Why do you make mods?

[Backupfly]

As someone who benefits from all the user generated content on the internet, I am completely baffled (and extremely grateful) as to the 'why?' people do all this stuff with seemingly nothing to gain. All this stuff you make, from mods to forums to youtube videos, why do you do it? 

[dje34]

 Why do you wake up in the morning ?

[myuhinny]

Some do it because they want to some do it because they like to some do it because they didn't like what was available to them so they made their own stuff.

[arr0w]

I mod mostly for myself. Tweaks, custom patches, followers, ect. However, im beginning my FIRST public release project as we speak. To be LL exclusive of course, at least for awhile. im NOT a fan of the nexus, but it does have a rather large userbase. But expect to find it only here for awhile. No ETA yet on account of the fact that the way id like people to be introduced to the location, i can not accomplish by myself, at least not yet. But it is now officially a WIP.

[WrythePhokas]

Why do people write or compose music? I am no modder (and like the OP am very grateful for those that mod and share with the rest of us), but I assume it's the creative urge that drives the modders here. 

 

Also perversions. 

[arr0w]

Why do people write or compose music? I am no modder (and like the OP am very grateful for those that mod and share with the rest of us), but I assume it's the creative urge that drives the modders here. 

 

Also perversions. 

Yes. Also perversions. xD

 

#LMFAO

 

Lol, # Even though i HATE twitter  ._.

[Symon]

I've been modding games since Civilization2.

Why? Because they never used to make games quite how I wanted them and now because they don't make games remotely how I want them.

I have NEVER played a Beth game 'out of the box' and have never played on a console.

[Guest Mogie56]

People usually start out modding for themselves, sometimes a friend might see what they've done and really like it and gives them the incentive to share it with others. sometimes people mod like I do to learn, you have to start somewhere and that usually means jumping in. few do it for ego boosts but it is always nice if others like what you've done. None mod just so they can be told they suck which happens alot but you continue in spite of them. But once you learn to create then you have to learn to place it in-game and of course get it to work. one thing is for sure though, you gotta love what your doing cause it ain't easy.

[DeepBlueFrog]

I started modding for Skyrim to improve on some of the mods I was using and eventually, to add my own ideas.

 

For example, I like the armor set from TERA, but I didn't like that the mod I was using gave those armors to just about any random necromancer and mage.

So I edited it for my own purpose and gave armor only to priests, housecarls and a handful of unique NPCs.

 

Or I didn't like the visuals in Frostfall as you get colder and colder, so I changed them to a better blend of blur and desaturation.

 

Or I didn't like how Sanguine Debauchery made me starve to death from lack of food, so I started tinkering with it... and I got really sucked in at that point.

[Guest GuyWhoAbruptlyDisappeared]

I have modded games since I was very young. If I don't like something in a game, and I find out it is possible to change it, I will. I mod for whatever game I'm into at the time. For now, it's Skyrim. That won't last forever. Eventually I'll find a new game and disappear.

[windpl]

As someone who benefits from all the user generated content on the internet, I am completely baffled (and extremely grateful) as to the 'why?' people do all this stuff with seemingly nothing to gain. All this stuff you make, from mods to forums to youtube videos, why do you do it? 

 

It is like with art, now ask yourself why do people create art.

[Captain Cobra]

1. A lot of mods don't line up 100% with my tastes, so I make my my own personal changes to them, or make my own mod if it's something small.

I like being self-sufficient.

Learning how to do conversions myself (still learning!) will be shorter in the long run compared to asking people to convert things for me.

It's fun.

[Rayblue]

As someone who benefits from all the user generated content on the internet, I am completely baffled (and extremely grateful) as to the 'why?' people do all this stuff with seemingly nothing to gain. All this stuff you make, from mods to forums to youtube videos, why do you do it? 

 

Trying to come up with something to fulfill someone's needs, or fill out what was terribly missing or wrong in the game, or both.

[Guest endgameaddiction]

i think "the best things in life are free" apply here.

 

This is one thing that artists and followers can both appreciate without money in between. If money was in between, there wouldn't be communities like there are now. you can just imagine if mods were sold and people would just pirate them all over. The scandal would be worse than pirating music. Modders would give up and mod for themselves or a private community with nothing but other modders. All sharing/exchanging back and forth. Then there's stability. Buying a mod that does not suit your needs. Or it's simply incompatible with other mods you dearly like. And if mods were sold, you bet your ass that these game devs would get a large cut out of it. They'll probably try to bullshit you with a 4% for every mod sold like these major recod labels do to these artists for every album that sells. Then everyone would go indie or into a indie game that benefited the modders. It's just a twist. I Still dont get why modders are uploading content on Steam when they are the one's benefiting from their work by prolonging old game sales.

 

As much as modders and artists on deviantart. It has shown the amount of talented people there are out there. It uncovers talent. And in the end of the day, it's good to know that the value someone put into their work is appreciated no matter what. If you walk on stage and get the silent treatment or the boos, either you didn't do something right or the crowd just sucks. Been there... experiencing it right now as I type this. I won't be releasing my work in that kind of environment. And if I could I would make my mod requiring at least 100 comments before you can download. It doesn't belong in everyone's hands, but it does to majority of the LL members here. Just not the leachers. In a way I hope that this changes, It's filling up with too many people just sucking the blood out of this community.

 

I've modded for myself and released a couple of my mods before. I dropped them on Nexus because I was sick of people ranting without reading simple instructions. I haven't given to this community yet but I have a race mod in the making for this community alone. I am hoping it brings cheer to those that use it.

[gregathit]

Modding is and always will be something one does first and foremost for.........personal enjoyment.  

Releasing stuff just tends to be a natural extension of that.

[Doublezero]

I first started modding with Morrowind adding simple god items. Today I'm modding Skyrim to bring back some of the things Bethesda left out.

[Lobzpooatu]

I'm not a very good modder myself.   I can do a little bit of texture stuff and some animation things,  but my passion has always been making videos and photos of characters to show off what other people with more talent can do.  Through my videos and screenshots people can see what you can accomplish and hopefully that interests them to start modding themselves.  Thus making the community more alive with conversionists and more!  Making even more material to salivate over and we GROW AND GROW AND GROW TOGETHER!!!

 

Short of it though and if I had to pick a personal reason?  Well it's an art form in my opinion being able to share in being creative with so many like minded folks and be able to keep growing in create new things in so many directions is pure heaven to me.

[thatTESguy]

1. See something cool on DeviantArt/the dozens of 3D graphics newsletters I get/latest film/TV/real life

 

2. Wonder why that cool thing isn't in Oblivion/Fallout/Skyrim

 

3. Find a way to mash Daz3D content/VG assets/skyrim assets/my piss-poor 3D modeling skills into something that works

 

4. Tweak until I'm no longer dissatisfied

 

5. Go to 1 and repeat.

[Ashal]

Because I wanted it and nobody was making it.

[blabba]

Because I wanted it and nobody was making it.

 

Signature Quote worthy, also I'm guessing this is the same methodology or thought process behind the creation of this site

 

Why do I mod?

To learn and fill in a gap of free time where I would otherwise be an unproductive sloth.

 

Also, cuz 'modding' boobies in Mudbox is too much fun.

[farmatyr]

Well, I started modding because i am out of work at the moment and i need something to do, also,

there are no armor conversions for my favourite skyrim body, so i need to do them by myself.

[Guest luthienanarion]

I take on the more technical challenges like scripting complex systems without breaking the Fallout engine. I don't even mod to add content.

[Ussula76]

Because i want to create alternate worlds full of mystery and excitement and magic to explore and sharew with others. our modern real world is mostly mundane...sometimes some people do great evils in this world but many of us are not in positions of knowledge and resources to be able to do much about it...at least with game worlds we can act out the desire to be the hero in a safe environment...or to experiment with the dark side of human nature in a safe environment...because i want to create a world of magic and myth that is enchanting and draws the player into it. good stories have a sort of life of their own even if only in the mind. i want to be a part of that.

 

secondary to this first reason, it is also because many games have flaws that either disrupt gameplay or continuity ot dont make much logical sense. i wish to do my best to help fix those things and maybe even add new and interesting content to existing games and to add things that i feel were missing and should have been included in the vanilla game anyways. to make it a better experience for everyone else as well. its a lot of hard work trying to learn this stuff without a background in computers and game design but as long as success can be made over time then its worth it.

[Guest GuyWhoAbruptlyDisappeared]

I already posted here once, but I wanted to make additional notes -

 

All of the mods I make are for me. Occasionally, I'll come up with a mod that I think other people might like, and polish it for release, e.g SexLab Mortality. Otherwise, they're for me and my character and my tastes. I have many Skyrim mods I have created that do things only I would like - and they are the majority of where my scripting experience (if you want to call it that) come from.

[Kestrix]

Well the very first game I ever modded was FFXI as I was apparently "too young" according to my older brother to be allowed to play Morrowind. (in reality he's just a giant douche and hated the fact he had a baby sister). I didn't like how my Elvaan looked or the what color the armor wore was. And since I played a bard mainly, all the "best" armor looked REALLY stupid. Back then NA players didn't like bards so most of my parties were later at night with the japanese players. Ended up making friends with them, and they showed me the mods. Ended up editing my own in a software that was barely translated at the time. After that was texture changes in WoW. Eventually somehow I ended up in Skyrim after not modding for a few years.

 

Which drives me nuts because I used to use blender to port stuff from Oblivion/Skyrim into DAO/DA2. But now can I figure out how to port things into Skyrim and have them work? NOPE. Nor do I remember how to use blender at all. Pretty sure most of the colorful language my toddler has learned has been from listening to mommy yell at her computer.