Collaborations: Are they viable or not?

[Espadon]

There's been quite a few collaborations in the past, but have they ever been really successful? I'm talking specifically about collaborations where two or more people do the graphical aspects of the modification. In my opinion, graphical collabs should never even be considered since differences in art style really is disruptive to the overall effect of the mod.

What is your opinion on the viability of collaborations?

[Mangled*]

One of the most recent and most massive collaborations was the Soldat Forums mod... look what happened to it... it was almost fully complete and then just died.

I think with the right small group of people collaborations can work... But the more people working on it is not necessarily the best way. Each has their own preconceived idea about what the mod should and should not be, and the more people there are working on the project the more split opinion will occur.

Working on a mod on your own takes longer, but if you're determined it can be more successful than collaboration mods... Usually with a collaboration there is a lack of dedicated people working towards the goal... they are people who are working on what they consider to be someone elses mod when really they'd rather have everyone making their mod.

I prefer to work alone because I alone understand myself.

Let's say for example I design some sort of futuristic rifle and then I ask my co-worker to make sounds for it.... Would they make just any old sounds? Probably. And I would tell them that it is not good enough. And that the gun should sound the way it looks... If it looks "plasticy" then it should sound light and airy and the reloading sound should sound plasticy aswell or if it was metallic then it should sound metallic and clunky. Also I would want the reloading sound to mimic the design of the gun. If it's bolt-action I want to hear a bolt action reloading, if it's a plasma rifle I want to hear it charging up... I'm very fucking particular and I set standards very very high... I won't settle for second best.

With collaboration mods everybody is compromising and settling for something they don't really like about it... the sound maker might think the weapons look like sh*te and the weapon designer might think the sounds are crap and the interface maker might want to be making sounds instead etc...

In my opinion if you want something done then you should do it yourself.

[Henito Kisou]

One of the most recent and most massive collaborations was the Soldat Forums mod... look what happened to it... it was almost fully complete and then just died.

I think with the right small group of people collaborations can work... But the more people working on it is not necessarily the best way. Each has their own preconceived idea about what the mod should and should not be, and the more people there are working on the project the more split opinion will occur.

Working on a mod on your own takes longer, but if you're determined it can be more successful than collaboration mods... Usually with a collaboration there is a lack of dedicated people working towards the goal... they are people who are working on what they consider to be someone elses mod when really they'd rather have everyone making their mod.

I prefer to work alone because I alone understand myself.

Let's say for example I design some sort of futuristic rifle and then I ask my co-worker to make sounds for it.... Would they make just any old sounds? Probably. And I would tell them that it is not good enough. And that the gun should sound the way it looks... If it looks "plasticy" then it should sound light and airy and the reloading sound should sound plasticy aswell or if it was metallic then it should sound metallic and clunky. Also I would want the reloading sound to mimic the design of the gun. If it's bolt-action I want to hear a bolt action reloading, if it's a plasma rifle I want to hear it charging up... I'm very fecking particular and I set standards very very high... I won't settle for second best.

With collaboration mods everybody is compromising and settling for something they don't really like about it... the sound maker might think the weapons look like sh*te and the weapon designer might think the sounds are crap and the interface maker might want to be making sounds instead etc...

In my opinion if you want something done then you should do it yourself.

Bullshit, SF Mod isn't dead, just idle. About collabs: they are successful if done with right person/modders/mod-team. But in fact, I prefer do mods alone, in traditional way, paint-only.

[Lord Frunkamunch]

Nah, SF mod is effectively dead. Problem with a collab is, the mod doesn't get finished on your own time. You either have to wait on the other guy or finish it yourself, and if it's a join-if-you-feel-like-it thing like the SF mod, there's really not much incentive to bother finishing it off. Of course, I'm lazy and only mod when I feel bored like it, so I'm not one to talk on that count, but then again I don't mention I'm making anything unless I'm done or close...

Bleh. That's why I'm more or less sticking to partials as of now.

[Dairy]

More ppl = more opinions.

Its just harder to stay on one solution and you have to find a compromise. But its not impossible. Trust me I can say it.

But I like lone work too.

[O.R.I.O.N.]

Collabs are great when you have a bunch of people working together who have overlapping skills. For instance, I can't art worth feck, but I'm a neverending stream of ideas, and I'm pretty handy with balancing out weapon mods. Working together with one of the many more gifted artists around here, I could be pretty useful.

[-Skykanden-]

It depends with who you work, if you work with a friend or someone that you like, its great, but there is just a proble, if there is a big mod making team, if some of those modders leave, you'll need to cover the work of that one, so colaborations with few people are ok.

EDIT: And yes SF mod is dead! But we should return to work on it guys...

[PapaSurf]

I agree that graphical collabs never work out that well.  Most people simply have varying levels of skill and different styles, which ends up in the mods looking mismatched and disjointed.  A possible solution is to give various people insight on a single concept, for example, pass any given image through an assembly line of modders so they can all provide their input into it.  This provides much more consitency and can really be beneficial to the finished product.  However, difficulties can arise from that because of differing opinions.

On the other hand, I think that a mod where different people handle different parts can be successful.  One person does the Interface, one person does the Guns, one does the weapons-gfx, one handles sounds, one works on weapon.ini balancing, one works on gosteks, and various bit contributors who can also help.  I think something like that can turn out very successfully if properly executed.

[Espadon]

Question is, how many people are disciplined enough to be able to do that? We're borderlining an actual dev team right there, and tbh, with that much effort put into an endeavor, the time and energy used may well be put to better use with a more mainstream game such as UT, where the modification may lead to cash prizes and other forms of recognition.

I contradict myself there, I guess, since HLT uses external sources for sounds, maps, etc., eh?

[PaFel]

Graphic collab has no sense 'cause of other styles of every modder as it was already said here in few posts but imo collaboration of just few person when one make gfx other sfx etc. is sometimes very helpfull. Some modder can be really good at makin' gfx but he can suck at sounds. Also it's important when you make "game mod" (mod based on game) to have someone who would supply you with all things you need if you don't own this game.