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The long term stability of modding community isn't pretty

TOLKIENTOLKIEN Posts: 1,594 Member
edited June 2019 in General Mods Discussion
We are now five years into the Sims 4 come September and we've seen countless mods and CC made for it.

I know a lot of you don 't use mods and some just use CC, but once you put your foot into the modding community its easy to find "another" mod then another mod you can't live without. For me that comes down to one specific creator named Luumia who's created a wide range of great mods, for me those are the height choices which I use for teens and noblu+noglu which "fixes" Maxis weird dramatic use of blue lighting indoors and the glow sims have that makes them shiny.

Yesterdays patch changed many elements of the Sims 4 and broke a lot of script mods. Its wonderful to see so many creators jump to fix their mods, but using Luumia in example doesn't appear to be active anymore. He hasn't made a social media post in 5 months and it looks like he might have retired from modding - but you never know. What that means is his great mods could be dead.

The Sims 4 has a huge catalog of mods that have been long abandoned since it was released 5 years ago. Many of those original modders have simple moved on and their mods broken forever. Some mods are remade and some simply not.

With the game expected to continue development for the next 3 years I don't expect a lot of our current modders to be around unless they are die hard players or funded on patreon and even then that paycheck doesn't mean they will stay. Six months is a long time but 3 years is a lifetime for others.

What this has demonstrated to me, is the need for a "guide for dummies" to updating broken mods. Especially script mods, that way anybody in the community could fix a broken mod thats been abandoned. Otherwise I have a feeling a lot of the mods we enjoy today might not work in a year let alone four or five.

Comments

  • WaitWhatYTWaitWhatYT Posts: 512 Member
    Luumia is great, I love his body hair CC. He seems to have spurts of activity from what I can tell, but has been quiet for a while.

    Thinking back, there are so many awesome mods and pieces of CC I picked up over the years that sadly just never got updated.
  • SindocatSindocat Posts: 5,622 Member
    This has always been true across all games that support custom content. What I do tend to see in the TS3 community, however, are sub-communities like NRaas Studio where, when a modder retires, others take up their work. Sadly, a lot of content ends up orphaned.
  • ScobreScobre Posts: 20,665 Member
    Pretty sure modthesims.info has modding and scripting guides. I've been on that site since the Sims 2 came out when it used to be called modthesims2.com and where my username was born. One thing I've learned about the modding community is that it has always been tight knit and community driven. Where one modder leaves off, another one has picked up usually. There is even a section on that site to ask for mods to be updated or made it is pretty neat. But yes if forums ever did get as detailed as the modthesims site is, that would be amazing, but then again the site has been around longer then this iteration of forums, so there has been time to improve and build upon. Sorry about your favorite mods being broken. I'm still waiting for some by Zerbu to get updated from many patches ago.
    “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
  • TOLKIENTOLKIEN Posts: 1,594 Member
    GGgkkg wrote: »
    Luumia is great, I love his body hair CC. He seems to have spurts of activity from what I can tell, but has been quiet for a while.

    Thinking back, there are so many awesome mods and pieces of CC I picked up over the years that sadly just never got updated.

    I also use his body hair CC and luckily being CC it will probably always work or can be easily fixed with Sims studio. Too bad mods weren't as easy to fix. Hopefully he comes back to update his mods.
    Sindocat wrote: »
    This has always been true across all games that support custom content. What I do tend to see in the TS3 community, however, are sub-communities like NRaas Studio where, when a modder retires, others take up their work. Sadly, a lot of content ends up orphaned.

    The Sims 3 community is pretty tight, partially because its maintained by a loyal player base of modders and the fact that the game remains popular. Even on steam it hits daily player counts over 4000.
    Scobre wrote: »
    Pretty sure modthesims.info has modding and scripting guides. Sorry about your favorite mods being broken. I'm still waiting for some by Zerbu to get updated from many patches ago.

    I'm going to check out the scripting guides later this week, I'm crossing my fingers Luumia returns and fixes his mods but I'll give myself a little lesson in that time just in case.

    Eventually I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and install the update to play Island Living.

  • So_MoneySo_Money Posts: 2,536 Member
    This happens in many modding communities - the massive Bethesda ones chiefly among them. Any game with staying power will see popular modders come and go, and newcomers usually arrive on the scene to pick up the mantle, whether it’s to create brand new mods or to take the reins and bring older mods up to date. We see the latter example quite a bit at ModTheSims.

    There are plenty of abandoned mods from 3-4 years ago that have since been replaced by better alternatives. And some of the largest scale mods for the game have only arrived in the last year or so.

    I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
  • ScobreScobre Posts: 20,665 Member
    Oh I forgot speaking about Zerbu, he does have a mod constructor program if ever you want to give modding a go: https://zerbu.tumblr.com/post/181782526135/the-sims-4-mod-constructor-v4

    I haven't tried it myself and most I was able to learn is how to recolor hair and objects which wasn't an easy task. Gimp 2 is also great and is free for creating art for CC.
    “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
  • TOLKIENTOLKIEN Posts: 1,594 Member
    So_Money wrote: »

    There are plenty of abandoned mods from 3-4 years ago that have since been replaced by better alternatives. And some of the largest scale mods for the game have only arrived in the last year or so.

    I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

    I'm not worried about it, I'm sad about it and what I'd like to see is an easy way to update them. I'm looking at guides (I might even write one after I try to fix the mods) not only for myself but to share.

    Its too bad EA doesn't release its own modding tools, not only would that allow for them to be updated along with the tools with new patches but create a easier way to make mods based on EA tool set and guide.
  • TOLKIENTOLKIEN Posts: 1,594 Member
    edited June 2019
    Scobre wrote: »
    Oh I forgot speaking about Zerbu, he does have a mod constructor program if ever you want to give modding a go: https://zerbu.tumblr.com/post/181782526135/the-sims-4-mod-constructor-v4

    I haven't tried it myself and most I was able to learn is how to recolor hair and objects which wasn't an easy task. Gimp 2 is also great and is free for creating art for CC.

    Actually creating some CC is very easy, its more graphics work then anything and then learning Sims Studio 4. I have Gimp and have used it to make tattoo's ect. It takes more time actually doing the work in gimp or photoshop then it does converting it into CC.

    I'm currently learning how to mesh together two skin overlays I really love. I might be forced to learn how to fix mods next though by next week too though lol.
  • So_MoneySo_Money Posts: 2,536 Member
    TOLKIEN wrote: »
    So_Money wrote: »

    There are plenty of abandoned mods from 3-4 years ago that have since been replaced by better alternatives. And some of the largest scale mods for the game have only arrived in the last year or so.

    I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

    I'm not worried about it, I'm sad about it and what I'd like to see is an easy way to update them. I'm looking at guides (I might even write one after I try to fix the mods) not only for myself but to share.

    Its too bad EA doesn't release its own modding tools, not only would that allow for them to be updated along with the tools with new patches but create a easier way to make mods based on EA tool set and guide.

    Even if lay people don’t have the tools to step in, you can imagine that there’s someone out there who feels the same way you do, and just happens to have the technical know-how and experience to do something about it.
  • OEII1001OEII1001 Posts: 3,682 Member
    This is standard for any game that has ongoing support, and it is always why I consider significant mods to be pointless until the final patch is released.
  • elelunicyelelunicy Posts: 2,004 Member
    TOLKIEN wrote: »
    What this has demonstrated to me, is the need for a "guide for dummies" to updating broken mods. Especially script mods, that way anybody in the community could fix a broken mod thats been abandoned. Otherwise I have a feeling a lot of the mods we enjoy today might not work in a year let alone four or five.

    There isn’t a "guide for dummies" to updating broken mods in general because there are many different types of mods out there and there are many different ways a mod can break. Sometimes even the original mod creator could take a long time to research a way to fix their own mod.
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  • DevilNDisguiseDevilNDisguise Posts: 2,225 Member
    I’ve always really loved Luumia’s stuff. Especially his body hair. I just recently started using his sliders too. Luckily, all the things I use from him didn’t break with the patch being released, though he does update eventually, even if it is a few months down the road.
  • NoTalentNoTalent Posts: 384 Member
    Reminds me of Skyrim. A lot of different mods are scattered across various versions. However, from a glance, it looks as if EA is actively helping modders, though.
  • EnjoyfulSimmerEnjoyfulSimmer Posts: 1,242 Member
    I've dabbled in that stuff, but now the only mod I want is the Banking mod for separate funds. And I dont love cc enough to bother with the hassle of it. I like how sims are without cc. So I dont care a whole lot about modding the game.
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  • puderosasimspuderosasims Posts: 522 Member
    I'm still hesitant to download the newest patch, since apparently it broke some of Luumia's mods, including their CAS Overhaul. Do you know if NoBlu/Glo is still working? @TOLKIEN
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    English isn't my first language, so please excuse any mistakes.
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  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    Actually the mod or CC is the broken thing - because when the content used to make the CC or mod getts improved or fixed that changed content is no longer in the game as the game overwrites or removes that info s the CC and mod creators have to remake their content off the new version other wise the AI etc cannot find what that was . It is why I never use CC or mods in a developing game as it is ever changing as long as the game gets new content. Lucky for players many creators though can rewrite their content be on the same game level as the game once the user remove the content and redownload the new stuff.

    I never like doing all that and just rather play with just Maxis content so my game does not get "broken" as when it gets fixed by Maxis as user content cannot be changed by what Maxis does to fix the game on purpose so Maxis cannot remove the players content - that is up to the player.

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  • AquaGamer1212AquaGamer1212 Posts: 5,417 Member
    There are a lot of people who do update mod of inactive people, and usually they even get permission from the original creator themselves which is pretty cool. But yes I would love to learn how to mod, and in fact Zerbu even has a mod constructor that now can make semi active careers. I’m super excited!
    ts4_blossom_meadows_world_icon_gif_fan_art_by_hazzaplumbob-d.gif

  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    The modding community are great about helping out for sure.

    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.

    In dreams - I LIVE!
    In REALITY, I simply exist.....

  • catitude5catitude5 Posts: 2,537 Member
    I was lucky this time, I only had to fix MC Commander. That is the one I can't live without. The mods that change the game just break too much and like you said, sometimes the creators are gone.
  • TomasGrizzlyTomasGrizzly Posts: 736 Member
    edited June 2019
    This is pretty much inevitable for games with a long lifespan. World of Warcraft is nearing its 15th "birthday" and the amount of mods that were abandoned or became obsolete due to changes in the game is massive, as is the amount of modders that quit during this decade-and-half.
    Things come and go and this applies to modders as well. It's inevitable.
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  • EA_MaiEA_Mai Posts: 1,800 EA Staff (retired)
    Moving this topic to Mods discussion section.
  • ZaszZasz Posts: 806 Member
    Most of my mods are necessary like more columns in CAS. This is something that should have been in the game since day one because we dont play with resolution of 640x480 anymore. Or better vampire meditation with a useless cooldown and the blood food being unsatisfying, the bugged sparring that kills relationships by over 50% per fight. Having a household of water drinking addicted vampires isnt fun.

    These are all things people repeatedly mentioned and asked to be fixed/changed. This is why I need mods to make this game enjoyable. The game is otherwise not playable. This is also one of the reasons mod makers leave because they are sick of making mods to counter bugs that should have been fixed years ago. Im really, really, really glad that many mods are being taken over by another player when the original author vanishes.
  • XxAirixXXxAirixX Posts: 2,567 Member
    I am not surprised that mods break and get abandon. Somethings things happen that prevents some modders to go back and a few unfortunately have passed away. Sometimes people try to pick up mods; but coding is really hard to do if you are new and trying to do something that changes the game. Even people who been doing this for awhile can struggle for awhile as they have to find the root of the problem which takes time, find a way to fix it, etc....it is also really time consuming and it isn't their job or main source of income, so that is also why it takes time for some to get updated, if at all. It is just a hobby for many.

    Though Sims 4 Studios do have a lot of good resources and tutorials as their focus is modding. There is even resources for making script mods (I hadn't been successful with it yet; but at least the opportunity to learn is available).

    The longer a well known game is out, the more some mods will be abandon and some new ones appear.
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