irish ones :)

when my brother joined the army and he showed me photos of all the equipment and vehicles i again said to myself, i must make irish addons for arma! :D

so i got the tools pack and sample models and started looking at the tuts on opfset7 :D

my first released addon was a horrid version of irish desert dpm, but i was well chuffed :)

i set about making models, but lost them in a hard drive crash. when i got my new pc, in time for arma2. i started modelling a stryker into a mowag piranha, which made me start the irish mod. with my lack of discipline i lost focus on one project and moved onto another one, and ran outta time, which is why i halted my irish mod.

but ive been working on some "smaller" stuff

on the forums, my big idols were/are rksl rock, gnat, and myke. i really looked up to them and aimed to be like them as an addon maker, the joys of innocence lol

making addons gives me sense of enormous well being(parklife!) :D

[Inkompetent 0]

I like to create, I like to learn, and occasionally I actually want to make something useful. It may be some small addon or a tweak to something, missions for me and my friends, or script solutions to said missions (which often includes reinventing the wheel, writing scripts from scratch that I just as well could download because someone else made them already, but that won't teach me much).

I took a small part in the ACE1 team, done some small released things of my own, but most stuff are small scripts or missions for personal use, never finished enough to actually release.

As for idols and changes? None and none. I don't really idolize people. I got some people I value for their contributions to the community or to myself as coder/mission-maker, but none I'd call idol.

And I like the community as it is. I think that the things that can change the community have to do with the game itself, and since that wasn't to be mentioned I've got nothing more to say on that point.

[[frl]myke 14]

Let me clarify one thing: maybe the term "idol" isn't appropriate for what i meant. Blame it on my lack of knowledge of the english language. :D

Just understand it in widest terms, like who influenced you, who's posts you try not to miss as this person is working on similar things as you do and probably has a little more knowledge than you have actually.

I hope you get what i mean. Just don't focus too much on the term "idol" as i really lacked of a better.

@Gunter Severloh

just go ahead mate. I think everyone agrees that, even when not making all those addons yourself, gathering them, testing them and put them together is also a hard work aswell.

[andersson 285]

I do it out of a combination of need, creativity and problem solving.

I have always had a very strong feeling of what I want to play so I create my own missions. Sometime I need an addon for it and then I do it. Over the years I have touched every field in modding this series.

It developed more into "it should be possible" and I had to try to do something that didnt have an obvious solution. When I know it can be done I loose interest and it goes on the scrapheap.. Not enough time.

To see a possible solution for a problem thats "impossible" triggers me (I managed to make my first conversionmod for OFP in 2003, backpacks for OFP and binocular for armed assault out of necessity and creative kick).

Interesting, and sadly, arma2 has so much potential so I dont know where to start anymore so Im more into making missions now hehe. the good thing is that I spend more time actually playing.

Edited April 28, 2011 by andersson

[Antonkr 10]

Not really a modder for arma 2 but for Fallout and Elder Scrolls.

I do it well for a few things for enjoyment of people actually liking that mod, and many times because i feel the game is missing something.

[vilas 477]

why ?

hmmm

1) because i would never seen in shop game "with soldiers of country A, B or C" , because "i love more cold war than modern or ww2"

so first answer is - missing content in default stuff ,

addons allow me to have "it my way" (for example Mission Editor allows me to make any mission i want ,it can even be bus driver mission, it can be searching in wood for bottle of vodka in 1985, also i wanted some big battles, while most games concentrate on spec-ops activity )

2) because i must do something with my time (need for hobby, i cannot tell how to call it, i simply "feel that i must do something"

it is not adhd ;)

3) because my friend asked me in the past to do some units for him (never released missions for OFP, my neighbor and friend was making for us both missions, but he needed some new unique stuff)

in OFP stuff i not released there were addons of me, my girl, my neighbors

in Polska island for OFP I made my street, street of my girl etc.

so it was made "on request" and many things in past i was making "cause i felt happy knowing that someone is happy too"

4) later i get addicted to addons ;) and it was like addiction cause i was going street , looking at building and calculating verticles ;)

Edited April 29, 2011 by vilas

[[aps]gnat 28]

introduce yourself.

Australian, probably twice your age ;) , Electrical/Electronic Tech (in the past), now working as a manager for a global corp. with waaaaaay too many (well paid) responsibilities (to be playing with silly modding tools! )

Why do you mod/make addons (or scripts or missions)?

- Made and released since OFP; tools, scripts, missions, terrains, addons and tutorials.

- Why?

- The tools are soooooo flexible, the ultimate toolbox and workshop (like ultimate LEGO as Mr Burns said)

- I have always been creative (100's of hobbies over the years), this form of creative is so cool (wish I could spend more time improving skills)

What is your motivation to do what you do?

- I do enjoy giving away something that others may enjoy

- The open community since forever promotes that sort of open-arms participation

- All forms of machinery (especially military) have interested me since a small boy

- It allows me to disconnect my brain from the stress of work responsibilities

What does it give to you?

- Pleasure, a smile

- Technical challenges (you may notice many of my addons push the limits ;) )

- An outlet for my creativity (no, not "artistic" talent, I dont have that LOL )

Who would you name as your personal idol and why?

- Those here who a) help others b) are unassuming c) create lots of content (in that order)

There are plenty here, so I wont name them all. Oh! Hi Vilas ;)

If you could change something in the community (excluding the game itself and all issues directly related to it), what would it be and why?

Very little.

I sometimes just wish BIS was more popular (read: more content, more community). But then I think, maybe this nice community would not be as it is now, if BIS were superstars.

[[frl]myke 14]

Australian, probably twice your age ;)

Hehe, i doubt you're 82, you old fart. :D

[[aps]gnat 28]

lol ... ok, so I'm only a few years older than you, for one!

[CameronMcDonald 146]

I mod, therefore I am.

Nah, seriously, I make stuff because noone else will do it for you. The friendly criticism and suggestions make it all worth it. :)

[jagheterjan 10]

• Why make mods?
  

Researching and creating non-fictional models and hard-surface modelling for a realtime environment can be pretty challenging and good fun!

• What is your motivation?
  

Having to deal with the engine-imposed limits to polycount and texture space is a challenge and practice for me. I'm kind of an ambitious guy and want to get better at it. Plus, it gives me an excuse to work with 3ds max and modo and get away from the regular work tools for a bit.

• What does it give to you?
  

Ultimately a sensation of fulfilment, finishing a model and getting a positive response from people using it feels good. But mainly it serves to train my perseverance, my creativity and my (lack of) coding skills. It also keeps me away from the pub/stadium and out of more serious trouble :p

Dealing with people that share the same hobby also is a nice thing.

• Who would you name as your personal idol and why?
  

There are a couple people that I regard highly for their creative and technical skills, their positive spirit and for generally being themselves. Some of them even know about this :p

• If you could change something in the community, what would it be and why?
  

There are a few things that nag me, but I honestly don't know what to do about it and feel kind of awkward about forcing solutions onto others. Whenever it gets to me, I just turn my attention elsewhere for a while and return when I feel like it.

[NeMeSiS 11]

• Why make mods?
  

Boredom/lack of features in the default game/creating stuff can be fun at times.

• What is your motivation?
  

I can be hugely annoyed if something isnt to my liking. For example default AI spotting ranges or lack of zombies.

• What does it give to you?
  

A better game to play. I do not mod for other people, in the rare case that i do release something (For example CZM) it is still made purely for my own enjoyment and because noone else did it, and i expect other people may like it too. Suggestions/comments of others are appreciated but i dont care too much about them.

I couldnt model or texture a turd if my life depended on it, except for some tiny readjustments i did back in OFP i have no experience with that stuff whatsoever, i prefer scripting and configging. Which i both suck at because i have no real programming experience except for the mess i have been making in the OFP/ArmA series(And a tiny bit in other games).

Still, i was able to make zombies, a private total conversion for OFP and a bunch of AI related stuff (from script affecting behaviour to just tweaking the config which BI should have done themselves). Though i would never release most of it, its all pooped together by someone who doesnt really know what he is doing, and i have the tendency to say 'Good enough' and just live with the crappy state some things may be in. :p

I dont see myself as a real modder, but i do mess about a lot and writing this post kills at least a few minutes which is good because i am waiting for my train so i can go home. :D

• Who would you name as your personal idol and why?
  

Never thought about it. Suma comes to mind since i wonder how that man still has hairs on his head after all the constant complaining/whining about 'his' games yet he seems to keep on going and improving the game while other companies would have dropped it all a long time ago.

But there are quite a bit of people i have lots of respect for on this forum, too many to name any specific ones.

• If you could change something in the community, what would it be and why?
  

I would like to see the old OFP 'We are a community, and together we can achieve anything' spirit back, currently there are a lot of people who seem (Imo overly) protective of their work, its not really that bad but i do not like that attitude in general. I also dont like the current trend of (mostly new) people trying to get new features in DLC's/expansions while lots of that stuff isnt worth paying for and could be done with a simple mod.

However it doesnt even bother me enough to start a topic about, so overal i must be pretty good. ;)

EDIT: Also, the endless discussions about the same subjects which always go on for way too long and then come to the exact same conclusion as the last 100 topics about it. That annoys me.

Edited April 29, 2011 by NeMeSiS

[Gunter Severloh 4051]

Suppose I will give this a try.

introduce yourself.

Gunter Severloh, no i'm not German, its a name i chose back in 2006 when I Lead a WW2 Realism unit for Red Orchestra.

Been in the series since it started back when OFP came out in 2001, been playing around in the editor and working with mods since those days.

Why do you mod/make addons (or scripts or missions)?

I never really created a mod per say as in write configs and such, the mod I built for Arma, and Arma2 and soon to be Combined Ops

were compilation mods of many mods numbering 100+ in one mod folder.

I made WarMod which was my first mod after one day few years after Arma1 release (2006) I was searching through the Armaholic

downloads,a nd it hit me as an idea, and I said to myself (well not literally) lol wouldn't it be ausome if someone took all the

addons and mods that deal with gameplay, fixes, and features and put them all in one mod, and so it began I took on the project.

What is your motivation to do what you do?

I love the community, the people in it, but mainly because I initially had done it for myself when i started, and when I got to

a point where I was actually impressed with what I put together seen the results in my own game I somehow felt the need to

share the discovery, well erm... not really a discovery, but excitement perhaps.

Other then the mod I like to help out in the forums, where I can, i feel its a waste of knowledge to not enlighten,

or make more aware another person in the community of the potential, and things related with the game.

Who would you name as your personal idol and why?

I dont have any personal influences on what I did other then the help I got from the various modders in the community,

but one of the guys that helped me get it all going by clearing some things up was out well Known

Moderator of the forums that Myke is behind :D Wolle!

If you could change something in the community (excluding the game itself and all issues directly related to it), what would it be and why?

All i can think of here is advance the editor more with some of the great ideas or rather suggestions that have been posted such

as being able to make playable groups of AI verse one unit at a time.

Edited April 29, 2011 by Gnter Severloh