Stardock: If mods are "try at own risk"

from Stardock Forums
Why aren't you putting all the mods released into the Library?

I can't help but notice that one of my mods is still being "reviewed" after 12 days languishing in whatever limbo is over there, and none of the rest have been "reviewed" either. If it was true that mods are "try at your own risk" why are you only putting up events and not improvements, anomalies, etc? It seems to me that you are telling us what to mod and what not to mod.

I've pretty much stopped modding this game. All my work has been sitting in limbo or over at disputed.tk so I haven't gotten any real feedback on the effectiveness of my work. I spent a lot of time on these (easily more time than on any of my events) and find it sad that you simply refuse to post them.

This is a contradiction: if mods are not "try at own risk" and if you are not checking them for errors then why have a "review" process at all? It seems to me that instead I am the only modder not "able" to get "reviewed."

M
1,648 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
try post a new thread about each one of ur MODs, and then put a link directly to download it from my site

"why aren't you putting all mods into the library?"
i have a conspiracy theory about this, but brad probably will find it very very offensive so i'd rather keep it to myself :)

but i've seen ur stuff, and used some of it too, its not unbalanced and works fine, i dunno why else they might not be up
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Malleus,

I get the impression that Stardock doesn't have the manpower to play-test all the Mods that have been submitted. Like my original submissions, some of the Library Mods are/were broken.

Once my own Mods are tested and complete (there are still some things I'd like to try and I'd rather submit a single package) I'll submit them to James' site, then go back to playing the "official" game. Since I get bored easily, I'm planning to pick and choose from the available Mods to create a modified data directory for those times when I want to play a slightly different game. If I get a brainstorm or see a Mod that looks to good to pass up, I'll just add it to the modified data directory and not have to worry about interfering with the "official" game.

James,

I'll admit I'm not too happy about my Mods being on your site, but only for the same reason I'm glad they _aren't_ in the Library ¡V they either don't work (10 Techs) or they weren't submitted as Mods (Data Files). This is from a purely selfish point of view. It makes me look bad if people download broken Techs or a jumble of files that are likely to cause only confusion. If I create more Mods folks who have previous experience with the broken stuff will think "Feces, this here is just more of them Bizarre feces¡K" I'd rather avoid that. ƒº

Having said that, I like what you're doing and I think a fan site is probably a better place for Mods anyway, since Stardock hasn't clarified its policy regarding Mods and the Metaverse (yet, I know there's one in the works). BTW, your download table has a typo in the 'Category' header. ;)


The idea of submitting Mods to the Library didn't come about until late in the beta test and I don't think anybody figured that there would be so much interest in Modding. So, I guess my advice (which is worth every penny you pay for it) is:

Don't worry about submitting Mods to the Library until Stardock figures out how they're going to handle them
Keep your modified files strictly separate from official files
Submit only unmodified games to the Metaverse
Test your modified files as thoroughly as possible.
(That way, when Stardock has a policy in place, tested files can be identified immediately)
Don't panic (well, that's not actually my advice, but I like it)

End transmission.

~SDC~
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Captain: I don't know... some of those 'symbols' look quite.... Bizarre to me. :)

~SDC~
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
#2

Cpt. Bizz:

Very good recommendations.

However, I am one of those players who downloaded all the mods in good faith before all this controversy started, thinking that since they were on SD's own site, they were okay for use in the game and posting to the MV. I would basically have to do a complete uninstall/reinstall, then update, to get a "clean" version of the game.

That said, play experience proved some mods to be so unbalancing, that I deleted their files myself and erased the saved game without posting it to the MV.

Could SD please clarify its position on the use of the mods vis-a-vis the MV? I am not looking forward to a re-install, but I would like to know whether I should continue to play the games I have in progress, or simply plan on deleting them and starting over, in order to get square with the MV.

Thx.

~SDC~
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Also, on the subject of "try at your own risk"...

A noble approach, but it is one that is bound to "trip up" novices like myself if it is not clearly stated on the Forums and in the masthead of the Library.

It would probably also help to have a notice on the in-game popup asking whether you would like to submit your score to the MV.

I say this because I know of younger friends, not as saavy or well-read on this issue as myself, who are currently playing the game with all the mods, thinking (like I did) they are okay. (One is even using my install/modded version of the game - too young to own a computer.) They are bound to be disappointed to be told their scores are invalid.

Sorry to belabor this point, but I am sure their enjoyment would be adversely affected if a draconian measure were taken. At the very least, I'd like to be able to tell them this was a "learning game", and they can now "start over with the real thing".

Thx again.

~SDC~
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
#7

EDIT:

"It would probably also help to have a notice on the in-game popup asking whether you would like to submit your score to the MV."

That is, if the game in question has been modded.

I.E., "NOTICE: This game contains outside modifications. As such, it may be disallowed (in the future) for scoring. Would you still like to submit it to the Metaverse?"


~SDC~
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
The issue cuts both ways and is still not answered to my satisfaction.

WHY have mods be rejected AT ALL? IF there is going to be "Stardock Certified" mods, then why should my unbalanced Range Anomaly mod (say) be rejected for the Library? Basically that is saying, "While some of these mods are unbalanced and not certified, YOURS is WAY TOO unbalanced to even be considered. Your work is less relevant than others."

Do you folks see my point? What is the point of rejecting a submission if the presence of a mod on the Stardock site does NOT mean Stardock Certified?

This leads folks like me where I am (I think, lost track) 0 for 5 submissions to become a bit confused. They admit that they are not error-checking or "certifying" but have the gall to say something is not ok, not matter the work that went into it.

To put it even more bluntly, they put up broken mods, mods with stolen images and mods with spelling errors that makes an elementary school teacher like me weep, but say MY mods (which are spelled correctly, have legal images and WORK) are not ok, even though putting it up on the site IN NO WAY means that Stardock says it is multiverse ok?

It's a double-standard. It's unfair. It's a slap in the face of people who put work into what they do.

M