Why don't mod teams combine to join forces?

[vbl]

Every day I see small, incremental updates from existing mod teams, or a new mod teams altogether. The recruitment forum is full of modders asking for coders, scripters, skinner, and modelers. Everyone needs help.

I realize that everyone has their own ideas and their own plans, but I really have to wonder why all of these modders don't join up and implement everyone's work in a single mod?

Can you imagine the collaboration that would be possible if everyone pitched in toward one mod? The efficiencies gained by not having to reblaze territory that another coder has already tackled? The sheer amount of content and features that you'll gain by pooling your creativity?

Look at a mod like Desert Combat. The story hardly mattered - it was modern combat. There are at least 6 mods with modern combat themes sprinkled across various theaters using equipment from various countries. They are not so different, and ultimately, the playerbase isn't going to care about the story - we're going to care about the gameplay.

Doesn't it make sense to condense the modern combat mods? You'll have more expertise on staff, more people to help, and you'll get to "market" faster.

Thanks for reading.

[ICPO]

Re: Why don't mod teams combine to join forces?

Well there has been one merger that I know of. Rebel's Last Stand merged with First Strike(both star wars mods).

http://www.totalbf2.com/forums/showthread.php?p=454022#post454022

[DrunkenPirate]

Re: Why don't mod teams combine to join forces?

Thankfully, PoE already have a full team from the BF:V days :)

[CrimsonBlaze]

Re: Why don't mod teams combine to join forces?

If modders have a similar storyline then they may think of merging... just they may have different ideas for models and stuff so that puts them off. And people with different storyline ideas just wouldnt even think of it for obvious reasons

I know that the FCS team merged with another team early in development as they were working on similar things and are now progressing steadily :)

[vbl]

Re: Why don't mod teams combine to join forces?

I counted 6 mods that take place in the middle east and pit the US/Coalition/Israel vs MEC/Arabic Nations. Why aren't those teams working together?

It's a waste not to.

[gx.]

Re: Why don't mod teams combine to join forces?

well back when cis and bhd merged all bhd did was take cis coders and mappers and for the most part kick the rest of cis out. merging can be a very bad thing.

[Raslin]

Re: Why don't mod teams combine to join forces?

Every day I see small, incremental updates from existing mod teams, or a new mod teams altogether. The recruitment forum is full of modders asking for coders, scripters, skinner, and modelers. Everyone needs help.

I realize that everyone has their own ideas and their own plans, but I really have to wonder why all of these modders don't join up and implement everyone's work in a single mod?

Can you imagine the collaboration that would be possible if everyone pitched in toward one mod? The efficiencies gained by not having to reblaze territory that another coder has already tackled? The sheer amount of content and features that you'll gain by pooling your creativity?

Look at a mod like Desert Combat. The story hardly mattered - it was modern combat. There are at least 6 mods with modern combat themes sprinkled across various theaters using equipment from various countries. They are not so different, and ultimately, the playerbase isn't going to care about the story - we're going to care about the gameplay.

Doesn't it make sense to condense the modern combat mods? You'll have more expertise on staff, more people to help, and you'll get to "market" faster.

Thanks for reading.

And guess what? If you had put Desert Combat, Silent Heroes, BHD, and other mods together, work would have only been marginally better, if not worse.

Good mods have leaders with strong visions. Too many good leaders with strong visions will lead to bickering. Absorbing bad mods, depends.. if its collaberation, it will probably be worse, but if you just take their members(FH style, I believe they did that with that one pacific mod), then it works.

Basically, you create a new mod because you have your own vision. Mods do sometimes merge, if the visions are close, and the quality. But since I started modding in '02 for 1942, I've thought it was a bad idea to merge in most cases. For example, I would have very much disliked seeing FH, XWW2, and BG merge.

[Raslin]

Re: Why don't mod teams combine to join forces?

well back when cis and bhd merged all bhd did was take cis coders and mappers and for the most part kick the rest of cis out. merging can be a very bad thing.

To be fair, CiS wasn't exactly the most... prominent mod, to use a nice word. Blackburns, just general not great graphics, the coding was pretty buggy(the beta's I got my hands on, anyways). I wish BHD had come out, though... It looked really good.