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I have asked myself many times, how far i would get on modding. Until
which point i would resist it, handle it, or even be able to do the job
itself. And after more than years, im surprised at many things, including
modding itself.
Its amazing the dedication put by some of the community, and in a certain
way, i think it is not reckoned correctly. In fact, when somebody does
something for the community, in certain cases, all they get is a request
to enhance it, instead of expressing happiness because of the existance
of a new tool or a new method of doing something. Something us modders
sometimes don´t remember, is that we don´t win anything by
modding. We can only generate our own thoughts based onto what we seek
in it, in some cases plainly giving someone else an entertainment, simply
spending time on it as a hobby, or a vague escape from reality (like my
case). But outside of it, we are what we were before. Same thing. And
thats also something players dont seem to learn. I had talked with somebody
a while ago, who called some other person a modding hero. And i inquired,
why a "hero"? Modding isn´t heroic...it can produce a
big effort, but its not an heroic action. A real hero is a firefighter,
or an emergency corps doctor, people who actually save lives, they do
something important for the society as a whole. Modders, as much, will
make you drawn in the well of cathodic rays emitted by the monitor. Expert
is a correct word, for instance...but in the need to describe something,
many use to pick up the first adjective that pops into their minds because
it sounds nice rather than correct.
Back on topic, in the years ive been around, ive seen many come and many
go. Just as example, staff partners on YrArg TC, The I Man, BlackT, or
usual beta testers, Haephasto, Fhased. And to be honest, i couldn´t
manage to understand the departures many times. In some special cases,
when you get bored of modding and simply quit, its not really a good thing
to leave it just because of that, you actually worked for it and it would
raise up your moral the act of finishing it or releasing it. That and
leaving someone who might have awaited your work unhappy. And yes, its
kind of contradictive with the above, but as you can notice, this is viewn
in multiple perspectives.
Indeed, i think its a matter of that, perspectives. I have met several
people who are still active, and work a lot for giving the community something
new. And i also met several who make many things as well, but they never
get known enough, even if they make great jobs, when their name pops out
in a conversation, you may hear a cruel "Who the hell is he? X mod
rules, and his author is god.". Now reconsidering that phrase, evidently
most times its "author" doesn´t make 100% his mod, and
many times, it may have happened we are somehow rejecting somebodies work
but are the same time we are saying its good in an indirect way, since
its the model we like so much from that X mod.
Many people dump their lives into a hole for modding communities. Ive
been already told that phrase myself, "you spend too much time on
it", "live your life". And my usual reply is, "Go
outside, look at that thief, at that poor homeless, at that maniac racing
around, close your door, and run to turn your PC on". Modding is
truely an addiction, but at least its a healthy (except for those cathodic
emissions) one. How many times, for the younger modders, have you heard
your parents say, "Get outta there, you spend too much time playing!".
And the problems there are two, one is the unhappiness on the modders
part since as it seems, those parents are totally unconscious and uncomprehensive
with what their son does. And the other one is their confusion on how
to please them if it isnt by staying home and safe (Ok, i know Americans
may actually have different thoughts regarding that last remark). Modders
sometimes use to need some kind of recognition for their job from somewhere,
to push them forward, else they quit.
Those who don´t quit, are for sure to be praised. They give out
their time for free, and not even trying to get a cheer back. Day by day,
they try to enhance gamer´s playing experience. Day by day, they
leave their life unconclude, to give an anonymous group of people something
to entertain themselves. As modders do that, programmers do that, notice
its a paralelism. Players criticize modders cause each of them wants something
done their way. Modders sometimes criticize programmers (regarding utilities
and game, im not only talking about EA here) cause each of them wants
something done their way. And most times we dont look at the work that
has already been done, just at what we want.
We have to learn to look deeper into everybodies intentions, and we need
to think better when we talk. We got to thank those who help or helped
us instead of requesting more off them, just like in real life. When you
can pay your own food, house, etc, you go live alone, and stop being a
"parasite" of your parents, some value our society seems to
be leaving aside. Now in this case, we have to thank for the game we like
to mod, or thank for X utility we use to map, but never request its author
to do more (Of course, when hes actually done something useable), since
we must remember that his intention was helping us. And that our attitude
towards him is totally hysterical and inmoral.
So there goes my salute, to all those who have spent nights without sleeping
for providing the community (players or modders) with something to help
in their duty. All those who have worked so long without a single retribution,
nor even expecting one. All those who respect those people and understand
they kill themselves working for free many times. And all those who think
of helping others before doing something for themselves. Those are the
people we need in this community, and those are who actually deserve an
applause. Cause their dedication is so big, that they give part of their
lifetime for someone else. Something that is currently barely seen, at
this epoque
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