Attention Modders

[Syf]

Hello to all the modders here.

I have an idea that you may or may not be interested in. A "Guild" of Modders. What this is, is a collaboration of modders to join together to broaden available resources to each other's modding ventures, as much also as a support group for each other. A few ideas about it involve a repository of materials available freely to members of this Guild for use in their projects, and anything else that can be given to other modders such as assistance. The materials in question can range from code files, models, sound files, textures, etc. Like a club, members would have a section in the forum to discuss topics of interest in a more "private" section than just the open public, with your peers and fellow modders. It can be used for a resource in the help needed areas, as well as requests for specific materials. Courting Guild members to join your team, as well as a place to display WIP project materials for each other to see. Even challenges can take place in the guild to "gain respect" as the top Modder, modeler, etc. Much like a Tuner group or any other kind of "club". The idea is to build this Guild into the Peers of the Modding world. Members that have been part of this for a long time would be seen as experts and even legendary in the modding communities. Oh, and I did say communities. This is not "just for one game, or group of games. This is a broad covering range, including the current modifiable games to the ones we are still waiting for ,in the future. Current games like Armada, Bridge Commander, Legacy, etc are the building foundation of this Guild. No modifiable game will be excluded. Importantly, it is a private group that shares resources freely with the other members. Not publicly mind you either. There will be guidelines of what the members do with the said materials, decided upon by the guild members and such.

If this sounds appealing to you, then by all means, let me know. Post your ideas, comments and suggestions. If your not interested, ignore this thread please.

No need to comment negatively if your not interested. Simply, if you don't want to be a part of something like this, then don't waste your time.

 

[Dan1025]

Sounds like a great idea, it would help anyone from experienced modders starting/running a big project to newer modders who need help with their early mods.

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

As always Syf, You can count on me to be apart of something like this.

 

[Elrond]

I haven't done too much modding for Armada in the last 2.5 years and the last thing I actually released was probably blue shields (which was controversial because of my "impossible instructions" and pretty much because of the fact I released it LoL). However, I've been modding Battle for Middle Earth 1, 2, and Rise of the Witch-King plus Command & Conquer Generals and C&C3, along with doing some site themes for some people for different site formats. Alongside that along with offline stuff there's not much time for much else online, but I'd be interested in sharing anything I could with the guild. It'd at least provide a good send-off for Armada and Armada 2, along with helping to grow the (insert name of Armada-like game that isn't called Armada here because they'll never call it Armada 3, ever) modding community.

* Motion Picture Type Preview for the Guild * Explosions will happen, people will go "wow", it will be awesome, sorta like fireworks, except on a computer screen.

 

[Knight]

Sounds like a great idea, it would help anyone from experienced modders starting/running a big project to newer modders who need help with their early mods.

what dan said, it sounds like a great idea, especially being able to help people out who are newer to modding

 

[Cylon]

Sounds great
This could help with problems people have with getting pemitions as there would be a place where it would be easy to get in touch with other modders

 

[Syf]

Exactly what I'm shooting for here. The materials the Guild members make available are not "just for specific" games. Say for example, you give a galaxy class starship model (not a sod file, but the raw model format, like ms3d or 3ds), then a member of the guild can use that model for Armada, BC, legacy, or any other game they wish to mod. The main concept of this guild, is that it will continue to grow long after games like Armada are collecting dust in a box in storage (or used as a Frisbee). But at the same time, because we are not excluding any specific game, we offer a support group for all the games, including Armada even when it's 15 years old.

I myself have modded for nearly 20 years, on many games (mostly private), going back to the days of a game called Space Empires. Then on to Starfleet Command, and Armada(s). So to me, this will serve as a repository for otherwise lost knowledge. Heck, I like to take a nostalgic run back to Space Empires even, once-in-a-while.

So this Guild idea is really something I've thought about for a long time. The more members we have, the better. It will help those starting out (that join the Guild) and retain a database of old stuff that one day someone may want, just to have a little fun with an old game. It'll also serve to bestow respect on those "long time" members. As time goes by, it will also serve as a hub for the traffic of many many modifiable games. One of the things I have a problem with, is people don't want to respect others. This can be used to help change the face of modding (in general, for the most part). I can only hope anyways. Hopefully, sites that host mods, will take the voice of the guild into consideration when disputes break out. The bigger we become, the more powerful our single voice in the modding world(s) will become.

So far we have a small group here that are interested. Spread the word, The Modder's Guild is in it's founding stages. The charter members will become people of legend as the community grows.

Those that are going to join, start compiling your contributions. Your contributions will be that beginning of the Guild Repository.

Now, some things I'd like to discuss, are "leaders" of the guild. Like all great structures of grouped people, there will need to be a leadership function. Mostly to oversee the administrative needs of the Guild.
So the first idea I have, is taken from a little show called B5. A "council" of 7 members that for the head of the Administration of the guild. The council would be divided 3 people in a "faction" or "house". The houses would be "Graphics Artists", "Composers", and "Coders". With a single extra person that is a capable "multi-purpose" person. I'm not 100 percent sure what the counsel's tasks would be, besides as rule-makers and file keepers... This is all up for discussion at the present. At current, this is all just ideas.

 

[Dan1025]

Sounds like a good idea, I think I would fall under the coder section Where would the files that people submit be kept?

 

[Syf]

Files will be stored both on MSFC, as well as (hopefully), the members (some at least) will archive them on their private drives. MSFC will be central to this, as it is part of the concept and communities. That's the nice thing about MSFC, it caters to a wide range of interest groups.

 

[Amateur]

I'd definitely join in with this. I personally have only been modding for about four years, started while looking for the A2 patch on google and finding A2files. The only game I've ever made much of an attempt to mod though is Armada 2. I tried a little modding of Legacy; but then gave up due to it not being my kind of game. I'd love to mod Homeworld 2 but so far have had no luck finding anything that I could use as a tutorial

I'm more of a modeller than a modder though, after seeing the coding needed for BC I almost feinted, never been very good at any other aspect. Oh sure I can make new odfs for ships and all that, wouldn't be making a mod otherwise, but I've never been able to push the boundaries as it were.

I went slightly off of the point there...

I'll definitely sign up to this, its the sort of thing that we need. Gamers all have clans and whatnot but what do us modders get?

Maybe with enough members we could join the UN . Then we could mod everything

Liking the council idea, very sci-fi/fantasy.

 

[Syf]

No that's what I call "the spirit"!

I don't know about becoming members of the UN... but anything is "possible".

 

[-RJB-]

Well like I said before I'm more than happy to support the community the best I can. Maybe I'll make a random detail pack for models and do some tutorials for different things in lightwave for anyone who wants to learn.

 

[Syf]

That would be great. I myself have a copy of lightwave, but have yet to learn to use it. From what I've seen of your skills as a modeler, We can all learn a thing or 2 from you RJB. And any thing else would be an added bonus.

All contributions to the Guild repository would be beneficial to all members of the Guild. So anyone thinking that you don't have anything to give... I say wrong. I'm sure most everyone would be able to offer something if you can model, code, compose, etc. Even small things like ODF files and such will be a great asset to the collective...er, I mean repository.

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

The council would be divided 3 people in a "faction" or "house". The houses would be "Graphics Artists", "Composers", and "Coders". With a single extra person that is a capable "multi-purpose" person. I'm not 100 percent sure what the counsel's tasks would be, besides as rule-makers and file keepers... This is all up for discussion at the present. At current, this is all just ideas.

I am not sure were I would fall in those groups. I am still all for this idea.

 

[Majestic]

I support the idea, after all Syf and I have discussed it in private before he started up the thread. I am happy to host it, plus the downloads that come with it.

I will most likely add some old GUI's and sound files that I have made but will no longer be using, that includes the prototype Yesteryears GUI's. I will even provide some old buildbutton templates if I can find them.

I have yet to discuss with Syf how it (the Guild) will be set up, but the most likely way will have its own section with subforums, a unique usergroup which can access it and a separate downloads section that only that usergroup can access.

Syf is leading the way with this, so all questions should be directed to him instead of me as he came up with the idea and is doing the work to get it off the ground.

 

[Syf]

I am still waiting to see how many members this Guild will have at the start. It looks like we have a good solid little group right now. I expect it will grow as time goes forward.

One thing I do plan to include is an MS3D tutorial. The tutorial will include the basics of modeling, including texturing the said models with the texturing function in MS3D. Which my tutorial is already 50% complete currently. I also do plan to release some models to the Guild that have never been released.

 

[Dan1025]

Sounds good

 

[CrazyFrog1903]

Sounds good to me. Do you have an approx. timetable as to when this might start up. Maybe by the begining of the year or just past it.

 

[Lord_Trekie]

Well like I said before I'm more than happy to support the community the best I can. Maybe I'll make a random detail pack for models and do some tutorials for different things in lightwave for anyone who wants to learn.

I would love you forever if you did such a thing.

That would be great. I myself have a copy of lightwave, but have yet to learn to use it. From what I've seen of your skills as a modeler, We can all learn a thing or 2 from you RJB. And any thing else would be an added bonus.

All contributions to the Guild repository would be beneficial to all members of the Guild. So anyone thinking that you don't have anything to give... I say wrong. I'm sure most everyone would be able to offer something if you can model, code, compose, etc. Even small things like ODF files and such will be a great asset to the collective...er, I mean repository.

I've got it as well but like you, no idea how to use it other than some renders, which isn't exactly hard...

I'd definitely be keen on the idea of a modders guild, just not sure where and how I'd fit in... Or if I'd even have time for such a thing...

 

[Syf]

That's the thing about the Guild. It doesn't require hardly any time for the most part. It's a group of modders, for modders. If you have something you don't need, but others may want it, then you donate it to the greater good. If you have a bit of spare time, create something for the Guild. When your not busy, come on over and see what's all happening. If your looking for a challenge, look around, you may find one. And most importantly, when a few years have gone by, and someone see's your online, they go "look, oh wow, the legend himself/herself is online" (one of many I hope)!

 

[Cylon]

Have you posted any of this at filefront yet?

 

[Majestic]

No we haven't Cylon and we won't be, this has nothing to do with filefront and to be honest we don't want it to. They aren't all that nice to members lately (talking about other members on there by the way) and we don't want that sort of thing here.

 

[Syf]

One thing about this guild, it's members will be measured on how they act on any site. As a rule of thumb, you would not want members of the guild acting like baboons on any sites. That would only serve to discredit the Guild in general and all it's members.

No, This is not posted on FF. It's not about them, as Majestic said. It's about exceeding them and what they have achieved. It's about becoming more than just a forum group. For now, it is only discussed here. Eventually, when the Guild is formed, members will be encouraged to spread the word about the guild. It's not just about one or 2 games. It's not just about hosting files for everyone to access. Notice one of the key ideas about this is to help members of this guild to achieve their goals in modding, no matter what game it's for. It's about looking to the future of the modding world. MSFC is a perfect site to be the center of it for the fact that we cater to anything Science fiction, fantasy, and games.

 

[Cylon]

Would anybody be able to join?
Or would their conduct on other sites be examined on a person by person basis?

 

[Majestic]

From what I have seen, all of you who have already posted have nothing to worry about. You are all upstanding members both here and on other sites that I know you from like SFM or Filefront.

 

[Syf]

As long as you have not been banned off of any sites or have been a trouble maker (like a troll or flamer), One would not have to worry about not being allowed to be a member of the guild. We all understand to need to voice one's opinion. That's great and all, as long as it's not meant to be attacking hostile, or out right offensive toward others. Overall, if a person is known for their misconduct on any site, then they have no place in the guild. I would also point out that sometimes people can change. I believe in personal reform. So if one was once a trouble maker (years ago), but has discarded that behavior years ago, then they can gain eligibility. Think of this as the "Starfleet" of the modding universe. "To boldly mod where no one has modded before"... or something like that. People like the modders of Yesteryears, Zero Hour, Stargate project, even Fleet-ops (and any mod I haven't mentioned) can all improve the modding world by collaborating their abilities into a vast reservoir of resources together in hopes of helping others that want to mod.

Since the release of the Sod importer that has splintered the A2 modding community, there has been a need for this. We all are artists in one way or another. We all fear someone taking our hard work, hacking it, then re-releasing it as their own. This will address that fear. Also, we've all downloaded mods and add-ons ages ago. Then later decide we want to make a mod. We have a great model we want to include from one of those downloads. But the only problem is, we don't want to defy standard protocols by releasing someone else's work without their permission. Then the big issue of finding that original author and gaining permission comes along. Again, this Guild would help address that issue. Modders move on to newer projects... and often newer games. As a member of the guild, as long as you mod still, you can be found to gain permissions from. But also, every file will be marked by the author. That, and anytime a member of the guild uses guild materials, they credit the guild, and the author (if the author is known). If by chance they forget the author's name after getting the files a year ago... then there is traceable information in the guild to allow for proper credits. But when all is said and done, As long as the guild in general is credited, there is no breach of protocols. That means if an author is no longer a member of the guild (for any reason), there is no worry about the material in question. Any material given to the guild is a freely usable research to all members of the guild. Just like donating money to a charity last year, sorry, you don't get the money back if you have a change of heart. Direct rights of the materials will fall into the control of the guild. That's why it's called donated, and free to members at any time. Really, crediting the author for materials from the guild are only for a show of respect directly to the author(s). Some may want to stop me here and say "what a minute..." but let me spell it out. Often, there are people that put mods out there that don't want to bothered anymore. Also, things can happen like dying, or being rendered into a coma by an accident or something. Or also, one could go off the deep end, and get booted out of the Guild for misconduct. Or, just one day, throw in the towel and retire from the guild (as in leave the guild for personal reasons)... Then that's really where this clause in the Guild kicks in. So, all in all crediting the original author is acceptable and appreciated to show respect to them. But stuff happens.... We as members of the guild are helping other members of the guild excepting this and understanding that we may not be available to give everyone that contacts us permissions... Sometimes things get in the way. No matter what, we gave the material freely, and only expect the guild to be directly credited. This will remove a lot of the fear factors in modding as well as much confusion.

I work in the truck stop industry. A couple months ago, I helped a truck driver. He was having a stroke (unknown at the time). I called the medics and aided/attended the man until they came for him. Then, after he was gone, I gathered information from his truck, and contacted the owner of the company the man worked for. The owner, driver, and the driver's family were all grateful, even offered me compensation for my troubles... I told them that was what I do and was glad I could help when needed. I took no compensation for my deed. I was just helping a man in his hour of need, and would do it again freely. Simply put, this is what I hope the general concept of the Guild becomes. To give freely with no compensation needed. Just being part of something "bigger than one's self" is compensation enough.

 

[Elrond]

From what I have seen, all of you who have already posted have nothing to worry about. You are all upstanding members both here and on other sites that I know you from like SFM or Filefront.

Wow, even me? I find that amazingly surprising, or surprisingly amazing LoL.

Well I'm glad to be a possible part of it all. * Rock on! *

Pretty good rules for the guild there Syf.

 

[Majestic]

Wow, even me? I find that amazingly surprising, or surprisingly amazing LoL.

Yes you two mate, I have known you as long as anyone here, with perhaps the exception of Hellkite and Syf.

Like I said everyone who has posted in here so far have been in my eyes upstanding members of the communities I have seen them in.

 

[Dan1025]

I think all the things Syf said sound perfect for the guild, and I can't wait to see how this idea develops

 

[Syf]

Currently, these are all suggestions/concepts/ideas. The actual rules will need to be drafted and voted on by the guild counsel. I'm not going to play "boss" here. I'm just attempting to lay the groundwork to get it going.

One thing about this counsel idea. If a new rule is developed, or something else comes up that the guild needs to "vote" on. It would require a 51% vote to become an "order of the guild". Which means if the counsel is split, the 7th member of the counsel is the tie breaker. This is a means to prevent a stagnant executive branch.

Again, these are still open suggestions.