Maybe I'm Thinking Selfish...
Cyborgguineapig
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 3233Members
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 3233Members
<div class="IPBDescription">or maybe I'm thinking competitively...</div> Ok I'll start by saying that I tried writing this thread at-least three times before actually posting it.
With the showing of HL2 and its september release just peeking over the horizon, I can't help to think that many people with great ideas may be short ended once HL2 arrives because of a few factors. For one, It seems as though everyone and their freekin dog just has to make a mod for HL2 when it comes out. Now, we can all imagine just how many CS clones will be created just because some moron thinks )(their CS clone>CS). I can't help it to feel overwhelmed by such a large mod community, but at the same time just as excited as everyone else because HL2 will feature many tools for modders and the ability to mod will be generally easier.
Lets cut to my point. In such a competitive world, would you say it is ok for me to feel kinda selfish for wanting a piece of the pie but without all the competitiveness? Don't take me wrong, I just see many people with great mod ideas being left in the dust simply due to the overwhelming HL community/ its size mainly a factor. If hard work is truly a thing of the past with Valve's new mod utilities/tools than mods will come out like water from the faucet, yet is it possible that this could also hurt some mods from developing?
I was told the famous line many times about how only the dedicated/pushy people get their way and that most people who work hard will be successful. If mod tools are too easy to use, than could we agree that "true" talent may be lost in individuals of a community?
I don't know how else to say it. The best way to describe my thoughts are nervousness and anticipation. If you've ever been at a track meet you know that feeling of anticiapion at the starting line and how that gun always scraed the Bejusus ota you when it fires and thoughts of being in the lead rush through your head. HL2 is the next best thing ever to come across FPS and its quite understandable that many others are wanting that piece of the pie and wanting to make a mod for HL2. I feel like I've always been a true HL fan and you could also call me greedy for feeling like the HL experience was all for me. Then I see some top CG( Computer graphics) artists going "hey, whats this little HL thing" just discovering it like 5 years after its success and suddenly, they too want to make a mod for HL2 just because its the in thing. HL2 is the best engine, best AI, mod tools ext... And then I envy other people who do better than I with my genetically born Low self esteem.
Then there's another factor, will their always be an infinity of ideas? We've all seen the WW2 mods (DOD), the Urban warfare (CS) mods, the space/sci fi mods, the medieval mods, the Modern warfare (desert combat for BF1842), the wasteland post apocalyptic mods , Western mods, blah blah blah. Of-course there's always an endless supply of ideas but its never really "original". For example, I have some ideas myself but nowadays and gun that has a scope is either compared with the wildly popular CS or Halo. "Omg your model/idea looks like game (X) !"
If I were to make a mod with some type of alien life-form with coincidently had claws than " Omg youz Mod has te alien with claws, OMG HAX , it are looks like an NS clone!" Why am I greatly discouraged about what will become after HL2 arrives rather than being happy and more excited than worried? Everyone has dreams but sometimes it takes that little push or inspiration to get things going and since it is bound that there will be at-least a dozen mods sharing the same concepts where will that leave me. Bah this whole thread I just realized is stupid. <img src='http://www.cgtalk.com/images/smilies/banghead.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'> <img src='http://www.cgtalk.com/images/smilies/banghead.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'> <img src='http://www.cgtalk.com/images/smilies/banghead.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
maybe someone can give me some words of wisdom I have yet to learn or some lecture or some past experience story. I guess its just a survival of the fittest world of gaming and CG. Maybe I should just deal with the competitiveness of it all <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo-->
With the showing of HL2 and its september release just peeking over the horizon, I can't help to think that many people with great ideas may be short ended once HL2 arrives because of a few factors. For one, It seems as though everyone and their freekin dog just has to make a mod for HL2 when it comes out. Now, we can all imagine just how many CS clones will be created just because some moron thinks )(their CS clone>CS). I can't help it to feel overwhelmed by such a large mod community, but at the same time just as excited as everyone else because HL2 will feature many tools for modders and the ability to mod will be generally easier.
Lets cut to my point. In such a competitive world, would you say it is ok for me to feel kinda selfish for wanting a piece of the pie but without all the competitiveness? Don't take me wrong, I just see many people with great mod ideas being left in the dust simply due to the overwhelming HL community/ its size mainly a factor. If hard work is truly a thing of the past with Valve's new mod utilities/tools than mods will come out like water from the faucet, yet is it possible that this could also hurt some mods from developing?
I was told the famous line many times about how only the dedicated/pushy people get their way and that most people who work hard will be successful. If mod tools are too easy to use, than could we agree that "true" talent may be lost in individuals of a community?
I don't know how else to say it. The best way to describe my thoughts are nervousness and anticipation. If you've ever been at a track meet you know that feeling of anticiapion at the starting line and how that gun always scraed the Bejusus ota you when it fires and thoughts of being in the lead rush through your head. HL2 is the next best thing ever to come across FPS and its quite understandable that many others are wanting that piece of the pie and wanting to make a mod for HL2. I feel like I've always been a true HL fan and you could also call me greedy for feeling like the HL experience was all for me. Then I see some top CG( Computer graphics) artists going "hey, whats this little HL thing" just discovering it like 5 years after its success and suddenly, they too want to make a mod for HL2 just because its the in thing. HL2 is the best engine, best AI, mod tools ext... And then I envy other people who do better than I with my genetically born Low self esteem.
Then there's another factor, will their always be an infinity of ideas? We've all seen the WW2 mods (DOD), the Urban warfare (CS) mods, the space/sci fi mods, the medieval mods, the Modern warfare (desert combat for BF1842), the wasteland post apocalyptic mods , Western mods, blah blah blah. Of-course there's always an endless supply of ideas but its never really "original". For example, I have some ideas myself but nowadays and gun that has a scope is either compared with the wildly popular CS or Halo. "Omg your model/idea looks like game (X) !"
If I were to make a mod with some type of alien life-form with coincidently had claws than " Omg youz Mod has te alien with claws, OMG HAX , it are looks like an NS clone!" Why am I greatly discouraged about what will become after HL2 arrives rather than being happy and more excited than worried? Everyone has dreams but sometimes it takes that little push or inspiration to get things going and since it is bound that there will be at-least a dozen mods sharing the same concepts where will that leave me. Bah this whole thread I just realized is stupid. <img src='http://www.cgtalk.com/images/smilies/banghead.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'> <img src='http://www.cgtalk.com/images/smilies/banghead.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'> <img src='http://www.cgtalk.com/images/smilies/banghead.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
maybe someone can give me some words of wisdom I have yet to learn or some lecture or some past experience story. I guess its just a survival of the fittest world of gaming and CG. Maybe I should just deal with the competitiveness of it all <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo-->
Comments
This was going to be a longer post too, but I have realised that I do not really want to lay my MOD ideas bare on the table.
If you wanna make a hl2 mod then do it. If you have the skills and the right team then you'll achieve your goal, if not then not. Why be held back by lamers shouting it's a rip-off? It's about fun.
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I really, really doubt it will be as easy as this.
Even if HL2 ships with better tools, you're still looking at a helluva lot of work in the whole mapping, modelling, sound, art, coding, animating, skinning, bugfixing and playtesting areas.
Sure, there <i>will</i> be a flood of mods, some good, some bad, but it's still going to be a <i>lot</i> of work to produce anything worthwhile I reckon..
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->If hard work is truly a thing of the past with Valve's new mod utilities/tools than mods will come out like water from the faucet, yet is it possible that this could also hurt some mods from developing?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This would only mean that while yes less talented people could make better looking things, the ones who are talented will be able to do even more still, so the balance will be preserved. Plus, if things are easier to get into, there may be a discovery of new talent. Either way that's a good thing.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Don't take me wrong, I just see many people with great mod ideas being left in the dust simply due to the overwhelming HL community/ its size mainly a factor.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Everybody has ideas. Having ideas is the easy part, its realizing them through your work that is hard. Go look up some mod websites that have things like "Have great idea! Just need mappers, coders, modellers, sound editors, texture artists, and animators! I can make the web page!".
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Then there's another factor, will their always be an infinity of ideas? We've all seen the WW2 mods (DOD), the Urban warfare (CS) mods, the space/sci fi mods, the medieval mods, the Modern warfare (desert combat for BF1842), the wasteland post apocalyptic mods , Western mods, blah blah blah. Of-course there's always an endless supply of ideas but its never really "original". For example, I have some ideas myself but nowadays and gun that has a scope is either compared with the wildly popular CS or Halo. "Omg your model/idea looks like game (X) !"<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This problem is older than you think. ;) People were saying the same thing about Quake 2 mods. They were all just Jailbreak clones, or CTF clones... But then came a little mod called Action Quake that introduced completely new concepts. Later CS refined those concepts and now what was once a brand new concept is now part of the unoriginal ideas that had once seperated it from everything else. So then ww2 themes were the new concept, but now they too have become old and unoriginal. Its a problem that isn't going away, but its not a new problem that mod authors have never dealt with before either...
Personally, I think that HL2 will help to stimulate creativity a great deal. Sure at first there probably won't be too many original mods in development, and also the mods probably won't be too advanced. Compare mods that came out for HL back in early 1999 with mods today, and you'll see a world of difference. It'll probably take people awhile to learn the cavets of the HL2 engine as well, but when they do I'm sure we're gonna see gold. :)