Introductions, connecting modders to modelers, efficiency, and a "Community Asset Pack" concept

[chambersenator 106]

Now that we finally have a modding section for DayZ SA, I'd like to suggest something that I've been thinking about for a long time now that could be helpful to us all. All of us that are interested in modding DayZ have vastly different levels of experience and areas of expertise. Some of us here are very familiar with modding ArmA in the past, some are completely new to it and eager to learn, and the rest are somewhere in between. 

As we get closer to the new modding tools to be released, I think it would be a good idea to create a dedicated sub-section of the modding section, focused on two things:  

• A place for anyone interested in modding to introduce themselves, and include some basic info about their skills and any past experience with scripting, modeling, mission design, etc. in ArmA and other games, or for those completely new to DayZ modding, what particular aspects they are interested in learning. This could be very useful to help the community overall, by having a place where we can get to know each other's skills. For example, someone who feels comfortable with writing scripts, but has no modeling experience can find those who are good at making asset models and may be interested offering up their skills. The easier it is for us to know who's out there and what they can do, the greater the benefits to us all. 
   
• An "Asset Exchange" thread or section, and the idea of a "Community Asset Pack". People can post a request for a certain item or item to be made, and if there's a modeler that wants to make it, they can submit their design for consideration. Ideally, those submitted assets could be made available to all modders, so that we can reduce the chances of us having 10 slightly different versions of some basic item (ex. a opened tin can, a handful of wires ripped from a wrecked car or home appliance, a liquor bottle, a brick, etc). Of course, there will be some very work-intensive stuff that some modders would like to keep to their own mods (vehicles, firearms, entirely new buildings,  etc), but I'm talking more about about the (relatively) basic stuff here that would be useful in many different mods. Additionally, we could have links to BI's wiki pages that list existing ArmA assets, so that people don't waste time making something from scratch that could be just ported over. The goal here is to avoid wasting modeler's valuable time by letting them focus on different things, rather than duplicating things whenever possible. 
  
  As time goes on, it would be possible for assets submitted to that part of the forum section could, with the permission of those modelers, be compiled into a "Community Asset Pack" mod through the Steam workshop either as a single mod or broken into 2-3 separate categories (environmental, structural, or miscellaneous items), and updated every month or two. As for who would be the one responsible for curating/compiling that and the general logistics of handling that, I'm open to suggestions. Figuring out the process at first will be tricky, but I think the potential benefits of it is worth seriously considering. (In many ways it's similar to the CUP mods in ArmA as the end result, but what I'm focusing on is how we can create a submission/compilation process that has the best chance to draw in new talent as well as have the support of those with a great deal of previous experience in ArmA)

Just to explain a bit about where I'm coming from with this and why I'm making this suggestion: I've got my own plans for a DayZ mod that I've been thinking about for a coupe years now. I've dabbled here and there with mission designs and taking apart PBO files over the last 6+ years in Dayz and ArmA to understand how they work, and observing in particular how DayZ's new code has been evolving over time. I feel reasonably confident that I can make the core concept of my mod work, but when it comes to making a small number of fairly baisic asset models for the various little additional things I'd like to have in the mod, I'm going to need to find someone that would be willing to help with that. I have no doubt there are many other people in the same situation, so why not propose something that might make it easier for everybody?  

Edited September 17, 2018 by chambersenator

[crazy mike 25]

i wont work for free

[chambersenator 106]

1 hour ago, crazy mike said:

i wont work for free

Duly noted. 

I know I need to tread very carefully here, as I have done a good bit of freelance graphic design and IT work in the past, and I do not want to dance right into the "do this for free for the exposure" minefield. 

I hope you realize that my intent and reasoning behind this proposal was about having a collection of small,very basic, common items that could be useful across many different mods, made and submitted by those with the desire and skills to do contribute to it. I was picturing something along the lines of "requested assets: a piece of coal, an old coffee can, a candle, a jar of honey, etc" and if someone wants to help out and make it, cool. I'm NOT talking about "I need an extremely detailed model of a wrecked and rusted MiG-15, or a ArmA hilux pickup truck with a tow winch in the back so I can have a tow truck mod" and expect everyone who has the skills to spend dozens and dozens of hours on it out of the goodness of their hearts at the drop of a hat. 

Also, I would assume there's nothing stopping someone from sharing a basic, lower resolution model of something freely, and adding "if you're interested in something that's much higher quality version of this for your own mod, let's talk," IF that is something they would be open to doing. 

I can understand why some people would not be interested in such a thing, and I have no problem with that. I also could understand why some other people would be interested in contributing for no other reason than they want to. 

Edited September 18, 2018 by chambersenator

[NonovUrbizniz (DayZ) 137]

I did this back in the DayZ mod days, I tried to get as many arma or days modders to cooperate and share source or code etc. Even then, with derivative mods using DayZ as a base w/o permission, and lots of them basically having borrowed or copied the rest of their mods from Arma mods... not a lot of people were too interested in sharing.... although in the end  a TON of the derivative mod devs all contributed or added to the discussions on the official mod dev skype channel.

I'm not sure if the trend will continue in SA, but in the mod days server hosting companies were generally fairly willing to pay modders for exclusive access to host their mods, so there's an opportunity to make a fair amount of money once you have some experience, and teaching others, or sharing stuff only reduces your market share... Even without a direct relationship with a hosting company, exclusive content brings in players, which increases hits on your website etc...

There is lots of active discussion regarding any info needed to do mods yourself on discord and all over the web, but you'll basically never find anyone with the knowledge or experience who wants to spend their free time doing anything other than accomplishing the goals THEY want to accomplish.

I'm likely going to start back up my tutorial series, and maybe start promoting the "open modder's group" again... but honestly, the only people interested were those who wanted to learn and couldn't really offer much contribution. Only after I published tutorials did more experienced modders who I didn't communicate with a lot chime in and offer their corrections or advice. https://plus.google.com/communities/108176993408907268564

I also made a community asset pack that anyone could contribute too and use from... There were SOME people who definitely shared freely, but it wasn't a lot.. I still have all the cans from "can gate" fully configured... but I think that might have been just about the only set of models anyone shared. Our group made a fair amount of unique assets and shared them. http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=22359 

But even then...  we'd get models shared to US only... like all those police units, the modeller who made the original models in Arma didn't want other DayZ Mods using them... he gave us a female player too.. and a female zombie... but didn't even want them shared back to the official dayz mod...

[chambersenator 106]

1 hour ago, NonovUrbizniz (DayZ) said:

All sorts of informative stuff..

Thanks, that shines some light on a number of gray areas for me when it comes to how the process was/is handled with custom ArmA assets, as my perspective on those aspects of it varied between "from the sidelines" to ""from out in the stadium parking lot." After years of messing about with missions in ArmA, this will be my first serious attempt at making my own mod, and I' have no desire to hide my 'modding noob badge,' and all the mistakes and a bit of naive optimism that comes with it. Everybody's got to start somewhere, of course. I'm up for the challenge of figuring all this out - "getting in over my head" is one of my favorite ways to learn stuff. Eventually, I'll learn the ropes, though a combination of tripping over them, getting tangled up in them, and occasionally being shown them.