Modding Palworld - Ideas and Proposal (Direction Decided, still taking suggestions/feedback)

[HellCharmer]

On 1/31/2024 at 10:59 PM, Spirit_Shard said:

Just wanted to come in here with a minor announcement and update, I 'think' I've decided on what direction I'm going and have started work on it already. After looking at all the comments in various places (including this thread of course) it really does seem like working on a Sex and Stats Framework is the right project to work on, so that's what I'll be doing! Currently calling it "Project Sour Cake" with the goal of building a modular sex and stats management framework as well as a gameplay module that uses the framework to function. If everything planned proves possible, then the framework itself will be a manager for modules to then add onto it, so think something like SexLab where it will manage animations, tags, AI, ect but doesn't trigger anything alone, this should mean anyone could add in their own content into the framework should they choose to do so. The gameplay module will act as one of these additional mods, adding in basic functionality and requested features should there be time to do so (One such example would be a simple "interact for sex" style mod, or a combat submit mod, just with basic functionality to ensure there's 'something' to use with the framework and we cover some desires by default. Also will give me something more gameplay oriented to work on to prevent burn-out).

I'm currently working on sorting out requirements and research to create a dedicated thread to the project, though I am not exactly sure how long it will take since I keep seeing and thinking of new requirements or clarifications. I did, however, want to leave some information here that could be helpful/interesting to people.

Also, before we get too deep into this post, just wanted to say Thank You for the support people have shown for the project! Hopefully we can make something great! (It's going to be tough though >.<)

 

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Information / Research :
 

Note : All this information is changing by the day, some of this could be out of date or inaccurate by the time you're reading it. Consider this just a quick snap-shot of the current state of things at the time it's been posted.

 

Information Sources :

Currently information is scattered between a large number of places, and even worse it's often buried deep in random Discords and threads. We're starting to see 'some' collection of information in gathering places like the Palworld modding discord, but given their restrictions there's still a lot of info that's hard to find or discuss. I did want to post some direct sources however, for those that may want to start modding and where I am getting some of my information.

 

Palworld Modding Kit - https://github.com/localcc/PalworldModdingKit

This is a modding kit made/distributed by localcc (not associated with PocketPair) that acts as a preset and grabs all the system functions from the game for use in blueprint/lua mods. This simplifies the workflow a LOT but it's still a bit complicated to set up. (Set-up guide was listed in the modding kit readme at first, but was moved to the wiki site here - https://pwmodding.wiki/docs/category/palworld-modding-kit )

 

Palworld Modding Wiki / Docs - https://pwmodding.wiki/docs/intro
I believe this is set up by the modding Discord and is not associated by PocketPair. Currently it's a bit bare but will hopefully fill up with useful information as time goes on. There is currently a few useful guides and links to useful tools/resources for modding ( https://pwmodding.wiki/docs/useful-tools/Home ).

FModel (UE4/5 reverse engineering and asset extraction/injection tool) - https://github.com/4sval/FModel

This is also linked in the useful tools section of the wiki mentioned (as well as a necessary mapping file https://github.com/PalworldModding/UsefulFiles/releases/tag/FModel-Mappings ) but to give a bit more context... This tool allows you to look into UE4/5 pak files and see exactly what's inside as well as extract or inject various assets. If you want to extract actual assets to modify, this is the tool you need and is effectively a requirement at the moment (which will hopefully change if/when official mod tools are out). We most likely won't need injection at all since we can create pak files as mods and overwrite assets, but preferably we'd avoid this with scripts/function files so things don't break between updates.

UE4SS (Script/Mod Loader) - https://github.com/UE4SS/RE-UE4SS

This is currently required to loading script and blueprint mods, though I don't know a whole lot about it currently. Certain versions may be required and will hopefully be linked in mod downloads but compatibility may change as Palworld gets updates. Hopefully this requirement won't be required if/when official mod tools are made available. (Current working version according to users on the modding discord - https://github.com/UE4SS-RE/RE-UE4SS/releases/download/experimental/zDEV-UE4SS_v2.5.2-590-g013ff54.zip )

 

 

What's already being worked on :
I saw some requests that already have projects, and saw some other things people were working on and thought I'd leave some notes here (though I'm too busy at the moment to get links directly, sorry! >.<)

 

Note : There is most likely a lot of non-public mods and systems being worked on in the background that we haven't seen yet and it's very likely we will have overlapping mods frequently until some standards start to form. Also, many mods currently available are being put behind paywalls, so as a friendly reminder, wait patiently for the modding scene to start solidifying before dedicating a large amount of funds toward any creator (myself included!). We don't know what will or won't be around even 3 days from now, and there are plenty of scams/grifters right now, so be careful!

 

Nude Mods / Outfits : There's another thread here on Lover's Lab that covers the topic of Nude Mods and there's been some pretty good progress elsewhere as well. For human characters, the Palworld modding discord is going nuts with this right now and has some very promising progress. Unfortunately the modding discord is very much against lewding the Pals in any way, and they seem to get over arguments over it frequently so that may hamper some progress on Pals for a bit. There are other projects going on to get lewd mods for pals going at the moment, which is good, but I'm concerned that pal lewd mods are going to very quickly become segmented and confusing...

Animation / Animation Frameworks : I've seen 2 people claiming to be working on an animation framework, both showing different progress. I don't think either of these projects are focused on a 'sex' framework, but I guess we'll see. I am hoping if their work is successful we can either A) Collaborate and use that framework with the sex framework, or B) Use their frameworks as examples to make a compatible version of our own. Neither seems to have anything released yet and it's not clear what they mean by framework, one sounded like a workflow and the other sounds like a framework for adding additional animations.

 

Sex Framework : Obviously I'm taking up this mantel, but there are 2 projects here on Lover's Lab that claim to be working on a framework on some level but one seems like a complete wash and is shady as all hell, and the other is begging for money and plays the white knight card whenever they can sooo.... yeah. I don't think either have the intention of making an 'open' framework to play nice, that's where I come in. As stated before, I don't know if the animation framework peoples have the intention of supporting sex or not either, only time will tell I suppose.

 

Gameplay Mods : Most gameplay mods seem to be just editing parameters and that's really about it. There's a lot we don't understand about the game's systems and we may have to wait till official mod tools to really see this aspect take off. If you're interested in cheats or minor QoL then there's a lot of choices though!

 

Lewd Graphics (environment) : Haven't seen any, seems everyone is trying to make their own nude mods first. If you're a creator and want something unique this could be a good starting point.

 

Unfortunately mods are scattered everywhere, here (lover's lab) in threads, nexus mods, random discord channels, reddit posts, behind patreon paywalls, other forums and mod hosts, ect. I think for now it's best not to try and hunt down every single mod, just stick to the sources you like and wait for things to settle down and eventually the public mods will be easily accessible.

 

Systems Research :

This could get long and in-depth rather quickly, so just going to do a bullet-point style list for this one.

Model / Texture Swapping - Relatively easy but requires Blender knowledge. Will most likely make up the vast majority of mods.

Model / Skeleton Replacements - Possible with some work. Currently extra bones and weights don't play well with default animations. Needs more research.

Model Addons / Node Attachment - Possible but complicated, needs a lot more research.

Unique Model / Texture Swapping mid-game - Seen no research on this but should be possible. I will be personally researching this after I get some basics down.

Editing Animations - Extracting existing animations is technically possible but without source knowledge putting them back together isn't well understood- needs more research.

Adding/Replacing Animations - Possible but limited, needs AI mods to truly be usable. Will be researching this.

Adding/Modifying Sound - Possible, seen mods with replaced sounds but didn't see any research on adding new sounds. Will need to investigate this more.

Modifying Stats/Items - Possible but not every variable has been found yet. I will be researching this.

Adding/Replacing Stats/Traits/Items - Seen no research on this yet, currently traits don't seem to be understood and no one seems to know how they are applied yet. I will be researching this as it will most likely be critical to a fully featured sex framework.

Adding Unique / Non-Existing Items / Pals : Possible by the dev's own admission, but I've seen no mods or research on this yet. Most likely will be easiest if/when official mod tools become available.

AI Modification : Possible? We've seen some people try and modify the AI but I don't know 'how' they did it and could have just been playing with variables. I'll try and research this but may need to wait for official tools. (I currently plan to hijack existing AI for features early on, like the pet functionality)

Reference Objects/Actors : Possible but complicated, needs optimization research.

Save Modification : Possible and quite easy, both externally and internally via scripts.

Adding To Save Data (custom persistent variables) : Surprisingly, I didn't see any research on this. I assume it's possible but with a somewhat large caveat, and that is compatibility in multiplayer. For single player I assume we can just extend the save file and the additional variables can be loaded, but the server code seems to hard-code a lot of data from my short time browsing which could cause some issues in the future. Lacks proper research.

 

In short, there are 3 major hurdles for a Sex Framework, AI Modification, Adding Unique Stat/Traits, and Adding additional unique animations. Without these 3 things going a proper Sex Framework won't be possible, so this is where my research will probably start (I'll have more information in the project thread when the write-up is ready). I currently believe that Palworld is more than flexible enough for a proper sex framework but the method itself may be complicated and some custom systems will most likely need to be built. Thankfully, since we have access to blueprints, we can do a LOT so we can build those systems should the need arise, but it will be a challenge to integrate with the rest of the game in an open and compatible manner. That's where the challenge comes into play.

 

Additionally it will take a lot of asset creation from various modders to get nudity/lewdity and animations functioning properly with enough variety to truly make Palworld completely sex framework compatible. This is where some of my concerns lie. Currently the community is split into several camps that all want Pals to become different things and want to prioritize different aspects. This isn't a problem on the surface, but I fear some groups may start to become hostile toward other projects, especially since a lot of the larger projects are taking in money and seem to see other modders as competition instead of collaborators. This will no doubt become it's own hurdle, so I want to make a quick statement before continuing on with the project about where I currently am focused. I will first focus on providing compatibility with whatever derives closest to the game's default state, all other compatibility will become low-priority until that default state works properly. Additionally I will only work on compatibility with freely available mods and versions, paywalled content will not be supported officially. This is the only way to work around these issues while providing enough focus to make reasonable progress.

 

Anyways, that was a lot to write up (even more than I expected, sorry >.<) so I'll leave it there for now. Hopefully this information provides some insight into what is currently happening, where my theories/plans are coming from, and what steps need to be taken for the project to succeed.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to respond here (or in the project thread when it's up) or over on our Discord - The Broken Chatbox - https://discord.com/invite/h3vB7S4FEw . I'm relatively easy to contact, so don't be a stranger! Additionally would love to hear from you if you're working on a nude/lewd model mod and/or animations and would like to help out or provide information/resources! =^-^=

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Replies ^-^

 

Yeah, fair. lol

 

I think this requires more research into mid-game model swapping. I know you can currently model swap the NPCs, so you could just swap them for a player model, but I don't know if you can load slider presets as they are fixed models similar to Pals. If I or someone else can figure out that model swap functionality however, this would very much be possible and could even be implemented as part of my planned gender/alternates model feature (which I really REALLY hope is possible >.<).

 

Always a compliment to be told I have proven experience, sometimes when I struggle with stuff I still feel like a small script kiddie (which I'm sure is common among programmers lol). Thank you for the compliment, even if it wasn't meant as one! ^-^
I think your recommendation is spot on, Foxsparks and lovander are on my list but I'm also adding cattiva to the list as a 'small anthro' pal to test. Of course whatever I 'actually' test with will most likely be whatever animations get made first if someone else beats me to it or agrees to help. Otherwise I'll make my own custom animation for these 3 and use that as a base. When investigating I found many animations could be shared between pals of the same shape but will require some modifications depending on size or structure, this means we could find 'categories' for pals and create a workflow to follow. (would make filling out all animations a lot easier)

Heard, it's easy to get carried way with ideas (have you seen the TODO for Succubus Heart by chance? >.<) but I also have been learning how to prioritize and organize projects better over the years. It's unfortunate that I won't be able to fill 'every' suggestion, but hopefully other modders take a gander at suggestions and help fill the gaps! And yes, I would hope to keep this mod available on Lover's Lab, this community is generally really awesome and I'd love to provide more here, but the mod will also be available elsewhere as part of my 3-sources model.
 

Actually appreciate the skepticism and lower hopes, none of us know what is going to happen even a day from now and I'd hate to see people get overly hyped for something that could end up impossible. (I'm going to try my freakin' best however, hoping it all works out ^-^)
Yes, as I've now honed in on working on a Sex Framework I will be trying my best to support any gender the player wished to fulfil (or be filled with ^.-). There will most likely be a bias toward a female player character / protag for development reasons which I'll outline in the project thread, but I do not plan on limiting support. It's clear some of the other projects had a clear vision of only one gender from the start, and I feel taking that approach would negatively impact the project.

 

Heard ^-^ This is what I'm hoping as well, that others fill in the gaps I can't do to either time or experience. I know others are working on getting animations working in general, so I'll be focused on the 'sex' part of the equation and hope their work also helps our goal.

 

Quick note, if you hadn't noticed there is already a thread for Nude Mods and there are several links to working nude mods there, go check it out! - https://www.loverslab.com/topic/224843-pal-world-nude-mods/

 

For the sake of brevity, I'll only respond to what applies to my current plans (many of these are already being worked on ^-^)

1: Will be required for proper Sex Framework support, still needs research
2: Not sure if this is possible till we learn more about traits and custom stats, but pregnancy is planned as part of the Sex Framework's Gameplay Module for after we get the base working. Morphing may need to be a module.

3: Possible but would require custom Trait/Stat research or its own custom system. No immediate plans to add this to the Sex Framework, but noted as a possible future feature.
6: Didn't know this, I've noted it for research (no idea what it does or how it works). Thank you for the heads up! ^-^

7: I think the game would kinda already do this with Pal Traders and Black Markets, maybe someone could mod in wording or make another module/mod for a more immersive experience.

8: Cum overlays are planned as part of the framework but would require mid-game swapping research. Not actually sure if this is currently possible yet as I don't know if the game has a dynamic decal system that applies to pals/humans/npcs.

11: Probably a plan for an additional module.

13: Noted, but not currently part of the plan for the Sex Framework. (could be a module in the future?)

15: Hmm... solo animations was somehow something I didn't think about until now, and that makes me feel SUPER silly. X.x (probably possible, would require node model placement research)

16: Planned as a potential feature for the Gameplay Module.

17: Planned as long as the mod is freely available, stated above. ^-^

 

Your vote was toward the winning majority! Congrads! =^-^=

 

This is currently the plan, though I do have concerns about how people will treat this openness. Hopefully people are open to support a framework that allows something they don't like...

Ok, that was a lot of typing, I'm going to take a break and then get back to research!

EDIT : Forgot to add UE4SS link and note about Sound research.

I'm glad I could contribute ideas to your work! Ironically, the day after after posting that comment, I found nude mods on another site, haha. Thank you, nonetheless.

 

That stats and traits research for #3 may be something I can provide a little help with:

1. https://mobalytics.gg/blog/palworld/player-stats-guide/ - This article also addresses the use of a serum in the game, the Memory Wiping Medicine.

2. https://progameguides.com/palworld/all-palworld-passive-traits-explained/

 

For the Mind Control Serum:

https://www.pcinvasion.com/what-do-mind-control-meds-do-in-palworld-how-to-get/

 

I just had another idea, which brought me back today (thankfully seeing your reply). The idea is to utilize the traits system to help add personality and interactions as responses to things like slavery, combat sex, relationships, and/or love or abuse given to your Pals and humans. Let's call it a Consequence System. For example, playing on the combat sex idea, those with the ferocious trait will become harder to catch as a result and actively seek revenge even after capture. Those with some form of the gluttonous trait can be won over with food, increasing your catch percentage and maybe even their loyalty.

I'm sure these are lofty ideas, however I'm glad to help contribute to a dedicated modder such as yourself (especially one that seems so friendly). Also, it's reasonable to say this would likely take time. 

 

Also, I noticed Pals of Desire didn't use Lovander as the mascot for their mod. Maybe they found it too on the nose. Either way, if you need one, then Lovander (#69 in the Paldeck) is up for grabs. Speaking of, another idea could be to have Lovanders stalk the player and other characters to either proposition or ambush them for sex.

 

Again, I'm, glad I could be of help and will likely keep popping by to share some ideas with you for assessment and consideration. I hope you have a good day. 

 

(Edit: For clarification, I take inspiration heavily from Fallout and Skyrim mods , so I'm sure these mod ideas sound familiar. I'm interested in how we can utilize the general idea and form our own ideas from them centered around Palworld's game system and dynamics.) 

Edited February 3, 2024 by HellCharmer

[HellCharmer]

18 hours ago, Nyankomaru said:

Just a note on that list you responded to: #6 isn't a mind control drug, it's a mind WIPE drug. So it's a 'knock you out and make you forget' thing. It's used to reset your stats if you want to respec. Comes from Lovander, 'cause roofie.

There's two different ones, the one you mentioned and the one I mentioned. If you haven't found the one I mentioned, check at the dune settlement I mentioned before. It cures most ailments and restores sanity.

 

(Also, Lovander spawns next to it at night, have fun  

Link: https://game8.co/games/Palworld/archives/439989)

 

Though, I'm glad you mentioned the respec "roofie" drug. ("Roofie cuz Lovander", I love this, haha.)

I would love to see how Spirit Shard could expand upon it, maybe have it legitimately act as a roofie as a negative consequence. Maybe even play off Shadow of War's nemesis system idea (inspired by others - ahem-), and let you hunt down any humans or Pals that take advantage of your character's drugged state.

 

Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear yours and Spirit Shard's take on this idea.

Edited February 3, 2024 by HellCharmer

[Nyankomaru]

9 hours ago, HellCharmer said:

There's two different ones, the one you mentioned and the one I mentioned. If you haven't found the one I mentioned, check at the dune settlement I mentioned before. It cures most ailments and restores sanity.

 

(Also, Lovander spawns next to it at night, have fun  

Link: https://game8.co/games/Palworld/archives/439989)

 

Though, I'm glad you mentioned the respec "roofie" drug. ("Roofie cuz Lovander", I love this, haha.)

I would love to see how Spirit Shard could expand upon it, maybe have it legitimately act as a roofie as a negative consequence. Maybe even play off Shadow of War's nemesis system idea (inspired by others - ahem-), and let you hunt down any humans or Pals that take advantage of your character's drugged state.

 

Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear yours and Spirit Shard's take on this idea.

 

I mean, I'd be interested in a feature like that. Sounds fun. Problem would be figuring out how to implement it. You can't really have it spawn a pal/human very far away, to simulate them taking advantage and leaving, as the game doesn't keep things loaded that far from you. So would it just be a 'Someone nearby' sort of thing?

Ah, I see. Level 43 item. Got it. Never really looked at the late game stuff. Medicine especially, since it's never really been needed outside of servers. What's it do, exactly? The description just says it helps control dissidents. Is it a full sanity restore or something?

[Codesterz33]

I know you aren't looking for what to make anymore, but thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. I think the mod Palworld needs the most is one that makes all armors use the default no armor skin. Most nude/player mods only modify the characters base model. The moment you equip armor you are no longer nude or using the player replacement model. The problem is armor's aren't outfit placed on top of a base mesh. They are there own unique mesh so simply making them invisible won't work. You can't survive the later parts of the game without armor you need those defenses and you REALLY need that temperature protection.

[Spirit_Shard]

Got some good news coming up regarding Project Sour Cake and will be updating that thread in a bit!

 

On 2/3/2024 at 9:38 AM, HellCharmer said:

...Let's call it a Consequence System...

... didn't use Lovander as the mascot for their mod. Maybe they found it too on the nose...

...Again, I'm, glad I could be of help and will likely keep popping by to share some ideas with you for assessment and consideration. I hope you have a good day. 

Thankfully the community has started building in-depth wikis, and the modding wiki has all the item IDs so I can find things rather easily. ^-^

Interesting idea for traits and such. I could potentially add some concepts similar but it's far down the road at this moment. I think a consequence/nemesis system would be pretty cool, hopefully a modder sees the suggestion and gets inspired to make it happen! (I'll have my hands full for a while >.<)

Thank you for sharing your ideas! You never know where inspiration will strike, and I did implement some of your ideas into Project Sour Cake (though I did slightly change how or what the systems would be exactly lol). Other modders could see suggestions too, so it's not just for me. ^-^ Hope your day is going well too!
 

On 2/3/2024 at 9:48 AM, HellCharmer said:

...Though, I'm glad you mentioned the respec "roofie" drug. ("Roofie cuz Lovander", I love this, haha.)

I would love to see how Spirit Shard could expand upon it...

I think it could be implemented as a type of sexual item, but I don't know if I'd go for straight "roofies" and their implications, may get some aggressive words about that one! lol
I think adding an item that induces lust would be a much more interesting item for Project Sour Cake specifically, but that wouldn't stop any other modder from taking the roofie approach if they chose to.
 

On 2/3/2024 at 7:24 PM, Nyankomaru said:

...Sounds fun. Problem would be figuring out how to implement it...

Palworld modding in a nutshell right now. We have full access to UE5 Blueprints, so we can 'add' anything we want, it's actually integrating things with the game systems that's been a real challenge so far.
 

4 hours ago, Codesterz33 said:

I know you aren't looking for what to make anymore...
...I think the mod Palworld needs the most is one that makes all armors use the default no armor skin...

I'm always looking for suggestions, and other modders could also see said suggestions and decide to take up the mantel, so it's never a bad idea to make suggestions!

I fully agree, it's actually stopped me from downloading a ton of nude mods at the moment. The main issue is that the community is split in methods and standard practice at the moment and we have a lot of stuff we simply don't understand yet, which makes other things more complicated. I know there's at least 1 modder working on a dynamic mesh replacement framework which could potentially lead to something like this existing. My personal research has been focused on AI and Animations, so I haven't dived too deep into the game's mesh handling yet, but I do think it would be very possible to reference a single mesh for all outfits without major issues. As part of Project Sour Cake I will need to figure out dynamic mesh replacement for different gender/sex models, and also for swapping in a player's chosen 'nude' model, so it's possible I could implement an 'always nude' option!

[Viper5-2]

If we ever get around to multiplayer mods. What about a spawn system like One Hour One Life?

[HellCharmer]

On 2/3/2024 at 7:24 PM, Nyankomaru said:

 

I mean, I'd be interested in a feature like that. Sounds fun. Problem would be figuring out how to implement it. You can't really have it spawn a pal/human very far away, to simulate them taking advantage and leaving, as the game doesn't keep things loaded that far from you. So would it just be a 'Someone nearby' sort of thing?

Ah, I see. Level 43 item. Got it. Never really looked at the late game stuff. Medicine especially, since it's never really been needed outside of servers. What's it do, exactly? The description just says it helps control dissidents. Is it a full sanity restore or something?

It's essentially a cure all for the diseases and a sanity restore. I'm honestly surprised I found it, then. I was only level 25.

Yeah, implementing is the tricky part. I'll have to take some time to think on it.

[1337DragonWolf]

If you're still taking suggestions, perhaps a way to control the sexes of the humans, i.e. all female, all male, evenly split, or priority?

[riicky83]

Maybe an upgrade to the Anubis statue so we can pick any Pal in our base to upgrade them instead of us placing them into our party to upgrade.

Another idea is to help with the condenser machine. instead of having to go 4, 16, 32 etc. Allow us to have four Pals at 2 stars and then condense those four together to make the 3 star. It's easy to see it makes you do 4 first and then the next level is 4x that before the next two levels are 2x so you can simply do four 2 stars then two 3 stars and then two 4 stars. The only issue I see is you using a few more Pals doing this but it'll help with space in the Palbox.

Edited February 9, 2024 by riicky83
spelling correction

[riicky83]

Just came up with this a while ago while making the deco gun. How about a gun that allows us to change the colours of our Pals? 

[ant_9484]

i really just want to see m player on f pal.

[chara056]

my biggest request is please, i want a futa mod for the MC XD
im a transgirl. and this is something i usually like to do if i could. for me its not too pleasing to see a dude pounding the pals and such. 
and so id really like it. as im sure many other kinky degens to have a futanari option available.

[Dzund]

my top request (if this thread is still a thing) would be some spanking mod, both in animation and predefined scenario,

 

like defeating some human group and send them stand in a corner, lowering temporaly human raider from attacking your base, even attrack some visitor that may give money or object for the show

and vice versa, being defeated by the police or raider will discipline you, and will take a pic of this, preventing temporaly to attack boss, npc for a time making  some comment about it,

humanoid palworlds could give punishment some and if so will drastically lower the chance of capturing their kind for a time, or even pal hou have would ignore you

 

But i have no idea on how to mod palworld, or create animation

Edited June 27, 2024 by Dzund
add some thought