DLC for Exceptional Contributions to NS2
Soul_Rider
Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
There have been a number of community members who have contributed massively to NS2, through fixes and mods etc, Mendasp for example. While the new DLC system for content makers is a great idea, I feel that it does not reward people like Mendasp or McGlaspie, who make great content for the users of NS2, or the guys who organise the Spark Crafting Collective, where Kodiak was born.
What I propose is a system where NS2 players can nominate someone to be given a shoulder patch DLC, to work in much the same way the current DLC deal with Loki has. The final say would go to UWE. If they saw someone in the community themselves that they felt should get rewarded, of someone had received a lot of nominations, we'd talking in the hundreds here, then they could choose to offer the DLC proposal with that person. The only caveat should be that the person hasn't been employed by UWE.
Obviously I don't forsee hundreds of these being handed out, just a very select few over time. It's just an idea...
What I propose is a system where NS2 players can nominate someone to be given a shoulder patch DLC, to work in much the same way the current DLC deal with Loki has. The final say would go to UWE. If they saw someone in the community themselves that they felt should get rewarded, of someone had received a lot of nominations, we'd talking in the hundreds here, then they could choose to offer the DLC proposal with that person. The only caveat should be that the person hasn't been employed by UWE.
Obviously I don't forsee hundreds of these being handed out, just a very select few over time. It's just an idea...
Comments
I think the dlc fits more for visualized content.
If only we could of had the Evil_Ice pack.
Gimme
Gimme!
Rantology is touching on a very valid and nuanced point here...
Extrinsic reward systems (Such as Squad 5) tend to fail, while intrinsic ones (allowing players to derive value from their work without UWE's input) perform much better. Creating a new extrinsic reward system is definitely not something Unknown Worlds wishes to pursue at this time, we've learned our lesson from Squad 5.
A good example of intrinsic rewards is probably @Mendasp's NS2 modding. Mendasp, you create much value for some NS2 players and in return you command much influence and respect in the NS2 community.
Kodiak is a hybrid of both: Steam workshop and play time popularity selected it, and Unknown Worlds 'crowned' it. Creating a purely intrinsic system is nigh on impossible... Valve comes very close with TF2 and CSGO though. If Natural Selection 2 development can be continued post Kodiak, then expanding such hybrid reward systems may be a good option.
In this way, the best content (as determined by play time, Workshop ratings, ease-of-incorporation, degree of friendliness towards existing content) can be incorporated into some sort of DLC or other direct reward system. This is the equivalent of the 'nominating' that you speak of, @Soul_Rider.
Also, if anyone does have any contact with @Evil_Ice, please let me know. I would really like to speak to him!
NS1 LMG and Fade DLC? Oh fuck yeah.
I forsee widespread destruction...
Could you please explain what happened to Squad 5 and why did it fail. Noone ( i asked ) really knows why you stopped it. Would really like to hear the reasson.
I think that post deserves an awesome just for this quote...
I'd be interested in seeing a Variety of skin packs released to support some of the top contributors of fixes and feature additions. A "Bugfixer" or "Engineer" type theme or something with proceeds going to the most worthy modders (Like Mendasp and SamusDroid to name two). Just as an added thank you from the community. Extra content is excellent and extremely awesome, but I think I speak for everyone in being exceptionally thankful to the community members that spent their time fixing issues with the game itself.
I came into ns2 about a year ago, and I don't even know what Squad 5 is. All I know is it's that windy ghost-town of a sub-forum and nobody dares set foot in there anymore. I heard it's haunted.
Squad 5 was a real cool idea, it was a way ppl could present their ideas / projects how to support ns2 (by community pages, mods, maps and other great community work). Getting ppl together for new projects ( like ns2stats was mainly founded and pushed through it ) and a nice way to reward and present those ppl with the squad 5 badges ( 3 levels: blue, silver and gold ).
Somehow the reward / info posts by hugh stoped without any reason given anywhere public and squad 5 died out as many assumend Hugh just dropped it. I also know some modder which raged ( and quiet ns2 ) after this or are still mad they never got their promised award.
So i'm really interessted why @Hugh is calling this imho awesome community project a failure and why it was shut down. I'm wondering about this since over a year now but never met a person (including lot modders, pts or other community members ) knowing the story behind this.
You heard of Ravenholm right? The denizens of that place don't even dare to step into Squad 5 :-$
I would play as a marine with a paperclip for a face.
But then I want to be able to wear one on the other shoulder, too... and maybe on my back... and on the kneecaps... or somehow be able to cycle through them. Deciding is already hard enough with the badges!
Or make the Onos wear it instead of the marine. There's plenty of space on an Onos.
Dino Riders... :-O
Either i wasn't paying attention at the time, or I wasn't there during Squad 5.
Now a couple of very nice people in the community have taken on the task on fixing anything they can (which unfortunately is limited to lua and maps and thus can't fix most of the gravest bugs still in there). Especially @SamusDroid and @Mendasp have worked really hard to make the game better (ns2+ is a must have mod imho, I don't play on servers without it anymore as it brings a lot of very useful features no dev ever seemed interested in providing. SamusDroid finally fixed the hell out of the keybinding system a few months back). When it comes to the highlights in this last release, I really don't give a crap about Kodiak (sounds harsh, no offense intended. It's a nice map and its very cool that this got playtested and backed by UWE), but all I really care about are the bugfixes and the inclusion of useful features like names on minimap etc.
But when it comes to rewards, as I understand it the only people really getting anything out of the Kodiak DLC are UWE and Loki who made the map. Now don't get me wrong, I really like to support the continued development of ns2 and have no problem to pay for it. I have spent well over 150 dollars on the game already, by buying multiple copies, the shadow tier reinforced option and supporting the NS2WC (I have never spent so much money on a game in my life). But the people I really want to support are not going to get rewarded by me buying the DLC.
I understand that UWE is not making even close enough money from ns2 anymore to continue spending more than 1-2 days a month on it just for old times sake. And I and most other people accept that. And the transition to officially sanctioned community builds is a very good move, as is the idea of selling cosmetic DLC to support them. But please get your priorities right and enable us to give money not only to art and content creators but also the guys responsible for fixing all those bugs and missing features you didn't have the time to do yourself. I would gladly spend at least 20-30 dollars on DLC just to keep Mendasp and SamusDroid doing what they currently do, and enable UWE to test and integrate those things into official builds for the next year and I'm pretty sure many people feel the same. I really wouldn't care if there had been no new map releases since biodome, if all of the other improvements hadn't also been made. And there still is a LOT left to do (Eg. an organized play system that actually does something useful).
So they can continue? They are currently doing so?
Honestly, samus, I do think people would donate to you guys personally. Only issue is people will inevitably demand a return.. even if its just a donation. Maybe ns2 gets 10℅?
And even if you didn't get a chance to contribute to that particular community member, each build still comes with fixes.
I think many modders (including myself ) would never accept any kind of money for all their work.
We mod ns2 because of this amazing community and the love to ns2. All we need is seeing the community to enjoy our work.
Squad 5 was perfect for doing this. The community could thank those members who are doing alot for ns2 by a simple badge and getting them their 5 mins of fame for their project.
Sadly Squad 5 was dropped down before it could even start to get a real big things. But it surely motivated alot ppl to start thinking how the could improve ns2 and maybe do something for the ns2 community.
I don't understand why hugh is saying such a project has to fail. But hey im not expecting to get any answer at any time at all about why squad 5 was stopped.
So i'm using this post to thank ppl who are making the ns2 community so special for me.
First of @IronHorse thanks for the endlless chats and the nice talks i had with you and also allowing me to see what's going on rly at the NS2 Community.
Thanks @Obraxis @Narfwak @bawNg and all other pts for all the work you guys do for the pt.
Thanks to @Sint, @Person8880, @Huze @Mendasp , @mcglaspie, @TheCombatTeam, @Soul_Rider @Deco for all the amazing work you did fighting together to get ns2 modded. Special thanks to @SamusDroid for improving vanilla ns2 and all the iteressting talks we had.
Thanks to @loki, @BeigeAlert , @Howser and all the other "crazy" members of SCC for creating all the amazing maps, moddels and tectures.
Thanks to @blind, @Zefram and all the other ensl staff for making the comp part of ns2 so fun and interessting.
Thanks to @rantology for all the beautifull arts you created for ns2.
Thanks to @ItsSuperEffective and all the casters for presenting ns2 in such a great way to the public.
Thanks to all server admins for spending all the time and money to keep ns2 alive.
And thanks to all active forum and communtiy members for creating this amazing community
I may have missed alot names but heh the ns2 community is yet so small but so creative i don't have now the time to thank each of you
Of course that means people like mappers would flock to those because they could get paid for it. Not saying any names but we know who did it. :P
damn, just send $5 to that account. J/king. keep up the good work SamusDroid. I may but another copy to gift to a friend when I have the money.