Let's say you have a good idea for a mod. Keep in mind this is purely
hypothetical - the mere notion of you simpletons having an idea that's
worth anything is about as ludicrous as Ghandaiah finding sanity or
me finding Jesus. Then let's say you get ambitious, and decide to
put this idea into motion - but where do you start? Well that's where
I come in. I - Kaigen - am here to tell you what to do. That is -
what to do when starting a mod, and how to keep it alive. Having experienced
the downfall of two mod projects first hand I can provide you valuable
tips based on my experiences on how to avoid the fate I suffered.
Well there's that and all notes Gwog collected when he was planning
on doing this editorial. Cough.
Paramount to all other things - make up a design doc. This document
(usually contained within an easily transmittable text or Microsoft
Word file) should house highly detailed information about every aspect
of the project. This includes character descriptions, plot outlines,
gameplay tweaks, weapon or enemy statistics (such as damage, clip
size, etc) and any other pertinent (or even non-pertinent) information
about the project. This document will not only help you not to forget
any of the little technical details, but allow the rest of the team
to see your vision of what this mod needs to become.
Next, you need to hit any and all forums where you think you might
find people who can help you on your modalicious endeavor. When you
do that, don't merely post a message that says, "hey need help
for a new mod. email me at ima@moron.com
if u r intersted!!!!11" A message such as that will only draw
scoffs, coughs and other morons such as you. Your post should contain
most of if not all of your design doc (you may want to exclude some
story elements to not give it away for the community). If you were
planning to keep the project details confidential so no one would
snatch them up to grind into their own stew, you may as well forget
it. If people don't know exactly what you're planning for the project
from the start, they're likely not going to want to join your crew.
Also, try to recruit outside of the standard community. If there are
any artists, modelers, composers, or coders that you admire in other
communities hit them up as well. You never know when one of them may
have just purchased a copy of Deus Ex, or had been considering it
a while and just needed that extra push. In which case they may be
willing to join your team.
Don't just look for the standard crew though (mappers, coders, etc)
either. If you aren't familiar with HTML and web design personally,
you would be wise to look for an experienced webmaster to help you
with the next step of making a successful mod - putting up a website.
This should be done as early as possible - the sooner you can get
publicity for your project the better. Try to make the site as aesthetically
appealing as possible, and fill it with information until it brims
over. But don't go overboard with graphics or flash. Remember that
not everyone has a "l337" DSL connection like you.
Once you have a website, get it hosted here at PDX. The launch of
your site will reach the screens of thousands of readers across the
entire globe and be easily accesible to one and all.
Be sure to update your site as often as you can manage. At the very
least put up weekly or biweekly status updates on the production of
your mod. If you go too long without a word the community is likely
to forget about you and refocus their attention on something else.
It may also help to hit the forums regularly with status updates or
site updates as well.
Once you have some real progress to show with screen shots or concept
art it will be even easier to recruit experienced team members for
your well, er, team. So once again (I'm starting to repeat myself)
hit the forums looking for more experienced crew. One thing I forgot
to note earlier about recruiting - make sure your applicants know
what they're doing and are good at it. If you get someone sending
in an application that says no more than, "I mapped for Half-Life,"
and doesn't even provide a sample of their work, prod them for more
information and a sample or move on to the next applicant. If you
aren't very confident in them from the beginning, it's best to not
bother with them.
Now comes what is probably the most important aspect of making a mod:
work, work, work, work, work, have a pizza, work and then work some
more. Oh, did I mention you need to work? This means putting aside
all the games you have for a while, in addition to your personal life
(assuming you have one at all). Creating a fully functional and playable
mod takes a lot of time and patience. Don't except to just put in
some work here, and some work there. Doing such will result in ridiculously
long production times and frustrated team members, and eventually
the collapse of the entire project.
Following these simple guide lines will not necessarily ensure the
success of your mod - that depends upon you and your team - but it
will make your journey a lot smoother one than I had.
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