Community mods pack

[hawkwing]

I think the bigger advantage to a modpack is the convenience of not having to go and hunt down and install each individual mod one after another. Typically, mod packs wouldn't be a "add all the mods" sort of sollution, but a collection of mods that share some theme, such as a "Community Weapons Pack" that would contain all new weapons, but exclude all other mods.

It's a simplification of a process that can often take hours of browsing forums or mod sites, and if anyone is ever making an "annoyances-be-gone!" pack or something similar, then it would make a lot more sense for a mod like mine (a simple one-liner that changes explosive range of dead turrets) to be bundled into said mod instead of people having to hunt down and install my mod just to add such a minor tweak.

Of course, these things are going to be subjective, and people won't always like all the things in a mod pack. That's ok. The point isn't to produce a "satisfy everyone!" solution, but a general "here, try these mods out" suggestion and a link to the mods themselves if people decide to pick and choose on their own.

[Architect]

Having a mod pack isn't a terrible idea as it saves the need to download lots of different mods, however, as Darker said, it would then be far easier to just drag things into the mods folder from the downloaded pack. As for how mod compatibility would work in terms of XML, one person would need to change the name of each mod to be numbered. The last on the list to be launched overwrites all pre-existing defs, so with mods which overwrote the same things, it would be agreed who's is the most important, and theres would be loaded appropriately.

Equally you could just change your def names

[Darker]

I'm trying to give my mods very specific Def names to prevent any conflicts - and if these mods would be to included in some meaningful mod pack (e.g. thematic), I would not be against it at all.

But the idea of big modpack of random mods is ridiculous. It would end up being unupdated much like AcDie's INDEX, because wide mod scene changes too fast.

[Adam561]

Changing the def names of items would be more than easy, it dost matter which mod is conflicting with another, Just pick one of the mods and change the def. Mot importance dost matter.

[murlocdummy]

Darker certainly has a good point about changing the Def names.  One of the major issues with Feed The Beast occurred when Divine RPG was added.  Dear God, that was a horrible mod.

What I don't understand is why anyone has any problems with modpacks.  They make mods much, much easier to find and compile when someone's compiled them for you.  The main problem with modpacks is the necessity to create a modpack loader, much like Feed The Beast's launcher.  I would highly suggest that we all work on that, and worry about the various official modpacks later.

The first thing that should be worked on in the alpha stages of any game is setting up the basic, workable architecture.  Once you've got something to add actual content to, you'll be able to properly add content to.  If you fail at that, you'll be spending most of your time working on putting content into your game instead of working on the actual content.

[hawkwing]

I think most of the disagreement here is from people who like the idea of "community mod packs", but don't like the idea of a "community mods pack". Where you place that S makes a world of difference. A single mod pack that contains just about all of the modding community's mods would generally be a bad idea. A specific mod pack with a few mods is pretty much unobjectionable.

[Col_Jessep]

One thing that I would like to see is a Community Bug Fix Mod. Basically just a collection of small fixes that slipped through the cracks when Tynan releases a new update, maybe some minor adjustments that don't change the basic gameplay.

I just sat down and made something like this to teach myself how to write simple mods. It includes ItchyFlea's gibbet cage and plant fix, Nasikabatrachus' clean sand and I tripled the time the new colony happiness lasts. Before you ask: No, I'm not releasing this mod because it includes content from other modders. Besides, you don't want to play lab mouse for my mods - at least not yet... ;P

Now - as always with these kind of adjustments - it's debatable if they are true to Tynan's vision but he did say he wants to increase the time new colony happiness lasts and wants to get rid of some of the grass on sand. My idea of a community bug fix mod would be to fix real bugs and to adjust some issues that might only become apparent after a new version was tested. No new content, no radical changes unless they are clearly inspired by already announced plans from Ty.

Of course every author has to get credit for his work but that should not be too hard. Plenty of room in the mod description unless Ty goes on a bug rampage. =3

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[jamieg]

If by mod-packs you mean 15 mods that all work perfectly together without making the game boring because things are to overpowering and at the same time give you loads of of great new items sort of like tekkit or FTB to minecraft then i AGREE and on top of that i have compiled a mod-pack for Alpha 2 to keep you guys having fun untill A3 all you need to do is click on this link to get to the right forum post

http://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=2784.0

[OmegaConstruct]

I agree with Darker, I would much rather pick and choose what mods I want to use rather than being in an all of nothing situation. When I look at Cala13er's industrial rim mod, I see a dozen things I like but another 2 dozen things I don't want.  I like ItchyFlea's wood economy, and I want to use that one. I think human fertilizer is not something people would want to eat from, and much prefer wood mulch, not to mention that I also use bolti1703's cremation/morgue mod.

I don't want 50 different guns and 5 kinda of turrets. I don't think that even belongs in a mod supposedly about "industry".

I use the clean sand mod, but again, why is it in a mod that is ostensibly about industry? Same thing goes for different carpets and lights. And why get rid of farming?

To be clear, I'm not trying to disparage your mod, Cala13er, just using it as an example as to why mod packs aren't for everyone. I'm sure that for you, it has everything you want to give you your ideal gaming experience, but it isn't for everyone. If you released the different parts as separate mods, I would totally use some of them because parts of it look awesome. But since they're all packaged together, I use none of them.

Until there is a way to pick and choose to activate or deactivate different parts of a mod within the game's GUI, mods should remain separate.

[jamieg]

Adam. I never said it wasn't. I know It is.

Just he doesn't have to be such a downer about someone wanting to make a mod pack! Seriously most pathetic thing to argue about.

well ive made a mod pack and had some great feedback. so i agree with cala, what i did was find mods that work together and put them in one download. it took me so long to find a full list of mods that i loved every part of, so by making the mod pack ive saved so many people from having to spend pointless hours trying to maximise their rimworld experience

[OmegaConstruct]

ive saved so many people from having to spend pointless hours trying to maximise their rimworld experience

See, this is the problem with mod packs. This collection of mods might maximize YOUR RimWorld experience, and plenty of people might enjoy it as well, but not everyone will agree. Letting people pick and choose individual mods lets EVERYONE maximize their own personal RimWorld experience. There will always be people too lazy or who just don't care enough to put in the effort to search out individual mods and will just be happy with a mod pack, but others will find that they add extra unnecessary content that they don't want or need and would rather be more involved in customizing their RimWorld experience.

[jamieg]

you can pick and chose from this pack it ill not cause issue to turn some off, but by getting this pack at least you know they can all work together if you want them too

[OmegaConstruct]

But doesn't that involve deleting the mods (and core) folder and replacing it in its entirety with the mod pack? Which is what Ty said he'd rather not have people do in the other thread about your mod pack.

[Cala13er]

I agree with Darker, I would much rather pick and choose what mods I want to use rather than being in an all of nothing situation. When I look at Cala13er's industrial rim mod, I see a dozen things I like but another 2 dozen things I don't want.  I like ItchyFlea's wood economy, and I want to use that one. I think human fertilizer is not something people would want to eat from, and much prefer wood mulch, not to mention that I also use bolti1703's cremation/morgue mod.

I don't want 50 different guns and 5 kinda of turrets. I don't think that even belongs in a mod supposedly about "industry".

I use the clean sand mod, but again, why is it in a mod that is ostensibly about industry? Same thing goes for different carpets and lights. And why get rid of farming?

To be clear, I'm not trying to disparage your mod, Cala13er, just using it as an example as to why mod packs aren't for everyone. I'm sure that for you, it has everything you want to give you your ideal gaming experience, but it isn't for everyone. If you released the different parts as separate mods, I would totally use some of them because parts of it look awesome. But since they're all packaged together, I use none of them.

Until there is a way to pick and choose to activate or deactivate different parts of a mod within the game's GUI, mods should remain separate.

I've mentioned this over and over again! the Alpha 2 version of Industrial RIM has been made as a standalone mod, I didn't care for compatibility. I've taken a whole new approach to Alpha 3. Clean Sand And Wood Trees are still in the mod, however I plan on moving the guns and turrets of my mod to another post!

Human Fertilizer was just a thing I made due to the fact I wanted some way of growing crops faster whilst also getting rid of bodies. I've completely removed it Alpha 3 .
Although I do have a plan for the future of bringing fertilizer back, just not human fertilizer. No the Fertilizer of the real world made up of nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, sulphur etc...

Hope that you can decide to use Industrial Rim in alpha 3

[jamieg]

i know what he wants for the next pack.