[attachment deleted by admin due to age]

[Canute]

Just a question,
who did delete them, the moderator of the (sub)forum or some serveradmin who didn't even looked into the forum and just create an autodelete script ?

Serveral mod-releases got deleted by this. At last the mod/release subforum should be excluded from these delete action.

[maculator]

Well I saw people complaining about that too, but to be serious: I always wondered why a link to a github repo (or similar) isn't a prerequisite for a mod release. A propper release HAS to include a license, a source, a readme and the mod!
All that "grab my mod in the attachment without the ability to see the source or a license" is nonsence. Also the steamworkshop is cancer. Everybody can claim anything and just upload it to steam.

In general every "release" without a propper source and license should be deleted instantly. And steam should be moderated harder. All those "reuploads" and stuff that doesnt provide a single link to what it actually is... thats just nonsence.

[dburgdorf]

I always wondered why a link to a github repo (or similar) isn't a prerequisite for a mod release. A propper release HAS to include a license, a source, a readme and the mod!

Not everyone does things the same way. I just use an IDE on my own computer for development, and upload to Steam and Dropbox for distribution. I've never bothered to figure out how to use or upload stuff to GitHub, since I've never seen the point in bothering with a tool designed for collaboration when everything I do is a solo project.  And someone who works entirely with XML and doesn't do any code-based modding would have even less "need" to use GitHub.

As to source, while I include the source with all of my mods, I understand why some modders might not want to do so, and believe it's entirely their choice.

[maculator]

Well I did some lowskill patch mods for kerbal spaceprogram. And there you had to provide a license to release anything, even a patch thats just a few words cramped in two lines of a txt file.
And they didn't even bother with steam workshop, wich is a good thing I guess, but thats totally my opinion.

And to get back on topic:
I guess the server deletes attachments after a while to not get cluttered with all those files.

[Canute]

Github is great if you want share your source or when you want that multiple people want to work at the same project.

Sure a few people just use github as distrubution platform without working at the mod with github.

[SpaceDorf]

The Things I like most about github is the ability to create branches and always having backup.

Uploading the complete Mod to DropBox or GoogleDrive is basically the same, without the WebInterface.

Including a License or at least a few comments on how to use the modded Content is a good thing, but does not have to be a file from GitHub but I still recommend including it into the About.xml and the first Post.

I think the main point here is that it is wiser to provide an external link to created content than pinning it on the Forum-Post.
Still excluding the Mod Subforum from deletion ( or having a different Lifetime ) would be nice too.

[maculator]

I just think a mod needs a "home".
A live as an attachment isn't a real live!
Github is nice because everyone can see everything and open an issue or a pullrequest. And bigger mods for KSP for example have an own wiki on github, so you got one place to find all you need.
I don't like attachments and I definitly don't like steam. A source is nice for people trying to understand whats going on and without a license anyone can republish your stuff *cough* steam *cough*.
For many games the steam workshop is a unmoderated nightmare. No source, no forum link, no previous versions just the "subscribe" button. And if the creator isn't arround for like 24seconds someone panics and reuploads his mod + 14 different colored versions of the object.

[Canute]

Uploading the complete Mod to DropBox or GoogleDrive is basically the same, without the WebInterface.

Even at Github you can straight link to the release file instead to the release category. Then the webinterface don't popup like when you exchange the 0 with a 1 at the dropbox links.

I just think a mod needs a "home".
A live as an attachment isn't a real live!

Don't you think the mod got a home, at the local PC ? :-)
Puting on the internet is more to keep it alive. You know "Das Internet vergisst nichts." !

[SpaceDorf]

Uploading the complete Mod to DropBox or GoogleDrive is basically the same, without the WebInterface.

Even at Github you can straight link to the release file instead to the release category. Then the webinterface don't popup like when you exchange the 0 with a 1 at the dropbox links.

I was talking about the Modders Viewpoint.
The Number of Clicks for a download don't change very much for the user.
But the initial effort the Modder has to invest to upload on GitHub is a bit higher.

Puting on the internet is more to keep it alive. You know "Das Internet vergisst nichts." !

Also Rule34 of the Internet!

[Canute]

Ok, back to the topic.
I want to know who delete the attachments of mod releases.
A moderator or some serveradmin without clue what he did delete.

[Bozobub]

Not necessarily.  It can be the forum software itself, honoring a specific setting for attachment age limits, or even a separate forumbot.

You need to think about storage requirements, as well.  Most forums run on the lowest-spec server that will fulfill their needs; there won't be unlimited space to store files.  Additionally, keeping files on the server inevitably increases monthly bandwidth use.  In other words, there is a cost to maintaining those files here, rather than as external links.

Edit -> I forgot to add that even if you have the Ludeon-only version of RimWorld, you can only go back and download a given number of versions back.  Expecting indefinite support of outdated mods is simply unreasonable, especially given the resources of an indie developer.

[Canute]

Why do you think i am asking ?
If it is an automated script it should be excluded from the release subforum, i don't care about the outdated.

And if this isn't possible we need to warn the mod authors not to release them as attachment.

[Bozobub]

Whether or not you or I care about outdated material is significantly less relevant than whether the owners/operators of the website care .  You still haven't explained why Ludeon should maintain storage for mods that were written for versions they no longer officially support in any way, you know, nor why your desire for fewer clicks makes other storage methods (of which there are MANY) unusable.

In fact, Ludeon is one of the few developer-run forums that directly supports mod downloads at all; you don't get that much in the AAA world, where they depend on the community for such (NexusMods, ModDB, etc.)...

[maculator]

Whether or not you or I care about outdated material is significantly less relevant than whether the owners/operators of the website care .  You still haven't explained why Ludeon should maintain storage for mods that were written for versions they no longer officially support in any way, you know, nor why your desire for fewer clicks makes other storage methods (of which there are MANY) unusable.

In fact, Ludeon is one of the few developer-run forums that directly supports mod downloads at all; you don't get that much in the AAA world, where they depend on the community for such (NexusMods, ModDB, etc.)...

Its not just outdated mods, recent stuff gets deleted aswell.

[Mehni]

I uploaded A17 versions of my mods when it got released; about the 26th of May. Now, exactly 4 months later, those attachments are gone. I'm not the only one whose attachments got deleted. It's almost certainly a script.

And if this isn't possible we need to warn the mod authors not to release them as attachment.

That's a good idea. State your reasons and ask them to put it on GitHub. The forums are a terrible filehost, whereas GitHub is great once you get used to it. You can easily link to the latest release and you always have a backup of the source code.